History

1646

Bofors forge is founded in Sweden.

1777

Det Holmbladske Selskab, now Sadolin, is founded in Denmark.

1792

Painter and decorator Wiert Willem Sikkens starts making Sikkens lacquers in the Dutch town of Groningen.

1871

KemaNobel is established in Sweden. More than a hundred years later, in 1984, KemaNobel will merge with Bofors to form Nobel Industries, which will in turn be acquired by Akzo in 1994.

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.

1940
Wartime production with many specialty chemicals. Among others, metasilicate directly for consumers use. 

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 considerations grown in importance in all sections of society. 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, 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
Current president Jan Svärd appointed. Expansion of paper chemicals production at Trollhättan, Sweden and in Gunsan, 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 launched 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.

2008
A new R&D center is opened in Bohus, Sweden