Our Business

Our Products

Surfactants are specialised chemical products used in many industries throughout the world. In the great majority, everything that surrounds us contains them in their composition or arises from their participation. We should bear in mind their presence using our favourite cosmetics, having a bath or shower, washing dishes or doing the laundry. Very often they play a key role in the production of everyday goods.

The surfactants produced by us can be divided into:

• anionic
• non-ionic
• cationic
• amphoteric

The most important functions of surfactants are:

• detergent-washing (removing impurities)
• wetting (increased liquid dissipation)
• dispersing (smashing larger particles into smaller ones)
• foaming (foaming capacity)
• anti-foaming (foam reduction)
• solubilising (increasing solubility of substances)
• solubilising (increasing solubility of substances)
• de-emulsifying (e.g., water/oil separation)

The multifunctionality of surfactants makes them applicable in many industries. Thanks to them, they are ubiquitous.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…
Natural surfactant counterparts are found in the human body?
They are covered with lung bubbles, so they do not stick together, and help us breathe.

We dominate the market of surfactants in Poland. We are also a leading manufacturer in Central and Eastern Europe. We offer over 300 different products and industrial formulations, including in the following industries:

• personal hygiene and cosmetics
• detergents
• cleaning and industrial cleaning
• plastics
• paints, lacquers and glues
• metalworking
• the construction industry
• the mining and drilling industry
• the paper and pulp industry
• the textile and tanning industry
• the agrochemical industry

We produce and implement innovative specialist surfactants, analysing consumer and eco-social trends, taking into account changing trends and the accepted concept of sustainable development and corporate social responsibility. This requires a departure from the traditional development model of the product offering towards more advanced and innovative solutions.

REVENUE FROM SALES BY GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

At present, the main business area of our company, due to the geographical division, covers the territory of Poland and the countries of Europe, Asia, America and the rest of the world. The largest recipients of surfactants produced by PCC EXOL SA operate in the Western European market, mainly in Germany, the Netherlands and Italy. The Middle East and Africa regions and the rest of the world accounted for 7% of total foreign sales in that period.

On the European markets we have seen a significant increase in sales from last year.

The company’s offer includes substances of different chemical structure, among which we distinguish anionic, non-ionic, and amphoteric surfactants. Within the product portfolio there are also new surfactants from the cationic surfactant group, mainly used for the production of specialised chemical formulations.

The year 2016 closed with record financial results, attaining a net profit of PLN 24.6m (up 73.1% year-on-year) and EBITDA profit of PLN 43.1m (up 19.4% year-on-year). At the same time, we recorded sales of PLN 455.5m (an increase of 7.7% year-on-year) and a sales margin of 14.5%, which was 0.6% when compared to the year 2015.

The results achieved in 2016 are the result of a high margin on sales, which we achieved thanks to the favourable situation on the raw materials market, especially in the first two quarters of 2016.

Starting from the first quarter of 2016, PCC EXOL SA presented its products based on industry applications. Consequently, the products offered can be divided into two main groups: surfactants dedicated to the production of cosmetics and detergents and surfactants for industrial use.

Surfactants for use in detergents and cosmetics

Surfactants intended for the detergent and cosmetics market are primarily mass-produced products which, in view of their cleansing and washing properties, are used in household chemicals (powders and lotions, washing liquids and the like) and in personal hygiene (shampoos, shower gels, lotions, liquid soaps and more).

The properties important for this product group are, above all, the removal of dirt (detergent function), excellent foaming and wettability and high biodegradability. Equally important are softening or conditioning properties, i.e., those that leave a protective layer on the skin and are therefore mainly used in the production of washing up liquids and personal hygiene products.

In 2016, the sale of surfactants for cosmetics and detergents reached PLN 246.0 million, down by 2.7% year-on-year. This is the result of a strategy of replacing low-cost mass products, specialised products with high profitability and lower sales volumes.

In the group of surfactants used in detergents and cosmetics we can distinguish three main product groups:

• Sulforocanol, which constitutes the largest group of anionic surfactants produced by the company. They are components of washing and cleaning agents, detergents and cosmetic products
• ABS acid, constituting a component of liquid and powdery cleaners, cleaners and washers
• ABSNa (sodium alkylbenzenesulfonic acid), which is a component of laundry detergents

Surfactants for industrial use

Surfactants for industrial applications are a group of specialist products used as components of industrial formulations. These products are also used in various industries as both functional fluids in process technology and reagents in manufacturing processes. Specialised surfactants improve many technological processes by reducing energy consumption or improving the efficiency of machinery and equipment. They are used both as components for the manufacture of semi-finished products and finished products.

Thanks to the development of products for industrial use, we closed the 2016 sales growth of this group of surfactants by PLN 25.8 million (i.e., by 26.4%) over the same period last year. Year-on-year, we see a gradual growth in the share of this product group in revenue. This is the result of the successful implementation of a strategy for the development of specialist products.

In the surfactant group for industrial applications we can distinguish three major product groups:

• Rokanole, the largest product group among non-ionic compounds produced by the company, and the use of different technologies for the production of this product group, allows the selection of products for specific application functions, e.g., the textile industry, products for the metallurgical industry
• Rokanole LP, used as detergent ingredients for dishwashers or professional cleaning agents
• Rokphenols, used in the production of agrochemicals, paints and varnishes, lubricants, functional and hydraulic fluids, as well as in the mining and many other industries.

 

OUR PRODUCTION

Ethoxylation Plants

The Ethoxylation I plant was established in the 1960s based on the design and technology of the “Rokita” Organic Plant Industry and is the company’s oldest plant. The production infrastructure consists of various reactors, which allows for the production of a wide range of products. The plant covers ethoxylation, alkanolamide and betaine, with a total production capacity of approximately 40,000. t/year (depending on the assortment).

In April 2011, the Ethoxylation II plant in Płock was commissioned, which is dedicated to the production of the highest quality specialist products. Its flexibility allows you to receive a wide range of surfactants depending on your recipient’s needs. The production capacity of the plant reaches 30,000 t/year, with the possibility of expansion up to 60,000 t/year.

Both ethoxylation plants allow the production of non-ionic surfactants, which are both finished products dedicated to our customers as well as semi-finished products for further processing on sulphate installations.

Sulphonation Installation

Sulphonation Plant I was established in 1989. Its production capacity is 10,000 t/year and is intended for the production of anionic surfactants. In 2015 a comprehensive modernisation of the facility was carried out.

In 2008, a new Sulphonation Plant II was commissioned, with three times the production capacity of Sulphonation I Plant. The production capacity of the plant is 30,000 t/year and is used mainly for the production of mass surfactants.

Industrial formulations

The Industrial Formulation System was established in the second half of the 1970s. Its production capacity is about 7,000 t/year, depending on the product range. It is designed for the production of cationic surfactants, industrial formulations and others, depending on the company’s production needs.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

In order to meet market requirements, our research and development department develops new products and formulations each year, utilising the potential of its specialists and technologists, as well as its infrastructure, including the reserve capacity of the plant. It consistently introduces new, technologically-advanced products, based on current trends and customer needs. This is possible thanks to consistent, intensive cooperation with customers at the technical level and continuous expansion of the R & D department.

The R & D department has at its disposal spacious, state-of-the-art laboratories with an area of approximately 400 m2, which includes an application laboratory, and analytical and technology labs. Alongside the standard infrastructure, laboratories are equipped with professional testing equipment, which allows them to choose solutions according to the very specific requirements of industrial branch customers.

By consulting the application of products to our customers and using various technological solutions to meet their requirements, the R & D department also supports the company’s Sales Department and the company’s marketing department.