United Initiators started producing speciality chemicals at its Pullach site near Munich in 1911. The company is an innovative manufacturer of Persulfates and Organic Peroxides as well as other speciality chemicals which are used for Polymer Manufacturing, Polymer Processing as well as applications including disinfections, cosmetics and metal treatment.

About us

The Initiators business provides standard as well as custom-designed products and solutions for various industries including organic peroxides for polymer manufacturing and polymer processing applications, and persulfates used for polymerization as well as electronics, disinfection, cosmetics and the paper industry. Its main focus however is in the polymer industry.

The Initiators Group serves 3 business areas namely Polymer Manufacturing, Polymer Processing and Initiator-Based Specialties, and has a significant presence in Europe, North America and the Asian region. The Initiators Group mainly serves in two main product groups of the Specialty Chemicals industry: Organic Peroxides and Persulfates.

Organic peroxide initiators are organic compounds containing the peroxide functional group R-O-O-R'. The O-O bond is highly unstable and hence breaks easily to form free radicals in the form of R-O which starts a chain reaction to form polymers. Organic peroxides are being used in polymer manufacturing as well as in polymer processing applications and to a minor extent in non-polymer applications (e.g. chemical synthesis, cosmetics).

Persulfates are inorganic salts of the oxo acids of sulfur in the oxidation status VI. The group can be divided into peroxomonosulphate and peroxodisulphates. While there is only one "monopersulfate" (potassium monopersulfate), there are three peroxodisulfates (ammonium-, sodium- and potassium peroxodisulfate) commercially available. Persulfates are used as a radical source for polymerization reactions as well as for a variety of non-polymer applications including cosmetics, metal treatment, disinfections etc.

Additionally, the Group produces and sells “Specialties” that are allocated to the respective production area (OP and PS) including Metallocenes, Carbon-carbon initiators ("CC-initiators"), Organic Intermediates (all OP) and Special Oxidants (PS) although they are not Organic Peroxides or Persulfates by chemical nature. These products are based on an available technology platform and help to generate additional margins at much higher average prices than Organic Peroxides and Persulfates.
The Initiators Group mainly operates in key market segments within the polymer manufacturing and polymer processing businesses. In the polymer manufacturing business, organic peroxides are used to initiate the polymerization of the corresponding monomers to produce Polyvinylchloride ("PVC"), low density Polyethylene ("LDPE"), Styrenics or Polystyrene as well as Acrylics, Lattices etc. In polymer processing, organic peroxides are used to adjust polymer properties (i.e. crosslinking, rheology control) as well as a hardener for unsaturated polyester resins (UP or Thermoset market). The various technologies used, require different chemical types, formulations as well as activators. In non-polymer applications like chemical synthesis, organic peroxides are used in oxidation reactions or as a radical source for addition reactions. In cosmetics, it is a key ingredient for skin care products. The organic peroxides used, vary largely in chemical and physical behavior.

Generally, the overall PS market consists of the following key types of chemicals: Ammonium Peroxodisulfate ("APS"), Sodium (German: Natrium) Peroxodisulfate ("NPS"), Potassium (German: Kalium) Peroxodisulfate ("KPS") and Potassium Monopersulfate ("KMPS", sold under the brand name CAROAT®). APS, NPS and KPS are products used in dissolved form in the polymer manufacturing business which accounts for approximately 50% of the global PS market. Non-polymer applications are more fragmented as shown in Figure 3 below. The Group is the only supplier worldwide that offers a complete range of persulfates. Furthermore, the Group markets the specialty Carbamide Peroxide ("CP") that is also produced in the production area for Persulfates. The main application of CP is in the Cosmetics market.

The Initiators Group is globally the largest PS producer and the only one offering a complete PS product portfolio.