Arkema subsidiary Altuglas International accounts for 20% of world production and sales of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), also known as acrylic glass. The company has a worldwide presence, with 8 production facilities (3 in Europe, 4 in North America and 1 in South Korea).

PMMA's many properties include transparency, hardness, scratch resistance, durability, and thermal and acoustic insulation, making it suitable for a wide variety of industrial applications.

Manufactured and Marketed Products

Acrylic resins

Sold under the Plexiglas® brand in North and South America and the Altuglas® brand in the rest of the world.

Granules for injection and extrusion blow molding. Product applications include lighting (globes and strip lights), office equipment and electronics (cell phone displays and hi-fi equipment), optical disks (DVDs and CD-ROMs), building and construction (glazing and window frames), contemporary design (furniture, jewelry and tableware), cars and transportation (lights and instrument panels), health and safety (jars and test tubes) and household appliances (microwave oven doors and mixer bowls).

Granules for capstocks. The Solarkote® product line offers coatings for thermoplastic sheets and profiles (ABS, PVC) for use in the transportation and building sectors.

Altuglas BS® acrylic beads

Used as additives in a variety of applications, such as anti-shrinkage agents in polyester resins and matting agents for PVC.

Acrylic sheets

Retailed under the Plexiglas® brand name in North America and Altuglas® in the rest of the world, these products are used for architectural and urban development projects (noise barriers and street furniture), contemporary design (shop fittings and furniture), signage (trade signs and display cases), the wellness segment (baths and shower pans), the automotive industry (spoilers), motorcycle windshields, and consumer electronics (LCDs).

Tuffak® polycarbonate sheets

These sheets can be coated to provide UV or scratch protection and are designed for applications in areas such as architectural projects (domes and sports facilities), the building industry (glazing and roofs), and safety engineering (safety windows and screens and machinery hoods).

Plexiglas® is the Arkema registered trademark for acrylic sheet and resins in North and Latin America, and Altuglas® for the rest of the world.

Arkema subsidiary Altuglas International accounts for 20% of world production and sales of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), also known as acrylic glass. The company has a worldwide presence, with 8 production facilities (3 in Europe, 4 in North America and 1 in South Korea).

PMMA's many properties include transparency, hardness, scratch resistance, durability, and thermal and acoustic insulation, making it suitable for a wide variety of industrial applications.

Manufactured and Marketed Products

Acrylic resins

Sold under the Plexiglas® brand in North and South America and the Altuglas® brand in the rest of the world.

Granules for injection and extrusion blow molding. Product applications include lighting (globes and strip lights), office equipment and electronics (cell phone displays and hi-fi equipment), optical disks (DVDs and CD-ROMs), building and construction (glazing and window frames), contemporary design (furniture, jewelry and tableware), cars and transportation (lights and instrument panels), health and safety (jars and test tubes) and household appliances (microwave oven doors and mixer bowls).

Granules for capstocks. The Solarkote® product line offers coatings for thermoplastic sheets and profiles (ABS, PVC) for use in the transportation and building sectors.

Altuglas BS® acrylic beads

Used as additives in a variety of applications, such as anti-shrinkage agents in polyester resins and matting agents for PVC.

Acrylic sheets

Retailed under the Plexiglas® brand name in North America and Altuglas® in the rest of the world, these products are used for architectural and urban development projects (noise barriers and street furniture), contemporary design (shop fittings and furniture), signage (trade signs and display cases), the wellness segment (baths and shower pans), the automotive industry (spoilers), motorcycle windshields, and consumer electronics (LCDs).

Tuffak® polycarbonate sheets

These sheets can be coated to provide UV or scratch protection and are designed for applications in areas such as architectural projects (domes and sports facilities), the building industry (glazing and roofs), and safety engineering (safety windows and screens and machinery hoods).

Plexiglas® is the Arkema registered trademark for acrylic sheet and resins in North and Latin America, and Altuglas® for the rest of the world.

Arkema is Europe's 3rd leading producer of chlorochemicals with a fully integrated chlorine activity from salt electrolysis to PVC converting.

Arkema's PVC business unit teams operate from four production sites in France: Balan in Ain, Berre in Bouches-du-Rhône, Saint-Fons in Rhône, Saint-Auban in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, as well as from the Hernani site in Spain.

PVC (PolyVinyl Chloride) is a polymer obtained by polymerization of vinyl chloride monomer. Arkema produces several PVC groups:

PVC – General Purpose
General Purpose PVC grades are manufactured by a suspension polymerization process in the Balan and Berre facilities, and by a mass polymerization process in the Saint-Fons facility.
These grades are used in a huge variety of applications: window profiles, pipes, rigid and flexible film, technical profiles, cable trunking, skirting board, roller shutters, cables for various sectors (e.g. construction), packaging, health (blood bags), etc.

