Founded in 1997, Kimya is an international specialty chemicals company serving the steel and water treatment industries through two dedicated divisions — Steel Industry Chemicals, focused on flat products processing, and Water Treatment, covering cooling towers, boilers, and industrial wastewater systems.
The company combines chemical supply with field monitoring, IoT-enabled dosing platforms, and engineering consulting, positioning itself as a technical partner rather than a product supplier.
Andrea Pierangeli, Business Development Director at Kimya, discusses the company’s eco-friendly reformulation strategy, market dynamics in European steel, and growth opportunities in Asia and Eastern Europe.
A brief description of the company and its activities.
Andrea Pierangeli: Founded in 1997, Kimya is an international specialty chemicals company dedicated to empowering industrial processes through high-performance chemistry.
We design, formulate and deliver innovative chemical solutions tailored for the most demanding industrial operations, integrating deep formulation know-how, strong R&D capabilities and direct plant operations expertise.
Our core philosophy rests on close collaboration with Clients. Rather than simply supplying chemical products, we position ourselves as an integrated technical partner.
Our mission is to deliver measurable, long-term value to our clients by optimizing overall process performance, significantly reducing operational expenditures (OPEX), extending equipment lifetime and enhancing their overall environmental and social profile.
What are the main areas of activity of the company?
A.P: Kimya operates across distinct industrial application areas through two Divisions working in close synergy, sharing a common scientific culture and a unified methodological approach.
Steel Industry Chemicals Division: Specializes in formulating high-performance lubricants and surface treatment chemical solutions designed specifically for the Flat Products steel processing sector.
Water Treatment Division: Provides comprehensive chemical treatment programs and integrated engineering services for complex industrial water systems, including cooling towers, high-pressure boilers, raw/primary water purification and industrial wastewater treatment plant optimization.
By combining the strengths of both divisions, we are able to address whole-plant chemical efficiency, helping industrial facilities manage energy and water balances in a holistic manner.
What’s the news about new products/services?
A.P: Over the past decade, increasing global environmental awareness and tightening regulations have deeply shaped our R&D roadmap. We are continuously engineering and launching new eco-friendly formulations specifically developed to minimize Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) risks and reduce critical resource consumption – most notably water and thermal energy, which directly correlates with reducing industrial carbon emissions.
A major focus of our latest product development is the replacement of hazardous components with safer, highly biodegradable raw materials without sacrificing operational efficiency. Furthermore, we are expanding our digital service offering through proprietary real-time monitoring and automated chemical dosing platforms. These smart systems continuously optimize chemical dosages on-site, preventing product over-use, reducing waste, and guaranteeing consistent process safety and compliance with international standards.
What are the ranges of products/services?
A.P: Kimya’s Steel Industry Chemicals Division specializes in high-performance formulations for Flat Products manufacturing. Our products portfolio includes Hot and Cold Rolling Oils, Pickling Inhibitors, Rinse Additives, Wet Temper Fluids, Rust Preventive Oils, Alkaline Cleaners and Metalworking Fluids.
Our Water Treatment Division formulates advanced chemical solutions for industrial utility water systems, including high-efficiency antiscalants, deposit control agents, corrosion inhibitors, broad-spectrum biocides, antifoams and dedicated specialty solutions for industrial wastewater treatment processes.
Our comprehensive scope of services includes:
- Custom Chemical Supply: Delivery of tailored specialty chemical formulations designed for specific plant operating parameters.
- Field & Digital Monitoring: On-site monitoring of treatment performance and key KPIs, enhanced by advanced IoT-enabled remote control systems and automated dosing units.
- Consulting & Engineering: Specialized engineering services for system audits, troubleshooting, design of new process units or the revamping and upgrading of existing facilities to improve energy and water balances.
What is the state of the market where you are currently active?
A.P: In recent years, the European steel sector has experienced a structural consolidation and significant downsizing, largely driven by surging energy prices and increasingly strict environmental regulations that have severely tested local competitiveness. The high cost of compliance and utilities has squeezed margins for European manufacturers, forcing many to optimize operational costs down to the smallest detail.
In contrast, we have seen strong market expansion across Asia – most notably in India and South-East Asian countries – driven by massive infrastructure developments and growing domestic demand.
Meanwhile, Africa represents an emerging market showing moderate, steady growth, where industrialization efforts are gradually creating new demand for advanced chemical technologies and technical expertise.
What can you tell us about market trends?
A.P: Current global geopolitical volatility mandates extreme caution in market forecasting. Over the past few years, the post-pandemic supply chain adjustments, regional conflicts involving Russia, Ukraine and the Middle East, along with a widespread rise in trade protectionism, have created sudden disruptions that make long-term projections highly complex.
In the short term, protective trade measures implemented in Europe, particularly import quotas and the phased implementation of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), are providing some support to local steel manufacturing. However, overall industrial demand in Europe remains constrained by sluggish macroeconomic growth and high energy costs driven by geopolitical instability.
Conversely, the US market is experiencing growth, heavily shielded by aggressive trade policies, tariffs and domestic incentives.
In Asia, China is facing weak domestic consumption, leading to local overproduction. This forces Chinese mills to export excess tonnage at lower prices, putting intense pressure on unprotected international markets.
India stands out as a major growth engine: it is undergoing rapid capacity expansion driven by strong internal demand and a national strategy aimed at self-reliance. While this investment meets immediate regional needs, once India’s domestic consumption eventually stabilizes, this massive increase in local production capacity risks exacerbating long-term global structural overcapacity issues.
What are the most innovative products/services marketed?
A.P: Our most innovative product lines are engineered to align high technical performance with a reduced environmental and HSE footprint:
- ADT Cold Rolling Oils: High-tech bio-based formulations engineered to lower rolling forces and minimize roll wear, improving energy efficiency, oil consumption rates and strip cleanliness in cold rolling mills.
- Pickling Inhibitors: Eco-friendly, Methenamine and Formaldehyde releasers-free formulations that protect steel from over-pickling, significantly reducing acid consumption, iron loss and hazardous toxic fume emissions in the pickling line.
- Rinse Additives: Next-generation rinse additives designed to optimize strip surface cleanliness and prevent oxidation, while cutting demineralised rinse water consumption by up to 50%, generating substantial water, energy and financial savings.
- MYAGREEN Metalworking Fluids: A patented, award-winning line of mineral oil-free emulsifiable fluids providing extended bath life, exceptional machining performance, improved operator safety and superior environmental compatibility.
What estimations do you have for the second half of 2026?
A.P: Looking ahead to the second half of 2026, we maintain a strongly optimistic outlook. While global market conditions remain uncertain and demand agility, we anticipate steady growth.
This positive momentum will be primarily driven by our successful market penetration in East Europe, alongside expanding client partnerships in high-demand industrial hubs across Asia.
