Chemical Today April 2018

April 2018 | Volume II | Issue XI | ₹275

Expert Viewpoint Paints & Coatings Polymers

Case Study Biocides Paint Shop

Corrosion Oil & Gas

IT In Chemicals Connected Plant

COAT YOUR

RUSTING WOES Meet You at

Corrosion Technology Forum 2018 7th-8th June, Sheraton Grand, Bangalore Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

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CHEMICAL

TODAY

Corrosion Prevention-

Addressing deterioration of metal

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hile looking at products the first thing that meets our eye is the coating. Without the coatings, most of the products would not be saleable and the product lives could be shortened significantly. Coatings are mostly used for two functions – decorative and protective, which have major economic implications.

Of the global coatings market, nearly 45 percent are used to decorate and protect new construction as well as to maintain existing structures, while 40 percent are used to decorate and/or protect industrial products.

One of the major problem to be solved by the coatings industry is the issue of Corrosion. At one point or another, all companies face the issue of corrosion. Rust in the plant equipment, vehicles, corrosion in the pipes, browning of the buildings are all very familiar sight, be it a plant or a home. Corrosion if not addressed in the early stages can lead to high replacement costs, loss of production and safety issues. Presently, the global cost of corrosion is $2.5 trillion, equivalent to 3.4 percent of the global GDP. There are many technologies that help in monitoring corrosion and preventing it in the long run. One of them is the use of anti-corrosion coatings for the industry, which are now on the rise. Glance through the various aspects, trends and technologies in the corrosion industry as we focus on the segment in detail.

Considering the protective coatings segment, one cannot ignore the use of pipelines for the oil & gas industry, refineries, petrochemical, power and fertilizer plants. Since pipelines have become crucial for the industry, utmost care needs to be ensured during designing, commissioning and operations. These pipelines are prone to both internal and external corrosion. To make the pipelines safe, metallurgy of steel, design of pipelines, internal flow characteristics of the fluid, health monitoring, maintenance, corrosion management and pipeline integrity, are involved. Corrosion management for pipelines and many other topics will be discussed at the Corrosion Technology Forum 2018, organized by worldofchemicals.com and The Society for Surface Protective Coatings - India (SSPC). The Corrosion Technology Forum 2018 will also focus on other sectors such as automotive, aerospace, construction & infrastructure, power & chemical plants among others. Know more on http://www.worldofchemicals.com/corrosion-technology-forum-2018.html For suggestions or feedback write to editorial@worldofchemicals.com

Š 2018 worldofchemicals.com

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

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Chemical Today

is a monthly magazine focused on chemistry & the chemical industry.

CONTENTS QUOTES

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NEWS NATIONAL 06 INTERNATIONAL 08

SECTOR VIEW

EVENTS

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CHEMICAL SECTORS AGROCHEMICALS 12 PLASTICS 14

CORROSION PREVENTION

26

CASE STUDY

AUTOMOTIVE COATINGS

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EXPERT VIEWPOINT

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GREEN CHEMISTRY

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INTERNATIONAL FOCUS SOUTH AMERICA US SPECIALTY CHEMICALS

30 32

CORROSION OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

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CASE STUDY RETAIL AND SERVICES

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INSIGHTS PAINTS & COATINGS MARKET

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REPORT ENERGY EFFICIENT COATINGS INDUSTRIAL GASES STUDY PAINT ADDITIVES PHARMACEUTICAL PROPELLANTS SMART COATINGS

44 46 48 50 52

ACADEMIC R & D ACADEMIC SPEAK

54 60

JOBS

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IT IN CHEMICALS CONNECTED PLANT DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES

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PRODUCTS 66 EQUIPMENT GAS ENGINEERING 70 WATER TREATMENT 72 DISPERSION TECHNOLOGY 74 EQUIPMENT 78 GLOSSARY Abhijit Roy,

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Govind Khetan,

Managing Director Managing Director, and Chief Executive Officer, Kraton Polymers Berger Paints India Ltd Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

Published for April 2018.

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QUOTES

India’s contribution in the chemical sector globally is 3 percent and this gives us a huge scope for growth. However, without new research and innovation in this field, we cannot make a quantum jump with qualitative bulk materials.

In order to ensure growth, we should have a common research facility for Chemicals, Petrochemicals and Pharmaceuticals. We therefore, seriously believe that we should invest in research, because it is a field where sky is the limit for growth and innovation.

Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Of India.

Gujarat, known as the “chemical” hub of India contributes to more than 60 percent of the national petrochemical production and 35 percent of the national chemical production. A strong base of diversified chemical units across the value chain, a world class petrochemical hub located in Dahej PCPIR, chemical port, LNG terminals as well as supportive government policies are significant growth drivers for the chemical sector in the state.

Going forward value addition, innovation and sustainability need to become priority areas for the chemical industry in Gujarat.

Vijay Rupani, Chief Minister Of Gujarat.

We want the Indian chemical and petrochemical industry to be the world leaders. For this, whatever facilitation, promotion and assistance is required, we are ready for it. We want to promote the ‘Make in India’ idea globally. Make in India not only for the demand in India, but also to compete with the world.

Ananth Kumar, Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India.

Source: India Chem, Gujarat 2017.

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Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

Indian Solar Manufacturers’ Association (ISMA) members have expressed positive sentiments as manufacturing and ‘Make in India’ initiative gathered momentum. The phenomenal growth opportunity of Renewal Energy is unparalleled in the world today, looking at current and future energy consumption in India over the next 2-3 decades.

All stakeholders have immense opportunities especially those who make and develop products in India.

K N Subramaniam, CEO, Moserbear Solar Ltd and Treasurer, Indian Solar Manufacturers’ Association (ISMA).

The rise of e-commerce and access to new technologies has accelerated counterfeiting and other forms of illicit trade. That makes fighting counterfeit medical products an ever-more urgent priority for pharma companies – both in terms of patient safety and brand reputation.

Yann Ischi, Director, New Channels and Partnerships, SICPA.

Within the Volkswagen Group, we have a clear strategy for how we want to put battery-electric vehicles into series production across our brands and in many different market segments. However, a major qualification for success in the volume market is more powerful battery concepts. In Volkswagen Group R&D we are focusing on close cooperation, not only with industrial partners but also with the smart minds of the scientific community.

Dr Ulrich Eichhorn, Head, Group R&D, Volkswagen AG. Using reverse osmosis for pre-treatment means we can reduce the consumption of specific chemicals for resin bed regeneration by around 60 percent.

Ashraf Aly Mostafa, Project Manager, Alexandria Fertilizers Co (Alexfert).

India is a very important market for polyurethanes and has a wonderful potential for growth. When leaders of the industry from all over the world get together under one roof, it leads to better production and faster growth of the industry.

R C Bhargava, former CEO and current Chairman, Maruti Suzuki.

India today process 565,000 mtpa of polyurethanes and this is expected to cross the 1 million mtpa mark in the next three to four years. Polyurethane is a designers polymer unparalleled by any of its kind when it comes to allowing technologists to chemically design and develop specific end products.

Mukesh Bhuta, Chairman, IPUA and Promoter, Expanded Polymer Systems Pvt. Ltd. A host of forces are disrupting the chemical industry – geopolitical risks, changing customer desires, growth challenges, population changes, digital technology proliferation and pervasive volatility, to name a few.

Rachael Bartels, Managing Director and Chemicals & Natural Resources Global Industry Lead, Accenture.

The number of people in Asia without adequate access to a safe and nutritious food supply is growing - and that’s simply unacceptable. The responsibility to ensure everyone has enough healthy food to eat is a shared one. The plant science industry fully supports the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in the pursuit of wiping out world hunger, and is committed to ensuring farmers in Asia are empowered and enabled to produce more food for a growing population.

Dr Siang Hee Tan, Executive Director, CropLife Asia

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

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NEWS NATIONAL INDIAN GOVT NOD FOR EXTENSION OF UREA SUBSIDY TILL 2020

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he Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the proposal of Department of Fertilizers to continue urea subsidy scheme up to 2019-20 at a total estimated cost of Rs 1,64,935 crore and for disbursement of fertilizer subsidy.

This decision implies that there will be no increase in the price of urea, till 2020.

The continuation of urea subsidy scheme will ensure the timely payment of subsidy to the urea manufacturers resulting in the timely availability of urea to farmers.

Urea subsidy also includes imported urea subsidy which is directed towards import to bridge the gap between assessed demand and indigenous production of urea in the country. It also includes freight subsidy for movement of urea across the country.

File Photo

This is in continuation of farmer-friendly policies of the Central Government. Earlier, 100 percent neem coated urea was made mandatory in 2015. Apart from numerous benefits including soil health improvement, reduction in pest and disease attack and

an increase in yield of various crops, neem coating also had an additional positive impact – plugging the diversion of the subsidized urea towards non-agricultural purposes. In light of the increased efficiency of urea due to neem coating, government had recently decided to bag urea in 45 kg bags. This will effectively help reduce the cost of fertilizers to the farmers.

Government had earlier notified new urea policy, In 2015, with the objectives of maximizing indigenous urea production; promoting energy efficiency in urea production and rationalizing subsidy burden on the government. This led to the highest ever production of 245 LMT during 2015-16. In effect, 20 LMT of Urea during the same period was additionally produced without adding any additional capacity.

These steps have ensured continued easy availability of urea to the farmers at an affordable price. This decision reiterates the commitment of the present government towards the welfare of the farmers.

WACKER OPENS NEW SILICONE FLUIDS MANUFACTURING PLANT IN INDIA

Wacker Metroark Chemicals has opened a new hydrosilylation plant for manufacturing functional silicone fluids at its Amtala site near Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal.

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acker Chemie AG announced that its subsidiary in India, Wacker Metroark Chemicals Pvt Ltd, is expanding its existing silicone production at its Amtala site near Kolkata with a new hydrosilylation plant for manufacturing functional silicone fluids. The €6 million plant will be capable of producing 6,000 mt of functional silicone fluids per annum to meet the increasing regional demand for specialty silicones for use in the textile, personalcare, rigid and flexible polyurethane foam and agrochemical sectors.

“With this expansion of our production, we are broadening our product portfolio and can thereby open up new markets in the

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Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

growth regions of India and South East Asia,” said Wacker Chemie executive board member Christian Hartel.

“This investment underscores the commitment of Wacker to the Indian market and shows that our company is continuously growing its technical expertise and capacities in Asia.”

Hydrosilylation is a chemical process wherein organofunctional groups, such as glycols, olefins or ketones, are ‘docked’ onto the periphery of silicones. This process modifies the properties of the end product and render a silicone fluid, for instance, hydrophobic (water-repellent) or hydrophilic (water-attracting). The

products manufactured in Amtala can also be used to produce polyurethane foams, in which functional silicone fluids serve as additives for adjusting the cell structure.

“Our new hydrosilylation plant enables us to address promising new markets where we haven’t been represented in India and South East Asia until now, for example the market for silicone functional fluids with its many sales opportunities,” said Soumitra Mukherjee, managing director, Wacker Metroark Chemicals.

“In this way, we intend to secure our position as the market and technology leader for silicones in the region and provide a basis for further growth,” he added.

RELIANCE ANNOUNCES SALE OF SELECT US ASSETS FOR $100 MN

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eliance Eagleford Upstream Holding LP, a subsidiary of both Reliance Holding USA Inc and Reliance Industries Limited, announced the signing of a purchase and sale agreement with Sundance Energy Inc for $100 million to divest its interest in certain assets in the western portion of its Eagle Ford shale position. This comes as a part of the company’s plan to exit the shale assets it had acquired in the US. “This transaction is in conjunction with sales made by Pioneer Natural Resources

USA Inc and Newpek LLC, the other working interest owners in the Joint Development with Reliance,” the company said in a statement. “The Assets being sold are located in Atascosa, La Salle, Live Oak and McMullen Counties, Texas and were not part of near term development plan of the Joint Development.”

Reliance will however continue to retain its interest in the remaining Eagle Ford assets that are core to its development priorities.

The sale is expected to close in first quarter of 2019.

File Photo

SAUDI ARAMCO IN TALKS TO BUY RATNAGIRI REFINERY STAKE IN INDIA

Saudi Aramco office in Dhahran (Saudi Arabia)

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audi Aramco is seeking majority ownership of the proposed Rs 3-lakhcrore refinery-cum-petrochemical complex on the Indian west coast, marketing rights over entire fuel and petrochemicals produced at the complex and an assurance the refinery would mostly use Saudi oil, multiple people familiar with the matter said, reported Economic Times.

Saudi Aramco is engaged in an intense negotiation with Indian state firms over its participation in the 60 million tonnes a year refinery that is proposed to be built in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra.

Indian Oil Corporation currently owns 50 percent in the world’s biggest greenfield refinery project, with the balance stake being equally split between Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum.

The state-run firms are seeking a strategic investor and have been talking to Aramco for several months.

“They have just drawn the starting line. Only after the negotiations have concluded, you

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

would know what Aramco has finally got,” said a person familiar with the negotiations between state firms and Aramco.

“Giving Aramco the majority stake is just out of the question. If we can’t have the majority stake in our own project, on our own land, then where,” said one person with knowledge of the negotiations. “The demand on sourcing of crude can be considered since India already uses Saudi oil a lot but the refinery can’t be solely dependent on oil from just one country.”

Another proposal seeking rights to market fuel and petrochemicals produced at the proposed complex will also go through hard negotiations, people said.

But in an emailed response to ET’s query, it said: “Saudi Aramco views India as an important strategic market and is a reliable and leading supplier of crude oil to India.

We are looking at various opportunities in India which includes refining. We are in discussions with Indian counterparties in these potential ventures and hope to

progress our cooperation and partnership further.”

India, the third-largest oil importer in the world, presents a key market for Aramco, the biggest exporter of crude in the world.

Of late, Saudi Arabia’s hold in the Indian market has weakened though, with Iraq having overtaken it to become India’s top crude oil supplier in 2017-18. Besides, the collapse of crude oil since mid-2014 and a growing chorus that the world will never run out of oil has shifted the balance of power towards heavy consumers like India and China and intensified competition among oil producers.

This also prompted Russia’s Rosneft, a competitor for Aramco in global market, to buy a 20 MT refinery in India last year in order to secure a reliable consumer base. Aramco, which is planning a public offer and aiming for a $2 trillion valuation, is hoping to obtain a slice of rapidly expanding Indian refining and petrochemicals business.

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NEWS INTERNATIONAL AKZONOBEL TO SELL SPECIALTY CHEMICALS TO CARLYLE GROUP, GIC FOR €10 BN

AkzoNobel Center in Amsterdam

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kzoNobel announced the sale of 100 percent of its Specialty Chemicals business to The Carlyle Group and GIC for an enterprise value of €10.1 billion. Akzo first announced plans to sell the business in April 2017 after the Board of Management concluded that a private sale to The Carlyle Group and GIC is in the best interests of AkzoNobel. The transaction is expected to be completed before the end of 2018.

“We are pleased to announce the sale of Specialty Chemicals to The Carlyle Group and GIC, who have significant experience in the chemicals industry,” he added.

“Today is a key milestone in creating two focused, high performing businesses, to generate value for all stakeholders. We delivered on our commitment ahead of schedule,” said Thierry Vanlancker, CEO AkzoNobel.

“Specialty Chemicals is a strong and profitable business serving customers every day with essential chemistry. As a focused chemicals’ company, we will concentrate our efforts and resources

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

“We are pleased to invest in the Specialty Chemicals business, and are committed to growing the business, and build upon its innovation capability,” said Martin Sumner and Zeina Bain, managing directors, The Carlyle Group.

to accelerate profitable growth,” said Werner Fuhrmann, CEO of AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals. This transaction values Specialty Chemicals at €10.1 billion (Enterprise Value). On the basis of the year-end balance sheet, AkzoNobel expects to receive a cash payment of €8.9 billion.

Following deduction of deal and separation related costs, as well as other previously announced liabilities, the net proceeds are expected to be around €7.5 billion which will be distributed to shareholders.

