Few Chemicals GmbH

FEW Chemicals GmbH is an independent, owner-managed German manufacturer of specialty and fine chemicals headquartered at the Chemiepark Bitterfeld-Wolfen. In its current legal structure the company was founded in 1997, but its roots reach back to the Filmfabrik Wolfen established in 1909 by the Aktien-Gesellschaft für Anilin-Fabrikation (Agfa). FEW Chemicals emerged from the research and development activities of the former Filmfabrik in Wolfen, giving it a long heritage in photographic and functional chemistry. The company operates a production site in the Chemiepark Bitterfeld-Wolfen that is certified according to DIN EN ISO 9001 (ISO 9001:2015). Its plants are equipped to handle batch sizes ranging from a few grams up to the tonne scale, and it works in accordance with EU regulations 1907/2006 (REACH) and 1272/2008 (GHS/CLP). This flexibility supports cooperation projects described as "from bench to market", including fast scale-up processes, determination of production-relevant parameters, complex molecules and chemical conversions, and thorough analytical characterization. FEW Chemicals' product portfolio spans several specialty chemical categories. It produces functional dyes, including solvent-soluble and water-soluble cyanine dyes across a wide spectral range, as well as fluorescent dyes, amine-reactive dyes and miscellaneous dyes. Under the Nirasorb® brand it offers absorbers and spectral filter dyes, and under the Lanthalux® brand it supplies sensors for security labeling and anti-counterfeiting. The company also manufactures photochemical sensitizers, photoinitiators such as iodonium and sulfonium salts, and modular systems with adapted anions (PAGs and PRGs), including bathochromic structures for UV LEDs. Beyond dyes and photoinitiators, FEW Chemicals produces Sol-Gel coatings and coating solutions for metal, glass and plastics substrates, enabling surface properties such as easy-to-clean, scratch-resistant, antibacterial and corrosion-protective finishes. Its polymers range includes homo- and copolymers based on polyacetals, polyacrylates and polyvinylphosphonic acids, as well as binders and crosslinkers based on urethane acrylates, and specialty polymers and conjugates. As an independent and owner-managed business, FEW Chemicals is not part of a larger listed group. It serves the specialty and fine chemicals market, supplying customers who require custom synthesis, scale-up and functional chemical solutions. The company maintains a presence at trade fairs and exhibitions and publishes company news and events through its website.

FEW Chemicals GmbH traces its origins to the Filmfabrik Wolfen, a photographic film factory founded in 1909 in Wolfen, Germany, by the Aktien-Gesellschaft für Anilin-Fabrikation (Agfa). That site became a major center of photographic and chemical research and production in Germany. FEW Chemicals emerged from the research and development activities of the former Filmfabrik in Wolfen, inheriting expertise in dyes, sensitizers and functional chemistry. In its current legal structure, FEW Chemicals GmbH was founded in 1997. It established itself as an independent and owner-managed company in the specialty and fine chemicals market, rather than as part of a large listed chemical group. The company operates a production site in the Chemiepark Bitterfeld-Wolfen, a chemical industrial park in the same region as the historic Wolfen film works. The company has built its modern portfolio around functional dyes, photochemical sensitizers, photoinitiators and specialty polymers, and has developed branded product lines such as Nirasorb® for absorber and spectral filter dyes and Lanthalux® for security labeling and anti-counterfeiting sensors. It has also expanded into Sol-Gel coatings and coating solutions for metal, glass and plastics substrates, and into modular photoinitiator systems with adapted anions (PAGs and PRGs) including bathochromic structures for UV LED applications. FEW Chemicals has obtained DIN EN ISO 9001 certification for its production site and states that it works in accordance with EU regulations 1907/2006 (REACH) and 1272/2008 (GHS/CLP). Its production plant is equipped to handle batch sizes from a few grams up to the tonne scale, supporting cooperation projects described as "from bench to market" with fast scale-up processes and analytical characterization. The company presents itself at trade fairs and exhibitions and communicates company news and events through its website.

• 1997

  FEW Chemicals GmbH founded in its current legal structure as an independent, owner-managed specialty and fine chemicals company.

• 1909

  Filmfabrik Wolfen founded in Wolfen by Aktien-Gesellschaft für Anilin-Fabrikation (Agfa), the historic root of FEW Chemicals.

• Production site at Chemiepark Bitterfeld-Wolfen certified according to ISO 9001:2015 / DIN EN ISO 9001.

Independent, owner-managed specialty and fine chemicals manufacturer offering flexible custom synthesis and scale-up from grams to tonnes, with a heritage in photographic chemistry from Filmfabrik Wolfen.

• Functional Dyes

  Solvent-soluble and water-soluble cyanine dyes across spectral ranges, plus fluorescent dyes, amine-reactive dyes and miscellaneous dyes.

• Nirasorb®

  Absorber and spectral filter dyes.

• Lanthalux®

  Sensors for security labeling and anti-counterfeiting.

• Photoinitiators

  Iodonium and sulfonium salts, and modular systems with adapted anions (PAGs and PRGs), including bathochromic structures for UV LEDs.

• Sol-Gel Coatings

  Coating solutions for metal, glass and plastics substrates enabling easy-to-clean, scratch-resistant, antibacterial and corrosion-protective properties.

• Polymers

  Homo- and copolymers based on polyacetals, polyacrylates and polyvinylphosphonic acids; binders and crosslinkers based on urethane acrylates; specialty polymers and conjugates.

1. 1FEW Chemicals GmbH: Unternehmenfew.de
2. 2FEW Chemicals GmbH: Companyfew.de
3. 3Few Chemicals GmbH - Wikidatawikidata.org