Saudi Organometallic JV starts up Triethylaluminum facility

Saudi Organometallic Chemicals Co. (SOCC), a joint venture (JV) equally owned by Albemarle Netherlands B.V., a subsidiary of Albemarle Corp. (Baton Rouge, La.; www.albemarle.com) and Saudi Specialty Chemical Company, an affiliate of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) announced today the initial start-up of its aluminum alkyls facility located in Al-Jubail, Saudi Arabia.  At capacity, it will manufacture 6,000 metric tons per year of tri-ethyl aluminum (TEA), a Ziegler Natta co-catalyst used in the plastics industry.  An ultra-low hydride grade of TEA (TEA-ULH) will also be produced at the SOCC plant.  This new facility is designed to meet the growing needs for TEA and TEA-ULH in the region, using raw materials supplied from member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.