Chlorine and water treatment chemicals

Wilmington, Delaware-based specialty chemicals company (NYSE: CC); spun off from DuPont in 2015. Holds the FM-200 trademark for HFC-227ea (heptafluoropropane, GWP 3,220) clean fire suppression agent. Primary production: El Dorado, Arkansas (322 Southfield Cutoff Road, El Dorado AR 71730) — the key Chemours fluorochemicals plant; produces FM-200, pharmaceutical-grade HFC-227ea, and 1336E; also added HFO production unit at El Dorado in January 2022. Fayetteville, NC is a different Chemours site linked to GenX/PFAS contamination of Cape Fear River. Louisville, KY is linked to HFC-23 emissions controversy. In 2023, Chemours partnered with A-Gas to enable recycled FM-200R (UL-listed, FM-approved) as a response to tightening AIM Act supply limits. The AIM Act imposed 30% additional US HFC production cut in 2024 (on top of 10% in 2023) = 40% total reduction from 2022 levels — directly impacting Chemours' FM-200 output. Also produces Opteon refrigerants and Teflon products. Chemours is the largest Western producer of HFC-227ea by revenue market share.

World's largest US potash and phosphate producer. Esterhazy K1 and K2 mines (Saskatchewan) began experiencing managed brine inflows in 1985; managed for decades until Mosaic made the decisive choice to build the K3 underground mine (announced 2009, commissioned 2022) to replace K1/K2. K1/K2 closed 2021. K3 at Esterhazy is now the world's largest operating potash mine. Also operates Colonsay SK mine (conventional underground). The Esterhazy flooding saga represents the most consequential water-management incident in Saskatchewan potash history, requiring a $4B+ replacement mine investment.

US chlor-alkali and VCM producer (NYSE: OLN, HQ Stamford CT; ~$6B revenue); the largest US chlorine producer and a major feedstock supplier to the PVC resin industry. Olin does not directly produce PVC resin but produces the chlorine and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) that PVC resin manufacturers (Westlake, Shintech, OxyChem) depend on. Olin's chlor-alkali operations in Freeport TX (the largest chlorine plant in the US), McIntosh AL, Niagara Falls NY, and other sites collectively make Olin the critical upstream enabler of the US PVC supply chain. Olin also owns Winchester ammunition — meaning the same company that produces the chlorine input for PVC pipe also manufactures rifle and shotgun ammunition, a striking dual-use combination under one NYSE ticker. Olin's chlorine pricing directly sets the economics for US PVC resin production.

One of only three US domestic trichlor (trichloroisocyanuric acid) producers; subsidiary of SCP Pool Corporation / KIK Consumer Products. Westlake, Louisiana facility produces ~one-third of US trichlor supply; fire from Hurricane Laura (Aug 2020) shut plant for 2+ years (reopened Nov 2022), causing nationwide pool chemical shortage.

Japanese glass and chemicals conglomerate (TSE: 5201, formerly Asahi Glass); world's largest EUV photomask blank supplier by revenue (~55-59% market share). EUV blank production via 100%-owned subsidiary AGC Electronics Co., Ltd. at Koriyama, Fukushima, Japan (production started January 2022; 30% capacity expansion January 2024; ¥40B+ sales target by 2025). Unrelated businesses in same parent: automotive glass (world #1 market share), architectural/float glass, pharmaceuticals and agrochemical active ingredients, life sciences. Same company that makes your car windshield also makes the blank every EUV photomask starts from.

One of three US domestic trichlor producers; formerly Clearon Corp., acquired by Solenis (Platinum Equity-backed specialty chemical company) on September 9, 2022, and formally renamed Innovative Water Care, LLC on July 31, 2023. Operates a 42-acre bulk manufacturing site in South Charleston, WV plus a separate tableting/packaging facility. Produces both trichloroisocyanuric acid (trichlor) and dichloroisocyanuric acid (dichlor). One of the original petitioners in the 2004 antidumping case against Chinese trichlor imports. With BioLab's Conyers, GA plant permanently closed (May 2025) and the market effectively down to three plant locations, Clearon/IWC is one of the two non-OxyChem survivors.

Nation's largest merchant marketer of chlorine and caustic soda (subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum). Key sites: La Porte TX (~527,800 MT/yr chlorine), Taft + Convent LA (~1.03M MT/yr combined). $1.1B La Porte expansion/membrane conversion announced 2022, startup 2026. Declared force majeure post-Hurricane Ida (2021) and Texas freeze (2021).

