Contact Us 2571 Fite Road Memphis, Tennessee 38127 Phone: 901.354.5800 Fax: 901.354.5841

Our Products and Markets

Arkema is the world's third largest producer of hydrogen peroxide. It supports its business with a global sales team and infrastructure designed to facilitate fast response to customer needs. And with hydrogen peroxide use enjoying steady growth in North America and Europe, with strong growth potential in Asia, we expect our presence to grow as well.

While a seemingly simple commodity, numerous grades of hydrogen peroxide are required to serve the special needs of different markets. It is most apparent in many bathroom medicine cabinets, where bottles of hydrogen peroxide are kept as an antiseptic solution. Hydrogen peroxide is also used in toothpaste to help whiten teeth.

But hydrogen peroxide is used in many different industries. In the pulp and paper industry, hydrogen peroxide acts as an effective bleaching agent, providing a different solution to traditional methods using elemental chlorine. In the chemical industry, hydrogen peroxide is a superior reagent in various syntheses. In the textile industry, it is an outstanding bleaching agent for synthetic and natural fibers.

Hydrogen peroxide is often used in place of chlorine for the decontamination of industrial effluent, soil and water. It is also used in the desulfurization and deodorization of municipal wastewater, in the etching and drawing of silicon wafers and in household cleaning products. It is even used in the food industry, to help inhibit the growth of mold in cheese.

Back to top

Our History

Arkema Inc. (formerly Atofina Chemicals, Inc.) purchased the Memphis plant in September, 1998 from E.I. duPont de Nemours. The plant was first constructed in 1953, and was the world's first commercial plant to use anthraquinone hydrogenation and oxidation technology to produce hydrogen peroxide.

During its first years in operation, the Memphis plant had a capacity of 14 million pounds per year. Capacity has grown incrementally over the years, and the plant now produces 146 million pounds of hydrogen peroxide per year. Purchase of the facility has launched Arkema to the third-place position worldwide for hydrogen peroxide production.

The Memphis plant resides on 12 acres of land within a 400-acre industrial complex located in Shelby County, five miles east of the Mississippi River and ten miles north of downtown Memphis. The Memphis plant's employees have an average of 15 to 20 years' experience in the manufacture of hydrogen peroxide.

Our Location

The area now known as Memphis was a hotbed of activity during the 18th century, as occupying nations struggled for dominance in the American wilderness. The French were the first to put roots in the area, with the building of Fort Assumption in 1739. In 1795, the Spanish built Fort San Fernando de las Barrancas, and in 1797, the U.S. gained control of the area and constructed Fort Adams. In 1818, the Chickasaw Nation signed a treaty ceding West Tennessee to the U.S., and one year later the city of Memphis was founded.

Today, Memphis is best known as the home of Graceland, Beale Street, the Memphis Belle, and as the birthplace of blues and rock and roll. But its history also is laden with industrial and business accomplishments. In 1857, Memphis became an important link in the chain of trade when the Memphis & Charleston Railroad was completed, linking the Atlantic Ocean and the Mississippi River. The first naval yard was established in the city in 1845, and since then, Memphis has also become home to the Army Defense Depot, Mallory Air Force Depot and the Naval Air Station at Millington. Today, Memphis acts as a distribution hub for much of the freight shipped in the southeast U.S.

Important milestones in black history have been made in Memphis. In 1893, black millionaire Robert Reed Church, Sr. purchased the first city bond when Memphis regained its charter, fourteen years after declaring bankruptcy in 1879. Universal Life Insurance Company, one of the largest black-owned insurance companies in the nation, was founded here in 1923. Memphis elected its first black mayor in 1991. Once the center of much activity and debate during the Civil Rights movement and desegregation legislation in the 1960's, the city is now home to the National Civil Rights Museum.

We don't just work in the Memphis community; we live here, too. That's why Arkema is active in the Responsible Care^® efforts of the American Chemistry Council (ACC). Under Responsible Care, companies continually strive to improve the responsible manufacture and management of chemicals, and to seek public involvement in our efforts. We believe that Responsible Care starts with responsible people, and we actively strive to bring an awareness to our employees and the community about our safety regulations and practices.

At the Memphis plant, worker safety and environmental protection are core values. Our goal is to produce and distribute hydrogen peroxide safely. Our effort to prevent incidents and injury is reflected in 16 years, and more than 2.75 million work hours, since our last lost-time injury, an exemplary industry record.

Arkema is actively involved in the DuPont Industrial Site Fire Brigade and Arkema Hazmat Teams, which respond to industrial site incidents as well as to community hazards and emergency clean-up needs throughout the surrounding areas. We also participate in the Arkema REACTS (Responding to Emergencies & Accidents for Chemicals in TranSport) program by sponsoring a team that responds to off-site transportation incidents involving hydrogen peroxide.

Responsible Care^® is a registered trademark of the American Chemistry Council.

The Memphis plant is a participating member of the Memphis-Shelby County Local Emergency Planning Committee, which has responsibility under the federal, state and local requirements of the Emergency Preparedness and Community Right-to-Know Act. The Memphis plant participates in annual LEPC community drills.

Employees of Arkema are members of the local Woodstock Community "People of Woodstock" organization. This organization's mission is to ensure that residents have an opportunity to live in a safe environment. This organization provides a means of open communication between residents and industrial neighbors. A site representative provides an update at each meeting that often includes safety and environment-related information.

Arkema donates funds to Shelby Youth Sports (SYS) to support sports in the Woodstock Community. This organization is a group of volunteers who provide sports and cheerleading opportunities for children who otherwise would not have the resources to do so. The Memphis plant also sponsors Arkema’s award-winning Science Teacher Program. In the program, local elementary school science teachers visit the Arkema facility during their summer vacation and are given hands-on science kits. They work through these kits with the assistance of Arkema scientists, who act as mentors to pairs of teachers. The teachers then take the kits back to school with them to provide their students with a new, exciting way to learn about science.

Back to top

Press Coverage