France's Arkema to buy US PEKK maker OPM

06 February 2009 09:59  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (ICIS news)--Arkema will buy US company Oxford Performance Materials (OPM) for an undisclosed sum, the French specialty chemicals company said on Friday.

OPM is a producer of polyether ketone ketone ultra-high-performance technical polymers marketed under the brandname OXPEKK, with sales of around $2m (€1.6m), said Arkema.

“OPM’s single-mided focus on PEKK and Arkema’s technical polymer competencies and capabilities will be a formidable combination offering highly promising prospects for the development of ultra-high-performance polymers ” said Scott DeFelice, OPM president and CEO.

“I firmly believe that this new activity has a huge growth potential,” said Thierry Le Henaff, Arkema chairman and CEO.

OXPEKK polyether ketone ketone is used in applications in aerospace, long-term medical implants, and down-hole equipment for the oil and gas industries.

($1 = €0.78)

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By: Hilde Ovrebekk
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