Braskem
Brazilian multinational petrochemical company and a major producer of thermoplastic resins, basic chemicals and renewable polyethylene.
Last updated October 13, 2026
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Overview
Braskem S.A. is a Brazilian petrochemical company headquartered in São Paulo. It is Latin America’s largest petrochemical producer and one of the world’s major manufacturers of thermoplastic resins. Its principal products include polyethylene, polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride, as well as basic petrochemicals such as ethylene, propylene, benzene, butadiene, toluene, xylene and isoprene. These materials supply packaging, construction, automotive, consumer goods, agriculture, healthcare and other manufacturing industries. The company was created in 2002 through the consolidation of six Brazilian petrochemical businesses: Copene, OPP, Trikem, Nitrocarbono, Proppet and Polialden. The combination brought together feedstock, cracker, polymer and downstream assets and established Braskem as the leading company in Brazil’s petrochemical chain. It subsequently expanded through acquisitions, including Politeno in 2006, the petrochemical assets of Grupo Ipiranga in 2007, Quattor in 2010, Sunoco Chemicals’ polypropylene assets in 2010 and Dow Chemical’s polypropylene operations in the United States and Germany in 2011. Braskem operates industrial assets in Brazil, the United States, Mexico and Germany. In Brazil, its manufacturing network is concentrated in major petrochemical complexes including Camaçari in Bahia, Mauá in São Paulo, Triunfo in Rio Grande do Sul and Duque de Caxias in Rio de Janeiro. Its basic-chemicals units provide feedstock to nearby polymer plants and to other chemical companies. Braskem America is a wholly owned subsidiary and a significant polypropylene producer in the United States, while Braskem Europe operates plants in Germany and is headquartered in Rotterdam. A notable element of Braskem’s strategy has been diversification of feedstocks and international production. The company has historically relied heavily on naphtha, but it also developed gas-based production and participated in the Etileno XXI integrated petrochemical complex in Mexico with the Idesa group. The Mexican project uses ethane feedstock and includes a cracker and three polyethylene plants, giving Braskem access to an integrated gas-based production platform. Braskem has also positioned itself in renewable and lower-fossil-carbon materials. In 2010 it inaugurated a commercial-scale green ethylene facility at Triunfo that uses sugarcane-derived ethanol. The ethylene is converted into polyethylene marketed as renewable or green polyethylene. The facility has annual capacity of approximately 200,000 tonnes and became a prominent part of Braskem’s sustainability and biopolymer offering. The company’s history has also been marked by significant legal, environmental and reputational challenges. Braskem was involved in the broader Brazilian corruption investigations surrounding Odebrecht and Petrobras and was fined in 2016 in connection with bribery-related conduct. In Alagoas, mining-related ground subsidence associated with salt extraction has caused damage and displacement in parts of Maceió since 2018, producing extensive public controversy, regulatory scrutiny and compensation obligations. These matters have shaped the company’s risk profile and public identity alongside its role as a major industrial supplier. Braskem remains an international petrochemical producer with a portfolio spanning commodity polymers, specialty grades, basic chemicals and renewable polyethylene. Its competitive position depends on feedstock access, integration with crackers and downstream units, global resin demand, energy costs, environmental compliance and the transition toward circular and lower-emission plastics.
