• Significant capacity expansion at Kalama site successfully completed
• Use in pharmaceutical, consumer care and food applications

Special chemicals company LANXESS has doubled its production capacity for benzyl alcohol at its site in Kalama/Washington, USA, to support the growth of its established customer base in the Americas. The capacity expansion is the result of various technical upgrades.

“With our innovative purification process, LANXESS is the world’s leading producer of benzyl alcohol. The Kalama site now serves as the central hub in our global plant network of four sites producing high-purity benzyl alcohol”, said Holger Hueppeler, Head of LANXESS’ business unit Flavors & Fragrances. “By doubling Kalama’s production capacity we can provide fast international deliveries and offer a resilient supply chain that can cope with increasing geopolitical uncertainties.” 

Three grades for a wide range of applications

Benzyl alcohol is used as preservative, solvent, fragrance fixative and intermediate and is highly valued due to its low volatility and low toxicity. The colorless liquid with a pleasant, mild aroma is suitable for all customer needs. The parenteral grade has a purity of 99.9 percent, ensuring the highest quality for pharmaceutical products such as preservatives for injection solutions. The NF/FCC grade, given to chemicals that meet the requirements of the United States National Formulary (NF) and the Food Chemicals Codex (FCC), is an effective, high purity preservative for personal care products and cosmetics. The stable odor profile is beneficial in the production of fragrances and food flavorings. It can also be used as a solvent in technical applications. The technical grade benzyl alcohol is an excellent solvent and starting material in chemical synthesis.

LANXESS also produces benzyl alcohol at its sites in Krefeld-Uerdingen (Germany), Botlek (Netherlands) and Nagda (India).

About the Flavors & Fragrances business unit

The LANXESS Flavors & Fragrances business unit develops and produces flavors and fragrances, preservatives and products for animal nutrition. Consumers find these products in many everyday articles. These include cosmetics and care products, detergents and cleaning agents, beverages, baked goods, candles, oils and animal nutrition. The portfolio also includes speciality chemicals for industrial applications, including pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals or the construction industry. The business unit employs approximately 750 people and has production facilities at five sites worldwide: Krefeld-Uerdingen (Germany), Botlek (Netherlands), Kalama (USA), Nagda (India) and Widnes (England). Flavors & Fragrances is part of LANXESS’ Consumer Protection segment, which achieved sales of around 2.4 billion euros in 2022. 

Detailed information about the company’s products can be found at www.lanxess.com.