Companies Team Up For Choline Chloride

The chemical makers Balchem and Taminco have formed a joint venture to produce choline chloride in St. Gabriel, La. The venture will include Balchem’s existing choline chloride plant in St. Gabriel and a second facility the partners will build by 2015. Choline chloride, a quaternary compound, is derived from trimethyl amine, which Taminco manufactures in St. Gabriel. The partners say demand for the chemical, used as an animal feed additive, is growing because of its role as a clay stabilizer in the oil drilling technique called hydraulic fracturing. The plant’s output will be marketed separately by the two firms.