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Rhodia (company)
Encyclopedia
Rhodia is a group specialized in fine chemistry
, synthetic fibers and polymers. Rhodia is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange on NYSE Euronext. The company services the consumer goods, automotive, energy, manufacturing and processes and electronics markets. Rhodia has 65 production sites worldwide, four research centers and four joint laboratories.
that was founded on January 1, 1998 following the spin-off of the chemicals, fibers & polymers activities of Rhône-Poulenc
when it merged with the German company Hoechst
. On June 25, 1998, Rhône-Poulenc
sold 32.7% of its share in Rhodia’s capital to the public. Rhodia then became a listed company. In 1999, Rhodia made two acquisitions:
From October 1999, Rhône-Poulenc, which became Aventis
then Sanofi-Aventis
, gradually reduced its stake in Rhodia’s capital, before eventually selling all its shares in the company on October 17, 2006.
In 2000, Rhodia grew in the United Kingdom and the United States by buying out Albright and Wilson
and ChiRex.
In 2002 Rhodia sold off its basic chemicals activities in Europe (phenol
, hydrochloric acid, sodium carbonate) and its holdings in Latexia (which was the world’s number two for latex for paper) and Teris
(treatment of toxic waste.
In 2004, Rhodia sold its food ingredients business. On March 31, 2004, Yves-René Nanot was appointed chairman of the board of directors.
In 2005, the chlorine (in the United Kingdom), phosphates and sulfuric acid
(in Belgium) activities were sold.
In 2006, Rhodia sold its latex business, plus its synthesis activity and its facilities for the production of industrial wires and fibers in Europe.
2006 also saw the creation of Orbeo, a joint venture with Société Générale
, in the field of origination, trade and sale of carbon credits. Orbeo represents 8% of the carbon market .
In 2007, Rhodia sold its silicones production activity and its Nylstar subsidiary (synthetic textile fiber) and acquired the alumina activity of WR Grace.
In 2008, Rhodia sold its fine organic chemicals and pharmaceutical activities.
On March 17, 2008, the Board of Directors appointed Jean-Pierre Clamadieu as the Chairman and CEO of Rhodia. This appointment followed the resignation of Yves-René Nanot from his position as the Chairman of the Board of Directors as a result of the statutory conditions applying to age limits .
In 2009, Rhodia acquired two companies: OneCarbon International and the McIntyre
group (specialized surfactants, United States).ref name="acuqisitionOnecarbonmcintyre"/>
In 2010, Rhodia acquired an 87% stake in the capital of Feixiang Chemicals .
On January 1, 2011, Rhodia set up a new organization. Operational activities are now organized in 11 business units, in five sectors of activity: Consumer Chemicals, Advanced Materials, Polyamide Materials, Acetow & Eco Services and Energy Services. The additional Support Function Group includes corporate activities.
In the first quarter of 2011, the Belgian chemicals group Solvay
launched a friendly public take-over bid for Rhodia. The operation was authorized by the boards of directors of both groups.
On March 8, 2011, Rhodia announced the finalization of the acquisition of the Suzhou HiPro Polymers guar
derivatives production plant in Zhangjiagang
, China and on April 13, 2011 Rhodia finalized the acquisition of the engineering plastics activity of the Indian company PI Industries Ltd (PIIL), following the approval of the Indian authorities.
In an attempt to solve the group's debt problem, management renegotiated a debt estimated at about €1 billion in 2010 (Rhodia’s lowest debt level since the group was created ). Declared tangible investments in 2009 totaled €167 million, compared with €241 million in 2008.
, a continuation of the quality-safety-environment initiative set up by Rhône-Poulenc.
In 2007, it rolled out the Rhodia Way® , the group’s reference framework of responsibilities toward stakeholders. Group employees can use this reference system to self-assess the performance of their entity in terms of social and environmental responsibility with the goal of encouraging more responsible practices .
26 In September 2010, Rhodia was recognized by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index
(DJSI World) as one of the world’s most efficient chemicals companies in terms of social and environmental responsibility for the third year in a row.
Rhodia has signed a number of agreements as part of this initiative:
With a turnover of €1,089 million in 2010, Novecare accounts for 58% of Consumer Chemicals’ revenue.
, phenol derivatives and oxygenated solvents. The company has one production plant in Brazil and three technical development centers. With a turnover of €449 million in 2010, Coatis represents 24% of Consumer Chemicals’ revenue.
, but also hydroquinone
or catechol. Aroma Performance is active worldwide on markets in Europe, Asia, South America and North America. The company has five manufacturing plants worldwide.
With a turnover of €345 million, Aroma Performance accounts for 18% of Consumer Chemicals revenue. .
Breakdown of revenue by market sector in 2010:
, which is in turn the fusion of sand and sodium carbonate
at very high temperatures. Formed by a reaction with sulfuric acid
, the silica is then filtered, washed and dried. Silica’s products are produced in eight manufacturing plants worldwide. With turnover of €313 million in 2010, Silica accounts for 58% of Advanced Materials’ revenue.
Breakdown of revenue by market sector:
for the automotive industry, sports apparel, leisure activities, construction and electrical and electronic components. The entity covers the complete polyamide chain, from the production of intermediates and polymers to the development of high added-value technical plastics.
Polyamide & Intermediates has seven production plants and two technical development centers worldwide.
, Asia and Latin America. Acetow is the world’s third largest producer of cellulose acetate
for cigarette filters, supplying about 18% of the worldwide market. The company has five production plants worldwide. With turnover of €539 million in 2010, Acetow represents 68% of the Acetow & Eco Services combined revenue.
is used as a catalyst in the production of alkylate, one of the fundamental components of high-octane index gasoline. The Eco Services network is made up of eight production units on seven different sites in California, Texas, Louisiana and Indiana. Two of them also provide chemical waste treatment services.
