Kraton

What Kraton does

Kraton Corporation is a Houston-headquartered (The Woodlands, Texas) specialty polymers and biobased chemicals manufacturer operating two principal franchises: Polymer Products, anchored by its 1955 invention of styrenic block copolymers (SBC) and today spanning SBS, SIS, SIBS, and hydrogenated SEBS grades sold under the Kraton D, Kraton G, Kraton FG, Kraton A, CirKular+, and Ellamera brands; and Pine Chemical Products, for which Kraton became the world's largest global provider after its 2016 acquisition of Arizona Chemical, encompassing rosin esters, polyterpene resins, tall-oil fatty acids, biobased solvents, and tire additives under the SYLVATAC, SYLVARES, SYLVACOTE, SYLFAT, SYLVASOLV, SYLVATRAXX, and AQUATAC brands.

The company's technology base centers on proprietary block copolymer chemistry, functionalization (maleic anhydride grafting, IMSS injection-molded soft-skin), and bio-circular platforms — most recently the CirKular+ ReNew Series using ISCC PLUS-certified renewable butadiene supplied under a strategic partnership with SABIC, plus HiMA highly modified asphalt technology and the Ellamera cosmetic polymer platform. Manufacturing spans six facilities (Belpre OH, Panama City FL, Savannah GA, Berre FR, Sandarne SE, Mailiao TW) and the business holds successive ISCC PLUS, USDA BioPreferred, and EcoVadis Platinum certifications across multiple sites.

Kraton monetizes through a global direct sales network with embedded technical service teams, serving 800+ industrial buyers across 70+ countries in adhesives, automotive, paving/road construction, medical, cosmetics, packaging, tires, wire/cable, and plastics-recycling end markets, with unit (per-metric-ton) pricing as the standard model. Following its March 2022 acquisition by South Korea's DL Chemical, Kraton operates as a wholly-owned private subsidiary, and the recent wave of double-digit price-increase announcements across both polymer and pine-chemical product lines signals ongoing input-cost pass-through as a core revenue mechanic.

Name

Kraton

Legal name

Kraton Corporation

Website

https://kraton.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Kraton Corporation manufactures specialty polymers (SBC, HSBC) and is the world's largest pine chemicals provider, serving 800+ industrial buyers across adhesives, automotive, paving, medical, cosmetics, packaging, and recycling end markets through a global direct sales network spanning 70+ countries, now operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of South Korea's DL Chemical.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Polymers and Biobased Pine Chemicals

NAICS

Resin and Synthetic Rubber Manufacturing (32521), Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing (3252), Synthetic Rubber Manufacturing (325212), Adhesive Manufacturing (325520), Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing (3255)

SIC

Plastic Materials, Synth Resins & Nonvulcan Elastomers (2821), Adhesives & Sealants (2891), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800)

akta.pro primary industry

Styrenics (Styrene Monomer, PS, EPS, ABS) (IMAEADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Polymer Additives & Modifiers (Stabilizers, Plasticizers, Impact Modifiers, FRs) (IMAEANAK), Adhesives & Sealants Chemicals (IMAEABAA), Sustainable Additives & Plasticizers (bio-plasticizers, stabilizers, compatibilizers) (IMANANAH)

Keywords

• Styrenic block copolymers
• Pine chemicals
• Specialty polymers
• Hydrogenated SBC
• Biobased tackifiers

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Specialty Polymers: Sale of specialty polymers including styrenic block copolymers (SBC), hydrogenated styrenic block copolymers (HSBC), and related products for adhesives, automotive, construction, medical, and other industrial applications
2. Pine Chemicals: Sale of pine-based specialty chemicals derived from crude tall oil (CTO) and crude sulfate turpentine (CST), including rosin esters, tackifiers, and other biobased products

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kraton manufactures and sells specialty polymers (styrenic block copolymers including unhydrogenated SBS/SIS and hydrogenated SEBS/HSBC grades) and biobased pine chemicals (rosin esters, polyterpene resins, tall oil fatty acids, tackifiers, and terpene-based solvents) derived from crude tall oil and crude sulfate turpentine. These specialty intermediates are formulated into adhesives, automotive components, paving systems, medical devices, cosmetics, packaging, tires, coatings, road markings, and plastics-recycling additives sold to industrial customers across more than 70 countries.

