History timeline

1895 Elektrokemiska Aktiebolaget (EKA) founded in Bengtsfors, Sweden by Alfred Nobel (founder of the Nobel Prize), C. W. Collander and Managing Director Rudolf Liljeqvist. Chlorine and alkali are the first products.

1924 EKA moves to Bohus, north of Göteborg.

1927 EKA manufactures 3,000 tons of chemicals in Bohus. Production of water glass starts.

1930 Many new chemicals are added to the product range; i.e. ferric chloride, hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide.

1951 EKA is acquired by the forest company, Iggesunds Bruk AB.

1956 Start of ammonia production.

1968 New hydrogen peroxide production, based on a Russian license.

1970 Environment becomes an issue. Restrictions on mercury emissions.

1972 New chlorine-alkali plant in Bohus, with employees totalling 460 employees. Large investments in environmental protection.

1980 Sodium metasilicate production in Maastricht, the Netherlands; Eka’s first plant outside Bohus.

1983 Growth of paper chemicals, based on Compozil. Subsidiary established in Finland.   1986 The company is acquired by Nobel Industries and becomes Eka Nobel AB. As a result of the merger, sodium chlorate becomes a major Eka product, with operations expanded to North America.   1990 Merger with Stora Kemi, and Alby Klorat, and Albright & Wilson paper chemicals division. Heavy investments in new plants. Eka runs production in 14 countries around the world. Lignox, a patented, hydrogen peroxide bleaching process is introduced.   1991 Hydrogen peroxide production starts in Venezuela.   1994 Merger of Nobel Industries and Akzo. Akzo Nobel is the new company, of which Eka Chemicals represents one of thirty business units.   1995 Eka celebrates its 100-year anniversary. New paper chemical plants in Brazil and Finland. Paracetic acid introduced as a bleaching agent.   1996 Chlorine-alkali production is transferred to Akzo Nobel Base Chemicals and the silicates business is transferred to the joint venture Akzo PQ-Silica (APS). New paper chemicals plants established in Thailand and Indonesia.   1997 Colloidal-silica production unit acquired in Taiwan. Eka Chemicals acquires Enso Paperikemia, with plants in Oulu, Finland, thereby extending Eka operations to paper coating.   1998 Expansion of sodium chlorate capacity in Mo i Rana, Norway and Talcahuano, Chile. Sodium percarbonate introduced as a bleaching agent for detergents.   1999 Paper chemicals operations in South Korea acquired and a new plant established in People’s Republic of China. Over-capacity of hydrogen peroxide in Europe and North America.   2000 Jan Svärd appointed President. Expansion of paper chemicals production at Trollhättan, Sweden and in Kunsan, South Korea. Acquisition of Hopton Technologies Inc. in the US adds coatings technology to operations.   2001 Eka starts manufacturing chlorine dioxide on-site at pulp mills in Norrsundet and Karlsborg.   2005 First Chemical Island in Brazil. Eka takes full responsibility for production and supply of all chemicals to the Veracel chemical pulp mill.   2005 Fifteen remotely monitored, chlorine dioxide plants in operation at customer sites.   2006 Purate is established for the disinfection of drinking water and slime elimination in paper mills, and for small-scale bleaching of non-wood pulps. A second paper chemicals plant is established in Guangzhou, China.