In 2010, Eco Services posted turnover of €251 million, which accounts for 32% of the Acetow & Eco Services activities’ revenue.
In France, Rhodia is the second biggest industrial buyer of gas and one of the top ten purchasers of electricity.
Energy Services has invested in biogas
technology by acquiring the Econcern group’s share of six biogas production pilots in China and Vietnam.
With revenues of €203 million in 2010, Energy Services represents 4% of the Rhodia Group’s turnover and operates four industrial plants in Brazil, China, France and Vietnam.
In 2010, Rhodia Energy Services developed its "Climate Care" solutions for the production of energy from renewable biological materials. Two biogas projects in China, Vietnam and the partnership between the private company Paraiso and Eco Services in Brazil have provided an opportunity to develop a biomass project based on bagasse.
The Rhodia Group is present in Germany (Freiburg), Italy (Ospiate), Poland, the Commonwealth of Independent States
(CIS) (Sertow LLC), Spain and the United Kingdom .
According to ANDRA, the French agency for waste management , until July 1994, Electronics and Catalysis (now Rhodia Rare Earth Systems) used very slightly radioactive monazite
as an ore, producing radium-bearing waste, which was initially stored at ANDRA’s La Manche center until 1991, then in the French atomic energy commission’s Cadarache facility.
The treatment of the slightly radioactive monazite produced 8,023 tons, according to ANDRA ) , of slightly radioactive solid residue up until 1994. According to ANDRA, in 2007, this residue contained 2,000 tons of uranium and 2.6 tons of toxic lead.
The plant is subject to ICPE environmental surveillance.
A project to launch a recycling plant for the rare earth contained in used lightbulbs is being looked into.
The Asia-Pacific support functions – finance, HR, purchasing and IT –are based in Singapore.
The Asia Pacific zone includes production activities in China, Japan, Thailand, India and Indonesia, plus commercial activities in China, Japan and Korea.
, Saint-André-lez-Lille
and Marquette-lez-Lille
.
Between 1961 and 2001, the site produced highly toxic Toluene diisocyanate
(TDI), which is one of the basic components used to produce polyurethane foam.
Until December 2005, the tar
produced by the synthesis of the TDI was incinerated on-site.
The group abandoned the site, and the last remaining remnants – the two 80-meter high smoke stacks built in 1929 and 1933 – were demolished. Until 2006, a store, a plant and a backup store of oleum
remained on the site3,000 m³ of earth from the old branch railway were stored on the site and part of the plot was bought by the FICHAUX coffee roasting company.
Various studies, supervised by the French regional agency for industry and research, DRIRE, revealed serious pollution by heavy metals (zinc, copper and lead) almost everywhere on the site, plus mercury and cadmium in one area and nitrates, sulfates, ammonium and arsenic by the Deûle canal.
Certain pollutants had percolated into the soil and polluted the surface groundwater: potassium, sulfates, nitrates, nitrites, chlorides, ammonium and sodium, and locally, zinc and cadmium, to depths of up to 2 m in the so-called ANS sector, plus arsenic under the AS/PS sector and manganese under the GMG sector.
This groundwater rose when the industrial pumps were stopped and flooded the basements in nearby houses, requiring permanent pumping in order to drain the subsoil.
Severe pollution by arsenic was discovered up to depths of 5 meters in the AS/PS sector, plus mercury in the northeast half of this same sector.
The chalk layer under the site was contaminated by sulfates.
For these reasons, the local authorities deemed that the site was compatible with industrial usage, but with restrictions to be applied on a case-by-case basis with the potential buyers of the various parts of the site, on a long-term and mandatory basis for third parties through publication in the land registry. The Lille city authorities considered locating a purification plant on the site.
A number of projects for the industrial, urban or administrative use of the site are in progress. The position of the site in an area of designated as “green belt” on the banks of the Deûle, the pollution and its highly artificial character make it an important factor in the ecological fragmentation of the regional ‘’’blue infrastructure’’’.
In 2010, the Technyl* Innovation Center, the Group’s new development center, which is part of the Lyon Research and Technology Center, was opened on the Rhodia site at Saint-Fons Belle-Etoile. The Technyl Innovation Center is home to a multidisciplinary and multicultural team of specialists. The center brings together all Rhodia’s expertise in high-performance technical plastics, from research into polymers to the design of plastic parts using the most advanced virtual simulation tools.
The company has three joint research laboratories (CFL, LOF and LPMA), which bring together permanent researchers from the CNRS and Rhodia, plus PhD and post-PhD students. Rhodia also welcomes young researchers from the CNRS (PhD and post-PhD) in its research and technology centers.
The team works on rheology, complex fluids and interface management.
The 20 researchers at the laboratory work on ways of improving research productivity and cutting the time to market of new products. The laboratory focuses on the development of miniaturized research tools and innovative projects in the realm of physico-chemistry.
award for Science and Industry. This prize is awarded to projects of a very high scientific standard that make a significant contribution to chemistry, physics or physico-chemistry and impact international industry: a breakthrough innovation with a proven industrial development or technology transfer. The Award recognizes scientists who have:
The prize, which is worth a total of €200,000, is awarded every two years by a jury of renowned peers, including:
The candidates must be active scientists or members of academic institutions, universities or private laboratories who are nominated by their peers.
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, synthetic fibers and polymers. Rhodia is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange on NYSE Euronext. The company services the consumer goods, automotive, energy, manufacturing and processes and electronics markets. Rhodia has 65 production sites worldwide, four research centers and four joint laboratories.
