deten química

What deten química does

Deten Química S.A. is a Brazilian petrochemical manufacturer founded in 1981 and headquartered in Camaçari, Bahia, within the Camaçari Petrochemical Complex. The company is the sole domestic producer of linear alkylbenzene (LAB) in Brazil and operates as a subsidiary of Spain's Cepsa Química S.A., which holds a 97.82% stake (with the remaining 2.18% held by small shareholders following Cepsa's 2022 acquisition of Petrobras's 27.88% stake). Deten manufactures surfactants — LAB, linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS), and alkylphenyl (ALP) — marketed under the DetenLAB® 240, DetenLAS® 320, and DetALP® 360 brands, primarily serving Brazilian and South American household and industrial cleaning product manufacturers. The company supplies approximately 95% of Brazil's LAB consumption and exports to Colombia and Chile, with a recently launched sustainable surfactant line called NextLab.

The company operates three production units with combined stated capacity of approximately 220,000–260,000 tonnes of LAB, 80,000–120,000 tonnes of LAS, and 10,000 tonnes of ALP per year, supported by on-site sulfuric acid regeneration and integrated utilities. Its business model is B2B volume sales of commodity surfactants to detergent and cleaning product formulators, with technical and commercial integration into Cepsa's global LAB production network (the world's largest, with ~600,000 tonnes of total capacity supplying roughly 15% of global demand). Deten holds ISO 9001 (since 1993), ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISCC Plus (for sustainable/circular feedstocks, obtained 2022), and SPIE certifications, and lists Gupy as its recruitment platform.

Name

deten química

Legal name

Deten Química S.A.

Website

https://deten.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Deten Química S.A. is a Brazilian petrochemical manufacturer founded in 1981 in Camaçari, Bahia, producing surfactants (LAB, LAS, ALP) for the household and industrial cleaning industry. It is Brazil's sole domestic LAB producer, majority-owned by Spain's Cepsa Química, supplying roughly 95% of Brazil's LAB consumption with exports to South America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Petrochemical Surfactants

NAICS

Surface Active Agent Manufacturing (325613), Petrochemical Manufacturing (32511)

SIC

Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Specialty Cleaning, Polishing And Sanitation Preparations (2842)

akta.pro primary industry

Surfactants & Detergent Intermediates (LAB/LAS, Ethoxylates, Sulfonates) (IMAEADAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bio-based Surfactants, Detergent Ingredients & Oleochemicals (EUAAAIAE)

Keywords

• Petrochemical surfactants manufacturing
• Linear alkylbenzene production
• Biodegradable detergent raw materials
• Heavy alkylate supply
• Industrial cleaning chemicals

Headquarters

HQ city

Camaçari

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Surfactant Chemical Manufacturing and Sales: Deten manufactures and sells three main chemical products: Linear Alquilbenzeno (LAB), Linear Alquilbenzeno Sulfônico (LAS), and Alquilado Pesado (ALP). These are sold as raw materials to the domestic and regional detergent and cleaning products industry. Revenue is generated through product sales, with the company being the sole national producer of LAB and a major producer of LAS in Brazil.
2. Sustainable/Next-Generation Products (NextLab): Following ISCC Plus certification, Deten produces NextLab - a family of sustainable raw materials for surfactants using renewable and/or circular raw material sources, positioning for premium pricing in the sustainable chemicals market.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Deten Química S.A. manufactures and sells petrochemical surfactant raw materials — Linear Alquilbenzeno (LAB / DetenLAB® 240), Linear Alquilbenzeno Sulfônico (LAS / DetenLAS® 320), and Alquilado Pesado (ALP / DetALP® 360) — used by Brazilian and South American detergent manufacturers and industrial/institutional cleaning product makers. The company is the only domestic producer of LAB in Brazil, supplying approximately 95% of national LAB consumption from its Camaçari, Bahia facilities. Following ISCC Plus certification, Deten also offers NextLab, a line of sustainable surfactant raw materials produced from renewable and/or circular sources.

