Emerald Kalama Chemical, a business group of Emerald Performance Materials, has appointed Eric Post to the position of K-FLEX business director, Americas. Post will be responsible for the optimization and growth of the K-FLEX line of low-VOC, non-phthalate plasticizers and coalescents in the Americas region, including planning and implementing strategic business plans, building relationships with customers and identifying new market opportunities.

Post has more than 20 years of experience in the specialty chemicals industry, serving in technical, sales management and business development roles. Post joins Emerald from Elementis Specialties, where he was market manager for thickeners and additives used in coatings, inks, adhesives and construction. He also previously held positions with Evonik and National Starch and Chemical (now Henkel). He obtained an M.S. in applied chemistry at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and a B.S. in chemical engineering at Rutgers University College of Engineering.

“While we have seen phenomenal growth of the K-FLEX platform in the Americas, we continue to set our sights higher, exploring new pathways to develop new business, add value and expand the markets and applications we serve. Eric is results-oriented and has demonstrated insightful business savvy and technical expertise while working in competitive and diversified market environments,” said Shamsi Gravel, K-FLEX vice president. “As a result, I believe he is an excellent addition to the K-FLEX leadership team and will help us to define and reach those objectives.”

K-FLEX benzoate technology has a proven track record of more than three decades for delivering performance, providing a highly effective alternative that eliminates the health and environmental concerns of increasingly regulated phthalate plasticizers and high-VOC coalescents. The REACH-compliant K-FLEX platform provides a range of low-VOC, non-phthalate, non-SVHC products, including those with certain clearances for use in food-contact applications.

In recent years, the company has focused on product innovation to deliver benefits to an expanding range of adhesives, sealants, caulk, paints, coatings, graphic arts and plastisol and vinyl applications. For example, in adhesive and sealant applications, K-FLEX products are known for enhancing film formation and adhesion, processing characteristics and improving the resistance of the end-products to oil, grease and water. Other important benefits include improved scrub resistance and gloss retention in paint and coatings.  In vinyl applications, performance can be greatly enhanced by blending the fast-fusing K-FLEX® plasticizers with many other general purpose plasticizers to increase line speed and/or lower processing temperature, as well as improve stain resistance and toughen wear layers in plastisols.

Emerald Kalama Chemical also produces sodium and potassium benzoate, benzoic acid and intermediates, and specialty flavor and fragrance ingredients, which the company sells globally through its distribution partners. The business has manufacturing operations in Kalama, Wash. and in Rotterdam, Netherlands.