History
Braskem was formed in 2002 through the consolidation of six Brazilian petrochemical companies: Copene, OPP, Trikem, Nitrocarbono, Proppet and Polialden. The new group inherited assets across the petrochemical chain, including basic-chemical production, polymer manufacturing and industrial complexes serving Brazil’s principal manufacturing regions. From its creation, Braskem was positioned as Latin America’s leading petrochemical company, with Brazilian industrial units and commercial operations extending into international markets. The company pursued consolidation in Brazil and international expansion through a series of acquisitions. In 2006, it purchased Politeno, strengthening its polyethylene business. In 2007, Braskem joined Petrobras and Ultrapar in the acquisition of Grupo Ipiranga. Petrobras and Ultrapar divided the fuel-distribution operations, while Braskem acquired Ipiranga Petroquímica, adding important petrochemical assets to its Brazilian portfolio. In 2010, Braskem announced the acquisition of Quattor Participações, Unipar Comercial e Distribuidora and Polibutenos. The transaction was approved by Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defense in 2011 and further concentrated the domestic petrochemical industry under Braskem’s control. The company also expanded in the United States by acquiring polypropylene assets from Sunoco Chemicals. These moves supported its ambition to become one of the world’s largest and most competitive polymer producers. Braskem continued its international expansion in 2011 by acquiring Dow Chemical’s polypropylene operations in the United States and Germany. The assets included plants in Freeport and Seadrift, Texas, and facilities in Wesseling and Schkopau, Germany. The transaction increased Braskem’s production capacity and established a significant presence in both North American and European polypropylene markets. The group also invested in new capacity and product technology. In 2010, it inaugurated a green ethylene plant at the Triunfo complex in Rio Grande do Sul. Using sugarcane-based ethanol rather than fossil feedstock, the facility produces ethylene for renewable polyethylene. This became one of Braskem’s most distinctive products and a central element of its sustainability positioning. In 2012, the company commissioned a PVC plant in Alagoas and expanded butadiene production in Rio Grande do Sul. In 2014, it completed the conversion and expansion of a polyethylene line in Bahia to manufacture metallocene-based linear low-density polyethylene. Braskem also developed an integrated petrochemical complex in Mexico with Idesa. The Etileno XXI project was designed around an ethane-fed cracker and three polyethylene plants with combined annual capacity of approximately 1.05 million tonnes. The project diversified Braskem’s feedstock base beyond naphtha and gave the company an integrated production platform close to major North American and Latin American markets. Alongside this growth, Braskem faced serious legal and environmental challenges. In 2016, it was fined in relation to bribery allegations connected with Brazil’s major corruption investigations. Separately, salt-extraction activity associated with the company in Maceió, Alagoas, became linked to ground subsidence and damage in multiple neighborhoods. The crisis, which gained national attention from 2018 onward, resulted in evacuations, displacement, compensation discussions and continuing scrutiny of the company’s environmental and operational responsibilities. Braskem’s contemporary identity therefore combines large-scale commodity petrochemicals with international operations, renewable-polymer development and a history of major industrial consolidation. Its performance is influenced by global polymer cycles, feedstock economics, environmental obligations, regulatory oversight and the plastics industry’s transition toward recycling and lower-carbon production.
- 2018
Maceió subsidence crisis escalates
[1]Ground movement and damage associated with salt extraction in Maceió become a nationally prominent issue involving Braskem.
- 2014
Metallocene polyethylene line completed
[1]A Bahia polyethylene line is expanded and converted to produce metallocene-based linear low-density polyethylene.
- 2012
PVC and butadiene capacity expanded
[1]Braskem commissions a PVC plant in Alagoas and increases butadiene capacity in Rio Grande do Sul.
- 2011
Quattor transaction receives regulatory approval
[1]CADE approves Braskem’s acquisition of Quattor and related businesses.
- 2011
Dow polypropylene assets acquired
[1]Braskem acquires polypropylene facilities in the United States and Germany from Dow Chemical.
- 2010
Green ethylene plant begins operation
[1]A Triunfo facility begins producing ethylene from sugarcane-derived ethanol for renewable polyethylene.
- 2007
Ipiranga Petroquímica acquisition
[1]Braskem assumes Grupo Ipiranga’s petrochemical business following the group acquisition by Braskem, Petrobras and Ultrapar.
- 2006
Politeno acquisition
[1]Braskem acquires Politeno and expands its Brazilian polyethylene operations.
- 2002
Braskem is founded
[1]Braskem is created through the consolidation of Copene, OPP, Trikem, Nitrocarbono, Proppet and Polialden.
Products and positioning
A vertically integrated, internationally active petrochemical producer positioned around scale in thermoplastic resins, feedstock integration, regional manufacturing platforms and renewable polyethylene.
