Here are the top performing ASX small caps in the chemicals sector

The chemicals sector is one of the lesser known industries on the ASX but it has had its fair share of winners in recent months.

This sector covers a unique array of smaller industries — from fertilisers to zinc-based sunscreen manufacturers.

It even includes hand sanitisers which have been in hot demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here’s a list of all ASX chemicals stocks and their 12-month share price performance:

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Code	Name	Price	1 Year % Return	6 Month % Return	Market Cap
ZNO	ZOONO GROUP LTD	1.97	2719	-3	$313.3M
SES	SECOS GROUP LTD	0.195	179	236	$77.5M
SDV	SCIDEV LTD	0.68	117	3	$102.7M
RWD	REWARD MINERALS LTD	0.15	98	14	$28.5M
CXL	CALIX LTD	1.05	35	27	$153.8M
PWN	PARKWAY MINERALS NL	0.007	20	20	$11.2M
HZR	HAZER GROUP LTD	0.4	13	0	$54.5M
CLV	CLOVER CORP LTD	2.4	9	-12	$384.2M
BGT	BIO-GENE TECHNOLOGY LTD	0.135	-18	-13	$20.4M
ANO	ADVANCE NANOTEK LTD	3.41	-30	-31	$202.7M
FGR	FIRST GRAPHENE LTD	0.13	-32	-4	$63.1M
DNK	DANAKALI LTD	0.455	-37	-11	$135.5M
CG1	CARBONXT GROUP LTD	0.175	-38	-39	$21.7M
SO4	SALT LAKE POTASH LTD	0.5	-38	-7	$275.1M
AJX	ALEXIUM INTERNATIONAL GROUP	0.07	-45	19	$43.8M
TTT	TITOMIC LTD	0.725	-51	-21	$112.6M
HFR	HIGHFIELD RESOURCES LTD	0.49	-52	-33	$145.0M
RAN	RANGE INTERNATIONAL LTD	0.011	-52	-15	$4.3M
KLL	KALIUM LAKES LTD	0.145	-58	-57	$125.5M

The biggest 12-month winners

By far and away the best performing stock is Zoono (ASX:ZNO), which makes hand and surface sanitisers. The company’s run began late last year when its microbe shield showed promise against swine fever.

But the key catalyst for continued growth in 2020 has been soaring demand for its products as COVID-19 broke out across the world.

Taking out second place is Secos Group (ASX:SES), which makes compostable plastic made from Biopolymer resin. It is up 179 per cent in 12 months.

Much of the company’s growth has come in the last two months since it sealed a deal with supermarket giant Woolworths (ASX:WOW) to sell its compostable bin liners.

The company had been supplying councils already but this deal was Secos’ first with a major retailer. Chairman Richard Tegoni told Stockhead in July the deal was the tip of the iceberg as there were many plastic products primed to be made from other materials including dog bags and diapers.

ZNO & SES share price chart

Water treatment and potash movers

Taking bronze is SciDev (ASX:SDV), which provides chemicals and wastewater treatment for the industrial sector.

This not only reduces the direct costs of treating water but also sludge disposal and trade waste charges.

While many of its peers in the water treatment industry have gone backwards in 2020, following a solid 2019, SciDev has more than doubled in 12 months.

Back in March, the peak of the COVID-19 panic, the company booked $4.8m in sales. It has continued to win clientele in the infrastructure, petroleum and mining sectors.

SciDev last month locked in global mining giant BHP (ASX:BHP) for a trial of its chemistry at the Olympic Dam mine — Australia’s largest copper mine.

Sitting on a 98 per cent gain is potash play Reward Minerals (ASX:RWD).

Sulphate of potash (SOP), which Reward is looking to produce, is a premium-grade fertiliser for crops.

Reward has been one of the more successful potash hopefuls in recent months. While the company’s share price took a hit in February and March during the COVID-19 selloff, it quickly recovered its losses and then some.

In April, it received news the Western Australian environment minister rejected an appeal against the WA Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) report which had been in favour of its Lake Disappointment project.

In June, the minister formally approved the project implementation and this made Reward’s Lake Disappointment only the second WA SOP project to reach this stage.