History

Grace Davison History
1832	Davison, Kettlewell & Co., "Grinders and Acidulators of Old Bones and Oyster Shells" is founded in Baltimore, Maryland by William T. Davison. They utilize the first sulfuric acid chamber in the United States.
1867	Davison is operating three plants: The Maryland White Lead Works, William T. Davison Company, and Davison, Symington & Co.
1881	William T. Davison dies. Company reorganizes, buys Chemical Company of Canton. Operates plants at Hawkins Point and Canton.
1908	Davison Chemical Company consolidates production at Curtis Bay Works
1914	Acid phosphate plant built
1919	Dr. Walter A. Patrick patents silica gel
1923	Davison begins selling silica gel
1920's	Davison becomes the third largest fertilizer producer in the world, in addition to the largest manufacturer of superphosphates
1927	K-1 silica gel plant built at Curtis Bay
1930	Davison purchases Silica Gel Corporation
1930's	Numerous commercial uses found for silica gel, including air drying, refrigeration, and packaging desiccants
1938	A consortium called Catalytic Research Associates begins development of a silica-gel fluid cracking catalyst
1942	World's first commercial fluid cracking catalyst unit starts up at Standard Oil of New Jersey's Baton Rouge, Louisiana, plant on May 25, using ground clay. Davison begins shipment of world's first synthetic fluid cracking catalyst, a 13% ground low alumina, to this unit in August.
1947	Cincinnati plant purchased. Davison establishes industry's first technical service department for fluid cracking catalysts.
1948	Davison becomes the first supplier to offer spray-dried, microspheroidal catalysts, which improve fluidization and result in lower catalyst losses
1953	Lake Charles plant opens
1954	W. R. Grace purchases Davison
1957	Davison begins commercial-scale production of polyolefin catalysts at Cincinnati under license from the Phillips Petroleum Company. Valleyfield plant opens
1958	Washington Research Center opens
1960's	Davison begins development of auto exhaust catalyst
1963	RANEY^® nickel catalyst line added
1964	Davison introduces XZ-15, the first fluid cracking catalyst to contain zeolite. This was a tremendous advance over the existing amorphous catalysts, allowing refiners to increase throughput, conversion, and gasoline yield.
1965	Chattanooga plant purchased
1966	Z-14, ultra stable zeolite patent issued
1968	Union Carbide introduces its Unipol^® process for high-density polyethylene based on Phillips catalyst technology. Grace Davison silica technology is an important part of this development.
1972	Davison introduces CP^® Combustion Promoter Additive, the first FCC additive
1975	Davison makes first commercial shipment of auto exhaust catalyst.
1977	Union Carbide announces the Unipol^® gas phase process for the production of linear, low-density polyethylene and Grace Davison is chosen to supply the vital silica component.
1980	Super D^® FCC plant opens in Lake Charles. National Kaolin mine purchased. Proprietary ebullating bed catalysts for residuum hydroprocessing developed
1981	Detergent sieve plant opens at Valleyfield. RANEY^® operations move to Chattanooga. DA™ FCC plant starts up at Curtis Bay.
1982	Davison enters the residuum hydroprocessing catalyst business as a supplier of proprietary ebullating bed catalysts.
1983	Worms, Germany FCC plant opens
1986	Z-14US zeolite plant for fluid cracking catalysts starts up in Lake Charles. In conjunction with Mobil Oil Corporation, Grace Davison commercializes ZSM-5 based FCC additives for increasing octane and increasing petrochemical feedstocks.
1990	Magnapore plant expansion begins at Curtis Bay.
1991	XP™ FCC plant starts up at Lake Charles. Grace Davison begins expansion into other custom and proprietary hydroprocessing catalysts and supports used in the refining industry.
1992	Davison introduces the first successful vanadium traps, called RV, to the FCC industry.
1993	Davison acquires the DESOX™ FCC additive technology for reducing SOx emissions.
1995	Grace Davison introduces reactive alumina matrices for fluid cracking catalysts. These matrices permit more coke-selective bottoms cracking of FCC feedstocks.
1996	Hydroprocessing catalyst production capabilities increase through expansion of Curtis Bay, Maryland facility and a new hydroprocessing plant at Lake Charles, scheduled to begin operation in 1998. New zeolite, Z-17, for high stability and coke selectivity with metals introduced
1997	Grace Davison is the worldwide leader in chromium catalysts and gas phase supports and is emerging as a global resource for all types of heterogeneous polyolefin catalysts. Grace Davison announces plans to commercialize a new catalyst to reduce nitrogen dioxide emissions from refineries.