Loading organizations...
§ Private Profile · 600 Riverwalk Parkway Suite 120 Tonawanda, NY 14150 United States
Unifrax is a company.
Key people at Unifrax.
Unifrax develops high-performance specialty fibers and advanced inorganic materials, providing critical solutions for thermal management and passive fire protection. The company engineers unique material compositions, delivering superior insulation, extreme temperature resistance, and enhanced durability. Its technical focus involves refining proprietary fiber chemistries and production processes for demanding industrial applications.
Unifrax's origins trace to the Carborundum Company, founded in 1891 by inventor Edward Goodrich Acheson, known for silicon carbide. Carborundum's insulation technology division later became Unifrax Corporation around 1994. This move allowed focused pursuit of specialized material development, building upon a century-long legacy in high-temperature applications.
Unifrax serves a broad industrial customer base, including automotive, aerospace, and construction sectors, who rely on its products for critical components. The company aims to continually advance material science, delivering efficient, safer, and sustainable solutions. It focuses on resolving complex thermal, acoustic, and environmental challenges by pushing material performance boundaries.
Key people at Unifrax.
Unifrax is a global manufacturer of high-performance specialty fibers and inorganic materials for high-temperature industrial, automotive, filtration, battery, and fire protection applications, focusing on thermal management, emission control, energy savings, pollution reduction, and safety improvements.[1][2][3] Its products serve industries like chemical processing, power generation, ceramics, glass, aerospace, appliances, and transportation, with solutions such as friction materials for brakes and clutches, and innovations like silicon fiber anodes for batteries and Eco-lytic catalysis for vehicle emissions.[1][2][7][8] Backed by Clearlake Capital, Unifrax (recently rebranded to Alkegen) operates 60+ manufacturing facilities worldwide, employs over 9,000 people, and emphasizes sustainability with a mission to help the world "breathe easier, live greener, and go further."[1][3][5]
Founded in 1942, Unifrax built its reputation on innovative, high-quality specialty materials for demanding environments, starting with strengths in friction materials for automotive, aerospace, and heavy machinery.[2] The company expanded globally under Clearlake Capital's backing since around 2019-2020, pursuing aggressive inorganic growth, including the acquisition of Stellar Materials and its Thermbond brand to bolster high-temperature solutions.[3][4] Key leadership includes President and CEO John Dandolph, who has driven the strategy for energy-efficient, eco-friendly products amid rebranding to Alkegen, reflecting evolution toward sustainability-focused platforms in battery tech, EVs, and filtration.[3][5]
Unifrax rides the wave of electrification, decarbonization, and energy transition trends, supplying critical materials for EV batteries, energy storage, advanced filtration, and emission-reducing catalysis amid global pushes for net-zero emissions.[3][5][7][8] Timing aligns with surging demand for high-temp solutions in renewables, EVs, and industrial efficiency, fueled by regulatory pressures on pollution and fire safety in batteries and vehicles.[1][6] Market forces like supply chain localization and innovation in clean tech favor its global footprint and Clearlake's O.P.S. framework for operational scaling, positioning it to influence ecosystem shifts toward sustainable industrials.[3][5]
Unifrax (as Alkegen) is primed for accelerated growth through further acquisitions, R&D in battery and filtration breakthroughs, and expansion in EV/energy storage markets, leveraging its rebranded sustainability platform.[5] Trends like rising EV adoption, stricter emissions standards, and green industrial retrofits will shape its path, potentially evolving its influence as a key enabler of global decarbonization. This builds on its foundational mission, transforming high-temp challenges into scalable, planet-positive solutions.[1][3]