Product overview

Deten Química S.A. is a petrochemical company producing surfactant raw materials. The product portfolio consists of three main products: DetenLAB® 240 (Linear Alquilbenzeno - LAB), DetenLAS® 320 (Linear Alquilbenzeno Sulfonic Acid - LAS), and DetALP® 360 (Heavy Alkylate - ALP). LAB is the basic petrochemical intermediate that is sulfonated to produce LAS, the active surfactant agent. ALP is a co-product from the alkylation process. The company operates with annual production capacities of 220,000 tonnes of LAB and 80,000 tonnes of LAS, with expansion plans underway.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DetenLAB® 240: Linear Alquilbenzeno (LAB) - the basic petrochemical intermediate for production of Linear Alquilbenzeno Sulfonic Acid (LABSA), precursor of the most widely used surfactant in detergent formulations.
• DetenLAS® 320
• DetALP® 360

Products and services

• DetenLAB® 240 (Linear Alquilbenzeno / LAB) Linear Alquilbenzeno (LAB) — the basic petrochemical intermediate used to produce Linear Alquilbenzeno Sulfonic Acid (LABSA), the precursor of the world's most widely used surfactant (LAS). Produced via a two-step process: dehydrogenation of n-paraffins (C10-C13) and alkylation of benzene with HF catalyst, using Pacol-Paraffin Catalytic Olefins process with DeFine technology. Sold as a raw material to detergent and cleaning product manufacturers in Brazil and South America. Current production capacity of approximately 220,000 tonnes/year, expanding to 260,000 tonnes/year.
• DetenLAS® 320 (Linear Alquilbenzeno Sulfônico / LAS) Linear Alquilbenzeno Sulfônico (LAS) — the most widely used surfactant in the world for liquid and powder detergents, and a key active ingredient in industrial and institutional cleaning formulations. Produced by sulfonation of LAB using Chemithon (USA) technology. A 100% biodegradable surfactant. Annual capacity of 80,000 tonnes/year, expanding to 120,000 tonnes/year. Sold to detergent manufacturers and industrial/institutional cleaning product producers in Brazil and South America.
• DetALP® 360 (Alquilado Pesado / Heavy Alkylate) Alquilado Pesado (ALP) — the heavy coproduct separated from LAB (alquilado leve) by vacuum distillation. Used primarily in the production of thermal fluid, greases, lubricating additives, and textile oils. Annual production of 10,000 tonnes. Sold to specialty chemical and industrial manufacturers in Brazil and South America.
• NextLab (Sustainable Surfactant Raw Materials) NextLab is Deten's family of sustainable surfactant raw materials (LAB, LAS, ALP) produced from renewable and/or circular raw material sources, enabled by ISCC Plus sustainability certification. Positioned for premium pricing in the sustainable chemicals market and offered to detergent and cleaning product manufacturers seeking certified sustainable inputs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supplies approximately 95% of Brazil's LAB consumption for the detergent industry
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Abiquim (Associação Brasileira da Indústria Química)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeten is a member of Abiquim since 1981 and is committed to the Atuação Responsável® (Responsible Care) program, a voluntary initiative of the Brazilian and global chemical industry for continuous improvement in health, safety, and environmental performance. Membership in Abiquim and adherence to the Atuação Responsável program is a condition for member companies.
• COFIC – Comitê de Fomento Industrial de CamaçaricoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeten is an active member of COFIC, which facilitates industrial safety, health, environment, and community relations initiatives for the Polo Industrial de Camaçari. COFIC organizes the Prêmio Polo de SSMA (Safety, Health, Hygiene, and Environment) in which Deten has consistently ranked as the top-performing company since 2006. COFIC also runs community programs including Ver de Dentro, Construindo o Futuro, and Polo Cidadania that Deten participates in.
• Petrobras (Petróleo Brasileiro S.A.)minorOthersPetrobras previously held a 27.88% stake in Deten through a joint venture established in 1999. On May 6, 2022, Cepsa Química signed an agreement to acquire this stake, and the transaction closed on July 5, 2022, after CADE (Brazilian antitrust authority) approval. Post-acquisition, Cepsa Química holds 97.82% and the remaining 2.18% is divided among small shareholders.
• IBP – Instituto Brasileiro de Petróleo, Gás e BiocombustíveiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIBP is the certifying body for Deten's SPIE (Serviço Próprio de Inspeção de Equipamentos / Own Equipment Inspection Service) certification. IBP conducts periodic audits of Deten's equipment inspection system under NR-13 and Inmetro requirements.
• Tüv NordcoreTechnology or IntegrationTüv Nord conducted the external audit for ISCC Plus sustainability certification, validating sustainability requirements, traceability, and mass balance of Deten's entire production process.
• ICSPLUS (ISCC System)coreTechnology or IntegrationICSPLUS auditor visited Deten's facilities and TEMADRE (Terminal de Madre de Deus) for ISCC Plus recertification in June 2023.
• Fundación CepsacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFundación Cepsa runs the Premio al Valor Social (Social Value Award) program, which Deten coordinates in Brazil. The award provides funding (up to 12,000 euros per project) to NGOs and social organizations in communities near Deten. Since 2014, Deten has promoted the award, distributing over 350,000 euros across territories including Brazil. Organizations such as Instituto de Cegos da Bahia, Aldeias Infantis SOS, and others have been recipients.
• TEMADRE – Terminal de Madre de DeuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTEMADRE (Terminal de Madre de Deus) is included in Deten's ISCC Plus certification scope, extending sustainability certification coverage to the maritime terminal operation.
• BSI – Brasil Sistemas de GestãocoreTechnology or IntegrationBSI conducts external audits for maintenance of Deten's ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certifications. The most recent recertification audit was conducted in March 2022 with auditors Laura Moura (lead), Paulo Muku, and Simon Sala.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CEPSA Química: Cepsa Química is the parent company of Deten and the world's largest LAB producer with 600,000 tonnes of total group capacity. Directly comparable as it operates the same LAB/LAS technology platforms (Pacol, HF alkylation, Chemithon sulfonation) and supplies the same surfactant intermediates globally.
• Stepan Company: Stepan is a major North American producer of surfactants including LAS, with similar product portfolio and B2B sales to detergent and cleaning product manufacturers. Directly comparable as a competing merchant supplier of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate and related surfactant intermediates.
• Indorama Ventures: Indorama Ventures is a global surfactant and LAB producer with significant manufacturing capacity across multiple continents. Comparable as a direct competitor in LAB/LAS merchant supply to detergent manufacturers, with overlapping customer base in Latin America and globally.
• Sasol Chemicals: Sasol is a major integrated chemicals producer with surfactant and detergent alcohol/surfactant intermediate products. Comparable as a petrochemical-to-surfactant value chain competitor serving global detergent and cleaning product manufacturers.

