January 27, 2025
Pilot Chemical Company Announces Exclusive Partnership with Kao Corporation to Bring Bio IOS® Surfactant Technology to the North American Market
Cincinnati, OH – Pilot Chemical Company today announced an exclusive partnership with Kao Corporation to bring a new sustainable surfactant technology, Bio IOS® biobased internal olefin sulfonates, to the North American market. Bio IOS® technology will enable customers to meet sustainability goals without compromising performance in a range of household, industrial and institutional (I&I), personal care (PC), and other applications.
The partnership will leverage Kao’s Bio IOS® technology and commercial-scale feedstock supply. Pilot will serve as the exclusive marketing channel and sulfonation partner of Bio IOS® technology for North America and will produce Bio IOS® biobased internal olefin sulfonates at commercial scale in its Middletown, Ohio facility.
“Kao has a rich history in the chemical and consumer products industries and provides sustainable and high-quality products and services to consumers around the globe,” said Mike Clark, CEO of Pilot Chemical Company. “We are excited to add Kao’s high-performance, sustainable technology to our line of innovative biobased surfactants.”
“We are looking forward to partnering with Pilot Chemical Company, a leader with extensive expertise in the North American market, and to amplifying the future of sustainable surfactants through Bio IOS® technology,” said Daisuke Hamada, Kao’s Senior Executive Officer in charge of Chemical Business. “We are confident that this strategic partnership will foster new innovations and enhance the recognition of Bio IOS® biobased surfactant’s exceptional performance.”
Bio IOS® biobased surfactant provides excellent performance properties, such as water solubility and surface activity, for use as primary or secondary surfactants in a variety of applications, including laundry, dish, hard surface cleaning, and personal care applications. Commercial quantities will be available starting in 2026.
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About Pilot Chemical Company Pilot Chemical Company is a privately owned and independent global specialty chemical manufacturer providing high-quality products and services to the household, industrial, and institutional (HI&I); personal care; metalworking and lubricants; oilfield; and emulsion polymerization industries. Its proprietary core technologies involve alkylation, sulfonation, sulfation and a number of other specialty operations, including the production of biocides and cGMP products. Pilot, an industry leader in chemical innovation and safety, owns the most state-of-the-art continuous sulfation process in North America, is a leader in quaternary ammonium compounds, and is the world’s largest manufacturer of disulfonates. Pilot is certified under both ISO 9001:2015 and the American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care® program and holds a silver-medal rating with EcoVadis for sustainability. Pilot is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, with additional sites located in Ohio, Texas, New Jersey, and Mexico. For more information, visit www.pilotchemical.com.
About Kao Corp. Kao creates high-value-added products and services that provide care and enrichment for the life of all people and the planet. Through its portfolio of over 20 leading brands such as Attack, Bioré, Goldwell, Jergens, John Frieda, Kanebo, Laurier, Merries, and Molton Brown, Kao is part of the everyday lives of people in Asia, Oceania, North America, and Europe. Combined with its chemical business, which contributes to a wide range of industries, Kao generates about 1,530 billion yen in annual sales. Kao employs about 34,300 people worldwide and has 137 years of history in innovation. Please visit the Kao Group website for updated information.
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