History
Rhodia is a public companyPublic company
This is not the same as a Government-owned corporation.A public company or publicly traded company is a limited liability company that offers its securities for sale to the general public, typically through a stock exchange, or through market makers operating in over the counter markets...
that was founded on January 1, 1998 following the spin-off of the chemicals, fibers & polymers activities of Rhône-Poulenc
Rhône-Poulenc
-History of the company:The Company was founded in 1928 through the merger of Société des Usines Chimiques du Rhône from Lyon and Établissements Poulenc Frères from Paris founded by Étienne Poulenc, a 19th century Parisian apothecary and brought to prominence by his second and third sons Emile...
when it merged with the German company Hoechst
Hoechst
Hoechst or Höchst may refer to:* Hoechst AG, a former German life-sciences company* Hoechst stain, one of a family of fluorescent DNA-binding compounds* Höchst , Germany* Höchst im Odenwald, Germany* Höchst, Austria...
. On June 25, 1998, Rhône-Poulenc
Rhône-Poulenc
-History of the company:The Company was founded in 1928 through the merger of Société des Usines Chimiques du Rhône from Lyon and Établissements Poulenc Frères from Paris founded by Étienne Poulenc, a 19th century Parisian apothecary and brought to prominence by his second and third sons Emile...
sold 32.7% of its share in Rhodia’s capital to the public. Rhodia then became a listed company. In 1999, Rhodia made two acquisitions:
- The Engineering Plastics activity of the top Korean group HyosungHyosungHyosung Corporation is a Korean industrial conglomerate , founded in 1957. It operates in various fields, including the chemical industry, industrial machinery, IT, trade, and construction. It is known in Korea mostly for high-end apartments and automatic teller machines. Its CEO is S.R. Cho...
, for Rhodia’s Polyamides business unit. - The Iberica Mix & Fix Center activity of Quimica Dos. The Mix & Fix Center is a unit that formulates and sells ready-to-use Hot Vulcanizable Silicone Elastomers .
From October 1999, Rhône-Poulenc, which became Aventis
Aventis
Aventis was a pharmaceutical and lab assay testing company. It was formed in 1999 when Rhône-Poulenc S.A. merged with Hoechst AG. The merged company was based in Strasbourg, France. With its headquarters in Strasbourg, Aventis was the product of the first transnational merger to combine large...
then Sanofi-Aventis
Sanofi-Aventis
Sanofi S.A. is a multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Paris, France, the world's fourth-largest by prescription sales. Sanofi engages in the research and development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical products for sale principally in the prescription market, but the...
, gradually reduced its stake in Rhodia’s capital, before eventually selling all its shares in the company on October 17, 2006.
In 2000, Rhodia grew in the United Kingdom and the United States by buying out Albright and Wilson
Albright and Wilson
Albright and Wilson was founded in 1856 as a United Kingdom manufacturer of potassium chlorate and white phosphorus for the match industry. For much of its first 100 years of existence, phosphorus-derived chemicals formed the majority of its products....
and ChiRex.
In 2002 Rhodia sold off its basic chemicals activities in Europe (phenol
Phenol
Phenol, also known as carbolic acid, phenic acid, is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5OH. It is a white crystalline solid. The molecule consists of a phenyl , bonded to a hydroxyl group. It is produced on a large scale as a precursor to many materials and useful compounds...
, hydrochloric acid, sodium carbonate) and its holdings in Latexia (which was the world’s number two for latex for paper) and Teris
Teris
Teris is an icelandic software company focusing on servicing the financial sector. Originally founded as Tölvumiðstöð sparisjóðanna it changed its name on March 23 2007 to reflect changes in clientele and ownership....
(treatment of toxic waste.
In 2004, Rhodia sold its food ingredients business. On March 31, 2004, Yves-René Nanot was appointed chairman of the board of directors.
In 2005, the chlorine (in the United Kingdom), phosphates and sulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid is a strong mineral acid with the molecular formula . Its historical name is oil of vitriol. Pure sulfuric acid is a highly corrosive, colorless, viscous liquid. The salts of sulfuric acid are called sulfates...
(in Belgium) activities were sold.
In 2006, Rhodia sold its latex business, plus its synthesis activity and its facilities for the production of industrial wires and fibers in Europe.
2006 also saw the creation of Orbeo, a joint venture with Société Générale
Société Générale
Société Générale S.A. is a large European Bank and a major Financial Services company that has a substantial global presence. Its registered office is on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, while its head office is in the Tours Société Générale in the business district of La...
, in the field of origination, trade and sale of carbon credits. Orbeo represents 8% of the carbon market .
In 2007, Rhodia sold its silicones production activity and its Nylstar subsidiary (synthetic textile fiber) and acquired the alumina activity of WR Grace.
In 2008, Rhodia sold its fine organic chemicals and pharmaceutical activities.
On March 17, 2008, the Board of Directors appointed Jean-Pierre Clamadieu as the Chairman and CEO of Rhodia. This appointment followed the resignation of Yves-René Nanot from his position as the Chairman of the Board of Directors as a result of the statutory conditions applying to age limits .
In 2009, Rhodia acquired two companies: OneCarbon International and the McIntyre
McIntyre
McIntyre, or MacIntyre, is a Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac an t-Saoir literally meaning "Son of the Carpenter".-Places:* McIntyre, Georgia* McIntyre, Ontario , multiple locations* McIntyre Township, Pennsylvania...
group (specialized surfactants, United States).ref name="acuqisitionOnecarbonmcintyre"/>
In 2010, Rhodia acquired an 87% stake in the capital of Feixiang Chemicals .
On January 1, 2011, Rhodia set up a new organization. Operational activities are now organized in 11 business units, in five sectors of activity: Consumer Chemicals, Advanced Materials, Polyamide Materials, Acetow & Eco Services and Energy Services. The additional Support Function Group includes corporate activities.
In the first quarter of 2011, the Belgian chemicals group Solvay
Solvay (company)
Solvay S.A. is a Belgian chemical company with its head office in Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium. It was founded in 1863 by Ernest Solvay to produce sodium carbonate by the solvay process. Since then the company has diversified to two major sectors of activity: chemicals and plastics...
launched a friendly public take-over bid for Rhodia. The operation was authorized by the boards of directors of both groups.
