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Rhamnolipid surfactants help to eliminate
fossil fuels in cleaning products
Evonik will begin building the world’s first industrial-scale facility for manufacturing sustainable rhamnolipid biosurfactants at its site in Slovakia. The triple-digit millioneuro investment will establish the company as a pioneer of high-quality, sustainable biosurfactants on a commercial scale.
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onstruction at the Evonik site in Slovenská Ľupča is scheduled for completion by the end of 2023. The new plant will meet rapidly growing demands for biobased, biodegradable surfactants, and will leverage the biotechnology platform of Evonik’s life sciences division, Nutrition & Care. Evonik’s rhamnolipids are of an exceptionally high quality and provide the company with a unique position in the market due to the IP-protected manufacturing process. The biosurfactants are manufactured and sourced sustainably and play an essential role in transitioning the Nutrition & Care division to become a provider of system solutions. Furthermore, Evonik and Unilever have entered into a strategic partnership for the supply of rhamnolipids for use in dish washing liquid and other home care applications. The recently signed long-term agreement represents an important step in the commercialisation of this biosurfactant technology and opens opportunities for
other companies wishing to offer sustainable solutions to their customers.
MAKING SUSTAINABILITY EASY FOR EVERYONE “This is a game-changer for cleaning and personal care products. With this investment we are pioneering a new market and we believe that this will transform the way the world cleans. We are proud to collaborate with Unilever for a cleaner, more sustainable future,” says Johann-Caspar Gammelin, president of the Nutrition & Care division. The increased production capacity of sustainable biosurfactants and the partnership between Evonik and Unilever demonstrate a major portfolio shift for the company’s life science division as it expands Evonik’s offering of system solutions. Characterised by high growth prospects and above-average margin potential, Nutrition & Care aims to increase the share of system solutions it offers from the current 20% to more than 50% by 2030.
A NEW ERA OF CLEANING Evonik has launched a sustainable rhamnolipid, Rewoferm RL 100. The new biosurfactant meets demands for low-emission, low-impact cleaning products that enable a circular economy. Rewoferm RL 100 is produced from renewable feedstocks sourced in Slovakia, where its new biosurfactant plant is based, and is fully biodegradable while providing excellent cleaning performance. Rhamnolipids are a class of biosurfactants which can be sustainably manufactured via a fermentation process using European corn sugar as the main raw material. This use of biogenic carbon requires no petrochemical raw materials or tropical oils. Rhamnolipids are very mild on the skin and have an exceptionally low toxicological and ecotoxicological profile. The outstanding foam-forming properties of Rewoferm RL 100 make it suitable for use in a broad range of applications, including laundry detergents, hard surface cleaners, vehicle care and cleaning formulations for the food and beverage industry. The biosurfactant also reduces the complexity of cleaning formulations because it can act as a primary and secondary surfactant.
"We are pioneering a new market and we believe that this will transform the way the world cleans" 12
APRIL 2022 // WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA
