Koppers
Encyclopedia
Koppers is a global chemical and materials company based in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, United States
in an art-deco 1920s skyscraper, the Koppers Tower
.
. The five main chemicals that are produced are coal pitch for steel and aluminum production, carbon black
for rubber vulcanization, creosote
for wood treatment, and naphthalene
and phthalic anhydride
for plastics and polyester. Kopper's coal tar pitches are essential to manufacturing carbon anodes for aluminum smelting. Koppers also has extensive operations making creosote treated wood products, especially railroad ties and switches. Utility poles, foundations, decking materials, and wooden panneling are also produced by the company. Through its subisdy, Arch Wood Protection, the corporation also develops chemicals that protect wood from being weathered.
on the left bank of the Ohio River just downriver from Beaver
, to manufacture styrene-butadiene monomer, a building block used to make a form of synthetic rubber for the World War II
defense effort.
In 1951, at Port Arthur, Texas
, the company built a plant to manufacture the chemical monomer ethylbenzene
, using as raw materials ethylene
from the nearby Gulf Oil
refinery, and benzene, which was a byproduct of the company's coke ovens in PA and which was shipped down to TX by barge. The ethylbenzene produced there was then shipped by barge back up to the Kobuta plant where it was converted to styrene monomer, and then polymerized to make expandable polystyrene, familiar to all as an insulating and lightweight packing material when further formed. In the early 1950s, the company purchased a license to manufacture polyethylene plastic polymerized at low pressure from the Gulf Oil ethylene feedstock, in a new addition to its Port Arthur plant. These chemical operations later were the basis for forming a new corporate entity with Sinclair Oil Corporation to form the Sinclair-Koppers Company in 1965.
. The Monessen facility operates 57 ovens with a combined annual capacity of over 360,000 tons of coke. The company further operates coke ovens in Tangshan
, People's Republic of China
, and has co-located facilities near the operations of major steel makers.
The stock of Koppers Holdings Inc. is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "KOP". The Board of Directors intends to pay an annual dividend
of $0.68 a share to shareholders.
, and the company made about one-third of the country's coal tar in 2007. Research shows that the tar used in asphalt
sealants to protect them wears away and deteriorates into contaminated dust that is tracked into homes and washed into streams and lakes. The makers of asphalt sealants, made with coal tar, which has been linked to cancer and other health problems, say that the products contain high levels of benzo(a)pyrene and other toxic chemicals known collectively as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. Yet, they claim that their products are not responsible for the environmental contamination learned in government studies.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in an art-deco 1920s skyscraper, the Koppers Tower
Koppers Tower
Koppers Tower is one of the major distinctive and recognizable features of Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The tower is named for the Koppers Chemical Corporation....
.
Structure
The corporation is divided into two divisions: Carbon and Chemicals, and Railroad and Utility. The company specialises in manufacturing carbon chemicals from coal tarCoal tar
Coal tar is a brown or black liquid of extremely high viscosity, which smells of naphthalene and aromatic hydrocarbons. Coal tar is among the by-products when coal iscarbonized to make coke or gasified to make coal gas...
. The five main chemicals that are produced are coal pitch for steel and aluminum production, carbon black
Carbon black
Carbon black is a material produced by the incomplete combustion of heavy petroleum products such as FCC tar, coal tar, ethylene cracking tar, and a small amount from vegetable oil. Carbon black is a form of amorphous carbon that has a high surface-area-to-volume ratio, although its...
for rubber vulcanization, creosote
Creosote
Creosote is the portion of chemical products obtained by the distillation of a tar that remains heavier than water, notably useful for its anti-septic and preservative properties...
for wood treatment, and naphthalene
Naphthalene
Naphthalene is an organic compound with formula . It is a white crystalline solid with a characteristic odor that is detectable at concentrations as low as 0.08 ppm by mass. As an aromatic hydrocarbon, naphthalene's structure consists of a fused pair of benzene rings...
and phthalic anhydride
Phthalic anhydride
Phthalic anhydride is the organic compound with the formula C6H42O. It is the anhydride of phthalic acid. This colourless solid is an important industrial chemical, especially for the large-scale production of plasticizers for plastics. In 2002, approximately 4.6 billion kilograms were...
for plastics and polyester. Kopper's coal tar pitches are essential to manufacturing carbon anodes for aluminum smelting. Koppers also has extensive operations making creosote treated wood products, especially railroad ties and switches. Utility poles, foundations, decking materials, and wooden panneling are also produced by the company. Through its subisdy, Arch Wood Protection, the corporation also develops chemicals that protect wood from being weathered.
