Imperial Chemical Industries
Formerly one of Britain's largest and most diversified chemical companies, Imperial Chemical Industries was absorbed into AkzoNobel in 2008.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) was a British chemical company formed in December 1926 through the merger of Brunner Mond, Nobel Explosives, the United Alkali Company and British Dyestuffs Corporation. For much of the twentieth century it was the United Kingdom's largest industrial manufacturer and one of the country's most important exporters. Its Millbank headquarters in London became associated with a broad portfolio spanning commodity chemicals, explosives, fertilisers, pesticides, dyes, non-ferrous metals, paints, plastics, fibres, pharmaceuticals, food ingredients, polymers, electronic materials, fragrances and speciality chemicals. ICI's early growth reflected the breadth of the emerging chemical industry. During the interwar period it introduced or commercialised products including phthalocyanine dyes, Perspex acrylic plastic, Dulux paints, polyethylene and Terylene polyester fibre. Its Nobel-related operations supplied munitions during the Second World War, while the wider group participated in Britain's Tube Alloys nuclear-weapons programme. After the war, ICI expanded heavily into pharmaceuticals and agricultural chemicals. It created ICI Pharmaceuticals in 1957 and developed or marketed important products including the antimalarial Paludrine, the anaesthetic halothane, the beta-blocker Inderal, the intravenous anaesthetic propofol and the breast-cancer drug tamoxifen. Its research also contributed to high-performance materials such as PEEK and to pesticides including paraquat, pirimiphos-methyl, pirimicarb, brodifacoum and lambda-cyhalothrin. The company was reorganised repeatedly as its scale and complexity increased. In the 1960s it acquired British Nylon Spinners from Courtaulds and created Cleveland Potash, while an unsuccessful attempt to acquire Courtaulds damaged the standing of chairman Paul Chambers. During the 1970s ICI bought the American competitor Atlas Chemical Industries and separated Imperial Metal Industries. Under John Harvey-Jones in the 1980s it acquired the Beatrice Chemical Division and Glidden Coatings & Resins, strengthening its coatings activities. The 1990s brought more fundamental change. A hostile takeover attempt by Hanson in 1991 was abandoned after substantial opposition. ICI sold or demerged several historic businesses, including agricultural operations, nylon and its pharmaceutical and bioscience activities. The latter separation created Zeneca, which later became part of AstraZeneca. Seeking to shift from cyclical bulk chemicals toward higher-margin speciality chemicals, ICI acquired several former Unilever businesses in 1997, including National Starch & Chemical and Quest International, but the associated debt and integration difficulties forced further disposals. Businesses were sold to DuPont, Huntsman, Ineos, Givaudan and Croda, among others. By the 2000s, ICI was principally identified with its Dulux and related paints operations. AkzoNobel agreed to acquire ICI after an initial offer in 2007 was followed by a higher proposal accepted by shareholders. Completion was announced on 2 January 2008. The transaction required remedial disposals, including the transfer of ICI's adhesives business to Henkel and the planned sale of AkzoNobel's Crown Paints subsidiary in response to competition concerns. ICI ceased to exist as an independent listed company, and its remaining operations were integrated into AkzoNobel or transferred to other owners.
History
ICI was created in December 1926 by combining four established British chemical businesses: Brunner Mond, Nobel Explosives, the United Alkali Company and British Dyestuffs Corporation. Its London head office was established at Millbank in 1928. The new group was designed to compete with large international chemical companies such as DuPont and IG Farben and immediately possessed a wide industrial base covering chemicals, explosives, fertilisers, insecticides, dyes, metals and paints. The company became an important developer of new materials during the 1920s and 1930s. It introduced phthalocyanine dye technology, Perspex acrylic plastic and Dulux paints, and developed polyethylene and the Terylene polyester fibre. It also retained the Sunbeam motorcycle business inherited through Nobel Industries until motorcycle production ended in 1937. During the Second World War, ICI Nobel supplied munitions, while ICI participated in the British Tube Alloys nuclear programme. In the postwar decades, ICI expanded into pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals, polymers and fibres. ICI Pharmaceuticals became a dedicated subsidiary in 1957. Products associated with the group included Paludrine, halothane, Inderal, propofol and tamoxifen. The company also developed Crimplene polyester fabric, PEEK engineering plastic and a range of herbicides, insecticides and rodenticides. Its operations included major manufacturing and research sites at Billingham, Wilton, Blackley, Huddersfield and other locations in Britain. Management sought both scale and structural change. Paul Chambers became the first chairman appointed from outside the company's traditional internal succession in 1960, but an unsuccessful Courtaulds bid weakened his position. ICI later acquired British Nylon Spinners, bought Atlas Chemical Industries in the United States, created Cleveland Potash and separated Imperial Metal Industries. Acquisitions of the Beatrice Chemical Division and Glidden Coatings & Resins expanded its coatings interests in the 1980s. By the early 1990s, intense competition, weak performance in some businesses and organisational complexity led to retrenchment and demerger plans. ICI sold agricultural and merchandising activities to Norsk Hydro, disposed of its nylon business to DuPont and separated its pharmaceuticals and biosciences into Zeneca. Charles Miller Smith, an external leader, subsequently pursued a strategy of moving the group toward speciality chemicals through acquisitions. In 1997 ICI bought several former Unilever speciality businesses, including National Starch & Chemical, Quest International, Unichema and Crosfield. The purchases increased debt and were followed by extensive disposals of commodity and speciality operations, including businesses sold to DuPont, Huntsman, Ineos, Givaudan and Croda. The final phase of ICI centred on paints, especially Dulux. AkzoNobel's acquisition proposal in 2007 raised issues involving pension obligations, market concentration and overlapping paint brands. A revised offer was accepted, and the transaction completed on 2 January 2008. ICI's adhesives business was transferred to Henkel and AkzoNobel agreed to divest Crown Paints to address competition concerns. ICI's corporate existence and stock-market listing ended with the takeover.
