Yara International tries to make the world green -- and, in the process, make a little green of its own. The manufacturer of fertilizers and industrial gases is among the world's largest makers of plant nutrients and ammonia, selling about 20 million metric tons of fertilizer per year. It is also a top supplier of CO2 and nitrogen chemicals to industrial markets and of nitrates to the explosives industry. Yara has a quarter stake in Chilean fertilizers maker SQM, as does Canadian fertilizers maker PotashCorp. Formerly known as Hydro Agri, the company was spun off in 2004 by Norwegian aluminum giant Norsk Hydro. Yara markets its products worldwide.

Where does Barbie get her red lips and blue eyes? From the color-loving folks at Coatings Resource Corporation (CRC). The company makes paints, lacquers, and varnishes for use on metal and wood products, as well as injectable colorants, blowing agents, processing aids, UV stabilizers, and anti-oxidants used on various types of plastics. The company's products are used in automotive interiors, consumer electronics, and sporting goods in addition to toys. President Edwin Laird founded Coatings Resource in 1976 and sold it to international coatings giant PPG in 2007.

Petrochem Carless wants to keep drivers from having to do without their vehicle. The company offers products such as antifreeze, brake fluids, de-icers, and racing fuels. It also supplies chemical solvents such as alcohols, amines, and esters. Petrochem Carless is one of the top European refiners and distributors of specialty hydrocarbons and advanced automotive fluids, as well as a leading supplier of drilling fluids. It was formed in 2000 when Petrochem bought Carless (which traces its history back to 1859) from Spanish giant Repsol and merged the two companies' operations. The company underwent a management buyout (backed by Lloyds Banking Group) in 2005, and Lloyds offered to buy it outright in 2010.

Sherwin Alumina, one of the largest alumina refineries in North America, extracts aluminum oxide, or alumina, from bauxite ore. It has an annual production capacity of nearly 1.5 million tons of smelter-grade and 300,000 tons of chemical-grade alumina. After the company refines the alumina it is then used primarily in the making of aluminum, though also as an abrasive and a refractory material. Sherwin Alumina's location on the Texas Gulf Coast allows it access to nearby aluminum smelting facilities and its own deepwater port. It is owned by Swiss metals giant Glencore.

One can get wrapped up in the chemical products produced by Asahi Kasei Spandex Europe and not have to worry about rehab. The company, a subsidiary of Asahi Kasei's fibers unit, produces manmade fibers under the brand name Dorlastan that are used in apparel, paper machine clothing, fishing line, and zippers. It had been a part of LANXESS, and before that of Bayer MaterialScience, until Asahi Kasei acquired the company in 2006. It was called Dorlastan Fibers until its new parent changed its name in 2007; prior to that name change, it was called Bayer Faser until the summer of 2004, when it took the name of its best-known product brand.

It's not in Minnesota and it doesn't do any mining either, but at least 3M United Kingdom does accomplish some manufacturing. 3M UK is the British and Irish arm of diversified chemical and consumer products firm 3M Company. Among 3M's product lines are Scotch-brand tape and Post-it Notes. 3M Health Care Ltd., whose business makes up a large component of 3M UK, makes medical equipment and supplies like respirators and drug delivery systems. The company also manufactures abrasives and adhesives. 3M UK is among its parent company's largest international iterations with about 15 locations, including 11 manufacturing facilities.

K.A. Steel Chemicals, it prefers inorganic products. The company distributes bulk inorganic commodity chemicals. It is the largest US distributor of caustic sodas (used in making soap, rayon, and paper, among other applications) and is a major producer and distributor of sodium hypochlorite (used to bleach pulp and in water purification). K.A. Steel also distributes hydrochloric acid (used to clean metals and as a chemical intermediate). Kenneth A. Steel Sr. founded K.A. Steel in 1953 and second-generation Steel family members Robert and Ken Jr. own the company.

NOVA Chemicals Corporation muscles into a long line of plastic products. The company makes ethylene, polyethylene, and performance styrenics used in the manufacture of plastic and foam products. Applications include packaging, plastic bags, appliances, electronics, housewares, and plastic pipe. Through its INEOS NOVA joint venture (with INEOS), the company was one of the world's largest producers of styrene monomer and styrenic polymers. However, in 2010 INEOS announced it was buying out NOVA's 50% share of INEOS NOVA in favor of a new venture with BASF SE. The US and Canada account for 80% of NOVA's sales. It's owned by Abu Dhabi's International Petroleum Investment Co., or IPIC.

Global Nuclear Fuel-Japan Co. (GNF-J) is part of a joint venture formed by General Electric, Toshiba, and Hitachi as early as 1967 to introduce to Japan a boiling water reactor developed by GE. The company now designs, develops, and manufactures nuclear fuel in Japan (since 1971) and offers core management services and quality control for the fuel. General Electric has the controlling 51% stake in the venture, and Toshiba and Hitachi split the remaining share. Formerly Japan Nuclear Fuel Co. (JNF), GNF-J integrated into the GE Energy division in 2000.

Because you're not likely to be creating ion exchange resins out of your garage, LANXESS Sybron Chemicals does the job for you. LANXESS bought Sybron in 2000 and added its own ion exchange resins business to form one company that can serve both the industrial and domestic water treatment sectors. In addition to being used for domestic water softening and in waste water treatment, Sybron's products are used in catalysis and in processing specialty chemicals (removing heavy and precious metals like brine and mercury). They can also be used in sweetener and food processing to remove unwanted properties (minerals, odors, acids, etc.).

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