The division being sold produces an array of chemicals used in plastic packaging, tissue paper, cleaning materials, pharmaceuticals, food products, salts and adhesives.

EC APPROVES BAYER’S PROPOSED ACQUISITION OF MONSANTO

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regulatory authorities, including those in Brazil and China.

“Together with Monsanto, we want to help farmers across the world grow more nutritious food in a more sustainable way that benefits both consumers and the environment.” Bayer has now received approvals for the transaction from substantially more than half of the 30

The conditions cover in particular the divestment of certain Bayer businesses, including the global field crop seeds business such as canola, cotton, and soybean (with minor exceptions restricted to the Asia region), the R&D platform for hybrid wheat, the global vegetable seeds business, the global glufosinate ammonium business as well as certain glyphosate-based herbicides in Europe, predominantly for industrial use. In

he European Commission conditionally approved Bayer’s proposed acquisition of Monsanto. “Receipt of the European Commission’s approval is a major success and a significant milestone,” said Werner Baumann, CEO, Bayer.

addition, Monsanto’s global business with the nematicide NemaStrike must be divested. The conditions also stipulate the transfer of three Bayer research projects in the area of non-selective herbicides and the granting of a license to Bayer’s digital farming portfolio. BASF is the intended purchaser of these assets.

The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals and is expected to close by the second quarter of 2018.

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erman-based materials manufacturer Covestro announced the sale of its global Polycarbonates (PCS) sheets business to US-based acrylics sheets manufacturer Plaskolite LLC.

COVESTRO SELLS ITS SHEETS OUTLET IN THE US

The PCS sheets business located in Sheffield (US), generated sales of about $170 million in 2017. The deal will be conducted as an asset deal, which means that as well as the transfer of dedicated intellectual property and fixed assets, employees will join Plaskolite. The deal is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2018.

“We continuously evaluate and optimize our portfolio to secure future growth and value creation. During that process it became clear that our sheets business will not be a strategic fit to our polycarbonates business in the long term,” said Patrick Thomas, CEO, Covestro.

“We therefore decided that it can develop and grow better under a new owner and we are happy to have found a great buyer for our US outlet with Plaskolite.”

PCS sheets are highly durable and free formable sheets that are used in public transportation, roofing systems or signage applications.

MFG CHEMICAL ACQUIRES MALEIC ANHYDRIDE MANUFACTURER IN US

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FG Chemical Inc has acquired Gulf Bayport Chemicals LP (GBC).

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, with plant operations in Pasadena, GBC is a manufacturer of maleic anhydride derivatives and provides a variety of contract manufacturing, warehouse and transportation services for a range of industrial end markets.

The addition of GBC brings a world-class chemical facility in an ideal location in

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

the Houston ship channel area. The site benefits from direct rail access and an extensive utility infrastructure, providing MFG the opportunity to significantly expand its manufacturing capacity.

“The acquisition of GBC expands MFG’s geographic footprint into the Gulf Coast, demonstrating commitment to our customers in the region. We are excited for this acquisition and the growth opportunities it will provide to MFG in the

future,” said Keith Arnold, CEO of MFG Chemical.

“GBC has developed a great reputation as a producer of maleic anhydride-based chemicals for customers in various end markets. We believe that our capabilities and customer and supplier relationships will complement MFG’s strong position in the speciality chemicals market,” added John Nowlan, CEO of GBC.

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EVENTS 11 – 15 June 2018 ACHEMA

UPCOMING EVENTS

Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany Organised by: DECHEMA Website: http://www.achema.de/en/home.html Pharmaceutical, packaging and storage techniques are a longstanding tradition at ACHEMA. We expand the exhibition group by the topics intralogistics, flow of material, tracking and tracing, temperature controlled transport, intermodal transport, supply chain management.

20 – 21 June 2018

Chemspec Europe

Location: Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany Organised by: Mack Brooks Exhibitions Ltd Website: http://www.chemspeceurope.com/2018/english/ Europe’s premier sourcing and networking event for the fine and speciality chemicals industry. The exhibition is the central marketplace for manufacturers, suppliers and distributors of fine and speciality chemicals to meet with purchasers and agents looking for specialised products or bespoke solutions. It is renowned for its specialised profile, presenting a platform to market products and solutions to the fine and speciality chemicals community.

04 - 06 September 2018

IRC

Location: Kuala Lumpur Organised by: International Rubber Conference Organisation Website: https://irc2018.com/ The IRC - “Transforming Technology; Driving Innovation’ is expecting 200 papers and posters to be presented on the topics such as rubber novelty, rubber materials, rubber science, biotechnology, polymer synthesis, rubber modern processing technology, applications and services, tyre technology, rubber engineering, environment management and sustainability in rubber as well as progress in test method and development and other related topics.

30 Aug – 01 Sept 2018

Food Ingredients

Location: India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, New Delhi Organised by: UBM Website: https://www.figlobal.com/india/ The B2B event showcases the entire Indian sub-continent focused on food and health ingredients, processing and packaging industries. It is an opportunity to source the latest and most innovative ingredients which have been directly discovered in the heart of India, grow and nurture business relationships by meeting with the most important ingredients suppliers and buyers in the region.

18 - 20 October 2018

Biofuels & Bioenergy

Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Organised by: Conferenceseries.com Website: https://biofuels-bioenergy.conferenceseries.com/ The event brings together participants from all over the globe. Theme of the conference is “Biofuels and Bioenergy for Future” with an objective to empower the appealing research field alongside the need of commercialization by giving a chance to meet the specialists and Business entrepreneurs in the field of Biofuels and Bioenergy.

27 – 29 November 2018

ValveWorld Expo

Location: Dusse¬ldorf, Germany Organised by: Messe Düsseldorf GmbH Website: https://www.valveworldexpo.com/ The world’s leading trade fair for industrial valves. This conference provides an opportunity for people from all sides of the flow control industry to come together to discuss experiences, share insights and work together to resolve common challenges.

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Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

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Visit us at: Hall 6.0, Stand C61

AGROCHEMICALS MOLECULES

TIME FOR INDIA TO HAVE MORE SAY IN GLOBAL INSECTICIDES PLAY

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Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

BY RAJESH AGGARWAL

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ndia launched Mars Orbiter Mission Mangalyaan at a fraction of a cost of what similar missions placed in space by other space organizations. While the cost of the space mission to Mars by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States was in the region of $672 million, the overall cost of the Indian mission was just about $74 million.

Challenge was thrown for the Indian mission to last 180 days in space and our Mangalyaan has completed that time period many times over and still beaming strong. This clearly establishes the fact that India not only has technological finesse but also has substantial cost savings in many of the new innovations in the scientific and technological fields as compared to other advanced nations.

The same prowess can and should be implemented in the field of agriculture, a sector that accounts for about 17 percent of the GDP. There are number of molecules in the agro chemicals domain that can be developed indigenously. This can tremendously change the agricultural scenario as overall cost savings that accrue in using indigenously developed crop care products can be ploughed back in the agricultural sector for the benefit of the farmer community and enhancing crop yields.

India Uses Agrochemicals Mostly Developed by Other Countries Most of the agro chemicals India currently uses are those that have been developed and invented by companies of other countries.

Indian companies can also research and invent new molecules at a much lesser cost which can make it within the reach of the small and marginal farmers. Indian researchers & scientists are second to none

and the conditions for research are apt in India. The country has all major crops, all seasons and weather conditions suitable for research. Scientists in India can test the newly developed molecule anytime of the year since winters, summers and rainy season can be found at all times in some part of the country or the other. Similarly, the molecule can be tested on all crops within the country as India grows all major crops. All that is required is a little push for them to do research and come up with innovation in the agro chemicals field.

billion worth of molecules are patented by multinational giants every year which means there is significant market which can partake in. Thus, India can be a hub for exports of patented insecticides and since the country is also endowed with excellent process optimization strength combined with low-cost manufacturing abilities, such opportunities should be sized with both hands.

Population Rise and Focus on Crop Yields

As we go forward as a nation and become one of the top three economies of the world, which is projected in the next 10 years, we will have to come up with new innovations in various fields including in agrochemicals. This is also a good opportunity for India to move the chain in the global insecticides play. Currently, India is mostly manufacturing those molecules which go off patent. There are none or very few molecules which the country has developed so far worth patenting. There are about 125 technical grade manufacturers and around 850 formulators in the agro chemicals industry but mostly engaged in those molecules which go off patent, according to a recent paper prepared by the Government of India. The industry is currently selecting molecules manufactured by international companies that have become off patent and then working backwards to look at their components and mass manufacture them at a cost-effective manner.

With an ever-increasing population, there will be more pressure on land which will further intensify the focus on crop yields. India accounts for 2.4 percent total geographical area but 17 percent of the global population, according to Census of India. Crop yields in India stand at a mere 2.8 tonnes per hectare compared with 7 tonnes in the US, according to global agricultural experts. By 2024, India is expected to pip China to claim numero uno position in terms of population.

Indian is expected to have 153 crore people as opposed to 146 crore in China by then, according to the United Nations Organization. This will increase the focus on various aspects of crop yields. Crop protection will be an important aspect of crop yields since about a third of the total crop is destroyed by pests annually in the country, according to agriculture experts.

Export Opportunity Not just for India, the scientists can invent those crop care molecules that will be used for crop protection in other countries and export the domestically produced products to other markets and can earn foreign exchange for the country. Around $4-10

India Should Move Up The Value Chain

There is no reason why India should not seize the opportunity for a more formidable play in the international insecticides market by having its own patented molecules as it established itself as a world leader and a force to reckon with. All that is required is to have acumen for research and development.

Author Rajesh Aggarwal is Managing Director of Insecticides India Ltd.

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

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PLASTICS OPTICAL APPLICATIONS

INNOVATIVE PLASTICS IDEAS FOR OPTICAL APPLICATIONS Whether bio-based transparent polyamides or medically approved elastomers: The worldwide leading specialty chemical company from Germany, Evonik takes advantage of its expertise in polymer design to unite safety, function, and design in eyewear.

Innovative plastics concepts from Evonik unite safety, function, and design in children’s glasses

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Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

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two properties that are especially important in children’s glasses,” explained Huang.

“Our portfolio of high-performance plastics offers glass manufacturers an innovative variety of materials geared toward today’s trends in the optical industry—in terms of aspects like design, weight, or quality,” said Tina Huang from Evonik’s consumer goods market segment.

Another grade of VESTAMID® Care ME is the material of choice for the temple elements. This high-performance plastic is hard enough for the glasses to sit well, yet at the same time feels pleasant against the skin. The material makes it possible to avoid the use of metal for connecting the temple arms to the front of the frame, and allows for child-appropriate temple designs that can be changed with very little effort. The use of a medically approved product class rules out the possibility of irritation or other allergic responses in sensitive children’s skin.

hey’re lightweight, colorful, and absolutely safe: a cute colorful pair of children’s glasses. A sophisticated combination of materials—TROGAMID® Terra, a transparent, microcrystalline biopolyamide, and VESTAMID® Care, a medically approved polyamide 12 elastomer—from Evonik unites unlimited freedom in design with uncompromising safety and health.

Specialists in polymer design The outer frame of the children’s glasses is made of TROGAMID® Terra. This biopolymer is manufactured from up to 50 percent renewable raw materials, such as palm kernel and coconut oils. Its rigidity, low weight, and considerable resistance to abrasion, heat, and chemicals are what makes the plastic so impressive.

The inner frame and nose pads of these glasses were designed with VESTMID® Care ME, a polyether block amide (PEBA) that weighs very little and is unusually soft to the touch, which maximizes comfort for the wearer. “When we selected the materials, we switched over to a medical product class, because we also wanted the inner frame of the glasses to prevent injury and slippage—

Evonik makes eyewear “purple” – the color of the year 2018 Its over 50 years of experience that makes Evonik a leader in the development and manufacture of high-performance plastics for optical applications. Using its TROGAMID® for example, Evonik makes eyewear “purple” – the color of the year 2018.

However, the provocative color has become increasingly perceived since the American Pantone Color Institute announced “ultra violet” as the trend color of the year 2018. Evonik follows new ideas presenting its TROGAMID®, a permanently transparent polyamide which is light, strong, and easy to color - not only “purple”.

Using its TROGAMID®, Evonik makes eyewear “purple” – the color of the year 2018 TROGAMID® T5000, an amorphous polyamide with a transparency of 90 percent, is an ideal material for optical manufacturers. Compared to other transparent polyamides, the high-performance polymer offers higher recovery and rigidity.

Moreover, the material is especially suitable for manufacturing thin frames and semi-rimless eyewear frames, which can significantly reduce the frame weight without affecting material performance.

This in turn greatly improves wearing comfort.

Lighter, stronger and more efficient

A frame revolution for sport glasses TROGAMID® also is the material of choice for sport glasses.

Evonik’s transparent polyamide is considered to be the ideal replacement for already established materials by means of its improved wearing experience and enduring style.

Suitable sport equipment not only symbolizes the fashion but also brings comfort and convenience to the consumers. Sport enthusiasts are always looking for the lighter sport equipment.

Lightweight design is particularly relevant for the optical industry.

The high strength and rigidity of TROGAMID® T5000 enables the production of thinner and lighter eyewear frames. Additionally, TROGAMID® T5000 is more resilient than heavier conventional frames, which translates into greater freedom for designers.

Characterized with its lightweight construction, TROGAMID® CX9704 makes the sport glasses’ frame lighter than other materials.

Therefore, the wearing experience will be significantly improved.

Meanwhile, the advantages of TROGAMID®’s outstanding transparency as well as the easy processing and coloring give the freedom in design and guarantee the fabulous appearance.

While consumers tended to focus on aesthetics in the past, they now place greater emphasis on product quality and performance.

Optical manufacturers carefully consider material properties for their choices. TROGAMID® T5000 is characterized by its easy processing and coloring properties that save time and money for maximum efficiency.

Sand, dust, creams or sweat–sunglasses are exposed to a lot. Low temperature and tough weather condition will also influence the frame’s enduring performance. Manufactures were obsessed with these unsolved problems in the past. However, thanks to the excellent chemical resistance, TROGAMID®-based sport glasses frame is free from sun cream’s damage and assured with longer

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

15

PLASTICS OPTICAL APPLICATIONS

product cycle. In addition, TROGAMID®’s remarkable weathering resistance under extreme condition also offers the glasses more ductility but strong and enduring performance even under the extreme weather.

VESTAKEEP® PEEK for more wear comfort and less weight Innovation at Evonik with VESTAKEEP® PEEK supported the creation of the Plasteel Eyewear which is a lightweight & tough optical frame with a unique patented plastic rim lock design. The Eyewear weighs just 9 grams whereas traditional frames weigh as much as 23 grams, thereby offering the greatest wear comfortability.

In addition, Plasteel frames’ rim height can be designed to be as low as 1.6mm while the thickness at the temple can be as thin as 0.9 mm. The frames are ultra-strong and can sustain a 360 bending test without breakage providing performance & protection against broken eyewear especially in sport activities. With a patented plastic rim lock design, the frames allow prescription lenses to be mounted easily and eliminate damages associated with traditional

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Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

‘push through’ method. Plasteel inherits its excellent mechanical properties and performance from VESTAKEEP® Polyether ether ketone (PEEK). Evonk’s PEEK material is a high-performance thermoplastic polymer ideal for producing reliable & long-lasting components for use in the toughest conditions. It is characterized by its superior resistance to stress cracking making it suitable for injection molding very thin components. VESTAKEEP® PEEK has a high energy absorption and its ductile behavior can prevent any premature deformation and cracks in the frames.

Furthermore, VESTAKEEP® PEEK has excellent biocompatibility and biostability due to the polymers’ high chemical resistance and thermal stability.

Its over 50 years of experience make Evonik a leader in the development and manufacture of high-performance plastics for a variety of applications. In addition to PA 12, PEBA, and PEEK, the specialty chemicals company also offers its “Terra” product line of biopolyamides, which closes the gap in the spectrum of polyamide properties that could previously be attained.

