Pharmaceuticals Sector - Solvay

Specialities
Solvay Specialties from the Chemicals and Plastics
Sectors generally feature:
– very specifi c, high value added and strongly
growing markets,
– lower sensitivity to economic cycles,
– higher margins and returns than the average
for Group products,
– major Research and Development programmes,
leading to regular launches of new products
and grades.
Solvay Specialties include in particular:
– Chemicals: fl uorinated products, various
innovative applications of soda bicarbonate,
ultra-pure barium and strontium carbonates,
Advanced Functional Minerals, caprolactones
and ultra-pure grades of hydrogen peroxide.
To these will be added the products generated
by the new “Molecular Solutions”
Strategic Business Unit.
– Plastics: high performance Speciality Polymers
such as fl uorinated polymers, elastopolymers
and fl uids, barrier materials, polyarylamides,
polysulfones, high performance polyamides, liquid
crystal polymers and fuel systems (in partnership
with Plastic Omnium). This area will be further
reinforced from 2006 onwards with the acquisitions
currently being fi nalized in very high performance
polymers.
Main products
Chemicals
Europe World
Fluorinated products
Advanced
1 2
Functional Minerals amongst the world leaders
Sodium bicarbonate 1 1
Ultra-pure H2O2 Ultra-pure barium/strontium
2 4
carbonates
Plastics
1 1
Fluorinated polymers – 3
Other Speciality Polymers amongst the world leaders
Inergy (fuel systems) 1 1
Essentials
Apart from Specialties, the Chemicals and Plastics
Sectors are also active in Essentials.
The success of Solvay’s Essentials lies both in their
history and their specifi c features. Many of them are
products on which Solvay was built and has grown
to what it is today. All are an essential part of our
everyday life.
In each of these products the Group has a world
leadership position, alone or in partnership, and
major competitive advantages on which it intends
to build further in a selective fashion.
Solvay’s Essentials include:
– Chemicals: soda ash, caustic soda, hydrogen
peroxide, persalts, technical grade barium and
strontium carbonates, etc.
– Plastics: vinyls (SolVin in partnership with
BASF in Europe, Vinythaï in Thailand and Solvay
Indupa in Mercosur) and pipes and fi ttings
(in partnership with Wienerberger).
Main products
Chemicals
Europe World
Soda ash 1 1
Hydrogen peroxide 1 1
Persalts
Barium/strontium
1 1
carbonates 1 1
Caustic soda
Plastics
1 3
PVC 2 3
Pipelife (pipes and fi ttings) 4 –
Our Positions
Solvay Global Annual Report 2005
13