ASK Chemicals
ASK Chemicals is a German PE-backed specialty chemicals manufacturer supplying foundry chemicals, industrial resins, and paints & coatings to industrial buyers across automotive, aerospace, friction, refractory, and agricultural markets, with proprietary sustainable binder and feeder technologies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersHilden, Germany
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What ASK Chemicals does
ASK Chemicals is a German specialty chemicals manufacturer headquartered in Hilden, Germany, organized into three business divisions — Foundry, Industrial Resins, and Paints & Coatings — and serving industrial and foundry customers across automotive, aerospace, friction, refractory, architectural, and agricultural end markets. The company develops and manufactures binder systems (organic Cold Box, No-Bake, and proprietary inorganic INOTEC/INOBAKE chemistries), coatings, risers and sleeves (EXACTCAST), ceramic and 3D filters (EXACTPORE, UDICELL, EXACTFLO), industrial resins (REZIANCE), specialty paints and coatings, and the ASKOCOAT controlled-release fertilizer coating technology, alongside complementary design, simulation, and core production services. Its technology differentiation centers on sustainability-oriented innovations such as 100% emission-free inorganic binder systems, fluorine-free risers, and the ECOCAST ONE eco-smart feeder launched in 2024.
ASK Chemicals operates a B2B, quote-based direct sales model targeting enterprise and industrial buyers globally, supported by online product advisor tools (e.g., ASK CLICK for industrial resins) and an ASK Online Academy for technical education. The company is privately held and PE-backed; its 2021 acquisition of SI Group's Industrial Resins business added manufacturing sites in Brazil, India, and South Africa, expanding its global footprint beyond the German headquarters and positioning it within the top tier of foundry chemical suppliers alongside HA International and Vesuvius. Under CEO Luiz Totti, appointed in March 2024, the company is investing in additive manufacturing (3D binder systems), sustainable product platforms, and ecosystem services that deepen customer switching costs across foundry, industrial, and coatings verticals.
ASK Chemicals firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ASK Chemicals
- Legal name
- ASK Chemicals GmbH
- Website
- http://www.ask-chemicals.com/
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- ASK Chemicals is a German PE-backed specialty chemicals manufacturer supplying foundry chemicals, industrial resins, and paints & coatings to industrial buyers across automotive, aerospace, friction, refractory, and agricultural markets, with proprietary sustainable binder and feeder technologies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ASK Chemicals industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Foundry Chemicals
- NAICS
- Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins (325991), Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Binder Jetting Feedstocks (Metal/Ceramic Sands & Powders) (IMAAABAI)
Keywords
Where ASK Chemicals is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hilden
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
ASK Chemicals business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Foundry Chemicals: Sale of specialty binder systems (Cold Box, No-Bake, Inorganic), coatings, risers & sleeves, filters, auxiliaries and release agents for the foundry industry.
- Industrial Resins: Sale of specialty resins for friction, refractory, and other industrial applications including the REZIANCE brand portfolio.
- Paints & Coatings: Sale of specialty chemicals for architectural coatings, can coatings, wood coatings, industrial coatings, protective coatings, conductive coatings, additives, fertilizer coatings, and general industrial applications.
- Innovation & Technology Services: Design services, simulation services, and technical support for foundry and industrial customers.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
ASK Chemicals product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ASK Chemicals develops, manufactures, and supplies specialty chemical solutions organized into three business segments: Foundry (binder systems such as Cold Box, No-Bake, and inorganic systems like INOTEC and INOBAKE; coatings; risers and sleeves; filters; auxiliaries and release agents; design and simulation services), Industrial (REZIANCE resins for friction and refractory applications), and Paints & Coatings (architectural, can, wood, industrial, protective, conductive coatings, and ASKOCOAT fertilizer coatings). The company also supplies 3D binder systems for additive manufacturing of sand molds.
Product overview
ASK Chemicals is a global supplier of foundry chemicals and industrial resins organized into three main business segments: Foundry, Industrial, and Paints & Coatings. The Foundry segment provides comprehensive solutions including Cold Box binder systems (ECOCURE, LFSPAC), inorganic binder systems (INOTEC for 100% emission-free operations, INOBAKE), No-Bake binder systems, coatings, additives, filters (EXACTPORE 3D, UDICELL, EXACTFLO), risers and sleeves (EXACTCAST), auxiliaries, release agents, design and simulation services, and core production. The Industrial segment offers friction resins, refractory solutions, and REZIANCE resins. The Paints & Coatings segment includes architectural, can, wood, industrial, protective, and conductive coatings, plus ASKOCOAT fertilizer coating technology. The company also provides 3D binder systems for additive manufacturing, combining inorganic and organic technologies. ASK Chemicals serves foundries, industrial manufacturers, and coatings producers globally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- INOTEC: 100% emission-free inorganic core binder technology for foundries contributing to sustainable foundry operations
- INOBAKE
- ECOCAST
- ECOCURE BLUE
- LFSPAC
- REZIANCE
- ASKOCOAT
- EXACTCAST
- EXACTPORE
- EXACTFLO
- UDICELL
- MAGNASET
Products and services
- Cold Box Binder Systems Polyurethane-based Cold Box binder systems for foundry core production, including brands ECOCURE BLUE and LFSPAC, used by metal casters for efficient core production.