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EXPERT VIEWPOINT PAINTS & COATINGS

Abhijit Roy, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Berger Paints India Ltd delves into the growth factors and trends that will drive the paints & coatings industry. Roy is also the President of The Indian Paint Association (IPA).

BY SHIVANI MODY Global trends and future of things in paints & coatings industry.

SMARTER, GREENER APPROACH TO COATINGS

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Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

The paints & coatings industry is expected to enjoy a sustained period of growth over the course of the coming five years with the AsiaPacific region spearheading this growth. In India, the government has focused attention, efforts and funding on the affordable housing sector and on smart cities, both of which are driving growth in an inherently buoyant realty sector. Automotive OEM coatings are also expected to drive significant volumes in the coming days. We will witness an accelerated development of innovative coatings addressing various customer needs. This will include low-VOC, water-based green coatings, paints that enjoy heightened ease of application, energy efficient coatings and intumescent coating among others.

Trends in industrial coatings.

Water based coatings are gaining popularity day by day in industrial coating sector due to environmental regulations. In India, these are gaining importance in line with global trends though cost and ease of application are the key challenges for its growth. Considering ease of application is one of the major requirements for decorative as well as industrial coating sector, new application techniques have been incorporated resulting in faster application and minimizing of loss.

Developing sustainable coating systems with longer service life, irrespective of the area of application will be the key challenge for coating manufacturers to reduce the maintenance cost.

Coatings trends in automotive, construction, heavy engineering, agricultural equipment and barrel & container industry in Asia Pacific and India.

Manufacturers in Asia Pacific and India are competing on the world stage and are demanding cutting edge solutions while retaining a value for money mindset. Some trends that we see include: •

The demand in the protective coating VOC-high DFT products

sectors is for low

•

The thrust in the industrial coating sector is on coatings that will improve productivity while reducing input cost.

Demands for paints & coatings from the end user industries.

End user industries demand lower material costs, energy savings, improved productivity with a quick return to service and prolonged service life. Paints and coatings manufacturers around the world, including India, are working on various fronts to cater to such requirements. Heavy metal free coating systems are being developed that have improved workability under variable application temperature and humidity.

Incorporating Industry 4.0 and technology advancement in coatings industry.

We are losing about 3.5 percent of our GDP because of lack of knowledge of Corrosion Mitigation Technique. The coating industry can be immensely benefited by utilizing various technological advancement in paint & coating technology. We at Berger are now looking for longer life with easy application, faster production, wide tolerance and ecofriendly solution which are based on our in-house technology.

Use of automatic painting tools can also lead to lesser paint consumption. This can minimize environmental impact. Most of the OEM lines are already converted to robotic application.

Approaching corrosion issue by various industries.

Some estimates place the Global Cost of Corrosion at $2.5 Trillion, which is equivalent to 3.4 percent of the Global GDP. By using available corrosion control practice, it is estimated that savings of between 15 percent and 35 percent of the cost of corrosion could be realized. This constitutes savings of astronomical proportion.

Some of the ways in which corrosion can be mitigated are:1) Conducting of periodic corrosion audit and a maintenance schedule.

2) Selection of painting system based on the actual exposure

and failure mode with proper workmanship 3) Use of Cathodic Electro-deposition coating with high edge

corrosion as priming system for automotive sector.

Challenges faced by coatings manufacturers.

India is a large market and a complex one. It offers tremendous opportunities and also throws up certain challenges.

The coatings industry in India has been faced with its own set of challenges:-

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

1. We believe that the inordinately high GST rate of 28 percent on paints as a result of clubbing it with luxury goods is curbing demand in a market that has a low per capita consumption compared to economies we are competing with.

2. While most paints & coatings factories are moving towards zero discharge, they are still categorized under the Red Category by the environment department. As a result, setting up of new factories is a cumbersome process with permissions from environmental authorities taking time. This slows the pace of growth in the industry.

Insight into company’s industrial coatings business in Asia Pacific and India.

We are the market leader in India in the protective coatings segment. In the Automotive & General Industrial sector, Berger is the leading supplier to all leading brands in 2-Wheelers and Commercial vehicles. We are major player in general industrial sector covering manufacturers of construction equipment, barrels, fans, pumps, furniture, transportation and agricultural equipment.

Focus on R&D and innovation in coatings segment.

Berger Paints R&D Division was the first of its kind in India and was recognized by the Department of Scientific Research, Govt. of India in 1976. Over 70 qualified technologists share their knowledge and thoughts for continuous innovation to make it a world class R&D aligned to customer’s need and global technological changes resulting growth of company’s existing and future business.

Some of the recent development focus has been on: 1)

Development of advanced resins and emulsion required for future products

2) Research on high abrasion resistant and dust repellant coatings 3) Water based low VOC products 4) Direct to metal coatings 5) Coatings that render energy saving and reduce emission.

Having an edge over peers in the coatings industry.

Our attention is always on the consumer and the team works with them to identify and resolve pain points. Thrust has always been on innovation in developing solutions. As a result, Berger has done pioneering work in segments ranging from automatic painting tools to differentiated decorative products like Weathercoat Anti Dust and Easy Clean which have gained huge acceptance among consumers. Certain rich colors for 2-wheeler industry have become the talk of the town. Our capability lies in developing value for money products based on sound research and in-house technology.

Incorporating sustainability in coatings solutions.

Berger as a company is focused on making sustainable coating solutions with emphasis on the following approach:1)

Water borne systems for VOC reduction while meeting environmental regulations.

2) High performance coating for longer service life 3) SMART coating for tailor made solutions

19

EXPERT VIEWPOINT POLYMERS

MAKING FOR A SUSTAINABLE

POLYMER WORLD

Govind Khetan, Managing Director, Kraton Polymers talks about how consumer demand decides the industry’s course of growth. He also points out that sustainability is driving the need for safer, healthier, environmentallyfriendly products in the polymer industry today.

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Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

BY SHIVANI MODY Trends and development in polymers industry.

biobased, renewable materials to meet new sustainability initiatives and mandates.

Styrene block copolymers (SBC) continue to be the largest consumed product in the thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) market, providing high performance polymers in various markets. Paving and roofing are expected to grow as consumer preference for customized homes continues to rise.

Furthermore, consumer demand for sustainability is driving the need for safer, healthier, environmentally-friendly products. Therefore, raw material suppliers like Kraton are becoming a more essential part of the value chain to ensure the delivery of sustainable end-use products.

Demands in developed and emerging markets.

Growth potential for polymers in Asia Pacific and India.

We believe that India will grow above global GDP. The high population growth in the region will demand more sustainable, innovative solutions to replace aging infrastructure. Kraton’s HiMA technology can play an important role in the development of durable, cost-effective roads to help reduce expenses related to maintenance, construction delays and traffic problems. We expect the Asia Pacific region may also experience similar trends to India as demand for sustainable, more durable infrastructure continues to grow globally.

Future of things for the SBC industry.

Continued light weighting efforts in the automotive, purity and safety in medical, and higher durability performance in paving and roofing are some key trends that we are paying attention to. Furthermore, we expect to see growth in several industries including paving and roofing, adhesives and sealants and wire and cable – all of which Kraton is a key player in.

Demands from end users of plastics & polymers products.

In certain markets, such as India, we are noticing higher demand in the paving and construction industry for more durable, sustainable, safe materials. In Europe, where there is a high focus on environmental impact, there is an increasing need for

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

In developed markets, there is a deeper concentration on risks assessment, such as reducing levels of residuals and the impact they have on end-use products, such as health and safety. In emerging markets, we’re seeing regulations around chemical control, food contact and medical device as well as the development of chemical control types of regulations, such as the implementation of the Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication. All of these demands are opportunities for Kraton given our innovation capabilities in meeting these requirements for enhanced safety, purity and durability.

Overview on company’s polymers business in Asia Pacific and India.

We recently launched Highly Modified Asphalt (“HiMA”) in India, and have seen several successes. For example, HiMAbased asphalt was used as an alternative to mastic asphalt on several sections of Mumbai’s expressway – some of which are the busiest roads in the city. We expect these sections will act as technology demonstrators in India, so formulators will continue to look at HIMA for specifying roads in the future. Across the Asia Pacific region, we notice the local government’s increasing focus on creating new infrastructure with an emphasis on solutions that provide long-term stability. We see a need to bring advanced technologies, such as HiMA, to the region and work together with all elements of the value chain to promote those benefits and address regional needs.

R&D and innovation focus.

As a leading global producer of SBC and pine chemicals, we are continuously developing and advancing innovations for our key markets. Regardless of application area, our approach to innovation involves developing a thorough understanding of the problem and determining how

innovation tools can best deliver solutions to our customers. For example, we recently unveiled the Kraton Injection Molded Soft Skin (IMSS) technology, which enables the molding of large thin wall soft skin product designs. This capability opens the automotive market to larger applications like door panels, consoles and instrument panels as thin as 0.8mm. It allows manufacturers to achieve vehicle weight reduction, safety and manufacturing efficiency – all from a single technology.

Challenges faced by polymers manufacturers.

In some industries like paving, specification time can be extensive and lengthy including gaining technical approval from laboratory results and full-scale experiments to prove the benefits our technologies. To help expedite that timeframe, we work with customers and agencies on the specification process and provide evaluation reports by third-parties, such as universities and research institutes.

Having an edge over others in the industry.

We invest in new markets and work closely with customers to create custom solutions that their specific needs are. Our insights and expertise in key markets, regulations and technologies enable our customers to stay ahead of the curve and develop highperformance innovations.

Meeting industry standards for sustainability.

Kraton focuses on innovations that deliver product performance and sustainability.

In fact, approximately half of our product portfolio is made from biobased materials.

In the paving industry, our SYLVAROAD RP1000 Performance Additives, based on pine chemicals, enables asphalt recycling and reuse up to 100 percent, while delivering equivalent performance to virgin asphalt. On the polymer side, our products enable more durable end-use products.

Our Highly Modified Asphalt (HiMA), an SBS polymer technology, enables higher resistance to fatigue and deformation for excellent durability compared to existing technologies.

21

GREEN CHEMISTRY Corralling xenon gas out of waste streams

Metal Organic Frameworks, with nanopores and a high affinity for xenon, can separate the gas from air or waste streams. Xenon has applications in various fields including lighting, space propulsion and medicine.

F

rom space propulsion to lighting to surgical anesthesia, the applications and needs for xenon gas are growing.

And the good news is that researchers are advancing the science to more easily remove xenon from waste streams and collect the low amounts of it found in the atmosphere.

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are at the forefront of research developing porous nanoscale materials to capture xenon. They report in the journal Chem, that inexpensive materials called metalorganic frameworks have been very successful in separating the gas in a way that may make it far less expensive than existing means of producing it.

Currently, industry uses a common but expensive process called cryogenic distillation to separate xenon from other gases or the atmosphere. In that costly process, a lot of energy is used to chill entire

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Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

gas streams down to far below freezing in order to concentrate the xenon.

“The process we’ve demonstrated to selectively trap xenon in a MOF can be done at room temperature,” said Praveen Thallapally, a materials scientist at PNNL and a corresponding author on the paper.

“You pass a mixed gas stream over the MOF materials just one time to capture the xenon and it can be stored long term and easily released for industrial applications when you want to use it.”

The paper’s authors note that xenon would likely be used more if it was more economical to produce. For instance, they point to reports that show xenon is considered a better surgical anesthetic than the existing technology as it is more potent, less risky, more environmentally friendly and potentially recyclable.

Xeon also has applications in lighting, flash lamps, arc lamps, radiation

detectors, medical imaging, research imaging with nuclear magnetic resonance, semiconductors, lasers, space propulsion, the search for dark matter and nuclear processing.

MOFs, while nano-sized, have a high surface area and are full of pores that can suck up gases like sponges suck up water.

There are thousands of MOFs that exist and can be created but each need to be tuned or optimized to attract and hold different gases of interest.

Researchers at PNNL, in collaboration with other research groups, optimized the properties of a MOF material called SBMOF-1 and demonstrated that it selectively traps xenon and, in a second pass, can also trap krypton, both of which are byproducts of nuclear reprocessing.

Much of this research is funded by DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy to explore technologies that may one day enable safe, efficient recycling of nuclear fuel.

New fuel cell technology runs on solid carbon

A

dvancements in a fuel cell technology powered by solid carbon could make electricity generation from resources such as coal and biomass cleaner and more efficient, according to a new paper published by Idaho National Laboratory researchers.

The fuel cell design incorporates innovations in three components: the anode, the electrolyte and the fuel.

Together, these advancements allow the fuel cell to utilize about three times as much carbon as earlier direct carbon fuel cell (DCFC) designs.

The fuel cells also operate at lower temperatures and showed higher maximum power densities than earlier DCFCs, according to INL materials engineer Dong Ding. The results appear in the journal Advanced Materials.

battery that’s about as thick as a piece of construction paper. A larger square is 10 centimeters on each side. The fuel cells can be stacked on top of one another depending on the application.

The technology has the potential for improved utilization of carbon fuels, such as coal and biomass, because direct carbon fuel cells produce carbon dioxide without the mixture of other gases and particulates found in smoke from coal-fired power plants, for example.

The advanced DCFC design has already attracted notice from industry. Ding and his colleagues are partnering with Salt Lake City-based Storagenergy Inc, to apply

for a Department of Energy Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)-Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Funding Opportunity. A Canadian energyrelated company has also shown interest in these DCFC technologies.

Idaho National Laboratory is one of the US Department of Energy’s national laboratories. The laboratory performs work in each of DOE’s strategic goal areas: energy, national security, science and environment. INL is the nation’s leading center for nuclear energy research and development. Day-to-day management and operation of the laboratory is the responsibility of Battelle Energy Alliance.

Whereas hydrogen fuel cells (eg, proton exchange membrane (PEM) and other fuel cells) generate electricity from the chemical reaction between pure hydrogen and oxygen, DCFCs can use any number of carbon-based resources for fuel, including coal, coke, tar, biomass and organic waste.

“You can skip the energy-intensive step of producing hydrogen,” Ding said. But earlier DCFC designs have several drawbacks.

Also, they aren’t able to effectively utilize the carbon fuel.

Ding and his colleagues addressed the challenges by designing a true direct carbon fuel cell that’s capable of operating at lower temperatures — below 600 degrees Celsius.

The fuel cell makes use of solid carbon, which is finely ground and injected via an airstream into the cell. The researchers tackled the need for high temperatures by developing an electrolyte using highly conductive materials — doped cerium oxide and carbonate. These materials maintain their performance under lower temperatures.

Next, they increased carbon utilization by developing a 3-D ceramic textile anode design that interlaces bundles of fibers together like a piece of cloth. Finally, the researchers developed a composite fuel made from solid carbon and carbonate. “At the operating temperature, that composite is fluidlike,” Ding said. “It can easily flow into the interface.”

The molten carbonate carries the solid carbon into the hollow fibers and the pinholes of the anode, increasing the power density of the fuel cell. The resulting fuel cell looks like a green, ceramic watch

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

23

GREEN CHEMISTRY Researchers discover new method to harvest ‘green’ sunscreen ingredient

W

ith spring break only weeks away, many Americans will apply sunscreen to protect against the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation. Now, scientists at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy have identified a new method to harvest a key ingredient responsible for making the product more environmentally friendly.

By pushing the discovery to commercialization, UF researchers hope to make ‘green’ sunscreens more available, reducing dependence on oxybenzone- and octinoxate-based sunscreens.

These harmful chemicals accumulate in aquatic environments; they’re toxic to marine life and potentially disrupt the human reproductive system.

The researchers found a more efficient way to harvest the UVabsorbing amino acid known as shinorine, which marine organisms like cyanobacteria and macroalgae produce. The conventional method extracts shinorine from red algae, which takes as long as a year to grow and has a long processing time.

The new method reduces harvesting time to less than two weeks.

Principal investigator Yousong Ding, PhD, an assistant professor of medicinal chemistry, and his colleagues have brought production out of the wild and into the laboratory, where they have much more control.

