Tronox Incorporated was founded in 1964 and is based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Tronox Inc. (NYSE:TRX) operates independently of Kerr-McGee Corp. as of March 30, 2006. Tronox Incorporated produces and markets titanium dioxide pigment in the United States and internationally. The company’s titanium dioxide, a white pigment is used in a range of products for its ability to impart whiteness, brightness, and opacity. Its pigment product is used in coatings, plastics, and paper, as well as various specialty products, such as inks, food, and cosmetics. The company also offers electrolytic manganese dioxide, which is used as active cathode material for alkaline batteries; lithium manganese dioxide that is used as rechargeable battery material; sodium chlorate for the pulp and paper industry; boron trichloride, a specialty chemical gas, which is used in various products, including pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, high-performance fibers, specialty ceramics, and epoxies; and elemental boron that is used in igniter formulations for defense, pyrotechnic, and air bag industries.

What, other than gravity, keeps your floor from floating up into the heavens? It might be the products manufactured by BASF Building Systems (formerly called Degussa Building Systems), a business unit within BASF's Construction Chemicals division. The division makes adhesives and sealants that bond wood and rubberized flooring to various substrates; its products are also used by the automotive industry to bond metal, plastics, and laminates. As well, BASF Building Systems manufactures sealants, water repellents, grouting, and concrete and masonry repair products. In 2006, BASF, the world's largest chemicals maker, bought Degussa's Construction Chemicals unit for about $3 billion.

Berli Jucker Public Company (BJC) embraces diversity. The conglomerate's principal activities are manufacturing, packaging, and distributing consumer, construction, and technical and imaging products. Its top consumer offerings include tissue paper, snack foods, and soap marketed under BJC's brand names. The firm is also a leading manufacturer of glass, aluminum, and plastic packaging for beverages, oil, and personal care products. Among the brands that BJC imports and markets are 3M, Ansell, Polaroid, Quaker Oats, Schwan-Stabilo, and UHU. The conglomerate was founded in 1882.

Polimeri Europa, the petrochemical arm of Italian energy behemoth Eni, produces and distributes a wide range of chemicals, operating through four main divisions: basic chemicals, elastomers, polyethylene, and styrenics. The company's products are used by the agricultural, coatings, construction products, packaging, and plastics industries. Polimeri Europa operates about a dozen manufacturing facilities in Italy and about half of that number elsewhere in Europe. Its home country also accounts for more than half of company sales, though it has a sales presence in more than 30 countries on the continent.

Continental Carbon sees a red door and wants it painted black. Founded in 1936, the company manufactures carbon black from three plants in Alabama, Oklahoma, and Texas. It has marketing and distribution operations in other areas of the US, and it has a carbon black manufacturing subsidiary in India. Continental Carbon produces nearly 20 different grades of carbon black that are used for tires and other rubber and plastic products. The company is owned by China Synthetic Rubber Corporation.

Elkem is one of Norway's largest industrial companies and aims to become a global supplier to the silicon products and solar energy industries. Its products include ferroalloys, silicon metal, carbon, and microsilica. In addition, Elkem produces hydroelectric power for Norway's power market and is involved in energy trading in the Nordic market. It is also developing its own technology for highly purified silicon, to be used in solar cells. Elkem is a subsidiary of Norwegian industrial conglomerate Orkla.

Spartech Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an intermediary processor of engineered thermoplastics in North America and Europe. The company’s Custom Sheet and Rollstock segment manufactures plastic sheets, custom rollstocks, laminates, and cell cast acrylic for use in various applications, including packaging, transportation, building and construction, recreation and leisure, electronics and appliances, signs/advertising, and aerospace markets. Its Packaging Technologies segment manufactures plastic packages and rollstocks primarily used in the food and consumer product markets.The company’s Color and Specialty Compounds segment manufactures custom-designed plastic alloys, compounds, color concentrates, and calendered film for utilization by various manufacturing customers servicing the automotive, building and construction, food/medical packaging, lawn and garden, and electronics and appliances sectors. Spartech Corporation also manufactures various products, including thermoplastic tires and wheels for the medical, lawn and garden, refuse container, and toy markets; profile window frames and fencing for the building and construction market; and doors, hatches, cabinets, and windscreens for boat manufacturers. The company sells its products primarily to original equipment manufacturers through its sales force, as well as through independent sales representatives and wholesale distributors. Spartech was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Clayton, Missouri.

EMD Chemicals makes things that help people look good, feel better, and live well. The company provides specialty chemicals for pharmaceutical, biotech, cosmetic, automotive, plastics, electronics, and other industrial applications. The company's Lab Chemicals business makes high purity chemicals and analytical reagents for laboratory applications; its Life Science Solutions unit manufactures bulk ingredients for pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic producers; and the Industrial Pigments division produces effect pigments for coatings, cosmetics, and the automotive industry.

Specialty chemical company Cognis prides itself on being aware of the chemical marketplace. The company -- whose name is derived from the Latin cognoscere, "to know or perceive" -- operates through three business units: Care Chemicals, Nutrition and Health, and Functional Products. Among Cognis' products are environmentally friendly inks and coatings, synthetic lubricants, oilfield chemicals, fatty acids, and dietary supplements. Once a subsidiary of chemicals giant Henkel, Cognis is now owned by an investment group led by Permira and Goldman Sachs.

Got potash? If not, the Arab Potash Company (APC) would be glad to fix you up. The company mines the Dead Sea for potassium chloride, one of several potassium-based compounds commonly known as potash. The substance is used primarily for fertilizer, but also has industrial applications, for example in the manufacture of glass and ceramic. Canadian industry bigwig Potash Corp. bought more than a quarter of the company in 2003 and installed some of its own executives in APC management roles. Jordan Investment Corp. also owns more than a quarter of APC.

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