Brazilian petroleum coke marketer and calciner Unimetal USA has acquired Larpen Metallurgical, a US carbon carbon supplier, and plans to use Brazilian coke rather than Chinese coke in its iron and steel production.
Larpen supplies Graphex, a recarburiser used in iron and steel production, to the US market. Prior to the acquisition, Larpen sourced its graphitised coke feedstock from China and blended it in the US. But Unimetal intends to use graphitised coke produced from Brazilian anode-grade coke, which will reduce the US metal casting industry's dependence on Chinese suppliers for this critical feedstock.
The acquisition benefits Larpen by allowing it access to Brazilian anode-grade low-sulphur coke. This coke has no shot content, which allows for high carbon dissolution rates and can result in higher quality steel and iron products. Unimetal benefits by gaining access to Larpen's distribution network positioned near river and ocean ports.
Unimetal produces high-grade graphitised petroleum coke and Desulco products and handles millions of tonnes per year of low-sulphur green and calcined coke. Unimetal in April acquired US-based Superior Graphite's recarburiser business with plans to produce the products using Brazilian low-sulphur coke.