Researchers selected a strain of freshwater cyanobacteria, Synechocystis, as a host cell for shinorine expression because it grows quickly, and it’s easy for scientists to modify its genes. Next,

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Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

they mined the genes responsible for the synthesis of shinorine from a native producer, the filamentous cyanobacterium Fischerella.

The researchers inserted these genes into Synechocystis. Using this method, they produced 2.37 milligrams of shinorine per gram of cyanobacteria, which is comparable to the conventional method’s yield.

“This is the first time anyone has demonstrated the ability to photosynthetically overproduce shinorine,” Ding said.

The production method researchers discovered has broader applications for the production of other known cyanobacterial products and could expedite the process of turning cyanobacterial genomes into potential new drug leads.

Researchers secondarily confirmed that the shinorine they harvested through the new method protects cells from UV rays.

In the other cells, shinorine acted as sunscreen against UV-B light, which helped the cells live and grow better.

The American Chemical Society’s peer-reviewed journal, ACS Synthetic Biology, published findings from Ding’s shinorine study. Other University of Florida researchers participating in the study included Guang Yang PhD, Monica Cozad, Destin Holland, Yi Zhang and Hendrik Luesch, PhD, a professor and chair of medicinal chemistry and the Debbie and Sylvia DeSantis Chair in Natural Products Drug Discovery and Development.

Paints and varnishes based on potato starch

I

f a surface has to be protected against corrosion, in 80 percent of all cases this takes place through coating it with paints or varnishes. When doing so, the proportion of bio-based, environmentally-friendly solutions is extremely small. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP, in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA, are looking to close this gap and are developing a cost-effective coating based on renewable raw materials. The focus of the research is on potato starch.

Climate change, finite resources, increasing burdens on the environment means that more and more industries are focusing on sustainable production. And this is also the case in the production of coatings such as paints and varnishes. In Germany alone, 100,000 tonnes of coating materials for protection against corrosion are produced every year. However, in the past, paints and varnishes with bio-based binders or film formers have usually been too expensive or could not meet the requirements.

But through the use of modified starch, scientists at the Fraunhofer IAP have found a way which even in this field makes sustainable and cost-effective solutions possible.

“Until now, traditional industrial fields of application of starch have been the paper/ corrugated cardboard and adhesives industries,” said Christina Gabriel, a scientist at the Fraunhofer IAP in PotsdamGolm. At the center of the research is the coating of metals for indoor use, for example aluminum, which can be used, eg for fire doors, computer housings or window frames.

From potato starch to film former The use of starch as the main component of paints and varnishes posed various challenges to the Fraunhofer experts. The solution by the Potsdam scientists involves an initial degradation step of the starch in order to improve its solubility in water and the subsequently associated solids content of the starch in water, as well as its film forming ability. However, in order to produce a starch-based coating material, which is comparable with a conventional coating, this is not yet sufficient, as although the film former should initially be soluble or dispersible in water, the coating must subsequently no longer dissolve in water.

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

The starch must therefore be modified further. This takes place by way of a chemical process known as esterification.

The resulting starch esters are dispersible in water, form continuous films and have very good adhesive properties on glass and aluminum surfaces. In cooperation with the Fraunhofer IPA, the esterified starch is then “crosslinked” through which the sensitivity of the coating to water is reduced further.

how the coating reacts to water and how resistant it is under extreme conditions.

The stability tests to check the long-term stability are then also carried out at the Fraunhofer IPA. In the tests, the coated materials are exposed to rapidly changing temperature cycles in a time-compressed form to simulate the change from day to night and the course of the seasons. In addition, the test objects are exposed to electrolyte-enriched water in order to see

“Apart from the already tested aluminum, two other important metals, steel and galvanized steel, are to be tested” stated Gabriel. “Our investigations show that with its good film forming and very good adhesion properties on various substrates, starch esters have the potential to be future alternatives to petroleum-based film formers in the coatings industry.”

Alternative to petroleum-based film formers In the next step, the resistance to corrosion and adhesion of the modified starch on different metal substrates is examined.

New “recipes” are also being tested, which are intended to optimize the properties of the coating even further.

25

SECTOR VIEW CORROSION PREVENTION

C

COAT YOUR RUSTING WOES

orrosion control is a challenge but not an impossible task. New age anti-corrosive coatings are the easiest and cheapest way to prevent corrosion.

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Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

BY DEBARATI DAS

C

orrosion is an inevitable part of any metal’s life cycle. Corrosion control is a significant challenge and expense to various industries resulting in compromised plant reliability, high replacement costs, loss of production and safety issues.

But it’s not an impossible task either. It is possible to manage, slow, or even stop metal corrosion by having a far-sighted approach to tackle this issue right from stage one. There are various prevention techniques prevalent in the industry including environmental modifications, cathodic protection, corrosion inhibitors and plating to name a few. However, Coating is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to prevent corrosion.

“It is estimated that the Global Cost of Corrosion stands at $2.5 trillion, which is equivalent to 3.4 percent of the Global GDP. By using available corrosion control practice, it is estimated that savings of between 15 and 35 percent of the cost of corrosion could be realized.

This constitutes savings of astronomical proportion.

Corrosion can be mitigated by conducting periodic corrosion audit and a maintenance schedule, selecting painting system based on the actual exposure and failure mode and by using Cathodic Electro-deposition coating with high edge corrosion as priming system for automotive sector,” said Abhijit Roy, managing director and chief executive officer, Berger Paints India Ltd. Corrosion happens due to various factors, when metal interacts with chemicals, gases, various other elements in the environment etc. Corrosion resistant coatings protect metal components against degradation due to moisture, salt spray, oxidation or exposure to a variety of environmental or industrial chemicals.

Anti-corrosion coating gives added protection of metal surfaces and acts as a barrier to inhibit the contact between chemical compounds or corrosive materials. In addition to corrosion prevention, these coatings also provide abrasion resistance, non-stick performance, improved toughness, dimensional stability, superior weathering resistance and chemical protection.

“Corrosion is a relentless and costly threat to the continuous operation of industry. At least one third of these costs can be avoided through the use of technology. It is important to use a protective coating system that will not only meet the requirements for corrosion control and governmental regulations but also offer other desired features, including appearance; resistance to mildew, marine fouling, or slipping; or reflectivity,” said B Ramakrishnan, ex-Managing Director, Akzo Nobel (High Performance Coatings).

Market Insight According to Grand View Research, the global corrosion protective coatings market size was $14.97 billion in 2015 and the market is expected to witness surging growth owing to rising demand from end-use industries including oil & gas, manufacturing, and automotive.

Anti-corrosive coatings for the marine segment is expected to grow at an estimated CAGR of 7.4 percent from 2016 to 2024 due to rising demand for large

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

27

SECTOR VIEW CORROSION PREVENTION capacity commercial ships. In the shipping industry, there is a growing demand from oil and gas tankers to prevent the cargo tanks from corrosion and scaling arising.

There is also a rising demand of corrosion protective coatings in power, chemicals, and wastewater treatment industries owing to improved resistance to chemicals, heat and UV light coupled with durability, strength and flexibility.

“The onshore oil, gas and chemical industries are some of the most demanding in the world, and they deserve coatings that can help them fulfill their potential,” said Miles Buckhurst, global concept director HPI, Jotun.

Asia Pacific is by far the largest market for anti-corrosive coatings owning to the rapidly growing industries including construction, automotive, shipbuilding, and manufacturing sectors. China and India are the top competitors of this region with rising investment in various industrial sectors. China’s demand for anti-corrosion coatings come from the burgeoning shipbuilding & repair and petrochemicals industries. Europe is also expected to witness a significant upsurge in demand due to rising investment by the manufacturing companies in expansion, improvements and R&D. Solvent borne protective coatings hold the largest market share. However, its high toxic nature and presence of high VOC content and higher flammability is expected to curb the market. On the other hand, there is a growing demand for epoxybased paints and coatings in production industries which is expected to drive the industry growth in the future. The shift towards epoxy-based coatings is due to its benefits of improved durability and toughness. Rising demand for no-VOC powder and fusion bonded epoxy products is also on the rise with demand from industries including pipeline construction and oil & gas. Demand for waterborne products on account of low toxicity and flammability and reduced emissions of toxic gases is also expected to drive the market. Environment-friendly waterborne products is also witnessing a fast growth in this segment owing to the advantages of being less toxic, improved air quality and brighter appearance.

Although there are numerous options for anti-corrosive coatings available in the market, different metal needs different coating solution to fix the corrosion problem. One should consider not only the type of metal that will be coated but also the method of application and environmental corrosivity while choosing the right anticorrosive coating.

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Market Trends Many companies are coming up with solutions to address every corrosion problem that the industry has. Some of the key innovations are as follows: Coating Application with MoistureTolerant Epoxy Systems: Giving contractors wider application windows for protecting assets in harsh environments, Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings expanded its Dura-Plate® Series of epoxy systems to add moisture-tolerant epoxies, including a low-temperature curing option. These epoxy systems can be applied over damp and medium flashrusted metal substrates without dew point restrictions. The low-temperature cure formulation allows for application at just a few degrees above freezing.

These capabilities significantly broaden acceptable application windows, which drives coating schedule efficiencies for both new construction and maintenance projects.

“Environmental factors can drastically hinder the progress of a coating project, not to mention increase costs. When humidity is too high or temperatures are too low, many coating operations have to stop,” said Steve Dickey, senior director, global product strategy, Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings. “With the Dura-Plate 301 Series, we’re limiting those work stoppages and extending coating application windows and seasons for a wide variety of projects, including offshore, marine, industrial, and infrastructure applications.”

The products are recommended for a wide array of applications such as new builds, maintenance, conversion projects, structural steel, water tanks, storage tanks, offshore structures, underwater hulls, marine vessels, decks, steel bridges, and water and wastewater assets.

Low VOC coating solutions: Aerospace industry has surging demand for corrosion-preventative coatings. PPG recently announced that it has qualified PPG CA7088 integral fuel tank aerospace coating to SAE International’s Aerospace Material Specification.

Formulated without chrome as an intentionally added ingredient, PPG CA7088 integral fuel tank coating is qualified to the specification for corrosion-preventative coatings as Type 3 – a chrome-free coating with less than 420 grams per liter of volatile organic compound (VOC) content. It also resists diethylene glycol monomethyl ether (DiEGME), which is added to military aircraft fuels to prevent icing, to meet the Grade 2 classification.The coating can help protect the interior of an aircraft’s fuel tank

against corrosion from fuel contaminants, such as water, salt water, aircraft fuels, hydraulic fluids, engine oils and dilute acid solutions, as well as DiEGME. “The qualification demonstrates PPG’s industry leadership in developing products that provide desirable environmental, health and safety qualities in combination with performance characteristics,” said Duane Utter, PPG global segment manager, military coatings and defense products.

PPG also introduced a new water-based industrial shop primer for manufacturers who need an economical rust-inhibitive shop primer for steel applications. With volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of only 2.8 pounds per gallon, Aquacron water-based shop primer meets stringent environmental regulations while delivering robust protection in corrosive environments. It provides excellent flow and leveling characteristics to create a smooth finish for steel fabrication, automotive racking, waste containers, industrial machinery, material handling equipment and other miscellaneous metal fabrication applications.

Better corrosion protection for onshore oil, gas and chemical industries: Given the rising demand from onshore oil, gas and chemical industries for protective coating solutions, Jotun- a global paints and coatings provider, brought out their Thermosafe range which enhances operational efficiency, cut costs, less maintenance and increase on-site safety. Thermosafe comprises five products created to suit specific extreme environments – including temperature ranges from -196℃ to 1000℃, thermal exposure, corrosion, fire, cryogenic spills and heat enabling better corrosion protection and reduced maintenance needs. The Thermosafe range features mesh free epoxy passive fire protection (PFP) solutions and thermal insulation for cryogenic spills, safeguards against a comprehensive spectrum of threats, from thermal exposure, to corrosion, fires and heat.

“We work hand in hand with our global customer base in order to gain an intimate understanding of their operations. That insight tells us that the shift to higher temperatures, to help optimize processing and productivity, requires a new generation of coating. Thermosafe is a direct response to that demand,” said Buckhurst. Corrosion is an issue which will always exist. However, technological advancements will continue to alter the way corrosion issues are dealt with.

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS SOUTH AMERICA

CHEMICAL SECTOR:

GEO-POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY AND ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN CONTINUE TO STYMIE MOMENTUM

BY ADITI YADWADKAR

C

hemical sector plays a vital role in the industrial growth of any geographical region. As the fallout of economic recession continue to ebb, global economic recovery is being supported by increased industrial production in the world. Although, the recovery is not consistent across the globe, many South American countries are still grappling with economic uncertainty. While the global chemical sector is witnessing an exponential growth, South American chemical sector is in a state of sluggish growth.

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Overview of Chemical Sector in South America According to the The International Monetary Fund (IMF), economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2016 was the third-lowest in past 30 years. While Brazil and Argentina are showcasing signs of economic recovery, a majority of other South American countries including Venezuela and Colombia continue to be in a deep recession. Needless to say, the broader economic

climate in South America is negatively impacting the region’s chemical sector.

In addition to the economic slowdown, political instability and unfavorable regulations have also thwarted growth of the sector in the recent past. The decline can also be traced back to the inadequate production and lack of competitive edge over the leading manufacturers in the region.

Economic Recovery in Brazil Central to the Prospects of South America Chemical Sector The Brazilian economy is recovering from the economic recession. Although complete recovery is still a long road ahead, the momentum in the market is likely to create growth opportunities. Being the largest economy in South America, Brazil remains central to the prospects of the chemical sector in the region.

A study published by the US Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration states that over $34.2 billion worth of chemicals were imported

by Brazil in 2016. Being an importer of chemicals directly reflects the inadequate and poorly-equipped chemical production facilities in the region. However, the study also predicts that, with the improvements in economy, there will be a marginal increase in chemical exports of Brazil in coming future.

Before the global economic recession, prices of minerals were high and so, the oil and mining industry in Colombia was flourishing. After the devaluation of the peso and decline in the international commodity prices, manufacturers in the Colombian chemical industry started focusing more on other industrial sectors.

Venezuela, too, is among those South American countries that are on the path to hyperinflation. Constantly falling GDP shows no signs of economic recovery in the country. Apart from the economic crises, lack of production facilities and sluggish growth of the oil industry in the country is impacting the performance of the chemical sector in South America.

On the contrary, improvements in the Brazilian economy are likely to shape the outlook of the South American chemical sector. As Brazil recovers steadily from the worst economic recession, the chemical industry in the country has become the 8th largest industry in the world, after France and India. Even though Brazil imports more chemical products than it exports,

the Brazilian chemical industry is expected to witness improvements in the production capabilities and exports with the help of increasing foreign investments.

Similarly, in Argentina, economic progress is underway, which is expected to prove beneficial to the growth of the South American chemical sector. Notable developments in the petrochemical industry in the country coupled with favorable government policies may provide an impetus to the performance of the chemical industry in Argentina.

International Policies Influencing the Regulatory Environment As an effect of the Paris Agreement and other developments in the global environmental regulations, policymakers are developing standards to mitigate the pollution caused by the global chemical industry. South American countries have adopted a heavy environmental regulatory agenda and imposed environment-friendly standards and regulations on chemical manufacturers in the region.

Most of the leading South American countries including Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Colombia are focusing on introducing appropriate regulation on manufacturing and distribution activities, and imports of chemicals in the region. The Brazilian Ministry of Environment has put forth the draft of the Industrial Chemical Regulation. The regulation can reduce the ambiguities in the chemical sector in the region. However, limited consistency in the extensive regulatory framework in the South American chemical sector may impact the growth prospects for chemical manufacturers in the region.

Volatile Geopolitical Scenario Continues to Impact Growth Geopolitical problems such as corruption and political instability in Brazil, Peru, and Colombia are as severe as the major economic slowdown in Venezuela. The socialist policies of the government in Venezuela are being blamed for the economic turmoil in the country. The complex geopolitical dynamics in South America are affecting the outlook of the chemical sector in the region.

