The Lubrizol Corporation last Thursday announced that in conjunction with its previously announced technology license agreement with Daelim Industrial, it has begun construction of a new polyisobutylene (PIB) unit at its Deer Park, Texas facility.

In August 2015, Lubrizol and Seoul, South Korea-headquartered Daelim Industrial announced they had signed a technology license agreement granting Lubrizol the right to use Daelim technology for the manufacture of polyisobutylenes. The Daelim technology can produce a wide range of polyisobutylenes from CPIB to highly reactive PIB (HR-PIB). PIB is a key raw material in the manufacture of Lubrizol`s proprietary dispersants.

Construction of this unit is consistent with Lubrizol continuing to renew its additive infrastructure as part of the company`s previously announced 10-year phased investment plan. The plan is designed to upgrade and enhance Lubrizol`s global capabilities.

Commenting on the new unit, Dan Sheets, president of Lubrizol Additives, states "With this significant investment, Lubrizol intends to meet future customer demands, as well as be fully prepared for anticipated performance upgrades in lubricants and fuels."

The new unit is expected to be fully operational in the first half of 2019. It will provide Lubrizol with capacity for highly reactive polyisobutylene (HR PIB), a key raw material for next-generation dispersants and lubricants.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the plant on March 22. In attendance was Deer Park Mayor, Jerry Mouton; Deer Park Independent School District Superintendent, Victor White; Daelim Industrial Petrochemical division president and chief executive officer, Jaeyul Kim; Eric Schnur, Lubrizol chairman, president and chief executive officer; Dan Sheets, senior vice president and president of LZA; Tanya Travis, general manager of Lubrizol Texas plants; Mike Vaughn, Lubrizol corporate vice president, operations; and various other members of the Deer Park community and Lubrizol, as well as members of the company`s various partnering organizations.

With headquarters in Wickliffe, Ohio, Lubrizol, a Berkshire Hathaway company, owns and operates manufacturing facilities in 17 countries, as well as sales and technical offices around the world. Founded in 1928, Lubrizol has approximately 8,300 employees worldwide. Revenues for 2016 were $6.5 billion.