Thermoplastic resin
Polyethylene
Braskem produces polyethylene grades for film, packaging, containers, pipes, consumer products and industrial applications. Its portfolio includes conventional polyethylene and more technically specialized grades, including metallocene-based linear low-density polyethylene. Polyethylene is one of the company’s core businesses and is manufactured across its Brazilian and international production platforms.
Thermoplastic resin
Polypropylene
Polypropylene is a central Braskem product line used in packaging, automotive components, appliances, healthcare products, fibers and industrial goods. Through acquisitions and existing plants, Braskem built substantial production capacity in Brazil, the United States and Germany. Braskem America is described in the reference material as a leading United States polypropylene producer.
Thermoplastic resin · 2012
PVC
Braskem is Brazil’s principal PVC producer. PVC resins serve construction, pipes, profiles, cables, flooring, medical products and other durable applications. The company expanded this business with a new plant in Alagoas commissioned in 2012.
Renewable polymer · 2010
Green polyethylene
Green polyethylene is made from ethylene derived from sugarcane-based ethanol rather than exclusively fossil feedstocks. Braskem’s Triunfo facility, inaugurated in 2010, was described as the world’s largest industrial-scale plant of its type at the time, with annual capacity of approximately 200,000 tonnes. The material is intended for applications that use conventional polyethylene while offering a renewable feedstock pathway.
Basic chemicals
Basic petrochemicals
Braskem’s basic-chemicals operations produce ethylene, propylene, benzene, butadiene, toluene, xylene and isoprene. Ethylene and propylene are supplied to nearby polymer units, while several aromatic and olefinic products are sold to other chemical manufacturers operating within or near the company’s petrochemical complexes.
Controversies
2026
Brazil's federal public defender sues Braskem over abandoned Maceió salt mines
Brazil's federal public defender's office filed a public civil action in the Federal Court in Alagoas against Braskem and the federal government, seeking at least R$5 billion for the loss of Maceió salt mine reserves. The suit alleges predatory mining outside approved plans and concealment of technical information, based on a 2024 Senate inquiry.
2018
Maceió ground-subsidence crisis
Salt extraction associated with Braskem has been linked to ground subsidence and structural damage in areas of Maceió, Alagoas. The crisis led to evacuations, neighborhood abandonment, displacement and continuing legal, regulatory and compensation disputes.
2016
Bribery and corruption investigation
Braskem was fined approximately US$957 million in connection with a bribery scandal associated with Brazil’s wider corruption investigations involving major companies and public-sector relationships.
Marketing campaigns
- 2010Green polyethylene sustainability positioning
Brazil · International markets
Braskem promoted its sugarcane-ethanol-derived polyethylene as a renewable-material alternative within the plastics market. The initiative linked the company’s biotechnology and feedstock strategy with customer demand for materials carrying a lower fossil-feedstock profile.
Outcome. Established green polyethylene as a signature Braskem offering and a central part of its sustainability positioning.
Brand decisions
2012
Commission a new PVC plantProduct launchBackground
Braskem sought to add value and increase capacity in Brazil’s PVC chain.
Action taken
The company commissioned a PVC facility in Alagoas with annual capacity of approximately 200,000 tonnes.
Aftermath
The project increased Braskem’s domestic PVC production capability.
2011
Acquire Dow polypropylene assetsM&ABackground
Braskem wanted to accelerate international expansion and increase polypropylene scale in North America and Europe.
Action taken
The company acquired four Dow Chemical polypropylene units, including two United States plants and two German plants.
Aftermath
The acquisition materially expanded Braskem’s polypropylene capacity and international manufacturing footprint.
2010
Acquire QuattorM&ABackground
Braskem aimed to consolidate Brazil’s petrochemical chain and increase its global scale.
Action taken
The company announced the acquisition of Quattor Participações, Unipar Comercial e Distribuidora and Polibutenos.
