entegris, inc., a leader in specialty chemicals and advanced materials solutions for the microelectronics and other industries, announced that poco graphite, a wholly-owned subsidiary of entegris, inc., is expanding its capacity to produce graphite material and specialty coatings for semiconductor and high-performance industrial applications by securing the use of the former small diameter graphite electrode factory of superior graphite co. in russellville, arkansas.

as part of the agreement, poco graphite will have access to the assets of the facility, as well as the current workforce.  

"hi-tech industries are increasingly reliant upon continued innovation in advanced materials to enable their growth. as a result, organizations are looking to high-purity/high-performance materials that are specifically engineered for their applications to gain a competitive advantage," stated entegris senior vice president of specialty chemicals and engineered materials, stuart tison.

"we continue to invest in research, development, and production of high-performance materials, and we believe the facility in russellville, owned by superior graphite, will help us to meet the growing demands of the high-performance materials market."

president and ceo of superior graphite, edward carney, offered the following: "we believe this agreement provides a bright future for employees and the city of russellville. superior graphite has been active in russellville for the past 32 years, and the employees and community have been very supportive of our efforts. we owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to the people there, and are confident in the expertise, creativity, and market development opportunities poco graphite will bring."

poco premium graphite and coatings are used to make precision consumable electrodes for electrical discharge machining, critical components used in the production of microelectronics and a number of consumable products for various industrial applications, including aerospace, optical, medical devices, and precision printing.

high-performance material demand is growing in a number of demanding applications—from semiconductor processing to rigorous, high-temperature applications in jet engines.

in particular, market requirements are increasing the need for high-purity materials essential for challenging operating conditions, including those using extreme temperatures, corrosive gases, and challenging material interfaces.