Profile: Celanese Corporation (CE)

Celanese Corporation (Celanese), incorporated in 2005, is an integrated producer of chemicals and advanced materials. It is a producer of acetyl products, which are intermediate chemicals for many industries, as well as a global producer of high performance engineered polymers that are used in a variety of end-use applications. Its operations are primarily located in North America, Europe and Asia. Celanese operates principally through four business segments: Advanced Engineered Materials, Consumer Specialties, Industrial Specialties and Acetyl Intermediates. In July 2009, the Company completed the sale of its polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) business to Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd. In December 2009, the Company announced the acquisition of the long-fiber reinforced thermoplastics (LFT) business of FACT GmbH (Future Advanced Composites Technology), a business unit of The Ravago Group.

Advanced Engineered Materials

The Company’s Advanced Engineered Materials segment develops, produces and supplies a portfolio of technical polymers for application in automotive and electronics products, as well as other consumer and industrial applications. The primary products of Advanced Engineered Materials are polyacetal products (POM), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), long fiber reinforced thermoplastics (LFRT), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (GUR) and liquid crystal polymers (LCP). POM, PPS, LFRT, PBT and PET are used in a range of products including automotive components, electronics, appliances and industrial applications. GUR is used in battery separators, conveyor belts, filtration equipment, coatings and medical devices. Primary end markets for LCP are electrical and electronics.

The Company competes with BASF AG, E. I. DuPont de Nemours and Company, DSM N.V., Sabic Innovative Plastics, Solvay S.A., Asahi Kasei Corporation, Mitsubishi Gas Chemicals, Inc., Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, L.P., Braskem S.A., Lanxess AG, Teijin, Sumitomo, Inc. and Toray Industries Inc.

Consumer Specialties

Celanese’s Consumer Specialties segment consists of its Acetate Products and Nutrinova businesses. Its Acetate Products business primarily produces and supplies acetate tow, which is used in the production of filter products. It also produces acetate flake, which is processed into acetate fiber in the form of a tow band. The Company’s Nutrinova business produces and sells Sunett, a high intensity sweetener, and food protection ingredients, such as sorbates, for the food, beverage and pharmaceuticals industries.

Celanese competes with Daicel Chemical Industries Ltd., Eastman Chemical Corporation, Rhodia S.A., Holland Sweetener Company, The NutraSweet Company, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Tate & Lyle PLC, Nantong AA, Daicel, Yu Yao/Ningbo and Yancheng AmeriPac.

Industrial Specialties

Celanese’s Industrial Specialties segment includes its emulsions and AT Plastics businesses. Its emulsions business produces a range of product portfolio, specializing in vinyl acetate ethylene emulsions, and is a recognized authority on low volatile organic compounds (VOC), an environmentally friendly technology.

The Company’s emulsions are used in a range of applications including paints and coatings, adhesives, building and construction, glass fiber, textiles and paper. AT Plastics offers a line of low-density polyethylene and specialty ethylene vinyl acetate resins and compounds. AT Plastics’ products are used in many applications including flexible packaging films, lamination film products, hot melt adhesives, medical tubing, automotive carpeting and solar cell encapsulation films.

The Company competes with The Dow Chemical Company, Rohm & Haas Company, BASF, Dairen, Wacker, Kuraray Co., Ltd., DuPont, Chang Chun Petrochemical Co., Ltd., The Nippon Synthetic Chemical Industry Co., Ltd, DuPont, ExxonMobil Chemical and Arkema.

Acetyl Intermediates

The Company’s Acetyl Intermediates segment produces and supplies acetyl products, including acetic acid, vinyl acetate monomer (VAM), acetic anhydride and acetate esters. These products are generally used as starting materials for colorants, paints, adhesives, coatings, medicines and more. Other chemicals produced in this segment are organic solvents and intermediates for pharmaceutical, agricultural and chemical products.

The Company competes with Atofina S.A., BASF, British Petroleum PLC, Chang Chun Petrochemical Co., Ltd., Daicel, Dow, Eastman, DuPont, LyondellBasell Industries, Nippon Gohsei, Perstorp Inc., Rohm & Haas Company, Jiangsu Sopo Corporation (Group) Ltd., Showa Denko K.K. and Kuraray Co. Ltd.