Ceca specialty chemicals

CECA, subsidiary of the Arkema group, is an international actor in the domain of chemical specialties. With its 17 production sites, CECA elaborates and develops intermediary products and chemical additives.

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7 chemical specialties are present in the companies portfolio:

• Bitumen Additives
• Phosphorus Specialties
• Oilfield chemicals
• Diatomaceous earth and perlite
• Activated carbons
• Molecular sieves (synthetic zeolites)
• Specialty surfactants

Christophe Villain is the actual chief executive officer of the company.

History

• 1924 : SREP, the French company for petrochemicals’ research and exploitation, belongs to the group Empain which is operating on its first natural gas deposit. In order to degasify and purify the gas, the company needs activated carbons which it imports
• 1928 : The SREP creates CECA (Carbonisation and Activated Carbons), when the amount of its activated carbons purchases forces it to consider its own production source. Originally, CECA’s activities are limited to the production of activated carbon and to their adsorption applications. This leads CECA to consider the production of other types of adsorbents. Progressively, CECA begins to specialise in different separation techniques (adsorption in the gas and liquid phases, liquid and solid filtration). The company begins to interest itself in air purification, water and petroleum treatment.
• 1975 : The merger between PIERREFITTE-AUBY et de C.E.C.A gives birth to CECA S.A.
• 1981 : Paribas, the banking group, becomes owner at 100% of CECA, but immediately seeks a buyer since it is not interested in expanding its activities to the chemicals production sector.
• August 1981: Elf Aquitaine buys CECA.
• 1985 : Elf Aquitaine reorganises its chemicals business.
• 1986 : CECA moves into its headquarters in the budding business quarter of Paris : La Défense.
• 1987 : CECA buys the specialty chemicals division of the company Barnier (Borden Chemicals Division).
• 1989 : CECA buys the chemicals’ activities of the Gerland Company.
• 2000 : ATOFINA is born after the merger with TOTALFINA and Elf, CECA belongs to the Chemicals division of the group TotalFinaElf.
• 2003 : TotalFinaElf becomes Total.
• 4 October 2004 : The Arkema group is born from the reorganisation of the Chemicals branch of Total. CECA becomes the subsidiary of the Arkema group.

Research Centers

CECA has two main research centers:

• The Rhône Alps Research Center (Centre de Recherches Rhône Alpes)
• The Lacq Group Research (Groupement de Recherche de Lacq)