Product overview

Kraton Corporation is a specialty polymers and biobased chemicals manufacturer operating two main product portfolios: Polymer Products and Pine Chemical Products. The Polymer portfolio includes styrenic block copolymers (SBC) such as Kraton D (SBS/SIS/SIBS), Kraton G (SEBS/HSBC), Kraton FG (functionalized), and Kraton A, alongside specialty brands like ELLAMERA for cosmetics and CirKular+ for plastics recycling. The Pine Chemical portfolio includes rosin esters (SYLVATAC, SYLVARES), coating resins (SYLVACOTE), tackifier dispersions (AQUATAC), tall oil derivatives (SYLFAT, SYLVATAL), solvents (SYLVASOLV), and tire additives (SYLVATRAXX). These products serve diverse markets including adhesives, automotive, construction/paving, packaging, personal care, medical, and plastics recycling across over 70 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CirKular+: Product line enabling plastics upcycling and circular economy solutions
• Ellamera
• SYLVARES
• SYLVATRAXX
• Cariflex
• HiMA
• REvolution

Products and services

• CirKular+
• CirKular+ ReNew Series
• ELLAMERA
• Kraton D
• Kraton G
• Kraton FG
• Kraton A
• HiMA (Highly Modified Asphalt)
• SYLVATAC
• SYLVACOTE
• SYLVACLEAR
• SYLVARES
• SYLVATRAXX
• AQUATAC
• SYLFAT
• SYLVASOLV
• UNI-TAC
• CirKular+ Paving Circularity Series

Named customers3 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SABICcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 September 2025Strategic partnership with SABIC to produce CirKular+ ReNew Series, Kraton's latest ISCC PLUS Certified renewable styrenic block copolymers (SBC) portfolio. The HSBC polymers are produced using SABIC's ISCC PLUS certified renewable butadiene from the TRUCIRCLE portfolio, derived from animal-free and palm oil-free second-generation renewable feedstock such as tall oil from the wood pulping process. Each ton of renewable butadiene cuts fossil depletion by up to 80%.
• International PapercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 August 2025Strategic continuity of services agreement with International Paper, a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions, to maintain uninterrupted site services at Kraton's Savannah, Georgia facility. This partnership ensures operational continuity at a key manufacturing location.
• CERISEA ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 July 2025Kraton was selected as one of 12 participants in the CERISEA Project, awarded a share of a grant to support R&D efforts focused on commercializing 5-HMF (5-hydroxymethylfurfural) as a renewable alternative to fossil-based ingredients. This project advances biobased innovation in the chemicals industry.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Synthomer: UK-listed specialty polymer producer focused on aqueous polymers and high-performance elastomers. Competes with Kraton in pressure-sensitive adhesives, construction, and coating latex applications, with comparable customer segments in industrial and consumer markets.
• DRT (Dérivés Résiniques et Terpéniques): French world leader in pine-based terpene chemistry and rosin derivatives. Directly comparable to Kraton's Pine Chemicals portfolio in tackifiers, terpene resins, and biobased specialty ingredients used in adhesives, coatings, and personal care.
• Ingevity Corporation: US specialty chemicals company with a major pine chemicals-derived product portfolio (tall oil fatty acids, rosin-based tackifiers, pavement technologies). Direct competitor to Kraton's Pine Chemicals business in rosin esters, tackifiers, and biobased industrial chemistry.
• TSRC Corporation: Taiwan-based synthetic rubber and SBC producer that competes with Kraton in styrenic block copolymers used in adhesives, footwear, and asphalt modification. Asian manufacturing footprint positions TSRC as a key regional competitor contributing to global SBC overcapacity.
• INEOS Styrolution: Global leader in styrenics (styrene monomer, PS, ABS, and SBC). Competes with Kraton in styrene-based polymer chemistry and downstream specialty polymer applications, with comparable scale and customer base in industrial and consumer markets.
• Kuraray: Japanese specialty chemicals company and one of the largest global producers of styrenic block copolymers and hydrogenated SBC. Kuraray is Kraton's most direct competitor in SBC/HSBC chemistry, serving overlapping adhesives, automotive, and packaging end markets.
• Arkema: French specialty materials company with direct competition in adhesives raw materials, polymer additives, and bio-based specialty chemistry. Kraton and Arkema both serve adhesives, automotive, and construction customers with overlapping specialty polymer and tackifier offerings.
• Chi Mei Corporation: Major Taiwanese producer of SBC and other specialty polymers. Competes with Kraton in styrenic block copolymers for adhesives, footwear, and modified asphalt, and is one of the larger Asian SBC capacity contributors referenced in industry overcapacity discussions.

Broad incumbents

• Eastman Chemical Company: Large diversified specialty chemicals and advanced materials producer with adjacent positions in pine chemicals, tackifiers, polymer additives, and coatings. Comparable in scale, end-market diversification, and sustainability focus, serving overlapping adhesives and specialty polymers customers.
• BASF: Global chemicals incumbent with extensive product overlap in polymer dispersions, additives, adhesives raw materials, and bio-based chemistry. Competes with Kraton in specialty polymers and pine-chemical-adjacent applications as part of a much broader portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kraton
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxGWn6yY2CQXeLBmQ-pjKuw
• Facebookfacebook.com/kratoncorp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kraton-polymers

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kraton