On March 8, 2011, Rhodia announced the finalization of the acquisition of the Suzhou HiPro Polymers guar
Guar
The guar/guwar/guvar bean or cluster bean is an annual legume and the source of guar gum. It grows best under conditions with frequent rainfall, but tolerates arid conditions well. About 80% of world production occurs in India, but, due to strong demand, the plant is being introduced into new areas...
derivatives production plant in Zhangjiagang
Zhangjiagang
Zhangjiagang is a county-level city in Jiangsu province, China, and is an administrative division of Suzhou City. Zhangjiagang's population is around 1,300,000, with around 2000000residents of the city proper ....
, China and on April 13, 2011 Rhodia finalized the acquisition of the engineering plastics activity of the Indian company PI Industries Ltd (PIIL), following the approval of the Indian authorities.
The heritage of Rhône-Poulenc
After its breakaway from Rhône-Poulenc, Rhodia had to cope with the repercussions of soil pollution and financial liabilities. This episode involved eminent personalities, such as Thierry Breton, and the Swiss banker Édouard Stern. The group’s balance sheet-based structure remained fragile due to negative equity. On December 31, 1999, Rhodia’s debt inherited from the split with Rhône-Poulenc amounted to €1,540 million .In an attempt to solve the group's debt problem, management renegotiated a debt estimated at about €1 billion in 2010 (Rhodia’s lowest debt level since the group was created ). Declared tangible investments in 2009 totaled €167 million, compared with €241 million in 2008.
Responsibility and commitment to Sustainable Development
In 2003, Rhodia set up a department dedicated to a Sustainable DevelopmentSustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
, a continuation of the quality-safety-environment initiative set up by Rhône-Poulenc.
In 2007, it rolled out the Rhodia Way® , the group’s reference framework of responsibilities toward stakeholders. Group employees can use this reference system to self-assess the performance of their entity in terms of social and environmental responsibility with the goal of encouraging more responsible practices .
26 In September 2010, Rhodia was recognized by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index
Dow Jones Sustainability Index
Launched in September 1999, the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes are a family of indexes evaluating the performance of the world’s leaders in sustainability. They are the longest-running global sustainability benchmarks worldwide and have become the key reference point in Sustainability Investing...
(DJSI World) as one of the world’s most efficient chemicals companies in terms of social and environmental responsibility for the third year in a row.
Rhodia has signed a number of agreements as part of this initiative:
- 2002: commitment by the Group to cut its greenhouse gas emissions in France by 30% during the period between 1990 and 2010, as part of the French association of businesses for the reduction of greenhouse gases (AERES).
- 2003 : 2003: Rhodia signs the United Nations Global Compact, which aims to promote and enforce ten major principles in the realm of human rights, working conditions, environmental protection and the fight against corruption.
- 2004: the group signs the diversity charter in France ., which encourages businesses to guarantee the promotion of and respect for diversity in their workforce.
- 2005: signing of the worldwide social and environmental responsibility agreement with the ICEM (International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers Unions).
- 2006: signing of the Responsible Care® Global Charter . , a worldwide initiative of the International Council of Chemical Associations. The Global Charter of the Commitment to Progress aims to go beyond the principles of Responsible Care® in terms of health, safety and environmental performance. The key criteria of this charter, which lays down the conditions of a responsible chemicals industry, include improved product stewardship, greater transparency for stakeholders and the assessment and publication of environmental performance.
- 2007: first audit mission to China to validate the proper application of the worldwide ICEM agreement in the field.
- 2008: renewal of the agreement with the ICEM for an additional three years, following the revision of the texts and the incorporation of the Rhodia Way® initiative. Second audit mission related to the ICEM agreement to Brazil.
- 2009: Creation of a Worldwide Safety body as part of the worldwide ICEM agreement.
- 2010: First assessment mission of the Worldwide Safety body to the United States. Fourth audit mission of the application of the agreement to South Korea.
- 2011: Renewal of the agreement with the ICEM for an additional five years.
Consumer Chemicals
Consumer Chemicals is made up of three business units: Novecare, Coatis and Aroma Performance, which mainly service the consumer markets. In 2010, Consumer Chemicals’ posted revenues of €1,883 million, representing 36% of the Rhodia Group’s revenue.22Breakdown of revenue by market sector in 2010.-
- <15% oil and gas,
- >10% agrochemicals,
- about 35% consumer goods,
- about 25% manufacturing and processing,
- about 15% construction and coatings.
Novecare
Novecare supplies high-performance chemicals to industries in the cosmetics, detergents, agrochemicals, coatings, oilfield and industrial applications sectors. The company has 15 production plants worldwide. Novecare acquired the activities of US company McIntyre, followed by the activities of Feixiang, China’s leading producer of amines and surfactants in 2010. Consequently, Rhodia is now the leading producer of specialized surfactants in Asia.With a turnover of €1,089 million in 2010, Novecare accounts for 58% of Consumer Chemicals’ revenue.
Coatis
Coatis principally supplies the paint, surface coatings, automotive, wood and construction industries with phenolPhenol
Phenol, also known as carbolic acid, phenic acid, is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5OH. It is a white crystalline solid. The molecule consists of a phenyl , bonded to a hydroxyl group. It is produced on a large scale as a precursor to many materials and useful compounds...
, phenol derivatives and oxygenated solvents. The company has one production plant in Brazil and three technical development centers. With a turnover of €449 million in 2010, Coatis represents 24% of Consumer Chemicals’ revenue.
Aroma Performance
As the world’s leading producer of diphenols , , Aroma Performance supplies aromas and fragrances. Key products include vanillin and ethylvanillinEthylvanillin
Ethylvanillin is the organic compound with the formula C6H3CHO. This colourless solid consists of a benzene ring with hydroxyl, ethoxy, and formyl groups on the 4, 3, and 1 positions, respectively.- Preparation :...
