Rhodia is a global specialty chemicals manufacturer. It holds key technologies in applications chemistry, with surfactants, polymers, high-performance silicas and rare earth-based specialties; in specialty materials and services, with adipic acid, polyamide engineering plastics and sulphuric acid regeneration; and in fine chemicals, with pharmaceutical active ingredients and ingredients for flavours and fragrances. 
In 2009, Rhodia reported Euro4bn in sales and employed around 13,600 people worldwide.
History
Rhodia had previously become an independent company in October 1999 when Rhone-Poulenc divested the remainder of its holdings in Rhodia.
Company movements
In June 2010, Rhodia said it plans to acquire Feixiang Chemicals. For more on this please see Rhodia to acquire China’s Feixiang Chemicals on ICIS news.
In March 2009, Rhodia completed the acquisition of McIntyre Group after receiving regulatory approvals.
For more on this please see Rhodia closes $100m acquisition of US-based McIntyre Group on ICIS news.
The $100m (€79m) deal was first announced in January 2009.
Performance Materials
Rhodia Acetow
Rhodia Acetow is one of the world's three largest manufacturers of acetate cable, a raw material used to make cigarette filters. Its leading brand is Rhodia Filter Tow.
Leadership positions claimed:
No.3 worldwide with 19% market share.
No.1 in Europe and Latin America.
Rhodia Polyamide
Rhodia Polyamide serves the automotive, electronics and electrical power markets with engineering plastics, the tyre and airbag markets with high-strength industrial yarns, and the flocked surface and carpet markets with yarns, fibres and microfibres.
Brands are Stabamid, Dioro, Technyl, Technyl Star, Technyl Force, Technyl Alloy and Amni.
Markets include automotive, electrical and electronics, consumer goods, capital equipment, flocked surfaces and carpets, automotive and medical filters, print screens, papermaking, non-woven, ropes and nets, apparel, footwear and fashion accessories.
Leadership positions claimed:
No.1 worldwide in Rhodia Polyamide 6.6 polymer and polyurethane intermediates.
No.1 in Latin America in PA 6.6 fibres.
No.1 worldwide in engineering yarns for screen printing and filtration.
No.1 in Europe in automotive flock.
No.2 worldwide in adiponitrile (ADN)/ hexamethylene diamine (HMDA) and nylon salt.
Applications Chemistry
Rhodia Novecare
Formerly the Home Personal Care & Industrial Ingredients and Phosphorus, Phosphates & Food business units, Rhodia Novecare develops surfactants, phosphorus derivatives, biopolymers (guar and derivatives), and specialty monomers and polymers for the detergent, cosmetics, oil and gas, agrochemicals and textile, water and metal treatment markets.
Brands include Proban, Amgard, Miranol, Mirapol, Miracare, Geropon, Antarox and Jaguar.
Markets include consumer products, cosmetics, detergents, oilfield services, textile, water and metal treatment solutions, polymerisation additives and agrochemicals.
Leadership positions claimed:
No.1 worldwide in mild amphoteric surfactants for shampoo and soap.
World leader in phosphorus chemistry.
World leader in lubricants for steel wire drawing.
No.1 in guars and derivatives (shampoo conditioning additive and rheology modifiers).
Leader in stain-repellant polymers and polymers to modify surfaces when cleaning hard surfaces.
Rhodia Silcea
Formerly Rare Earth, Silicones & Silica Systems, Rhodia Silcea supplies rare earths, silicas and silicones for the automotive market, with a focus on emissions control solutions, as well as the tyre, electronics, construction, medical products, and paper and textile coating markets.
Brands are Cerox, Eolys, Optalys, Zeosil, Rhodorsil, Silbione, Silcolease, CAF, Rhodorseal, Lyndcoat and ELCH.
Markets include automotive applications, electronics, luminescence, precision optics, tyres, polymer, plastics and rubber industries, agri-foods, textile coating, dental and artistic moulds, medical and industrial products and consumer goods.
Leadership positions claimed:
Rare earth-based formulations.
Vehicle emissions control - global market share of over 30% in materials for catalytic converters and near complete dominance in catalysts for diesel particulate filters.
Luminescence for next-generation screens - worldwide market share of 40% for backlighting liquid crystal display (LCD) applications.
High-performance silicas.
No.1 with a worldwide market share of around 65% in high-performance silicas for tyres.
Worldwide market share of around 39% for micropearl silicas used as vitamin carriers.
Organics & Services
Rhodia Eco Services
Rhodia Eco Services provides sulphuric acid life cycle management services. Through spent acid regeneration, it offers manufacturers an environmentally-friendly, cost-effective and end-to-end service that ranges from picking up spent acid to providing fresh acid.
Leadership positions claimed:
No.1 worldwide in sulphuric acid regeneration.
Rhodia Organics
Formerly the Perfumery, Performance & Agro business unit, Rhodia Organics has three core product trees: the diphenols chain, the trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) chain and salicylates. Rhodia Organics serves the flavours and fragrance, polymerisation inhibitor and agrochemical markets.
Brands include Rhovanil Extra-Pure, Rhovanil Natural, Rhodiarome Extra-Pure, Rhodiaflor, Rhodiascent Extra-Pure, Rhodiantal, Acilys and ISCEON.
Leadership positions claimed:
No.1 worldwide in key fragrance and flavour ingredients (extra-pure vanillin and ethyl vanillin, extra-pure coumarin, salicylates).
No.1 worldwide in the catechol and hydroquinone trees (synthetic intermediates used in a variety of applications).
A world leader in trifluoroacetic acid (TFA).
The benchmark supplier of acid catalysts (Acilys) for the fine chemicals market.
Rhodia Pharma Solutions
Rhodia Pharma Solutions markets services and products to pharmaceutical companies across the new drug life cycle, including process chemistry development services, custom manufacturing services and bulk active ingredients.
Brands include Rhodine (aspirin), Rhodapap (paracetamol), A-Tab, Di-Tab, Tri-Ta and Calipharm (calcium phosphates).
Leadership positions claimed:
No.1 producer of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) for the merchant analgesics market.
No.1 marketer of calcium phosphates for pharmaceutical and nutritional applications.
No.2 producer of paracetamol (acetaminophen).