Privately held, family-owned company (Webre family, founded 1946 by Lloyd Webre Sr.); self-described 'largest supplier to the U.S. chlor-alkali industry,' supplying approximately one-third of all salt used to manufacture US chlorine and caustic soda. Operates 11 solution-mining locations across Texas, Louisiana, New York, and Virginia, connected by 400+ miles of pipelines. Also owns United Brine Pipeline Corporation (common carrier pipeline). Key customers: OxyChem (Ingleside TX), Formosa Plastics (Point Comfort TX), Shintech (Plaquemine LA), Bayer (Baytown TX). Additionally leases 75+ salt caverns for midstream hydrocarbon storage and signed a hydrogen storage partnership with Mitsubishi Power Americas in 2021 — repurposing the same cavern infrastructure for the energy transition.

Israeli specialty mineral company; ~25% of global food phosphate market per input description; 15-18% of total global STPP market. ICL Food Specialties (subsidiary) is a leading food phosphate supplier: STPP, SHMP, SAPP, and other sodium phosphates for water binding, texture, and moisture retention in processed meat. Also: world's largest bromine producer (Dead Sea), potash producer (Dead Sea Works), and specialty fertilizer company. ICL has a unique triple position in critical minerals: food phosphates, potash fertilizers, and bromine for flame retardants/pharmaceuticals. Lawrence, KS plant serves the North American processed meat industry.

World's largest potash producer with 6 Saskatchewan mines. Vanscoy mine (west of Saskatoon) uses solution mining technology — fresh water drawn from the Saskatchewan River (~20km pipeline) is used in brine management. Deep subsurface saline aquifer brine injection used for waste disposal at Vanscoy (injected into Winnipeg/Deadwood Formations at 1,500-1,700m depth). Conventional underground mines at Rocanville, Allan, Lanigan, Cory, Belle Plaine also produce waste brine requiring aquifer disposal. Nutrien operates Canada's only solution potash mine at Vanscoy. Plans to reach 18M MT/year Saskatchewan capacity.

Japan's leading battery separator film manufacturer (Hipore brand); ~25% global share. Only major wet-process separator plant in the Western Hemisphere (Concord, NC).

Belgian phosphate chemicals company with 140+ years of history (1882) and 1,400 employees. Produces purified phosphoric acids, phosphate salts (including food-grade STPP), and fluorine products at sites in Belgium, France, USA, and Switzerland. Prayon's wet-process phosphoric acid technology is used to produce over 50% of the world's merchant-grade phosphoric acid — making it the critical licensor of the key manufacturing technology behind the global phosphate supply chain. In August 2024, Prayon acquired Natural Enrichment Industries to strengthen its US footprint. Also a member of the European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform.

HK-listed Chinese PFSA (perfluorosulfonic acid) resin and membrane producer; China's leading domestic PFSA membrane manufacturer for chlor-alkali, desalination, and wastewater treatment. Products have higher tensile strength than recast Nafion but slightly lower oxidative stability — a cost-competitive alternative for the Chinese domestic chlor-alkali market. Not yet a significant exporter to Western regulated markets. Shandong Dongyue represents China's strategic intent to develop domestic PFSA membrane capability to reduce dependence on Chemours and AGC for its rapidly growing chlor-alkali and green hydrogen electrolyzer markets.

Major US merchant sulfuric acid producer; 1,400+ employees; 17 manufacturing plants and multiple distribution facilities across US, Europe, Canada, and Asia. Founded 1945 in Detroit. Key facilities: Chicago, IL (H2SO4 production); Gent, Belgium (300 MT/day capacity, recently upgraded converter). Primarily a merchant H2SO4 distributor and producer — supplies industrial, chemical, and fertilizer customers who do not produce their own acid. Also produces oleum, battery acid, and spent acid regeneration services.

Belgian agro-industrial group with a major specialty chemicals division. Runs Europe's largest ferric chloride coagulant facility at Loos, France (Produits Chimiques de Loos subsidiary) after 50M EUR investment. Also produces crop nutrients, proteins, and animal nutrition products.

German potash and salt producer; operates mines in Germany (Werra, Weser, Harz) and Canada (Bethune mine, Saskatchewan); ~7% of global potash; only Western European potash producer; operates under EU environmental constraints; Bethune mine opened 2017 as first new greenfield potash mine in Canada in decades

Vertically integrated European salt-to-chlor-alkali company (formerly Nouryon Industrial Chemicals, rebranded Nobian 2021); operates the full value chain from salt mining through chlor-alkali electrolysis to merchant chlorine, caustic soda, hydrogen, and chloromethanes. Operations in the Netherlands (Delfzijl, Rotterdam), Germany, and Denmark. Mines its own salt, produces brine, and runs electrolysis plants — the most integrated chlor-alkali model in Northwest Europe. A key anchor in the Dutch and German chemical park ecosystems.

Finnish water treatment and paper chemicals company. Major global ferric chloride producer; expanded Tarragona, Spain facility in 2024 for growing biogas/phosphorus-removal demand. 63 manufacturing sites globally.