Univar Announces Exclusive North American Distribution Agreement with Molycorp Advanced Water Technologies

REDMOND, Wash. -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Univar Inc., a leading global distributor of chemistry and related products and services, announced today that its subsidiary, Univar USA Inc., has entered into an exclusive five-year North American agreement with Molycorp Advanced Water Technologies, LLC (“Molycorp AWT”) (MCP) to distribute the company’s proprietary, cerium-based water treatment product SorbX-100TM, formerly known as XSORBXTM, to municipal and industrial wastewater treatment facilities in North America.

The high performance properties of SorbX-100TM make the product a strong addition to Univar’s existing portfolio of products already serving the wastewater industry. The company’s extensive North American network will create greater opportunities for municipalities in the U.S. and Canada to benefit from the cost and operational efficiencies of SorbX-100TM.

“Effective wastewater treatment is critical to ensuring a safe and positive impact on our environment and the quality of life to people everywhere, every day,” said Univar’s President and Chief Executive Officer Erik Fyrwald. “Univar is pleased to be appointed as Molycorp’s exclusive channel to market for North American municipal and wastewater treatment facilities, and we look forward to offering our customers a new, innovative solution that allows them to be more efficient in their operations.”

According to 2011 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) facility discharge compliance data, of the 3,058 facilities in the U.S. that have permits for phosphorous discharge, 397 plants that collectively discharge 1.077 billion gallons per day were found to be non-compliant for such discharge. These facilities represent a large potential phosphorus removal market.

To date, there has only been a limited selection of chemical coagulants for the removal of phosphorus in waste water. SorbX-100TM is a patented, cerium-based product that removes phosphorus, heavy metals, and other contaminants from municipal and industrial wastewater streams. It offers wastewater treatment operators a more cost-effective option to reduce phosphorus discharges, chemical usage, and sludge volumes, while improving environmental compliance.

“We are very pleased to have Univar, one of the world’s leading chemical distributors, as our exclusive North American distribution partner for SorbX-100TM,” said Molycorp’s President and Chief Executive Officer Constantine Karayannopoulos. “Univar’s dedicated team of professionals understands the needs of the operators in this industry, and I’m confident they will help our customers reach their phosphorus removal targets in a more cost effective manner while producing less waste.”

Specific information on SorbX-100™’s capabilities can be seen here.


About Molycorp

Molycorp Advanced Water Technologies is a wholly owned subsidiary of Molycorp, Inc (MCP) (“Molycorp”). One of the world’s leading manufacturers of custom engineered rare earth and rare metal products, Molycorp is vertically integrated from its world-class rare earth resource to its advanced downstream processing facilities. With 26 locations across 11 countries, the Company also produces rare earth magnetic materials through its Molycorp Magnequench subsidiary, including neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnet powders, used to manufacture bonded NdFeB permanent rare earth magnets. Through its Intermetallics Japan joint venture with Daido Steel and the Mitsubishi Corporation, Molycorp manufactures next-generation, sintered NdFeB permanent rare earth magnets. Through its Molycorp Advanced Water Technologies subsidiary, the Company markets and sells its proprietary, cerium-based advanced water purification technology called SorbX™ for use in municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, recreational water, and pool and spa water treatment markets. For more information please visit www.molycorp.com.


About Univar

Univar is one of the world’s leading distributors of industrial and specialty chemicals. Univar represents over 2,500 chemical producers and provides its customer base, made up of 80,000 customers, with a full portfolio of products. Univar operates a global network of more than 300 facilities in North America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, and Latin America, with additional sales offices located in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In 2011, Univar reported sales of $9.7 billion. For more information, visit: www.univar.com.

Follow Univar on Facebook and Twitter.



Contact:

Univar Contact:
Univar
Director – Public Relations
Alison Jahn, 425-889-3501
alison.jahn@univar.com or

Molycorp Contacts:
Molycorp
Vice President, Corporate Communications
Jim Sims, +1-303-843-8062
Jim.Sims@Molycorp.com or

Molycorp
Senior Manager, Investor Relations
Brian Blackman, +1-303-843-8067
Brian.Blackman@molycorp.com