, but also hydroquinone
Hydroquinone
Hydroquinone, also benzene-1,4-diol or quinol, is an aromatic organic compound that is a type of phenol, having the chemical formula C6H42. Its chemical structure, shown in the table at right, has two hydroxyl groups bonded to a benzene ring in a para position. It is a white granular solid...
or catechol. Aroma Performance is active worldwide on markets in Europe, Asia, South America and North America. The company has five manufacturing plants worldwide.
With a turnover of €345 million, Aroma Performance accounts for 18% of Consumer Chemicals revenue. .
Advanced Material
Advanced Materials services high-performance industries, including low energy-consumption tires, automotive catalysis and low-consumption lighting. Advanced Materials includes the Silica and Rare Earth Systems business units. In 2010 Advanced Materials posted turnover of €539 million, representing 10% of the Rhodia Group’s revenue.Breakdown of revenue by market sector in 2010:
- <15% consumer goods
- 5% animal feed
- >60% automotive
- about 20% electronics.
Silica
As the world’s leading producer of highly dispersible silica, Silica services, first and foremost, the automotive industry in its quest to develop solutions that reduce energy consumption. Silica produces amorphous precipitated silica. The silica is made from sodium silicateSodium silicate
Sodium silicate is the common name for a compound sodium metasilicate, Na2SiO3, also known as water glass or liquid glass. It is available in aqueous solution and in solid form and is used in cements, passive fire protection, refractories, textile and lumber processing, and automobiles...
, which is in turn the fusion of sand and sodium carbonate
Sodium carbonate
Sodium carbonate , Na2CO3 is a sodium salt of carbonic acid. It most commonly occurs as a crystalline heptahydrate, which readily effloresces to form a white powder, the monohydrate. Sodium carbonate is domestically well-known for its everyday use as a water softener. It can be extracted from the...
at very high temperatures. Formed by a reaction with sulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid is a strong mineral acid with the molecular formula . Its historical name is oil of vitriol. Pure sulfuric acid is a highly corrosive, colorless, viscous liquid. The salts of sulfuric acid are called sulfates...
, the silica is then filtered, washed and dried. Silica’s products are produced in eight manufacturing plants worldwide. With turnover of €313 million in 2010, Silica accounts for 58% of Advanced Materials’ revenue.
Rare Earth Systems
Rare Earth Systems supports the automotive, lighting and electronic industries in their development of solutions that produce fewer emissions, consume less energy and offer improved performance. The company separates rare earths in a number of purification steps, to produce high added-value formulations that meet the needs of the automotive, lighting and electronics industries. Rare Earth Systems has six production plants worldwide. With turnover of €226 million in 2010, Rare Earth Systems represents 42% of Advanced Materials’ revenue.Polyamide Materials
Polyamide Materials groups together the polyamide chain of the Polyamide & Intermediates, Engineering Plastics and Fibras business units and develops solutions for sustainable mobility. The automotive industry is one of their largest markets. With turnover of €1,701 million in 2010, Polyamide Materials represents 33% of the Rhodia Group’s revenue.Breakdown of revenue by market sector:
- <10% construction
- >10% manufacturing and process
- about 40% automotive
- about 30% consumer goods
- about 10% electrical and electronics.
Polyamide & Intermediates
Polyamide & Intermediates produces polyamide 6.6 and intermediates based on adipic acidAdipic acid
Adipic acid is the organic compound with the formula 42. From the industrial perspective, it is the most important dicarboxylic acid: About 2.5 billion kilograms of this white crystalline powder are produced annually, mainly as a precursor for the production of nylon...
for the automotive industry, sports apparel, leisure activities, construction and electrical and electronic components. The entity covers the complete polyamide chain, from the production of intermediates and polymers to the development of high added-value technical plastics.
Polyamide & Intermediates has seven production plants and two technical development centers worldwide.
Engineering Plastics
Engineering Plastics develops, produces and markets high-performance plastics under the Technyl® brand. The Technyl® plastics are supplied to the plastics industry in the shape of pellets. They are then transformed by injection, extrusion or blow molding techniques to service high-tech industries, including automotive, electrical or electronic components, industrial equipment, construction, sports and leisure. The company has six industrial facilities and four technical development centers worldwide. On April 13, 2011, Engineering Plastics finalized the acquisition of the engineering plastics activity of the Indian company PI Industries Ltd (PIIL), following the approval of the Indian authorities.Fibras
Fibras develops, produces and markets textile yarn, industrial yarn and short fibers based on polyamide 6.6. The main markets for textile yarns include lingerie, sports and beach wear and fashion wear. The company has two production plants and one development center in Brazil.Acetow & Eco Services
Acetow & Eco Services is active on the energy and consumer goods markets. The branch includes the Acetow and Eco Services business units. With turnover of €790 million in 2010, Acetow & Eco Services accounts for 15% of the Rhodia Group’s revenue. Breakdown of revenue by market sector: about 65% consumer goods, about 20% energy and 15% others.Acetow
Acetow is the third largest producer of industrial textiles made of cellulose acetate particles. Its main markets are in Europe, the CISCIS
CIS usually refers to the Commonwealth of Independent States, a modern political entity consisting of eleven former Soviet Union republics.The acronym CIS may also refer to:-Organizations:...
, Asia and Latin America. Acetow is the world’s third largest producer of cellulose acetate
Cellulose acetate
Cellulose acetate , first prepared in 1865, is the acetate ester of cellulose. Cellulose acetate is used as a film base in photography, as a component in some adhesives, and as a frame material for eyeglasses; it is also used as a synthetic fiber and in the manufacture of cigarette filters and...
for cigarette filters, supplying about 18% of the worldwide market. The company has five production plants worldwide. With turnover of €539 million in 2010, Acetow represents 68% of the Acetow & Eco Services combined revenue.