Notable Developments and Market Opportunities for Manufacturers With the recovery from economic recession, as stated by the Brazilian Chemical Industry Association (Abiquim),

Brazilian chemical industry is witnessing a slight incline in domestic chemical demand. Yet, imports are expected to ramp up in the South American chemical sector in near future. While the global chemical industry is progressing on the grounds of attaining sustainability and digital innovations, South American chemical sector is struggling to expand local production capacities. A rise in the prices of energy and raw materials in the region remains the biggest issue that reduces the competitiveness of the chemical companies in South American countries. Nevertheless, lack of local players in the regional market may open a window of possibilities to capture the untapped opportunities in the South American region.

Key Company Developments Recently, the merger of two chemical giants in the market – The Dow Chemical Company and E I du Pont de Nemours and Company (DuPont) – received a positive antitrust review by Brazil’s antitrust regulator. The presence of the newly formed company – DowDuPont – is likely to change the dynamics of the market.

GTM, a leading distributor of chemicals and raw materials in Latin America, announced the acquisition of quantiQ, one of the largest chemical distributors in Brazil. Industria Quimica Anastacio – one of the biggest chemical distributors in Brazil and Argentina – declared that it is optimistic about the current Brazilian government. The company also revealed its plans to expand the company network across the Latin American region with the help of technical support from its partners and foreign investors.

As Brazil and Argentina are at a better economic position as compared to other South American countries, most M&A activities can be observed in the aforementioned countries.

Leading chemical companies such as AkzoNobel, Braskem, Evonik, Solvay, F. Heringer, Covestro, DowDuPont, BASF are likely to wait out the short-term turbulence to plan long-term growth strategies.

Conclusion Ultimately, the stabilizing macroeconomic environment in Brazil and Argentina is anticipated to open an ideal window of opportunities for manufacturers and distributors of chemicals and raw materials in the region. However, political uncertainty is likely to pose challenges to the growth of the sector.

Author Aditi Yadwadkar is Features Writer at Future Market Insights.

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

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INTERNATIONAL FOCUS US SPECIALTY CHEMICALS

OPPORTUNITIES DRIVING US

SPECIALTY CHEMICALS MARKET

BY SHIVANI MODY

T

he US and global markets have been and continue to be strong for the specialty and fine chemicals industry. For Society Of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates (SOCMA) member companies, which primarily sell into the performance, agricultural and pharmaceutical chemical sectors, 2017 was a banner year. Various sources pegged the year at a 4 percent growth rate. Anecdotally, numerous members have told us that last year was their best to date, and expectations remain high for 2018. As we near the end of the first quarter of 2018, below are a few perspectives on opportunities and challenges for the specialty chemical industry.

Innovation and Other Factors Driving a Strong Market for Specialties Specialty chemical manufacturers by nature are extremely innovative and entrepreneurial, and research and development of new chemistries continues to be a key component of their businesses.

In addition to the resurgence of key market segments strongly dependent on specialty chemicals and new project starts, other important factors are fueling this compelling growth, including the low price of natural gas.

Distribution channels for US manufacturers remain solid, and the regulatory environment is improving under the new Administration. Because of a more business-friendly environment, many SOCMA members and others in the industry are telling us that projects they have had in the pipeline for many years are now coming to fruition.

Jennifer Abril, President & CEO, Society Of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates (SOCMA), in a dialogue with Chemical Today magazine gives an insight into the expectations, realities and opportunities that lies ahead for the Specialty Chemicals Industry of the US.

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The impact of shale gas on the US economy also has been significant and is continuing to increase. Closer to home, one of the most significant new projects currently being built by Shell Chemicals is the $6 billion ethane cracker plant near Pittsburgh, PA. With these infrastructure improvements and a wider supply of feedstocks, companies are poised to expand their domestic advantage and increase their outputs.

Finally, mergers and acquisitions continue to shape the evolving chemical industry, with direct effects on specialty chemical providers. For example, mega-mergers such as Bayer and Monsanto and DowDupont will present new opportunities for SOCMA members who touch their sectors.

US Regulatory Landscape Improving Under New Administration Federal agencies have new directives aimed at eliminating burdensome and unnecessary regulations that impede businesses from succeeding. Under the Trump Administration, we are seeing agencies that govern the chemical industry, including the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), striving to be more transparent and working with industry to understand how various requirements impact the regulated community and whether there would be implications for the industry’s ability to remain competitive. According to the White House, the landscape is already improving.

They report that, to date, agencies have collectively eliminated an average of 22 regulations for every new regulation that has been brought to the table.

Nonetheless, challenges remain with implementation of the new iteration of the US chemical safety law, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). There were significant delays in approvals for new chemicals throughout 2017, and issues remain in the early stages of 2018. We, at SOCMA, know it is critical that EPA keep pace with the market. We are advocating for more timely reviews and more focused decision-making at the agency because we know these delays are having a direct impact on our members’ ability to deliver products to market.

More Opportunities for Trade with Asia Pacific Trade is at the very heart of why SOCMA was founded almost 100 years ago, and our specialty and fine chemical makers are key players in the global market. Recognizing the importance of Asia Pacific as a primary hub of raw materials supply, SOCMA has an interest in ensuring the industry has access to this important market. We feel that ample opportunities remain for

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

increased cooperation in the Asia-Pacific rim. Yet we are particularly concerned about the potential for the U.S. to pull out of the existing free trade agreement (FTA) with Korea. KORUS, as it is known, is broadly viewed by the chemical industry as a favorable framework. Short of KORUS, the only FTA in the region would be with Singapore.

For decades, companies that manufacture chemicals have voluntarily committed to a continuous performance improvement program for environmental, health and safety aspects of their operations. This program builds customer confidence, community trust and strengthens product stewardship throughout the chemical supply chain.

For these reasons, we are pleased to hear that President Trump is open to reconsidering the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and we would like to see even more efforts to foster multilateral, regional and bilateral agreements with key regional players like Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand and China.

Given these principles, when it comes to finding new business partners and raw material providers both within the US and in other markets, specialty and fine chemical manufacturers have high expectations. Companies are looking for suppliers that can reliably provide quality materials that will meet the regulatory guidelines by which they are governed.

Just as important is the need to meet the expected delivery timelines to satisfy strong and growing customer demands.

Finally, it goes without saying that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is also extremely important to our specialty chemical manufacturers.

Since NAFTA was ratified, the trade of chemicals between NAFTA countries has more than tripled, from $20 billion in 1994 to $63 billion in 2014. While we would like to see some provisions of the agreement updated, it is vitally important that re-negotiation efforts do not harm the fruitful existing trading relationship between the US, Mexico and Canada. For this reason, SOCMA is closely monitoring developments at both the political and working level.

Specialty Chemical Manufacturers a Model for Product Stewardship Research & development is the life-blood of the specialty and fine chemical industry.

With R&D spending often estimated at 10 percent or more, our industry is a working model for innovation and product stewardship. As an example, SOCMA is monitoring developing trends such as upstream bio-markets for raw materials, downstream growth in sustainable products, and the potential for increased uses of flow chemistry by the specialty sector, among others.

Also core to this industry is a fundamental commitment to safety. SOCMA members are constantly looking for ways to improve the well-being of their workers, local communities and the environment at large.

Challenges Facing the Specialty Chemical Sector The second half of 2017 brought a unique challenge for our industry. With three separate hurricanes hitting the southeastern US within weeks of each other, the industry at-large was reminded of the intricacies of the chemicals supply chain. When facilities in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas faced flooding and other damage, disruptions ensued while facilities looked for alternative materials suppliers.

Fortunately, most affected facilities quickly rebounded from these natural disasters, but the storms revealed the need for diversification as our industry continues to grow and expand.

These projections for continued demand mean that companies must have access to a qualified workforce. In-house training tools like SOCMA’s Chemical Operator Training Manual can help as companies onboard new employees. And in some instances, local community colleges are developing programs targeted to these needs. Yet the manufacturing industry, as a whole, is gravely concerned about finding future workers to staff their facilities.

That’s why SOCMA supports efforts with other manufacturing-based organizations to promote the viability of a career in the chemical industry.

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CORROSION OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

OIL & GAS CORROSION PROTECTION:

UNDERGROUND PIPELINE PROTECTION STRATEGIES

BY PROFESSOR A S KHANNA Introduction

Prerequisites To Pipeline Selection

In today’s world, production of various petroleum products, such as petrol, diesel, compressed gas (CNG), and several other hydrocarbons, decide the economy of a country. Pipelines are the integral part of oil and gas industry. After exploration of crude/gas from sea, it is transported to distribution terminal thru’ under sea pipelines and from this terminal, then the crude is transported to storage tanks, refineries and petrochemical plants, and the gas is transported directly to utilities such as power plants, fertilizer plants, homes, hotels and industries. Pipelines, therefore, are the essential component of the oil and gas production. In order to assure the safety of the people and environment, utmost care is taken, while designing, commissioning and operation of these pipelines.

A list of various steel formulations is given in Table 1.

Safety issues of the pipelines are directly related to the internal or external surface of pipelines. While the internal safety is directly related to the crude and gas quality and on the condition or preparation of internal surface to avoid issues such as drag which affects the flow of the fluid.

External surface poses even greater safety issues, mainly related to the corrosion of the pipe from various kinds of terrain.

Thus, transportation of crude/gas through pipelines today is a very big issue and has also become multi-disciplinary and with huge expenditure. In order to make the pipelines safe, metallurgy of steel, design of pipelines, internal flow characteristics of the fluid, health monitoring, maintenance, corrosion management and pipeline integrity, are involved.

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Corrosion Problem In Pipeline Corrosion cannot be completely avoided but can be reduced considerably and the effective lifetime of the piping system prolonged if its cause and development are known and the piping system is installed and operated with this knowledge. The schematic of pipeline corrosion can be represented by the diagram shown in Figure 1.

As can be seen, pipelines suffer from both internal and external corrosion. Internal corrosion is due to presence of sulfurbearing gases such as hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, and moisture, which is entrapped as brine from the sea. The usual rule of thumb is that the internal coatings are applied only if the crude/gas is sour in nature (its hydrogen sulfide concentration is more than 500 ppm). Otherwise, the internal corrosion is usually tackled by addition of inhibitors, either continuously or in a batch process.

The main problem is the protection of external surface, mainly due to the corrosive nature of the soil. Ordinary steel with several compositions, shown in Table 1, shows severe corrosion, general corrosion, pitting, or stress corrosion. One kind of serious corrosion problem that takes place is microbiological corrosion, which occurs due to presence of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). They convert sulfate in soil to sulfide, which attacks steel, causing severe pits. Thus, external corrosion is taken care of by a combination of a good coating and cathodic protection.

Selection Of Protective Coating For Underground Pipelines Coatings are natural choice to create a barrier for the corrosive environment in soils. Over the years, there have been different coating materials and formulations used to protect pipelines.

It is most important to note that the coating alone is not a permanent solution for the corrosion protection of pipelines.

To take care of coatings degradation in underground pipelines, an additional protection using cathodic protection is given. A total pipeline protection system thus includes consideration of steel quality, coating application, surface condition and treatments, design of coating, and cathodic protection system.

Pipeline Coatings Though there are many types of coatings that have been applied on buried pipelines, the three main coatings commonly used for pipelines are coal tar, FBE coating, and three-layer PE (3LPE) coatings.

Coal Tar Coatings Coal tar enamel (CTE) protective coating systems have been used to protect underground and subsea pipelines from corrosion for decades. Its ease of application, low cost, compatibility with cathodic protection, and proven performance in the field for over 80 years make it a popular

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

choice of pipeline companies worldwide.

Its resistance to water absorption, hydrocarbons, soil chemicals, and bacteria is excellent. The CTE coating system has evolved into a sophisticated application of primers, multiple grades of plasticized enamel, and high-strength-resin-bonded glass fiber wraps. These improvements have resulted in a CTE coating system with greater bendability, improved handling characteristics, an increase in the temperature exposure range from −28°C to 80°C, and a lower safe handling temperature of −10°C [1]. The most serious drawback of CTE coatings is the emission of carcinogenic vapors during its applications. Many Western countries have completely banned the use of this system. In India, CTE is still being used sparingly by some oil companies. The most commonly adopted CTE coating system, in use within the country, is CTE applied often over a primer and at times with two or three layers of fiberglass reinforcements.

FBE Coatings Out of various organic coatings, epoxies have the strongest resistance to oxygen, moisture, and chlorides, which are important constituents of soil. Further, they are highly insulating with very low conductivity and high dielectric resistance.

That is why epoxies are the preferred choice where strong corrosion resistance is the main requirement.

The coating has good cathodic disbondment resistance, hot water resistance, and good flexibility (5° of pipe diameter) at 50°C. FBE coatings are thermosetting compounds, which, once set, cannot be remelted.

The most important requirements of the coating are surface cleanliness, proper heating, and sufficient cure. The first step is the blast cleaning of the pipe to Sa 21/2, followed by heating the pipe uniformly using an induction furnace [2]. This is followed by electrostatic spraying of FBE powder, which immediately melts and fuses. The temperature at the pipe surface usually ranges from 180°C to 210°C. A 350–500 μm coating is required from a pipe diameter of 8 to 36 in.

Multilayer Coatings One of the drawbacks of such a thin-coated pipe is its damage during transportation and handling. In the mid-1980s and in the beginning of the 1990s, two additional coating systems were discovered. The first was the 3LPE system and the other was the dual-layer FBE system. The purpose of both these systems was to enhance the damage resistance of the single-layer FBE

coating, described above. In 3LPE, it was achieved by the application of an extruded PE coating of 1500 to 3000 μm over the FBE primer layer of 100–150 μm. Since it is not possible to directly coat a PE layer over an already-coated FBE layer, an intermediate adhesive coat of polyolefin is made, which adheres primer to the FBE layer through its polar functional groups and to PE by its hydrocarbon groups [3]. The temperatures required to coat an adhesive layer and PE layers are, respectively, 220°C and 238°C, and the two coatings must be applied within a small time interval of 13–25 s (depending upon the pipe surface temperature).

In dual-layer FBE coating, an outer layer of FBE powder of different composition is applied over the primer layer [4,5] The purpose of the inner layer is to have strong adhesion to the pipe, while the outer layer is expected to be very tough to have high impact resistance. 3M made a coating system where the outer layer achieves maximum toughness because of the cellular structure of the coating. The method of application is very similar to that of a single FBE coating, and coating can be carried out in a single booth. The coating of the inner layer is generally fixed at 250 μm, while the thickness of the outer layer varies with the diameter of the pipe, 250 μm for 8–22 in. pipe diameter and 350 μm for a pipe of diameter above 22 in. An approximate comparison of various properties for the above three coatings is given in Table 8.3.

In addition to these three main coating systems, several other coatings are also applied on pipelines. For example, for hightemperature fluids, polypropylene coating instead of PE is used. Other coatings such as liquid epoxy, polyurethane, tapes and wrappers, and now polyurea are being used for underground CCP coatings. All these four coatings mentioned, though, are commonly used for rehabilitation jobs and girth weld rather than for new pipelines.

Protection of Pipeline by Cathodic Protection As discussed above, coating a pipeline does not finish the protection. Complete protection requires cathodic protection (CP) also. For a CTE-coated pipe, one needs a CP station after every 10–20 km; for an FBE-coated pipe, the requirement is one CP station after every 100 km; while for 3LPE, one CP station after 200–300 km is sufficient. The best coating requires low electric current to sustain effective CP. In order to maintain CP, one needs a

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CORROSION OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

temporary power station near CP stations.

The CP current requirement cannot be dependent on the grid power, especially for a country like India. In addition, regular monitoring of the CP station is required to know the health of the pipeline [6].

Field Joint Coatings The field joint coatings are the coatings that are used to join individual pipes, coated in the yard, just before laying them in the ditch. Such coatings are also called girth weld coatings as these are applied on the weld joint between the two coatings [7].

