| Industry | Acetate, Chemicals |
|---|---|
| Fate | Acquired |
| Successor | Courtaulds |
| Founded | 1916 |
| Defunct | 1957 |
| Headquarters | Spondon |
| Key people | Henri Dreyfus Camille Dreyfus |
| Products | Acetic acid, Acetate fibres |
British Celanese was a chemical company based in England. Formed in 1918 it survived as an independent company until 1957 when it became a subsidiary of Courtaulds.
The origins of the company are two brothers, Henri and Camille Dreyfus. In 1912 they set up "Cellonit Gesellschaft Dreyfus and Co" in Basel, Switzerland. In 1916 the brothers were invited to live in Britain by the British Government, to produce aircraft paint. The British Government patented the process developed by Henri Dreyfus, which lowered the costs of acetic acid anhydride production. "British Cellulose and Chemical Manufacturing Co" was set up.
At the end of World War I, the British Government cancelled all contracts and the company changed to produce acetate fibres. In 1918 the company name was changed to British Celanese Ltd.
British Celanese was the first factory in Britain to produce propylene and from it isopropyl alcohol and acetone in 1942.[1]
Clarifoil production developed out of cellulose acetate yarn technology. Clarifoil full-scale production commenced from 1947.
Henri Dreyfus died in 1945. Camille Dreyfus died in 1956.
In 1957, British Celanese was taken over by Courtaulds.[2] The site is now operated by Celanese.
British Celanese had its principal manufacturing facility at Spondon in Derbyshire.