Eco Services
Eco Services is a service company that regenerates sulfuric acid for the chemical industry and oil refineries in North America. Sulfuric acidSulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid is a strong mineral acid with the molecular formula . Its historical name is oil of vitriol. Pure sulfuric acid is a highly corrosive, colorless, viscous liquid. The salts of sulfuric acid are called sulfates...
is used as a catalyst in the production of alkylate, one of the fundamental components of high-octane index gasoline. The Eco Services network is made up of eight production units on seven different sites in California, Texas, Louisiana and Indiana. Two of them also provide chemical waste treatment services.
In 2010, Eco Services posted turnover of €251 million, which accounts for 32% of the Acetow & Eco Services activities’ revenue.
Energy Services
Energy Services is responsible for energy supplies and the management of Rhodia’s projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Energy management embraces the purchasing, production and sale of energy. In the field of purchasing, mainly of gas and electricity, Energy Services managed €630 million of energy purchases in 2009,68% of which was for Rhodia’s own needs, while the remaining 32% was for third parties, notably for the Group’s partners in its joint ventures.In France, Rhodia is the second biggest industrial buyer of gas and one of the top ten purchasers of electricity.
Energy Services has invested in biogas
Biogas
Biogas typically refers to a gas produced by the biological breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Organic waste such as dead plant and animal material, animal dung, and kitchen waste can be converted into a gaseous fuel called biogas...
technology by acquiring the Econcern group’s share of six biogas production pilots in China and Vietnam.
With revenues of €203 million in 2010, Energy Services represents 4% of the Rhodia Group’s turnover and operates four industrial plants in Brazil, China, France and Vietnam.
In 2010, Rhodia Energy Services developed its "Climate Care" solutions for the production of energy from renewable biological materials. Two biogas projects in China, Vietnam and the partnership between the private company Paraiso and Eco Services in Brazil have provided an opportunity to develop a biomass project based on bagasse.
Worldwide distribution
| North America | 20% of the Rhodia Group’s revenue | 18 sites | 1 700 |
| Asia Pacific | 29% of the Rhodia Group’s revenue | 21 sites | 3 400 |
| Latin America | 17% of the Rhodia Group’s revenue | 4 sites | 2 800 |
| Europe | 34% of the Rhodia Group’s revenue | 22 sites | 6 200 |
Europe
Rhodia has 22 production sites in Europe, including 10 in France.The Rhodia Group is present in Germany (Freiburg), Italy (Ospiate), Poland, the Commonwealth of Independent States
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union....
(CIS) (Sertow LLC), Spain and the United Kingdom .
La Rochelle
According to ANDRA, the French agency for waste management , until July 1994, Electronics and Catalysis (now Rhodia Rare Earth Systems) used very slightly radioactive monazite
Monazite
Monazite is a reddish-brown phosphate mineral containing rare earth metals. It occurs usually in small isolated crystals. There are actually at least four different kinds of monazite, depending on relative elemental composition of the mineral:...
as an ore, producing radium-bearing waste, which was initially stored at ANDRA’s La Manche center until 1991, then in the French atomic energy commission’s Cadarache facility.
The treatment of the slightly radioactive monazite produced 8,023 tons, according to ANDRA ) , of slightly radioactive solid residue up until 1994. According to ANDRA, in 2007, this residue contained 2,000 tons of uranium and 2.6 tons of toxic lead.
The plant is subject to ICPE environmental surveillance.
A project to launch a recycling plant for the rare earth contained in used lightbulbs is being looked into.
Asia-Pacific
Rhodia currently includes a Rhodia-Asia-Pacific zone (CIS, Middle East and Africa), managed by Michel Ybert, with an operational head office in Shanghai. This zone has 21 production sites and accounted for 29% of Rhodia’s revenues in 2010.The Asia-Pacific support functions – finance, HR, purchasing and IT –are based in Singapore.
The Asia Pacific zone includes production activities in China, Japan, Thailand, India and Indonesia, plus commercial activities in China, Japan and Korea.
Rhodia opération SAS
Located on the banks of the Deûle canal, near Lille in Northern France, the ICPE chemical works was founded by Frédéric Kuhlmann, who started off with a small two hectare chemical factory that he bought in 1847. The factory then belonged to the Rhône-Poulenc Chemicals group, which became Rhodia. During a working lifetime of 150 years, the site grew from two to 33 hectares, in the neighbourhoods of La MadeleineLa Madeleine
There are several communes and geographical features in France that bear the name La Madeleine:-In France:* La Madeleine, Manche, a village in Normandy, France* La Madeleine, Nord, a town in the Nord département, France-Related:...
, Saint-André-lez-Lille
Saint-André-lez-Lille
Saint-André-lez-Lille is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It is part of the Urban Community of Lille Métropole.-Heraldry:-References:*...
and Marquette-lez-Lille
Marquette-lez-Lille
-References:*...
.
Between 1961 and 2001, the site produced highly toxic Toluene diisocyanate
Toluene diisocyanate
Toluene diisocyanate is an aromatic diisocyanate. It is produced for reaction with polyols to form polyurethanes. It exists in two isomers, 2,4-TDI and 2,6-TDI . 2,4-TDI is produced in the pure state, but TDI is often marketed as 80/20 and 65/35 mixtures of the 2,4 and 2,6 isomers respectively...
(TDI), which is one of the basic components used to produce polyurethane foam.
Until December 2005, the tar
Tar
Tar is modified pitch produced primarily from the wood and roots of pine by destructive distillation under pyrolysis. Production and trade in tar was a major contributor in the economies of Northern Europe and Colonial America. Its main use was in preserving wooden vessels against rot. The largest...
produced by the synthesis of the TDI was incinerated on-site.