Since welds are vulnerable areas, prone to be attacked by corrosive species, they need to be coated with special care to enhance their resistance to corrosion while at the same time maintaining their compatibility with the main pipeline coating. Though there are many coatings that can be applied at field joints, such as liquid epoxy, elastomeric polyurethane, cold-applied tapes, and viscoelastic coatings [8], the most common and acceptable field joint coating is the heat shrink coating. Uniform heating is important to make an excellent coating.

References 1. W.R. Roder. Coal tar enamel the protective pipeline coating of the past, present and what’s new. Proceedings of the PIC on Conference, May 20, 2000, Canada.

2. Performance of FBE on pipelines at operating temperatures above 120°F. White paper prepared for Joint Industry Project (JIP) Committee on Alternate Design with Life Cycle Management, May 16, 2008. www.regulations.gov/search.

3. J.J.W.B. Cox. Three layer HDPE exterior pipelines coatings: job reference and case histories. Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Pipeline Protection, Oct. 29–31, 2001, Barcelona, Spain.

4. A. Kehr, M. Dabiri and R. Hislop. Dual layer FBE coating for pipeline. http:// alankehr-anti-corrosion.com/Technical%20Papers/Dual layer%20fusionbonded%20 epoxy %20(FBE) %20coatings%20protect%20pipelines.pdf 5. A.S. Khanna. Dual fusion bond epoxy coatings—versatile solution for underground pipelines. Chemical World, 2010, 52–54.

6. D. Wessling. Capabilities and limitations of techniques for assessing coating quality and cathodic protection on buried pipelines. Proceedings of the Cathodic Protection Theory and Practice Conference, 2002, Sopot, Poland.

7. J.F. Doddema. Self healing visco-elastic anti-corrosion system for critical infrastructural objects such as oil and gas pipelines. Paint Coating News, 2011, 7, 74–78.

8. J. Duncan and G. Friberg. The definitive field joint coating—is there or can there be such a thing. Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Pipeline Protection, Oct. 29–31, 2001, Barcelona, Spain, pp. 129–138.

To read the full interview, visit http://www.worldofchemicals.com/chemicaltoday/ digitalissue.html

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Author: Professor A S Khanna is from the Department of Metallurgical Engineering & Materials Science, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay.

CORROSION TECHNOLOGY FORUM 2018 7 TH, 8 TH JUNE | SHERATON GRAND, BANGALORE

Conference: conference@worldofchemicals.com | Reach us at: www.worldofchemicals.com Global Media Partner

Organized by ®

The Society For Surface Protective Coatings- India

CASE STUDY AUTOMOTIVE COATINGS

Improved paint quality thanks to EcoInCure by heating the body from the inside.

RESOURCE-EFFICIENT

PAINT SHOP FOR SKODA

FIRST APPLICATION FOR INNOVATIVE ECOINCURE OVEN.

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E

coInCure offers best possible topcoat quality and maximum process reliability by heating the bodies from the inside in combination with the innovative transverse mode of operation. SKODA will use the benefits of the new Durr oven in the future in the Mlada Boleslav main plant in the Czech Republic. Durr is supplying all the system and application technology, including the building, for the new paint shop. Production is set to start in June 2019.

But let’s stay with the oven for the moment: EcoInCure features nozzles with long throw distances that blow hot air into the inside of the body through the opening for the windshield. The flow velocity around the outer skin of the body during this process is minimal. This results in an undisrupted paint appearance with maximum quality. At the same time, optimum transfer of heat inside the body enables extremely homogeneous heating of both thin sheet and mass parts. The result is up to 30 percent shorter heating times with minimized thermal component stresses, which is especially important for drying electric vehicles and multi-substrate bodies. The heating concept of EcoInCure reduces the electrical energy requirement by 25 percent and regulates the drying temperature with previously impossible precision and speed. The exhaust air from the ovens is purified via the integrated Ecopure® TAR after burning system with heat recovery and then used for the oven heating system.

The entire plant including data acquisition, data evaluation, and plant monitoring is controlled by the Durr software solution iTAC.MES.Suite. The modular MES system provides detailed information on the production workflows and the consumption data at all times. For the first time, for example, Durr is using the electronic quality card for the drying process, which makes it possible to track the drying quality of each body.

Before the bodies are given their top coat in the painting booth, they undergo pretreatment (PT) and electro coating (EC). The Rodip E rotational dip process is used for cleaning and applying the corrosion protection. The rotation of the entire body optimizes the immersion, flooding, and draining process. This triedand-tested technology from Durr is already used to coat well over 10 million bodies worldwide each year.

The use of the RoDip E version with electric drive in PT and EC means that there is a separate drive for the rotation in each trolley in addition to the conveying drive. The individually programmable

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

trolleys enable optimized dip curves for the respective body, which results in better coating quality.

The latest Durr robotic generation is used in all process steps involved in painting.

From the primer to the base coat and the clear coat line, a total of 61 EcoRP thirdgeneration painting robots ensure efficient paint application. The exterior painting is done by the EcoRP E043i, the first painting robot where the seventh axis is integrated into the robot’s kinematics. Two or four robots are installed in each of the exterior painting cells. The stop-and-go painting process means that they do not need a rail. This enables a much better view of the booth, and eliminating the positioning axis significantly reduces the maintenance effort in the robot cell.

The interior painting stations are equipped with the six-axis robots of the type EcoRP L133i, which are mounted on a rail. The identically constructed EcoRP L033i model without rail is used for opening the hoods. The robots are assisted by Scara door openers. The latest Durr robot generation has a modular structure. The only difference between the six- and seven-axis models is the additional axis of rotation in the main arm. The otherwise identical components simplify spare parts management, save storage costs, and make maintenance easier.

The robots are equipped with the latest Durr application technology. The EcoBell3 atomizer series together with the associated EcoBell Cleaner D2 and the EcoLCC2 color changer delivers low paint and solvent consumption as well as fast color changes within the cycle time.

The third generation of Durr robots is controlled by the also newly developed EcoRCMP2 process and motion controller.

The control platform combines a multitude of sensors and actuators in the painting robot and the higher-level maintenance or control systems. An integrated interface makes the robot “cloud ready” and provides all relevant data for current and future requirements in the Industry 4.0 landscape. Even before the bodies get their layer of paint, the welding and gluing seams are sealed fully automatically. This ensures that no water can infiltrate into the vehicle interior later. Durr is installing a total of 19 EcoRS sealing robots with the latest application technology at SKODA in Mlada Boleslav. These robots undertake the task of sealing the seams from below, inside the body as well as at the roof seams.

Since the standardized EcoGun2 3D is suitable for all fields of application in seam sealing, only a few spare parts need to be kept in stock.

Gaps at doors, the hood, and the tailgate are sealed during this process. The fully automatic seam sealing also requires high precision, since the conveyor technology is subject to certain tolerances. Special nozzles are used for the hemflange application on closed doors and hoods. The entire paint and high-viscosity material supply for the painting and sealing stations is also supplied by Durr.

The EcoDryScrubber, a dry separation system with limestone powder as the binder, will take over the paint overspray separation in the spray booth. This system requires no manual handling as it is fully automated, robust, and easy to maintain, and requires no adaptation to different paint systems. This makes it ideal for high-volume plants such as at SKODA. An important point is the energy saving of up to 60 percent in the spray booth.

By completely eliminating water and chemicals, up to 90 percent recirculated air can be used in production. This reduces the cost of conditioning fresh air and is the deciding factor in the outstanding energy efficiency of the spray booth.

The performance of the EcoDryScrubber is further improved through the use of the new V5.X system software. It enables the system to be self-regulating. As a direct result, optimum use is made of the limestone powder for binding the overspray, thereby reducing consumption.

The use of the EcoDryScrubber has a special side effect in Mlada Boleslav: using the limestone powder in the paint shop is only its first use. The limestone powder saturated with paint can be used as a heating medium in the factory’s own generating station, which means that no waste is produced thanks to the dry separation system.

The dry separation system results in highly concentrated and especially efficiently filtered exhaust air. This enables a very compact air purification system, consisting of a highly efficient VOC adsorptive concentration system (Ecopure® KPR) with downstream thermal exhaust air purification system (Ecopure® TAR). The energy needed for the Ecopure® KPR system’s desorption air is recovered from the purified gas of the thermal exhaust air purification system. This reduces the investment costs for the exhaust air system by 60 percent. The energy requirement for exhaust air purification is reduced by 80 percent in this combination.

The plant is designed for a throughput of 30 vehicles per hour, and will be painting SKODA’s mid-range models from June 2019.

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CASE STUDY RETAIL AND SERVICES

COOL ROOMS ON HOT NIGHTS Insight A five-star Hyatt hotel in Pune, India, faced complicated issues when its water supply was abruptly cut off due to a municipal water shortage. The expansive Hyatt property includes 209 guest rooms, restaurants and banquet rooms. To maintain heating and cooling comfort for its guests and employees in the face of this cut-off, the hotel used treated sewage treatment plant (STP) water in its cooling towers. Using STP water in the three HVAC units created two problems: rising approach temperatures of the STP water necessitated more frequent condenser cleanings and more cleanings produced more effluent discharge from blowdowns.

Innovation “Hyatt asked for our help to maximize the reuse of STP water in its cooling water system while minimizing associated challenges,” said Vineet Pillay, territory manager India West, Nalco Water, an Ecolab company.

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Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

Hyatt Pune

Hyatt implemented 3D TRASAR™ Automation Technology for its HVAC systems to deliver the following results: Treated blowdown water with oxidizing and non-oxidizing biocides reduced issues with waste water discharge Consistent approach temperature helped to eliminate the need for quarterly condenser cleanings More efficient reuse improved HVAC performance

eROI IMPACT Water savings 1.8 million gallons of fresh water saved 4.8 million gallons of STP water reused Asset savings Maintained consistent approach temperature over a nine-month period

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Chemical Today Magazine | May 2017

INSIGHTS PAINTS & COATINGS MARKET

PLAYERS SEEK MORE GROWTH THROUGH CONSOLIDATION

BY VIR LAKSHMAN

L

ike most of today’s chemical industry, the paints and coatings sector is going through a period of major consolidations to support growth, increase efficiencies and gain greater leverage with suppliers and customers. In 2017, Sherwin-Williams, a leading US paint maker, agreed to pay a record $11.3 billion for its rival Valspar, and PPG made repeated attempts to acquire AkzoNobel before ending its pursuit. More deals are expected in 2018. The question is whether consolidation will remain a viable growth strategy for this sector in the face of volatile prices, anti-monopoly laws, nationalistic concerns, and other factors worldwide.

To protect and beautify When we talk about paints and coatings, it helps to remember that the two are similarbut different. Both paints and coatings are designed for protection, but the primary property of a coating is protective, while paints are also designed for color and visual appeal. Paints and coatings can be divided by resin (acrylic, alkyd, epoxy, polyurethane, polyester) or technology (water-based, solvent-based, high solids, and powder).

operations. A new process lowers cost, emissions and complexity by allowing the wet-on-wet application of a primer, base coat and clear coat, without any heated flash-off zones in between. Paints designed for the aerospace industry help reduce aircraft weight and improve fuel economy.

Specialty products include automotive refinishing and industrial maintenance materials that help keep machinery in working condition. Marine paints prevent rust and barnacles on ships and docks.

Traffic marking paints are used for roadway lane markers, parking lot striping paint, and airport surfaces. Graffiti-resistant paints help reduce the cost of cleaning urban buildings and infrastructure.

According to analysts at MarketsandMarkets, the paints and coatings market is projected to grow from $160.54 billion in 2017 to $209.36 billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 5.45 percent.

Addressing environmental issues proactively

Architectural products make up the largest segment of the paints and coatings market, about 45 percent. These are paint products, anticorrosion coatings, fireproofing coatings and other materials for use with residential, institutional and commercial buildings. They include both interior and exterior paints. Approximately 90 percent of all architectural coatings are now water-based, with the remainder solvent-based. Water-based paints are found by most professional painters and do-it-yourself users to be easier to apply and clean up.

Along with protecting structures and objects, the industry is also focused on protecting the environment. This includes developing sustainable and nonpolluting manufacturing processes as well as products that limit emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). VOC emissions in the US from architectural coatings have drastically decreased over the last few decades, even while the use of architectural coatings has increased over the same time period nationwide. The Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicates that releases by the paints and coatings sector decreased by 81 percent between 1990 and 2014. More than 90 percent of architectural coatings sales in the US are now for environmentally preferable water-based paint. In Europe, the auto coatings sector is supporting the emergence of water-based technologies, led by the efforts of auto manufacturers in response to environmental issues.

Industrial coatings account for 40 percent of the market and are used by the aerospace, automotive, consumer products, original equipment manufacturing, shipbuilding, and infrastructure supplies industries.

Other benefits from recent innovations include energy efficiency. Traditionally, 70 percent of the energy consumed in automotive OEM assembly plants is traditionally attributed to painting

In terms of applications, paints and coatings fall into three broad categories:

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These coatings can reduce friction or serve as adhesives. They can resist temperature extremes, prevent corrosion and guard against microbial contamination.

Reflective paints and coatings are needed for reflective markers and signs on roadways and airport runways. Fabric and wood coatings beautify products and help items to resist wear and stains.

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

Steady growth led by Asia

Currently, Asia accounts for 52 percent of the volume and 45 percent of the value of the global coatings market. Asia is also the fastest growing market. Rising population levels, more middle class consumers, massive infrastructure developments and widespread urbanization in the region have increased demand for paints and coatings for buildings, public infrastructures, individualized living spaces, automobiles, and a growing number and variety of consumer products. In 2017, the Asian coatings industry was estimated to have grown by 5.7 percent in volume and 6.3 percent in value. Not surprisingly,the largest coatings market in Asia is China, with 56 percent of the market and a value of $53.3 billion. The next largest Asian markets are India and Japan. Market growth in the US, Western Europe, and Japan will remain steady but at a slower pace, corresponding to the overall health of the regional economy. Overall demand from 2016 to 2021 is expected to increase at an average annual rate of 3 percent in the US and 2 percent in Western Europe.

Paint-on solar panels-and more Recently, a team of Australian researchers announced a paint that can be used to generate clean energy. The material absorbs solar energy as well as moisture from the surrounding air. It can then split the water into hydrogen and oxygen, collecting the hydrogen for use in fuel cells or to power a vehicle. Manufacturers are using specialized coatings to smooth the surfaces of 3D-printed parts. With most

Trends in paints and coatings M&A (2013-2017)

PE deals in paints and coatings (2013–2017)

3D printers, the printed parts typically do not have a high-gloss appearance, so the parts often need to be sanded or polished.

However, this approach requires access to specialized equipment and adds both processing time and cost. The application of a coating via spraying, brushing, or dipping is easy and relatively inexpensive, does not require specialized equipment, and provides the potential to not only smooth the surface but also impart added functionality to 3D-printed parts.

“Nanopaint’ is another exciting area of development. Metal nanoparticles are being used in the electronics industry to coat the surfaces of capacitors. And a coating made from nano titanium dioxide can make glass change color when exposed to light or help ensure that dirt does not accumulate on glass windows but simply washes away with the rain.

Drivers and challenges for consolidation Dow and DuPont, Bayer and Monsanto; and ChemChina and Syngenta-these and other recent mega-deals reflect the ongoing trend of consolidation across the chemical industry.

For paints and coatings, consolidation has become a long-term trend, especially in Western markets with limited organic growth. In North America, for example, the industry has been consolidating for decades.

In certain end market segments, fewer than ten players (and in some cases, five or less) control over 90 percent of the market. In most other North American markets, fewer than ten companies maintain at least 75 percent of value. Worldwide, however, the markets are still very fragmented overall.

According to 2016 data gathered by PPG, the global industry is led by ten companies, but approximately 50 percent of the global market is controlled by smaller companies, many of them at the regional or local level.