Aftermath
CADE unanimously approved the transaction in February 2011, further concentrating Brazilian polymer production within Braskem.
2010
Commercialize green polyethyleneProduct launchBackground
Braskem sought to diversify feedstocks and become a global leader in renewable chemicals.
Action taken
It inaugurated a Triunfo plant producing ethylene from sugarcane-derived ethanol, which is converted into polyethylene.
Aftermath
Green polyethylene became one of Braskem’s best-known differentiated products.
2007
Take over Ipiranga PetroquímicaM&ABackground
The acquisition of Grupo Ipiranga divided its fuel and petrochemical businesses among the acquiring companies.
Action taken
Braskem assumed Ipiranga’s former petrochemical operation while Petrobras and Ultrapar shared the fuel-distribution activities.
Aftermath
Braskem added important Brazilian petrochemical assets and increased domestic integration.
2006
Acquire PolitenoM&ABackground
Braskem sought to strengthen its position in Brazil’s polyethylene market.
Action taken
The company acquired Politeno, described in the reference material as Brazil’s third-largest polyethylene producer.
Aftermath
The transaction expanded Braskem’s domestic polyethylene platform.
Recent events
Brazil's federal public defender sues Braskem over abandoned Maceió salt mines[2]
Reported:
Brazil's federal public defender's office (Defensoria Pública da União) filed a public civil action on 27 August 2026 in the Federal Court in Alagoas against Braskem and the federal government, seeking at least R$5 billion (US$971 million) for the loss of Maceió salt mine reserves. The suit alleges predatory mining outside approved plans and concealment of technical information, based on a 2024 Senate inquiry.
Braskem Idesa files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S.[3]
Mexican petrochemical firm Braskem Idesa, a joint venture of Brazil's Braskem and Mexico's Grupo Idesa, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. after reaching agreements with creditors and shareholders to cut debt by more than $920 million, reducing total senior debt from about $2.5 billion to about $1.6 billion. The company expects to emerge from proceedings within 60 to 90 days and said the filing would not affect day-to-day operations.
Braskem and Gelmart announce bio-based EVA partnership[4]
Reported:
Braskem announced a partnership with Gelmart International to supply its I'm green bio-based EVA polymer for Gelmart's plant-based bra cup and kindly intimate-apparel line.
Braskem partners with Nexeo Plastics to distribute 3D-printing materials[5]
Reported:
Braskem announced a distribution partnership with Nexeo Plastics, making Braskem polypropylene filament and pellets for additive manufacturing available through Nexeo Plastics' online marketplace in North America and Europe.
Braskem and NXTLEVVEL Biochem partner on renewable solvents[6]
Reported:
Braskem partnered with NXTLEVVEL Biochem to study market opportunities for solvents made from renewable raw materials, with the collaboration covering Latin America.
Braskem begins shipments from Charleston export hub[7]
Reported:
Braskem announced the first international polypropylene shipment from its new Global Export Hub in Charleston, South Carolina. The hub provides packaging, warehousing and export shipping services.
Braskem and UIC partner on CO2 capture and ethylene research[8]
Reported:
Braskem and the University of Illinois Chicago joined forces to develop a route for producing ethylene using carbon capture and utilization technology. Braskem will assist with technology scale-up and validation of the university’s studies.
Sources8 sources
- 1Braskemen.wikipedia.org
- 2Brazil's federal public defender sues Braskem over abandoned Maceió salt minesriotimesonline.com
- 3Braskem Idesa 在美国申请第11章破产保护hydrocarbonprocessing.com
- 4Braskem与Gelmart宣布生物基EVA合作prnewswire.com
- 5Braskem与Nexeo Plastics合作分销3D打印材料prnewswire.com
- 6Braskem与NXTLEVVEL Biochem合作开发可再生溶剂市场premiumbeautynews.com
- 7Braskem查尔斯顿出口枢纽开始发货prnewswire.com
- 8Braskem与芝加哥伊利诺伊大学合作研究二氧化碳捕集与乙烯生产prnewswire.com
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