- 2008
AkzoNobel takeover completed
[1]AkzoNobel completes its acquisition of ICI, ending the independent company's existence.
- 2006
Quest and Uniqema sold
[1]ICI sells Quest International to Givaudan and Uniqema to Croda International.
- 1997
Speciality-chemicals expansion
[1]ICI acquires National Starch & Chemical, Quest International, Unichema and Crosfield from Unilever in a move up the value chain.
- 1993
Zeneca demerger
[1]ICI separates pharmaceuticals and related bioscience businesses into Zeneca.
- 1992
Nylon business sold to DuPont
[1]ICI disposes of its nylon business to DuPont as part of its restructuring.
- 1991
Hanson takeover attempt ends
[1]Hanson abandons its proposed acquisition of ICI after a contentious approach.
- 1977
Imperial Metal Industries separated
[1]Imperial Metal Industries is divested as an independent quoted company.
- 1971
Atlas Chemical Industries acquired
[1]ICI acquires the major American chemical competitor Atlas Chemical Industries.
- 1964
British Nylon Spinners acquired
[1]ICI acquires Courtaulds' interest in British Nylon Spinners and takes full control of the venture.
- 1957
ICI Pharmaceuticals established
[1]The group creates a dedicated pharmaceutical subsidiary after extensive postwar activity in medicines.
Products and positioning
A diversified British chemical-industrial group whose historical identity combined large-scale commodity production with research-led speciality chemicals, consumer paints, pharmaceuticals and advanced materials.
Paints and coatings · 1932
Dulux
Dulux was ICI's best-known consumer and architectural coatings brand. It emerged during ICI's interwar product-development period and became central to the company's later identity as many commodity and speciality businesses were sold. The brand and associated paint operations continued under AkzoNobel after the acquisition.
Acrylic plastic · 1932
Perspex
Perspex was ICI's trade name for acrylic plastic developed during the 1930s. The transparent, lightweight material became associated with applications requiring glass-like appearance and mouldability, helping demonstrate ICI's early emphasis on commercially useful new materials.
Synthetic fibre · 1941
Terylene
Terylene was ICI's polyester fibre developed from polyethylene terephthalate technology. It represented the company's expansion from basic chemicals into synthetic materials and textiles during the period before and around the Second World War.
Pharmaceuticals · 1957
ICI Pharmaceuticals
ICI Pharmaceuticals was the group's dedicated pharmaceutical subsidiary created in 1957. Its portfolio included medicines and anaesthetics such as halothane, Inderal, propofol and tamoxifen. The pharmaceutical and related bioscience businesses were separated into Zeneca in 1993.
Engineering polymer · 1979
PEEK
PEEK is a high-performance thermoplastic associated with ICI's advanced-materials research in the late 1970s. Its heat resistance, chemical resistance and mechanical performance made it relevant to demanding industrial and engineering applications.
Herbicide · 1962
Paraquat
Paraquat was one of the crop-protection products developed through ICI's plant-protection activities. It became a widely known agricultural herbicide, although its safety and environmental profile have been the subject of regulatory restrictions and public controversy in different jurisdictions.
Polyester textile · 1950
Crimplene
Crimplene was a thick, wrinkle-resistant polyester yarn and fabric developed by ICI in the 1950s. The material was used in clothing and became a visible example of ICI's role in synthetic-fibre innovation and textile manufacturing.
Brand decisions
2007
Acceptance of AkzoNobel acquisition offerM&ABackground
ICI had become increasingly concentrated in paints and faced pension, debt and regulatory issues while AkzoNobel sought to expand its coatings business.
Action taken
ICI accepted AkzoNobel's revised offer after rejecting the initial proposal.
Aftermath
The acquisition completed in January 2008. Adhesives were transferred to Henkel and Crown Paints was slated for divestment to address competition concerns.
Acquisition consideration. £8 billion (Offer accepted in 2007; completed 2008)
1997
Acquisition of former Unilever speciality-chemical businessesM&ABackground
ICI sought to reduce its reliance on cyclical commodity chemicals and move toward higher-margin speciality products.
Action taken
It acquired National Starch & Chemical, Quest International, Unichema and Crosfield from Unilever.
Aftermath
The acquisitions increased debt and integration pressure, contributing to subsequent disposals of major businesses.
Purchase consideration. $8 billion (1997)
1993
Demerger of pharmaceutical and bioscience businessesStrategyBackground
ICI was restructuring its portfolio and separating businesses that had different investment and growth characteristics from its core chemical operations.
Action taken
Pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, seeds and related biological businesses were transferred into a new independent company named Zeneca.
Aftermath
Zeneca later merged with Astra AB to form AstraZeneca, while ICI continued its restructuring around chemicals, materials and coatings.
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