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

In 2017, the biggest deal for paints and coatings was the Sherwin-Williams/ Valspar merger. Sherwin-Williams has a prominent market position in architectural paint in North America, South America, China, Australia and the UK. In industrial coatings, the combined company will be a global market leader in packaging coatings, coil coatings, general industrial coatings and industrial wood coatings.

The other major transaction for 2017 involved Japan-based Nippon Paint Holdings Co Ltd, the fourth largest paint company worldwide, which acquired Dunn-Edwards Corp for $600 million. To date, Nippon has focused on automotive coatings in the US. This deal now establishes its architectural paints business in the region.

Successful consolidations can help paints and coatings companies to seize growth opportunities, enter new markets, improve capabilities, increase efficiencies through scale or improved processes, diversify their products, and rationalize their asset portfolios.

Commission for the Sherwin-Williams/ Valspar merger, Valspar had to sell its North America Industrial Wood Coatings Business because just three companies dominated its wood stains and sealants market.

PPG’s attempt to acquire AkzoNobel reflects other challenges, showing that potential deals are sometimes challenged by disagreements related to corporate culture, employee sentiments, national viewpoints, and other concerns that go well beyond the bottom line. In arguing against a PPG takeover, AkzoNobel stated that some employees were opposed to the deal and that the two companies’ cultures did not mesh. With concerns over the impact on Dutch jobs, a government minister added that the acquisition was “not in the national interest.”

Conclusion

In many cases, companies can find themselves squeezed between highly consolidated suppliers and customers.

Consolidation then becomes almost an inevitable step beyond a certain point in the business cycle.

New regulations, price fluctuations for raw materials and geopolitical uncertainty will continue to affect deal activity in the paints and coatings industry. A general increase in global GDP for 2018, perhaps around 3.9 percent, may increase the potential for organic growth by businesses as opposed to growth by consolidation. However, consolidations will remain a favored strategy by suppliers, manufacturers and customers across the industry.

However, challenges remain for a paint and coating company considering a consolidation. As with any industry,a seller’s market can turn into a buyer’s market before the deal is done. Antitrust regulations often come into play, especially for larger deals or sectors that are already highly consolidated. To win antitrust approval by the US Federal Trade

In many ways, it all comes down to the benefits of scale, including brand equity, purchasing leverage, pricing power, and production efficiencies. The desire for scale has driven significant consolidation among paints and coatings manufacturers for the last 30 years, and M&A will likely remain a key priority for global paints and coatings companies.

Author: Vir Lakshman is Head of Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals, KPMG in Germany.

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REPORT ENERGY EFFICIENT COATINGS

CONSUMER DEMAND FOR ENERGY SAVING PRODUCTS TO DRIVE MARKET

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Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

E

nergy Efficient coatings market size will witness significant growth during forecast timeframe owing to its increasing application outlook in automotive, electrical, construction, transportation and furniture industry. Growing consumer inclination towards environment friendly and energy saving products also should signify positive industry outlook driving product demand.

Global construction industry is expected to surpass $13 trillion by 2024 owing to rising urban population in emerging economies like Brazil, Thailand, Indonesia and Argentina. Increasing construction frequency of commercial buildings & skyscrapers along with growing demand for energy efficient & smart construction should propel industry growth. Energy efficient coatings lowers internal building temperatures preventing heat island effect driving down energy cost for cooling systems.

Europe automotive manufacturing industry sized to be over $1 trillion along with sales of over 17 million units in 2014. Energy efficient coatings find extensive application scope in automotive industry owing to stringent environment protection regulations pertaining to emission control & fuel efficiency. These coatings are used in rooftop panels to control cabin temperature increasing HVAC efficiency, translating into higher fuel economy and reduced pollution driving energy efficient coatings product demand.

Energy efficient coatings are also widely used in aerospace & defense industry to insulate exhaust systems, aerodynamic fairings, fire barriers, heat shields, suppression systems and nacelle fire walls which operate under extreme high temperature ranges. They offer to control operating temperatures by reduced energy loss, UV protection, improved performance and significant protection from corrosion under insulation.

Product range for energy efficient coatings are based on acrylic, epoxy, polyester & epoxypolyester materials. Epoxy based products are used in electrical industry as dielectric insulators for aluminum and copper conductors owing to its excellent flexibility, durability and adhesive characteristics. They are also widely used in construction industry which can be attributed to its low heat conductivity, excellent shock resistance properties, toughness and dimensional stability.

Manufacturing industry accounts to have large application segment of the global product demand powered by growth in manufacturing sector owing to various government initiatives like buy ‘American Hire American,’ ‘Make in India’ and ‘One Belt One Road’ strengthening energy efficient coatings industry size. Industrial machineries & equipment require high heat barrier layers to perform optimally under extreme temperature ranges, hence driving product demand.

Strong investments offered by manufacturers towards R&D in lieu to develop cost effective performance products along with strong

technological development in nanotechnology based thermal insulation should boost market growth. In February 2016, PPG invested over $7 million in coating innovation center enhancing its resources in laboratory and testing space. Similar investments made by other industry players to capitalize higher market share should propel energy efficient coatings market size.

Acrylic based energy efficient coatings should witness significant gains during projected timeframe owing to increasing demand for light weight, low cost, high tensility and transparency.

They are widely used in construction industry pertaining to prevent premature degradation of roof membranes and offering energy efficiency under immoderate climatic conditions. Strict regulations related to chrome free inhibitors and VOC reduction should further support industry growth. Yttria Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) based energy efficient coatings are widely used to coat piston crown owing to its highly efficient thermal barrier ability improving its emission and performance. These products offer high coefficient of thermal expansion, Poisson’s ratio, low thermal conductivity and stable phase structure driving industry growth.

China energy efficient coatings market size should grow significantly during forecast timeframe owing to its microeconomic model of highly fragmented competition between key paints & coating manufacturers. China coatings market size accounted to be over 7 million tons valued about $130 billion in 2016, further consolidation between industry entities through mergers and acquisitions should strengthen regional industry growth.

US energy efficient coatings market size will witness strong gains by 2024 owing to its solid application scope in aerospace & defense and construction industry. Strict regulatory regimes regarding emission control, energy efficient & smart constructions should drive regional product demand.

Epoxy-polyester based energy efficient coatings market size should grow significantly due to its strong application outlook in agricultural, automobile, electrical and heavy-duty equipment industry. They are widely popular for its shock & corrosion resistant properties. Polyester based product has moderate market share with its application scope in furniture and auto parts manufacturing industry.

Global energy efficient coatings market share is moderately concentrated with key industry participants including AkzoNobel, BASG, PPG, IGP, Berger Paints, Kansai Paints, TCI and Axalta.

Companies strategize to expand its market reach by heavily investing in product development and new product launches. They also concentrate on expanding their distribution network especially in growing economies through mergers, acquisitions, partnerships and collaborations, it also reduces their raw material sourcing risk & uncertainties.

Source: Global Market Insights Inc

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

45

REPORT INDUSTRIAL GASES STUDY

OXYGEN TO WITNESS SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH

© iGAS Technology Solutions Ltd

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Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

E

xpansion of various businesses coupled with a sustainable and efficient process is likely to ensure the growth of the global industrial gases market. Along with the increasing demand in the metal manufacturing industry, industrial gases are also witnessing rising demand from process industries such as oil & gas, food and beverages, energy, healthcare, electronics, and chemicals. Increasing environmental concerns and an introduction of stringent regulations regarding safety are also driving the growth of the global market for industrial gases.

Global market for industrial gases is likely to witness robust growth, registering a 7.7 percent CAGR between 2017 and 2025, as per the latest report. The global industrial gases market is estimated to reach $114.5 billion in revenue by 2025 end.

Rise in Metal Manufacturing & Fabrication to Boost Demand There has been an exponential increase in metal manufacturing in recent years. This has resulted in the increasing demand for industrial gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and argon.

New technologies being adopted by manufacturers for steel production is also driving the demand for oxygen. In order to increase the productivity and quality of metal, manufacturers are adopting the gas metal arc welding process.

Increasing investment in the automobile and aerospace industry is driving demand for metal fabrication services, thereby contributing towards the growth of industrial gases. The demand for high quality of oxygen is also growing in use in gas cutting to ensure a clean cut and high cutting speed. Argon is also witnessing an increasing demand for fabrication and manufacturing to use as a shield gas in welding processes.

Oxygen to Emerge as the Highly Preferred Gas Oxygen is one of the largest used gases across various industries including steel, chemical, paper and pulp, and other industries.

In the recent years, oxygen is finding increasing application in treating sewage and effluent from various industries. Oxygen gas is being directly dissolved in the water to clean polluted lakes and rivers. Manufacturers in the global industrial gases market are using cryogenic distillation to produce oxygen commercially in large quantities.

Rising Demand from Developing Countries Emerging countries like India, China, and Indonesia are focusing towards increasing production capacity in industries such as metals, chemicals, food and beverages, construction and healthcare. Hence, the demand for industrial gases in these countries is likely to rise in the coming years. Governments in various countries in the Asia Pacific region are also taking initiatives to develop alternative sources of energy. This is fueling the growth of gasification plants that consume a substantial amount of industrial gases. Technological advances and use of Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) technology by major metal companies in China is also driving the consumption of industrial gases.

US to Emerge as Major Contributor to market Growth A rapid rise in the automotive and construction sector in the US is resulting in an increased demand for industrial gases.

Moreover, the consumption of industrial gases is also increasing in the petroleum and natural gas industry. Increased focus on producing cleaner-burning fuels by refineries is driving the need for a massive amount of hydrogen. Industrial gases companies in the US are also investing on a large scale in research and development activities to develop improved and innovative methods to produce industrial gases.

Source: Persistence Market Research

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

47

REPORT PAINT ADDITIVES

©Nasiol

CONSTRUCTION, AUTO SALES TO BOOST

PAINTS & COATINGS MARKET 48

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

Industry Insights The global paint additives market size was estimated at $6.5 billion in 2016. The market is majorly driven by growing demand from industrial and architectural end-use verticals.

There has also been an increase in the usage of paints and coatings in the construction as well as the automotive sectors, due to favorable solvent properties.

Increased spending on construction activities and surge in auto sales, especially in emerging countries of Asia Pacific, is expected to fuel demand for paints and coatings, which will have a positive impact on demand for paint additives over the forecast period.

Raw materials form an integral part of this industry and the cost of end products is dependent on the cost of these materials.

Regional regulatory activities have a significant impact on raw material prices and availability.

Another crucial factor affecting raw materials is the crude oil market. Most raw materials used to manufacture paint additives are derivatives of crude oil, such as epoxies, polyesters, and polyurethanes. These products are used in a variety of applications, including wood and furniture, automotive, industrial, and architecture.

Growing need for environment-friendly paints and coatings that comply with domestic and international norms has led players in the market to invest in extensive research and development.

Development of low and no-VOC coatings is driving industry growth. Regulatory frameworks governing this market include the European Union (EU), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Regulations laid down by these authorities specify the chemical and physical dangers of various types of raw materials and general requirements for their storage and usage.

The growth of the paints and coatings industry is also highly dependent on economic growth of a region. While US, Japan and Europe are some of the more mature markets for paints and coatings, Asia Pacific offers numerous opportunities for growth. Mature markets owe their growth to higher demand in the architectural and industrial segments.

Product Insights Aluminum stearate, epoxies and polyesters are some of the key raw materials used to manufacture products such as rheology modifiers, biocides, anti-foamers, and wetting & dispersion agents, all of which are used as paint additives. These additives are used in a variety of applications in architectural, industrial, wood & furniture, and automotive sectors.

Rheology modifiers accounted for over 28 percent of the global industry revenue in 2016.

Rheological additives are key ingredients used

in inks, coatings and paints to control and adjust the properties and characteristics of fluid products. These modifiers reduce splattering and dripping of liquid products during application and are hence immensely popular.

Application Insights The architectural segment held the dominant share in the paint additives market. Architectural coatings are used in buildings and houses as deck finishers, roof coatings, and wall paints, and ongoing expansion of the building and construction sector across the globe is expected to propel demand for these coatings through 2025.

In addition, rising demand for green coatings to be used in interiors is expected to positively impact product demand over the forecast period.

Increased new home construction and remodeling projects in US and other countries is expected to propel demand for architectural coatings. In addition, increase in consumer disposable incomes has raised the demand for higher-quality, premium, and specialty coatings for both interior and exterior projects. This is expected to boost the market in the coming years.

Regional Insights Asia Pacific led this market in terms of revenue in 2016 and this trend is expected to continue over the forecast period. Additives are widely used in water-based paints and coatings. Waterbased coatings have greater elasticity than solvent-based ones. Growing demand for the former in various end-use industries such as automotive and construction has been observed in developing economies such as India, China and Malaysia. This is expected to positively impact product demand over the forecast period.

Asia Pacific is also expected to be the fastestgrowing market during the forecast period.

Rapid growth of the commercial and residential construction sector is expected to propel demand for the product over the forecast period. The expansion of the automotive sector is also slated to impact product demand. Improving standards of living, coupled with growing disposable income, has led to increased purchase of vehicles among consumers, which in turn, is expected to fuel the automotive coatings segment over the forecast period.

Market Share Insights Key players in the global market include AkzoNobel NV, Arkema SA, BASF SE, Evonik Industries, Ashland Global Holdings Inc, ANGUS Chemical Company and Buckman Laboratories International Inc. The presence of these players has intensified industry competition. Paint additive manufacturers have increased their production capacities over the years to meet growing demand from various application industries. In addition, a few companies have acquired other entities or merged with each other to enhance their product offerings and expand their global reach.

Source: Grand View Research Inc

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

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REPORT PHARMACEUTICAL PROPELLANTS

DEVELOPMENT OF VARIOUS DRUG

DELIVERY METHODS ON THE RISE 50

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

T

he advancements in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry, in order to meet the demand for effective ways to fight different diseases, have led to the development of various drug delivery methods – and pharmaceutical aerosols are one of them. Pharmaceutical aerosols are products that contain therapeutically active ingredients and are packaged under pressure, dissolved or suspended in a propellant and are released upon the activation of a suitable valve system.

These pharmaceutical aerosols are generally intended for application on skin, through nose, or mouth. Pharmaceutical propellants are one of the many components of a pharmaceutical aerosol system.

The pharmaceutical propellants can be regarded as the soul of an aerosol system, which develop and supply appropriate pressure to force the product to come out when the valve is opened.

The pharmaceutical propellants also act as diluents or solvents and usually define the characteristics of the product when it comes out of the container. The primary function of pharmaceutical propellants is to provide the necessary pressure, delivery and spray characteristics.

The proper vapour pressure characteristics of pharmaceutical propellants are highly recommended in order to work consistently with the other aerosol components. Within the aerosol container, the pharmaceutical propellants and product concentrate – including the active ingredient – exist in an equilibrium vapour phase condition.

As soon as the valve is opened, the pressure developed inside the container, mainly due to the vapour pressure of the pharmaceutical propellants, forces the product (active ingredient) to come out of the container. Depending upon the use and route of aerosol administration, different types of pharmaceutical propellants are used in a particular aerosol system such as hydrocarbons and compressed gases.

Owing to the rise in the usage in the pharmaceutical aerosols, the demand for pharmaceutical propellants is also expected to create fairly optimistic market

opportunities over the coming years, and their market is expected to increase at a significant annual growth rate over the forecast period of 2017 – 2027.

Industry Dynamics For a very long period of time, the healthcare industry could only provide drugs that are either consumed orally or as injectable. However, with the development of effective medication techniques, timerelease pharmaceutical and target area specific medication are becoming more common, though, complex. Researchers have found that the potency or medical effect of a particular drug remains limited or is otherwise reduced before it reaches the affected area in the body, and this is where the drug delivery plays its role.

The notion behind the development of novel drug delivery methodologies is to deploy the particular active ingredient at the specific body part within a shorter timeframe so that its effects can be maximized during the treatment. With the same view, the pharmaceutical aerosol system has been developed in which a particular medication can be deployed directly to the affected area in a desired form. Pharmaceutical propellants, being the integral part of aerosol systems, are also gaining the attention of researchers and scientists in the development of aerosol based drug delivery systems. Various advancements in the aerosol based drug delivery systems have been witnessed ie. in the technology, devices, formulation and application of pulmonary drug delivery systems, wherein, the pharmaceutical propellants are playing a crucial role.