History
In 1943, Koppers, at the US Government's behest, built a factory in Kobuta, PennsylvaniaKobuta, Pennsylvania
Kobuta is an unincorporated community in Potter Township, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located along the Ohio River, due west of Monaca, southwest of Industry, and southeast of Beaver. The area was the site of a chemical plant during World War II, owned by the Koppers United...
on the left bank of the Ohio River just downriver from Beaver
Beaver, Pennsylvania
Beaver is a borough in and the county seat of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, at the confluence of the Beaver and Ohio Rivers. As of the 2000 census, the borough population was 4,775, having dropped from 5,641 in 1940....
, to manufacture styrene-butadiene monomer, a building block used to make a form of synthetic rubber for the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
defense effort.
In 1951, at Port Arthur, Texas
Port Arthur, Texas
-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 57,755 people, 21,839 households, and 14,675 families residing in the city. The population density was 696.5 people per square mile . There were 24,713 housing units at an average density of 298.0 per square mile...
, the company built a plant to manufacture the chemical monomer ethylbenzene
Ethylbenzene
Ethylbenzene is an organic compound with the formula C6H5CH2CH3. This aromatic hydrocarbon is important in the petrochemical industry as an intermediate in the production of styrene, which in turn is used for making polystyrene, a common plastic material....
, using as raw materials ethylene
Ethylene
Ethylene is a gaseous organic compound with the formula . It is the simplest alkene . Because it contains a carbon-carbon double bond, ethylene is classified as an unsaturated hydrocarbon. Ethylene is widely used in industry and is also a plant hormone...
from the nearby Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil was a major global oil company from the 1900s to the 1980s. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth-largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the so-called Seven Sisters oil companies...
refinery, and benzene, which was a byproduct of the company's coke ovens in PA and which was shipped down to TX by barge. The ethylbenzene produced there was then shipped by barge back up to the Kobuta plant where it was converted to styrene monomer, and then polymerized to make expandable polystyrene, familiar to all as an insulating and lightweight packing material when further formed. In the early 1950s, the company purchased a license to manufacture polyethylene plastic polymerized at low pressure from the Gulf Oil ethylene feedstock, in a new addition to its Port Arthur plant. These chemical operations later were the basis for forming a new corporate entity with Sinclair Oil Corporation to form the Sinclair-Koppers Company in 1965.
Current Business Interests
Koppers operates facilities in the United States, United Kingdom, Denmark, Australia, China, South Africa. Koppers sources coal tar from around the world for further processing by distillation into carbon chemicals. The Company owns its own coke oven battery in Monessen, PennsylvaniaMonessen, Pennsylvania
Monessen is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,669 at the 2000 census. In 1940, 20,257 people lived there. In 1990 the population was 13,026. Steel-making was a prominent industry in Monessen, which was a Rust Belt borough in the "Mon Valley" of...
. The Monessen facility operates 57 ovens with a combined annual capacity of over 360,000 tons of coke. The company further operates coke ovens in Tangshan
Tangshan
"唐山"redirects here. For an alternative name of China, see Names of China#TangTangshan is a largely industrial prefecture-level city in Hebei province, People's Republic of China. It has become known for the 1976 Tangshan earthquake which measured 7.8 on the Richter scale and killed at least...
, People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, and has co-located facilities near the operations of major steel makers.
The stock of Koppers Holdings Inc. is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "KOP". The Board of Directors intends to pay an annual dividend
Dividend
Dividends are payments made by a corporation to its shareholder members. It is the portion of corporate profits paid out to stockholders. When a corporation earns a profit or surplus, that money can be put to two uses: it can either be re-invested in the business , or it can be distributed to...
of $0.68 a share to shareholders.
Products
One of Koppers' leading products is coal tarCoal tar
Coal tar is a brown or black liquid of extremely high viscosity, which smells of naphthalene and aromatic hydrocarbons. Coal tar is among the by-products when coal iscarbonized to make coke or gasified to make coal gas...
, and the company made about one-third of the country's coal tar in 2007. Research shows that the tar used in asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
sealants to protect them wears away and deteriorates into contaminated dust that is tracked into homes and washed into streams and lakes. The makers of asphalt sealants, made with coal tar, which has been linked to cancer and other health problems, say that the products contain high levels of benzo(a)pyrene and other toxic chemicals known collectively as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. Yet, they claim that their products are not responsible for the environmental contamination learned in government studies.