Independent chemical distributor for specialty chemicals, heat transfer fluids as well as laboratory and logistics services.
KRAHN Chemie GmbH
Hamburg · Bottrop · Poznań · Amsterdam · Milan · Lainate · Berbenno · Gothenburg · ParisNew on Amplifa
About KRAHN Chemie
KRAHN Chemie GmbH is an independent chemical distributor headquartered in Hamburg offering sales, marketing and distribution services for specialty chemicals and heat transfer fluids. The portfolio comprises around 6,000 products from more than 50 producers for industries such as adhesives and sealants, coatings, construction chemicals, lubricants, plastics, rubber as well as industrial cleaning and personal care. In addition to distribution, the company offers application technology consulting, its own laboratory services at five technical service centers in Germany, Poland, Italy and Sweden, and logistics services such as filling, hazardous goods handling and customs clearance. The service spectrum also includes sustainability services (LCA per ISO 14040/44, PCF per ISO 14067, EPD per ISO 14025) and, via KRAHN Ceramics, the distribution of ceramic and metal powders and feedstocks for powder injection molding. Founded in 1909, the company employs around 280 staff, generated revenue of approx. 300 million euros in 2025 and is represented by 14 branches across Europe.
- Site
- Hamburg
- Processes
- Sales and distribution of specialty chemicals (plastics, rubber, paints/coatings, construction, Filling and repackaging of chemicals, Laboratory services for paints & coatings (analytics: density, colorimetry, grind, MFFT, oil, Film properties testing (UV resistance, chemical resistance, film hardness, gloss level,, Colorimetry and formulation development (color shades, drawdowns), Product development and starting formulations, Construction chemicals testing (flexural tensile strength, compressive strength, pull-off strength,, Mechanical plastics testing (tensile, flexural, notched/impact strength Charpy/Izod, ball
- Materials
- Zirconium dioxide powder, Raw rubber, Rubber products, Iron oxide pigments, Ceramic powders, Metal powders, Plastics (thermoplastic polymers, compounds), Engineering thermoplastics
- Certificates
- Laboratory services according to standards (e.g. DIN/ISO test methods), ISO 9001 certified
- Founded
- 1909
- Employees
- 280
- Industries
- Adhesives & Sealants, Chemical Intermediates, Coatings (Paints & Varnishes), Construction Chemicals, Heat Transfer Fluids, Industrial Cleaning & Home Care
- 01
Worldwide sourcing from producers
- 02
Warehousing and logistics
- 03
Filling, repackaging, hazardous goods and customs handling
- 04
Application technology consulting and laboratory services
- 05
Distribution to processing industries
Products and Materials
Zirconium dioxide powder
Validated raw material for technical ceramics, e.g. in dentistry.
Raw rubber and rubber products
Historical core of the trading house, today part of the distribution portfolio.
Iron oxide pigments
Basis for colorimetry and color formulations in construction chemicals.
Ceramic and metal powders
Distributed by KRAHN Ceramics, among other things as feedstocks for injection molding applications.
Thermoplastic elastomers and engineering thermoplastics
Plastic raw materials for the processing industry.
Recycled carbon fibers
Granulate for injection molding processing in the field of plastics recycling.
Locations
Hamburg
DEHeadquarters and sales
Bottrop
DETechnical Service Center (Technoplan Farbtechnik)
Poznań
PLSubsidiary KRAHN Chemie Polska and laboratory
Amsterdam
NLSubsidiary ICH Benelux BV
Milan
ITSubsidiary Pietro Carini S.p.A.
Lainate
ITLaboratory
Berbenno
ITLaboratory
Gothenburg
SELaboratory
Paris
FRKRAHN France SAS
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales and distribution of specialty chemicals (plastics, rubber, paints/coatings, constructionEngineering | – | – | – | – | Specialty chemicals |
| Filling and repackaging of chemicalsEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Laboratory services for paints & coatings (analytics: density, colorimetry, grind, MFFT, oilTesting | – | – | – | – | Coatings, Raw materials paints/coatings |
| Film properties testing (UV resistance, chemical resistance, film hardness, gloss level,Testing | – | – | – | – | Coatings |
| Colorimetry and formulation development (color shades, drawdowns)Testing | – | – | – | – | Iron oxide pigments |
| Product development and starting formulationsEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Construction chemicals testing (flexural tensile strength, compressive strength, pull-off strength,Testing | – | – | – | – | Mortar |
| Mechanical plastics testing (tensile, flexural, notched/impact strength Charpy/Izod, ballTesting | – | – | – | – | Plastics |
| Thermal and rheological plastics testing (Vicat, Tg, melting point, TGA, melt flow index)Testing | – | – | – | – | Plastics |
| Testing for cleaning, household, personal care and microbiologyTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), PCF per ISO 14067, LCA per ISO 14040/44, EPD per ISO 14025, QuickEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Distribution of scientific instruments and laboratory equipment (KRAHN Hellas)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Recycling service for plasticsEngineering | – | – | – | – | Plastics |
| Processing and distribution of ceramic and metal powders, powders, binders and feedstocksPlastics | – | – | – | – | Zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), Ceramic powders, Metal powders |
| Powder injection molding (PIM/MIM/CIM) at the Dinslaken technical center incl. 3D printing ofPlastics | – | – | – | – | Ceramic compounds, Metal powders |
Additional services
Quality and Laboratories
Five well-equipped laboratories in Germany, Poland, Italy and Sweden conduct investigations according to market-standardized norms or individual test specifications, from colorimetry to mechanical plastics testing to microbiological analyses.
| Evidence | Hamburg | Bottrop | Poznań | Lainate | Berbenno | Gothenburg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laboratory services according to standards (e.g. DIN/ISO test methods) | ||||||
| ISO 9001 certified |
History
- 1909
Otto Krahn founds the trading house for raw rubber, rubber goods and heavy fabrics in Hamburg.
- 1972
Chemical trading is spun off into the newly founded KRAHN Chemie GmbH on June 23 in the course of the restructuring to OTTO KRAHN as holding company.
- 1989
New business unit Technical Ceramics; validation of zirconium dioxide powder for dentistry.
- 1997
Establishment of a business unit for the lubricant industry and introduction of industry-specific sales divisions.
- 2009
Founding of KRAHN Chemie Polska Sp. z o.o. in Poznań on July 27.
- 2013
Acquisition of ICH Benelux BV (Amsterdam) including Technoplan Farbtechnik GmbH & Co. KG (Bottrop) and ICH POLAND Sp. z o.o. (Poznań).
- 2014
Majority stake in the Italian distributor Pietro Carini S.p.A. (Milan).
- 2016
Acquisition of the distribution business of Lapis Minerals & Chemicals BV (construction chemicals, Benelux).
- 2018
Acquisition of the sales business of Memolex SAS (plastic additives) and founding of KRAHN France SAS.
- 2019
Acquisition of eMBe Products & Service GmbH, manufacturer of additives for the ceramics and powder metallurgy industry (today KRAHN Ceramics GmbH).
- 2020
Restructuring of the group: Albis Plastic GmbH becomes Otto Krahn Group GmbH as holding company.