PVC – Paste
Paste PVC is produced by an emulsion or microsuspension polymerization process in the Saint-Auban and Hernani facilities, in France and Spain respectively.
It is used to manufacture vinyl flooring, artificial leather, plastic wall covering, protective sealant for rocker panels in car bodywork, toys, balls, etc.,

PVC Copolymers
Copolymers are produced from the polymerization of vinyl chloride monomer and vinyl acetate in the Saint-Auban plant.
They are used in particular for rigid calendering (rigid sheeting, blister packs, transparent packaging, credit cards, etc.), vinyl records, and floor tiles.

PVC-C
PVC-C is a post-chlorinated polymer produced by adding chlorine to base PVC, to increase its chlorine content from 56 to 65 or 67%. As a result, PVC-C boasts superior resistance to high temperature, and is therefore suitable for use in pressurized hot water circuits. PVC-C is produced in the Saint-Fons plant.
Its application areas range from pipes and connections to rigid profiles, and from injection molded parts to rigid film and sheeting.

The Functional Additives Business Unit, headquartered in Philadelphia in the United States, operates worldwide facilities, including production sites in North and South America (United States, Mexico, Brazil), in Europe (Germany, Italy, France), and in Asia (India, China, Korea, Japan).

Multipurpose additives

Plastic Additives
PVC stabilizers (Thermolite®), epoxy oils (Ecepox®, Vikoflex®), impact modifiers and process aids (Durastrength®, Plastistrength®, Clearstrength®), mattifying agent (Acryperl®).

Catalysts
Organo-tin (Fascat®), organophosphorous (triphenylphosphine), antimony derivatives (S21, S24).

Surface treatment additives
Glass coatings for scratch protection on bottles (Certincoat®) and biological control agent highly effective for use in microbiocide, fungicide and wood preservative formulations (Biomet® TBTO (bis [tri-n-butyltin] oxide)).

Luperox®, a range of organic peroxides indispensable in many processes

Polymerization
Luperox® is a range of radical polymerization initiators for commodity polymers like polystyrene and styrene copolymers (SAN, ABS, SBR, etc.), PVC, low density polyethylene, and acrylics. They act directly on the monomer at the time of polymerization.

The curing of unsaturated polyester resin
Luperox® is also used in all cold and hot curing applications involving unsaturated polyester resins, in particular in construction, transportation and leisure. The Luperox® range for the curing of unsaturated polyester resins comprises primarily ketone peroxides, peresters, perketals, and benzoyl peroxide.

Crosslinking
In crosslinking applications, Luperox® acts on the polymer itself, rather than on the initial monomer as with polymerization. Its function consists in bonding the polymer chains together to enhance their mechanical properties and their temperature stability.
The main markets in this sector include cable manufacture, industrial rubber for automotive applications, construction and footwear manufacture.

Arkema subsidiary Altuglas International accounts for 20% of world production and sales of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), also known as acrylic glass. The company has a worldwide presence, with 8 production facilities (3 in Europe, 4 in North America and 1 in South Korea).

PMMA's many properties include transparency, hardness, scratch resistance, durability, and thermal and acoustic insulation, making it suitable for a wide variety of industrial applications.

Manufactured and Marketed Products

Acrylic resins

Sold under the Plexiglas® brand in North and South America and the Altuglas® brand in the rest of the world.

Granules for injection and extrusion blow molding. Product applications include lighting (globes and strip lights), office equipment and electronics (cell phone displays and hi-fi equipment), optical disks (DVDs and CD-ROMs), building and construction (glazing and window frames), contemporary design (furniture, jewelry and tableware), cars and transportation (lights and instrument panels), health and safety (jars and test tubes) and household appliances (microwave oven doors and mixer bowls).

Granules for capstocks. The Solarkote® product line offers coatings for thermoplastic sheets and profiles (ABS, PVC) for use in the transportation and building sectors.

Altuglas BS® acrylic beads

Used as additives in a variety of applications, such as anti-shrinkage agents in polyester resins and matting agents for PVC.

Acrylic sheets

Retailed under the Plexiglas® brand name in North America and Altuglas® in the rest of the world, these products are used for architectural and urban development projects (noise barriers and street furniture), contemporary design (shop fittings and furniture), signage (trade signs and display cases), the wellness segment (baths and shower pans), the automotive industry (spoilers), motorcycle windshields, and consumer electronics (LCDs).

Tuffak® polycarbonate sheets

These sheets can be coated to provide UV or scratch protection and are designed for applications in areas such as architectural projects (domes and sports facilities), the building industry (glazing and roofs), and safety engineering (safety windows and screens and machinery hoods).

Plexiglas® is the Arkema registered trademark for acrylic sheet and resins in North and Latin America, and Altuglas® for the rest of the world.