Kemira’s sugar segment hits a sweet note 

After acquiring sugar giant Tate and Lyle's Process Chemical Division and its patented Talo technologies in 2001, Kemira has gradually expanded its research in coagulants and polymers into the sugar industry.

While the average consumer may not immediately recognize Talo brands, these decolorants and flocculants used in refining cane sugar products are considered the gold standard within the industry. "These are brands that carry the same impact that, for example, the Kleenex brand carries all over the world for tissues,” says Isaac Moussan, Director at Kemira’s sugar segment. "What these products do is right in line with Kemira's core competence, which is to efficiently manage water in the chemical process to separate the part that we want from the part that we don't want.”

Still a comparatively small subdivision of Kemira’s overall business, the sugar segment hopes to triple its business in the next three years. Andrew Jackson, Manager of Kemira’s sugar segment, says that an expanding interest in bioethanol, an alternative to gasoline in sugar-producing countries like Brazil, has boosted worldwide demand for industry-specific products, particularly Kemira’s antifoam solutions.

In addition to bioethanol production, the sugar industry is placing higher priority on developing more sustainable production methods. Reducing a factory's environmental impact begins with an evaluation of its water treatment system, and so Kemira’s know-how in water purification is expected to be in high demand.

Article by Laura Palotie