Arkema Launches Acrylic Acid Purification Project

Arkema announces the launch of the Carat project at its Carling plant in France. The project aims to increase the capacity and sustainability of the plant, which specializes in the production of acrylic acid monomers and superabsorbent polymers.

This large industrial project, with an investment of €130 million, involves the construction of a new unit with an innovative acrylic acid purification process, which will improve energy efficiency by 25% and carbon intensity of operations by 20%, optimizing resource and waste management while increasing the production capacity of the plant.

Acrylic acid monomers, a specialty product at Arkema’s Carling plant, are essential compounds in the design of many everyday items. They are used to make metal coatings for laptops and tablets, paints, adhesives, superabsorbents (for diapers) and flocculants for water treatment.

The project is large in scale and involves work comparable to building a new facility within an existing facility. Currently, at least 100 of the 385 employees on site are involved, and up to 200 are expected to be involved, including external contractors from various industries. Transporting the 60-meter-long distillation columns, each weighing 150 tons, was a major logistical challenge and the successful installation marks the first phase of the new distillation unit, which will be operational in 2026.