PQ

Company Overview

PQ Corp. began selling sodium silicate to soap manufacturers during the 1860s. The company thrived under growing industrial and product markets for silicate chemicals. In 1977, Philadelphia Quartz acquired Potter Industries, a leading manufacturer of engineered glass materials for coatings and construction markets and changed its name to PQ Corp. the following year. In 2007, The Carlyle Group acquired PQ Corp., and the company was combined with INEOS Silicas in July 2008.

PQ Corp.’s sodium silicate products have found application in EOR alkaline and Alkali-Surfactant-Polymer (ASP) flooding projects. The more alkaline orthosilicate used in early alkali and chemical EOR projects have given way to sodium silicates. Alkaline sodium silicates can be used more efficiently (in smaller quantities, either alone or with surfactants and polymers) in order to react with the acidic components of an oil reservoir to produce in situ surfactants and raise the pH level to reduce IFT value between the oil and geology. PQ Corp. offers its products for alkaline flooding EOR or, in conjunction with surfactants and polymers (ASP), as premixed slugs or sequences.

• In April 2021, the company announced the rebranding by changing its name to Ecovyst Inc., pure-play catalysts and services company.

• In August 2021, Cerberus Capital Management and Koch Minerals & Trading, LLC announced the acquisition of the Performance Chemicals business from Ecovyst Inc., formerly PQ Group Holdings Inc. This transaction will enable PQ to become one of the world’s leading, independent producers of sodium silicates, specialty silicas and zeolites.