The group abandoned the site, and the last remaining remnants – the two 80-meter high smoke stacks built in 1929 and 1933 – were demolished. Until 2006, a store, a plant and a backup store of oleum
Oleum
Oleum , or fuming sulfuric acid refers to a solution of various compositions of sulfur trioxide in sulfuric acid or sometimes more specifically to disulfuric acid ....
remained on the site3,000 m³ of earth from the old branch railway were stored on the site and part of the plot was bought by the FICHAUX coffee roasting company.
The after-effects
Various studies, supervised by the French regional agency for industry and research, DRIRE, revealed serious pollution by heavy metals (zinc, copper and lead) almost everywhere on the site, plus mercury and cadmium in one area and nitrates, sulfates, ammonium and arsenic by the Deûle canal.
Certain pollutants had percolated into the soil and polluted the surface groundwater: potassium, sulfates, nitrates, nitrites, chlorides, ammonium and sodium, and locally, zinc and cadmium, to depths of up to 2 m in the so-called ANS sector, plus arsenic under the AS/PS sector and manganese under the GMG sector.
This groundwater rose when the industrial pumps were stopped and flooded the basements in nearby houses, requiring permanent pumping in order to drain the subsoil.
Severe pollution by arsenic was discovered up to depths of 5 meters in the AS/PS sector, plus mercury in the northeast half of this same sector.
The chalk layer under the site was contaminated by sulfates.
For these reasons, the local authorities deemed that the site was compatible with industrial usage, but with restrictions to be applied on a case-by-case basis with the potential buyers of the various parts of the site, on a long-term and mandatory basis for third parties through publication in the land registry. The Lille city authorities considered locating a purification plant on the site.
A number of projects for the industrial, urban or administrative use of the site are in progress. The position of the site in an area of designated as “green belt” on the banks of the Deûle, the pollution and its highly artificial character make it an important factor in the ecological fragmentation of the regional ‘’’blue infrastructure’’’.
Research centers
Rhodia has four research centers worldwide, which filed for 110 patents in 2009, 20% of which were filed by the teams in Asia and Latin America.France : Aubervilliers (CRTA) and Saint-Fons (CRTL)
500 researchers currently work at the Lyon Research and Technology Center (CRTL). These laboratories specialize in materials, polymerization synthesis and processes, catalysis, physico-chemistry, process engineering and safety, the environment, analytical techniques, knowledge management and intellectual property. The site is actively involved in partnerships with universities in the Rhône-Alpes region, public and private research institutes and the Axelera center of excellence.In 2010, the Technyl* Innovation Center, the Group’s new development center, which is part of the Lyon Research and Technology Center, was opened on the Rhodia site at Saint-Fons Belle-Etoile. The Technyl Innovation Center is home to a multidisciplinary and multicultural team of specialists. The center brings together all Rhodia’s expertise in high-performance technical plastics, from research into polymers to the design of plastic parts using the most advanced virtual simulation tools.
United-States : Bristol, Pennsylvanie, United-States (CRTB)
The Bristol center is home to a network of application laboratories dedicated to the Rhodia Group’s main markets. These laboratories focus on consumer health, the pharmaceutical industry, household products, personal care, cosmetics, detergents and baby care products, phosphorus specialties and derivatives for water treatment products and fire retardants, petroleum technologies to improve the efficiency of oil extraction, and alumina technology for washcoats, an important component of catalytic converters, which complete Rhodia’s rare earths range for automotive anti-pollution systems.Brasil : Paulínia, Sao Paulo Brasil (CPP)
The Paulinia center comprises application, synthesis, process and analysis laboratories for the development of new products and processes in association with Rhodia’s customers. Almost 100 scientists work in these laboratories in the following fields: organic chemistry, polymerization, materials science and formulations for the paint, footwear, automotive and tire industries.China : Shanghai, China (CRTS)
The Shanghai center is the Rhodia Group’s main research center in Asia. Rhodia also has technical centers based in Singapore, Japan and Korea. They focus on the Asian markets for the automotive, electronics, home care and personal care sectors and on formulations for oil extraction and agriculture.Joint laboratories
Since 1980, Rhodia has been collaborating with researchers from the French National Scientific Research Center (CNRS).The company has three joint research laboratories (CFL, LOF and LPMA), which bring together permanent researchers from the CNRS and Rhodia, plus PhD and post-PhD students. Rhodia also welcomes young researchers from the CNRS (PhD and post-PhD) in its research and technology centers.
Complex Fluids Laboratory (CFL) in the Research and Technology Center in Bristol, Pennsylvania, United States
Created as a joint venture with the CNRS in 1996, this laboratory became a three-party venture in 2008, with the arrival of the University of Pennsylvania. The complex fluids laboratory is a joint, cross-functional entity, with a broad based physicochemical expertise in soft condensed matter, at the interface of chemistry, biology, physics and nanotechnology.The team works on rheology, complex fluids and interface management.
The Laboratory of the Future (LOF) at the Pierre Gilles De Gennes Center, Pessac, France
In 2004, Rhodia created a Rhodia / CNRS joint laboratory in partnership with the University of Bordeaux 1.The 20 researchers at the laboratory work on ways of improving research productivity and cutting the time to market of new products. The laboratory focuses on the development of miniaturized research tools and innovative projects in the realm of physico-chemistry.
