Pilot Chemical Co. is investing $5 million in technology and innovation initiatives this year as part of an effort to broaden its focus beyond the manufacture of sulfonates, alkylates and amides. Officials said the company will work to expand those existing product lines and to develop polymers, initially for oil field and cleaners markets.
The investment, which Pilot intends to continue in coming years, will expand the company’s recently acquired Pilot Polymer Technologies’ laboratory to create a facility that Pilot is naming its Innovation Center. Officials declined to share the dimensions of the facility but noted it will house fully functional research labs. This facility, which will be operational by June of this year, will be used to develop new products and address customer concerns.
The technology group will accelerate development of new products, new product claims and product formulation support. Initially, the Innovation Center will be focused on providing better solutions for our customers needs in the oil field and [disinfecting, sanitizing and cleaning products] markets, Pilot Polymer Technologies President Patrick McCarthy said in an interview.
“Sulfonates will continue to be a key product line for Pilot,” McCarthy noted, saying the investment will simply enhance its product offerings. “It is Pilot’s mission to continue to enhance our capabilities and grow our product line within metalworking. This investment will continue to allow Pilot to focus on new technologies.”
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Pilot Polymer Technologies, formally known as ATRP Solutions, Inc., is a specialty polymer technology subsidiary which has a fully operational synthetic chemistry research facility and developed a new class of proprietary rheology modifiers for the oil field and cosmetic markets. It was acquired by Pilot Chemical in July 2017.
McCarthy will manage the new initiatives through his new role as vice president of technology and innovation. Rick Shook is now the vice president of research and development, Bill Rohrer has taken on the role of director of technology and Bob Golden has been named research fellow.
Pilot Chemical is a global specialty chemicals company that provides products and services to many markets, including the metalworking, lubricants, and oil field industries. The Cincinnati, Ohio-headquartered company claims to own the most advanced continuous sulfation process in North America, and claims to be the worlds largest disulfonates manufacturer. It also makes surfactants through vertically integrated alkylation processes and amides used in industrial cleaners.