SK Capital Partners has made two further acquisitions in May, buying SK Capital Partners from Miami-based investment firm HIG Capital in a deal that is expected to close in Q3 subject to customary closing conditions, and Florachem from an affiliate of Carmelina Capital. Terms were not disclosed in either deal.

Valtris, which is headquartered in Independence, Ohio, has nine manufacturing facilities worldwide. It makes speciality additives and chemicals that impart including flexibility, stability, processability and flame retardance to plastics and other materials.

Solvay has launched a fourth growth platform, complementing existing ones in battery materials, green hydrogen and thermoplastic composites. This will focus on developing sustainable products for multiple markets using renewable feedstocks and biotechnology.

Hanmi Fine Chemical, an API manufacturing subsidiary of Hanmi Pharmaceutical, has announced plans for a new business offering what it calls ‘high-tech CDMO’ services. It will spend €7.4 million to build facilities for them and expects to form partnerships with more companies in 2H 2022, in addition to the ten it already has.

Japan’s Sumitomo Chemical has decided to sell its 15.9% stake in Australian agrochemical company Nufarm. It has separately announced its decision to close down its dyestuff facilities at its Osaka Works and exit the dyestuffs business by the end of March 2023.

The company originally took a 20% stake in Nufarm in 2010 and also acquired four subsidiaries of Nufarm in South America in 2020. The two also formed a comprehensive business alliance, which will continue after the dissolution of the capital relationship.

Saltigo has signed a contract for another production campaign of the insect pheromone Pheron E7-E/Z9-12Ac with Provivi, which provides crop protection systems via pheromone technology. The two companies worked together to complete the technical transfer, optimisation and scale-up to tonne volumes at Saltigo’s site in Leverkusen.

Malaysian petrochemicals giant Petronas Chemical Group (PCG) has agreed to acquire Perstorp from its private equity owner, Financière Forêt. The €1.54 billion cash acquisition gives Perstorp an enterprise value of €2.3 billion. It should close in 2H 2022, subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals.

Circa and Valmet have agreed a long-term partnership to optimise Circa’s Furacell production process for biochemicals at scale through the ReSolute project and in future large-scale plants. Valmet, which has wide experience in fluidised bed boilers and biomass-to-energy systems, will be the main process technology and equipment supplier.