The Advanced Polymers and Materials Laboratory (LPMA), Lyon Research and Technology Center, France
In 2006, a joint Rhodia / CNRS laboratory was set up in partnership with Axelera and the Claude Bernard University in Lyon . It brings together a team of physicists and rheologists specializing in polymers, specialists in theoretical modeling and applications for rubber and plastics. Their goal is to develop polymer materials with high thermal and mechanical resistance in order to better meet the challenges of safety and energy savings. Sustainable development criteria are taken into consideration for these materials right from the design phase.The future joint laboratory, Shanghai, China
In 2010, Rhodia, the CNRS, the Lyon Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENSL) and the East China Normal University of Shanghai (ECNU) signed an agreement to extend their scientific collaboration in the field of green chemistry.The Rhodia Pierre-Gilles de Gennes award
In 2008, Rhodia created the Rhodia Pierre-Gilles de GennesPierre-Gilles de Gennes
Pierre-Gilles de Gennes was a French physicist and the Nobel Prize laureate in physics in 1991.-Biography:...
award for Science and Industry. This prize is awarded to projects of a very high scientific standard that make a significant contribution to chemistry, physics or physico-chemistry and impact international industry: a breakthrough innovation with a proven industrial development or technology transfer. The Award recognizes scientists who have:
- Created a durable innovative company
- Or developed an original and significant scientific or technological event that leads to new exchanges and research in the scientific community
The prize, which is worth a total of €200,000, is awarded every two years by a jury of renowned peers, including:
- Jean-Marie LehnJean-Marie LehnJean-Marie Lehn is a French chemist. He received the Nobel Prize together with Donald Cram and Charles Pedersen in 1987 for his work in Chemistry, particularly his synthesis of the cryptands...
, Professor at Louis Pasteur University, Strasbourg. Nobel Prize Winner for Chemistry, 1987 - Claude Cohen-TannoudjiClaude Cohen-TannoudjiClaude Cohen-Tannoudji is a French physicist and Nobel Laureate. He shared the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics with Steven Chu and William Daniel Phillips for research in methods of laser cooling and trapping atoms...
, Nobel Prize Winner for Physics, 1997 - Alan Heeger, Nobel Prize Winner for Chemistry, 2000
- Christian Amatore, Director of Research at the CNRS, Paris Ecole Nationale Supérieure
- Alain Fuchs, President of the CNRS, Professor at the Pierre et Marie Curie University, Paris
- Jacques ProstJacques ProstJacques Prost, born in 1946 in Bourg-en-Bresse, is a French physicist, General director of École supérieure de physique et de chimie industrielles de la ville de Paris, member of the French Academy of Sciences....
, Director of the ESPCI (Higher School of Physics and Industrial Chemistry)
The candidates must be active scientists or members of academic institutions, universities or private laboratories who are nominated by their peers.
Prize winners
- The 2008 Rhodia - Pierre-Gilles de Gennes Award for Science and Industry went to Professor Sir Richard Friend for his discoveries in the field of electroluminescence and charge injections into semi-conductor polymers.
- The 2010 Rhodia Pierre-Gilles de Gennes Award for Science and Industry went to Avelino Corma, Professor at the University of Valencia in Spain, for his work on heterogeneous catalysis .
Board of Directors
The Rhodia Board of Directors currently has 11 members. The articles of association require that no less than three and no more than 18 members sit on the board. Since 2005, members have been appointed for a period of four years. The regulations of the Board of Directors stipulate that non-executive members can remain on the Board for a maximum of 12 years. Renewals are staggered over two consecutive years.| Name | Title | Administrator |
|---|---|---|
| Jean-Pierre Clamadieu | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | Executive |
| Jacques Khéliff | Director of Sustainable Development | Executive |
| Patrick Buffet | Chairman of the Group Strategic and Sustainable Development Committee | Independent |
| Aldo Cardoso | Chairman of the Group Compensation, Selection and Governance Committee and member of the Audit and Risks Committee | Independent |
| Pascal Colombani | Member of the Group Strategic and Sustainable Development Committee and the Compensation, Selection and Governance Committee | Independent |
| Laurence Danon | Member of the Group Strategic and Sustainable Development Committee | independent |
| Michel de Fabiani | Lead Independent Director and member of the Group Compensation, Selection and Governance Committee and the Audit and Risks Committee | Independent |
| Olivier Legrain | Member of the Group Strategic and Sustainable Development Committee and the Compensation, Selection and Governance Committee | Independent |
| Francis Mer | Member of the Group Strategic and Sustainable Development Committee | Independent |
| Yves René Nanot | Chairman of the Board of Directors from March 31, 2004 to March 17, 2008 | Independent |
| Henri Poupart-Lafarge | Chairman of the Group Audit and Risks Committee | Independent |
General management
On December 31, 2010, the members of the Executive Committee were :- Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
- Gilles Auffret, Chief Operating Officer
- Pascal Bouchiat, Group Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer
- Pascal Juery, Group Executive Vice-President
Previous Rhodia CEOs
- 1998 to 2003 : Jean-Pierre Tirouflet, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
- 2003to 2004 : Chairmanship vacant, Yves-René Nanot, Vice-Chairman
- 2004 to 2008 : Yves-René Nanot, chairman
- 2008 to date : Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
Breakdown of the Rhodia Group’s shareholders
Breakdown of the Rhodia Group’s shareholders on December 31, 2010 :| Shareholder | % of the capital |
|---|---|
| JP Morgan Asset Management | 7,00 % |
| Capital Group Companies, Inc | 3,22 % |
| Axiom International Investors LLC | - % |
| Wellington Management Company, LLP | 0,07 % |
| Groupama Holding S.A. | 3,05 % |
| Henderson Global Investors Ltd | 0,40 % |
| Other foreign institutions | 49,77 % |
| "French institutions | 17,72 % |
| Individuals | 11,85 % |
| Employees | 6,15 % |
| Self-held | 0,77 % |
Rhodia Group data
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 4 781 million euros | 4 763 million euros | 4 031 million euros | 5 226 million euros |
| EBITDA | 758 million euros | 664 million euros | 487 million euros | 905 million euros |
| Net results | 129 million euros | 105 million euros | 132 million euros | 259 million euros |
Breakdown by activity in 2010
| Year | Consumer Chemical | Advanced Material | Polyamide Material | Acetow &Eco Service | Energy Service | Corporate& Diver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | € 1 883 million | € 539 million | € 1 701 million | € 790 million | € 203 million | € 110 million |