Emerging players

• Ecogreen Oleochemicals: Ecogreen is a leading producer of bio-based surfactants and fatty alcohol-based surfactants, comparable to Deten's NextLab sustainable line. Represents an emerging competitive threat in the renewable/circular surfactant segment where Deten has positioned via ISCC Plus certification.

Broad incumbents

• BASF SE: BASF is a global chemicals giant producing a broad portfolio of surfactants and detergent intermediates, including some LAS and specialty surfactants. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving the same detergent and cleaning product customers with overlapping but much wider product offerings.
• Huntsman Corporation: Huntsman produces a range of specialty chemicals including surfactant intermediates and performance chemicals for detergents and cleaning products. Comparable as a broad incumbent petrochemical-to-surfactant supplier with overlapping customer base in Latin America.
• Clariant AG: Clariant is a specialty chemicals company with a significant surfactants and detergent ingredients business serving global consumer goods customers. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping specialty surfactant offerings and similar focus on sustainable/bio-based chemistries.

Regional players

• Petrobras (Petrobras Distribuidora related chemicals): Petrobras was historically a joint venture partner in Deten and remains a key player in Brazilian petrochemicals. Comparable as a former partner and potential alternative supplier/competitor in Brazilian petrochemical surfactant intermediates, with overlapping geographic footprint in Bahia.

Others

• Química Amparo (Ypió): Ypió is a major Brazilian detergent and cleaning product manufacturer that represents a key downstream customer for Deten's LAB/LAS. Comparable as a major Brazilian CPG customer dependent on domestic LAB supply, illustrating Deten's downstream market structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about deten química