- No-Bake Binder Systems No-Bake binder systems for foundry core and mold production, used in metal casting applications.
- INOTEC Inorganic Binder System 100% emission-free inorganic core binder technology for sustainable foundry operations, enabling foundries to eliminate volatile organic compound emissions during core production.
- INOBAKE Inorganic No-Bake Binder Inorganic No-Bake binder technology for foundries seeking emission-free, sustainable core production.
- Foundry Coatings Foundry coatings for metal castings designed to improve surface quality, reduce surface defects, and improve casting performance.
- Foundry Additives Foundry additives including solutions for uncoated castings and lithium-free additive formulations for foundry operations.
- EXACTCAST Mini-Risers Mini-riser products providing expert feeding solutions for foundry casting operations, including the fluorine-free riser range.
- EXACTCAST Riser Sleeves and Auxiliary Products Riser sleeves and auxiliary products used in foundry feeding systems for metal casting.
- EXACTPORE 3D Filters 3D ceramic filter products for metal casting process improvement, providing state-of-the-art filtration in foundry operations.
- UDICELL Filters Ceramic filter products for foundry metal casting filtration, including dedicated investment casting filter variants.
- EXACTFLO Filters Filter products for foundry casting applications supporting metal cleanliness and process improvement.
- Auxiliaries and Release Agents Release agents, adhesives, cleaners and other auxiliary chemicals used by foundries during casting production.
- Foundry Design Services Casting design and simulation services supporting foundries from concept through final design, optimizing casting processes and feeding systems.
- Core Production Services Core production services for foundries requiring external manufacturing capacity and quality-focused core-making expertise.
- Industrial Friction Resins Wear-resistant specialty resins for friction applications such as brake linings and clutch facings.
- Industrial Refractory Resins Tar-free refractories and specialty resin solutions for industrial refractory applications such as bricks and monolithic refractories.
- REZIANCE Industrial Resins REZIANCE branded industrial resins selected via the product advisor tool, serving friction, refractory, and other industrial applications.
- Paints and Coatings Specialty chemicals and resins for architectural, can, wood, industrial, protective, and conductive coatings, plus additives for coating manufacturers.
- ASKOCOAT Fertilizer Coatings ASKOCOAT controlled-release fertilizer coating technology designed to increase the efficiency of fertilizer granules and support sustainable agriculture.
- 3D Binder Systems 3D sand printing binders combining inorganic and organic binder technology, designed for additive manufacturing and 3D-printed sand molds in foundries.
- ECOCAST ONE Eco-Smart Feeder ECOCAST ONE eco-smart feeder innovation for foundry applications, offering users of feeder caps improved quality and casting performance with 100% sustainability positioning.
Quantifiable outcome
- INOTEC binder technology provides 100% emission-free core production for foundries
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use ASK Chemicals
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
ASK Chemicals technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature15 records
ASK Chemicals partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SI GroupcoreASK Chemicals completed the acquisition of SI Group's Industrial Resins business in November 2021. The acquired business included manufacturing sites in Brazil, India, and South Africa, as well as licensed technology and tolling agreements. This strategic acquisition strengthened ASK Chemicals' position in the foundry market and its non-foundry business segments.
- HA InternationalminorHA International is identified as a key competitor/peer company in the global foundry chemical market alongside ASK Chemicals and Vesuvius. Market report context only; no explicit partnership structure described.
- VesuviusminorVesuvius is identified as a key competitor/peer company in the global foundry chemical market alongside ASK Chemicals and HA International. Market report context only; no explicit partnership structure described.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ASK Chemicals competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ASK Chemicals social profiles
Digital presenceASK Chemicals financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ASK Chemicals leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
ASK Chemicals funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ASK Chemicals M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ASK Chemicals
What does ASK Chemicals do?
ASK Chemicals develops, manufactures, and supplies specialty chemical solutions organized into three business segments: Foundry (binder systems such as Cold Box, No-Bake, and inorganic systems like INOTEC and INOBAKE; coatings; risers and sleeves; filters; auxiliaries and release agents; design and simulation services), Industrial (REZIANCE resins for friction and refractory applications), and Paints & Coatings (architectural, can, wood, industrial, protective, conductive coatings, and ASKOCOAT fertilizer coatings). The company also supplies 3D binder systems for additive manufacturing of sand molds.
Is ASK Chemicals a public or private company?
ASK Chemicals is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was ASK Chemicals founded?
ASK Chemicals was founded in 2010. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is ASK Chemicals based?
ASK Chemicals is headquartered in Hilden, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does ASK Chemicals make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Foundry Chemicals are the primary driver. The others are industrial Resins, paints & Coatings and innovation & Technology Services.
Does ASK Chemicals have an API?
No public API is recorded for ASK Chemicals.
What industry is ASK Chemicals in?
ASK Chemicals's product category is Specialty Foundry Chemicals. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAAABAI, Binder Jetting Feedstocks (Metal/Ceramic Sands & Powders). Its NAICS code is 325991 and its SIC code is 2890.