The basic properties of pharmaceutical propellants include chemical inertness, non-toxic, non-flammable, and good vapour pressure characteristics. Various chemical compounds, owning to these properties, have been in use as pharmaceutical propellants, such as, chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) propellants, hydrocarbon based propellants and compressed gas propellants. However, due to the environmental effects, the use of certain CFC based and hydrocarbon

based pharmaceutical propellants are being regulated by various government and environmental organizations and manufacturers are focused to develop products aligned with the global trend of sustainability.

Market Segmentation The market for pharmaceutical propellants can be segmented on the basis of type and region. On the basis of type, the pharmaceutical propellants market can be segmented as following:

Liquefied Gases

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC)

Hydro Chlorofluorocarbons (HCFC)

Hydro Fluorocarbons (HFC)

Hydrocarbons

Compressed Gases

Nitrogen (N2)

Nitrous Oxide (N2O)

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Among regions, North America and Europe, collectively, are expected to remain the key markets for pharmaceutical propellants owing to their developed pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.

In terms of regulatory affairs, however, the market is expected to remain challenging for the market players. Market in Asia Pacific is expected to exhibit a sustainable growth rate over the coming years, while the market in the Middle East and Africa and Latin America regions is also expected to represent good signs of growth over the forecast period.

Market Participants Examples of some of the key market participants in the global pharmaceutical propellants market include Solvay, SRF Limited, Akzo Nobel NV, The Linde Group, Yara International and AlzChem AG, among others. Development of environment-friendly products and supplying them at competitive cost remain key strategic points for the market players present in the value chain of the global pharmaceutical propellants market.

Source: Future Market Insights

REPORT SMART COATINGS

HEALTH IMPACT TO RESTRAIN

MARKET GROWTH

52

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

Description The smart coatings market is estimated at $2.15 billion in 2017 and is projected to reach $6.27 billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 23.87 percent from 2017 to 2022. The growth of the market is driven by the increasing demand of many applications from end-use industries, such as automotive & transportation, aerospace & defense, marine, and building & construction mostly from the APAC region. But concerns regarding the impact on health due to prolonged exposure to smart coatings is restraining the smart coatings market growth.

Automotive & transportation is the largest end-user Smart coatings are used in various end-use industries, such as automotive & transportation, aerospace & defense, marine, and building & construction. However, automotive & transportation is the market’s most dominant end-use industry, driven by the huge demand for smart coatings for the protection of body hardware, door closures, lock parts, exhausts, suspensions, engine components, and clamps & hose connections against abrasion.

Rising demand from APAC is the major driver for the smart coatings market APAC is estimated to account for the largest share of the smart coatings market in 2017, in terms of volume and value. The market in this region is also projected to register the highest CAGR between 2017 and 2022, in terms of value. The APAC smart coatings market is driven by high economic growth and heavy investments in industries such as automotive & transportation, marine, and building & construction. Population growth, industrialization, and rise in the purchasing power of consumers (which leads to high sales of automotive vehicles) have led to growth in the manufacturing of smart coatings in this region.

Extensive primary interviews have been conducted, and information gathered from secondary research to determine and verify the market size of several segments and subsegments.

The key companies profiled in this report include AkzoNobel (Netherlands), PPG Industries (US), Axalta Coatings Systems (US), The Sherwin-Williams Company (US), Jotun A/S (Norway), RPM International (US), Hempel A/S (Denmark) and NEI Corporation (US).

Source: Global Information Inc

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

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ACADEMIC R&D SELF-HEALING

ANTI-CORROSION COATINGS

P

rotective coatings are used to prevent corrosion of metal and alloy structures such as offshore platforms, bridges and underground pipelines. However, this surface layer is at high risk of damage during transportation, installation and service. Damages typically occur at the micron level, making it harder to detect.

Researchers have demonstrated the ability for coatings to self-heal by adding reactive microcapsules. Microcapsules are synthesised to contain reactive core materials with self-healing functionality upon damage. Coatings that have been modified with the microcapsules exhibited excellent corrosion protection performance under laboratory and outdoor environments. The synthesised microcapsules are tuned to resist water or solvent, making them

suitable for coatings and paints of underwater structures. This technology could be applied to waterborne or solventborne paint systems, especially for underwater and underground structures that require heavy duty corrosion protection.

A prototype of the technology has been developed by Asst Prof Yang Jinglei from Nanyang Technological University. Nondisclosure agreements have been signed with companies in the paint manufacturing, commodity manufacturing and corrosion control sectors. The research team is now performing field testing and exploring scaling up of the product. This research is supported

by NTUitive Pte Ltd and funded under NRF’s Proof-of-Concept grant scheme.

This shows how the coating protects against corrosion and rust

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Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

COMBATING SULPHURIC ACID CORROSION IN

WASTEWATER PLANTS

W

astewater systems are integral to infrastructure in every community. The biogenic transformation processes in sewage and water treatment systems are a “natural enemy” of conventional plants, frequently causing damage to concrete and metal elements that is expensive to repair. As a result, it is not uncommon for wastewater systems to have a lifespan of under ten years, before they need to be refurbished or individual components replaced. Toxic gases such as hydrogen sulphide, also pose a significant health risk.

Writing in the journal Water Research, an interdisciplinary group of researchers from TU Graz and the University of Graz has outlined strategies aimed at preventing what is termed microbial induced concrete corrosion (MICC). The research team comprises two TU Graz staff members – Cyrill Grengg of the Institute of Applied Geosciences and Florian Mittermayr of the Institute of Technology and Testing of Construction Materials– as well as Gunther Koraimann of the University of Graz’s Institute of Molecular Biosciences. According to the researchers, there is often a lack of awareness of these processes.

“MICC often corrodes the conventional types of concrete used in wastewater treatment plants at a rate of a centimetre or more per year. In Germany alone, the economic impact of wastewater system repairs is put at around €450 million per year,” Grengg explained.

Microbial induced acid corrosion (MICC) in wastewater treatment facilities results from a sequence of biogenic sulphate reduction reactions, followed by reoxidation. Microorganisms

produce sulphuric acid which reacts with concrete construction elements.

“This leads to the vigorous formation of a biofilm on the surface of the concrete, a reduction of the pH value to below two, in other words highly acidic, and extensive formation of new minerals, mainly in the form of gypsum. The combination of these processes results in the rapid destruction of the concrete,” Koraimann explained.

The Graz-based scientists worked on a holistic solution using an interdisciplinary research approach.

In-depth research into the microstructural and microbiological processes was followed by the development of new MICC-resistant materials in close collaboration with the Institute of Construction and Building Materials at TU Darmstadt. In this context, geopolymer concrete proved to be particularly well suited to withstand acid corrosion. It prevented the formation of sulphuric acid.

“We achieved some very promising results with materials that have a far greater lifespan than conventional types of concrete.

Use of these long-lasting materials would allow operators to refurbish damaged wastewater systems, significantly extending their service life and reducing the financial burden on local government and wastewater associations,” Mittermayr commented.

The province of Styria provided financial backing for the research.

Microbial induced concrete corrosion (MICC) causes massive damage to wastewater plants. Researchers from Graz present a new solution against the sulphuric acid attack.

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

55

ACADEMIC R&D SCIENTISTS, YORKSHIRE WATER COLLABORATE TO

REDUCE LEAD IN WATER

Huddersfield Researchers Dr Taher Rabizadeh and Dr Jeremy Hopwood with testing equipment supplied by Yorkshire Water

U

niversity Of Huddersfield scientists and Yorkshire Water will combine to help reduce the traces of lead occasionally found in tap water. The university has been supplied with equipment from treatment plants, including rigs that mimic the lead pipes that connect to the mains in some older houses. The equipment will enable project leader Dr Jeremy Hopwood and postdoctoral researcher Dr Taher Rabizadeh to simulate aspects of domestic plumbing systems, and replicate the problems that can arise from the lead piping that still connects a large number of homes to the mains. A key aim of the project is to identify whether any further improvements can be achieved by changes to water chemistry to reduce exposure to lead. For their experiments and analysis, the two chemists will use both tap water and water that they have synthesised in the new lab.

The research is being funded by the utility Yorkshire Water, as part of its long-term strategy to remove lead where it can and minimise lead solubility elsewhere. They estimate around 900,000 properties around the region have some lead pipe associated with them. A key aim is to ensure compliance with the current legal UK limit of 10 micrograms of lead per litre. Also taking part in the research are professor Paul Humphreys and Dr Gemma Sweeney, alongside the utility’s Jenny Banks, John Haley and Stephen Coleman. One strand of the project will focus on the “particulate lead” that can be found in tap water as a result of corrosion in the lead service piping that links houses to the water main and within the property and

responsibility of householders. The researchers will also analyse water samples taken from homes across Yorkshire which reflect the range of water types found. A key area of the research will be an examination of the techniques, such as the addition of phosphate that are adopted by water companies to control lead solubility said Hopwood, but a region such as Yorkshire has different types of water, hard and soft, dependent on alkalinity levels and on the source.

“The aim is to develop a mathematical model, including factors such as alkalinity, which can predict lead levels, meaning that Yorkshire Water can review its current reduction strategies at treatment plants and these could be further tailored to the nature of the local water chemistry,” said Hopwood. Another important strand of the 27-month project being carried out by Hopwood and Rabizadeh is their investigation of the solubility of lead phosphate minerals.

Investigation of lead in tap water and the minerals that form internal coatings in pipes has been a significant research area for Hopwood, whose work for Yorkshire Water has included a Knowledge Transfer Project that ran from 2012 to 2014.

The new £305,000 project is the latest development and its findings will be of relevance throughout the water supply industry, especially as the World Health Organisation identifies that exposure to lead from any source should be minimised.

Left to right - Replacement of a lead pipe (grey) with a plastic pipe (blue); lead pipe showing the scale on the inside (brown); cross section of lead pipe

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Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

CLEVER COATING OPENS DOOR TO

SMART WINDOWS

R

esearchers from RMIT University have developed a new ultra-thin coating that responds to heat and cold, opening the door to “smart windows”. The self-modifying coating, which is a thousand times thinner than a human hair, works by automatically letting in more heat when it’s cold and blocking the sun’s rays when it’s hot. Smart windows have the ability to naturally regulate temperatures inside a building, leading to major environmental benefits and significant financial savings.

Lead investigator, associate professor Madhu Bhaskaran said the breakthrough will help meet future energy needs and create temperature-responsive buildings. “We are making it possible to manufacture smart windows that block heat during summer and retain heat inside when the weather cools,” Bhaskaran said.

“We lose most of our energy in buildings through windows.

Our technology will potentially cut the rising costs of airconditioning and heating, as well as dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of buildings of all sizes,” she said.

Smart glass windows are about 70 per cent more energy efficient during summer and 45 per cent more efficient in the winter compared to standard dual-pane glass. New York’s Empire State Building reported energy savings of $2.4 million and cut carbon emissions by 4,000 metric tonnes after installing smart glass windows. This was using a less effective form of technology.

“The Empire State Building used glass that still required some energy to operate,” Bhaskaran said. “Our coating doesn’t require energy and responds directly to changes in temperature.”

Co-researcher and PhD student Mohammad Taha said that the coating can be overridden with a simple switch. “This switch PhD student Mohammad Taha shows off the ultra-thin coating developed at RMIT.

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

is similar to a dimmer and can be used to control the level of transparency on the window and therefore the intensity of lighting in a room,” Taha said.

The technology can also be used to control non-harmful radiation that can penetrate plastics and fabrics. This could be applied to medical imaging and security scans. Bhaskaran said that the team was looking to roll the technology out as soon as possible. “The materials and technology are readily scalable to large area surfaces, with the underlying technology filed as a patent in Australia and the US,” she said.

The research has been carried out at RMIT University’s Micro Nano Research Facility with colleagues at the University of Adelaide and supported by the Australian Research Council.

The self-regulating coating is created using a material called vanadium dioxide. The coating is 50-150 nanometres in thickness. At 67 degrees Celsius, vanadium dioxide transforms from being an insulator into a metal, allowing the coating to turn into a versatile optoelectronic material controlled by and sensitive to light.

The coating stays transparent and clear to the human eye but goes opaque to infra-red solar radiation, which humans cannot see and is what causes sun-induced heating.Until now, it has been impossible to use vanadium dioxide on surfaces of various sizes because the placement of the coating requires the creation of specialised layers, or platforms.

The RMIT researchers have developed a way to create and deposit the ultra-thin coating without the need for these special platforms – meaning it can be directly applied to surfaces like glass windows.

New York’s Empire State Building made considerable economic and environmental savings once smart windows were installed.

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ACADEMIC R&D RESEARCHERS DEVELOP SAFER SOLUTION FOR

PAINT STRIPPING PRODUCTS

U

Mass Lowell researchers have developed a paint-stripping solvent that they say provides a safer alternative to the toxic, potentially deadly products available for purchase at local hardware stores.

A team led by Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) research manager Greg Morose, which included public health, chemistry and engineering students, developed a new paint remover that performs as well as products that contain the toxic chemical methylene chloride.

An analysis conducted by the Center for Public Integrity identified at least 56 accidental exposure deaths linked to methylene chloride since 1980 in the United States. At least 14 workers have died since 2000 while using the product to refinish bathtubs, according to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The vapors from methylene chloride can stop breathing and trigger heart attacks in less than one hour, according to public health officials.

“These deaths are preventable,” says prof Emeritus of Public Health and TURI director Michael Ellenbecker. “Methylene chloride is one of the most toxic and dangerous chemicals that anyone is using today.”

Dust masks and cartridge respirators sold in home improvement stores don’t adequately protect workers or consumers. Only a full-face respirator with a separate air supply, or exhaust

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Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

ventilation to remove the fumes, are sufficient, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and NIOSH. Through careful selection, testing and toxicity research, the research team identified three existing safer chemicals that, when combined in a certain ratio, remove most paint coatings within 20 minutes, comparable to the time it takes for products with methylene chloride.

“Consumers and companies typically require a quick dwell time, and we’re excited that we can offer this solution as a safer alternative,” said Morose.

The university, which funded the research along with TURI and the US Environmental Protection Agency, recently applied for a patent for the paint-stripping solution and is seeking companies interested in licensing it.

“We hope to partner soon with a company to get this new formulation onto store shelves,” Morose said.

“Since stripping paint requires highly active solvents, all paintstripper products have some level of hazard associated with them,” said Morose. “TURI is confident, however, due to our initial testing, that the UMass Lowell formulation is much safer than paint strippers containing methylene chloride. After our final phases of testing, our goal is to get this safer product in the marketplace as soon as possible.”

RESEARCHERS STUDY DEEPWATER GAS

FORMATION TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS

A

team of researchers from the University of Houston is working with the oil industry to develop new ways to predict when an offshore drilling rig is at risk for a potentially catastrophic accident.

Ramanan Krishnamoorti, chief energy officer at the University of Houston, will lead the project, drawing expertise from data scientists, petroleum engineers and geoscientists at the university. The work is funded by a $1.2 million grant from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

The project is one of six announced by the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies to develop new technologies, processes or procedures to improve the understanding and management of systemic risk in offshore oil and gas operations.

The Deepwater Horizon explosion in 2010, which left 11 crew members dead and spilled more than 3 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, involved the uncontrolled buildup and release of gas, sparking efforts to better understand the movement of hydrocarbons in offshore drilling.

Gas, water and even drilling fluid can flow up the drilling pipe alongside the desired oil, Krishnamoorti said. The gas can release in a burst or explosion upon reaching the surface, potentially causing a serious accident.

Current industry standards don’t address the issue, and the work at UH is aimed at developing new ways to monitor the flow of gas and other hydrocarbons in order to predict when it is necessary to evacuate the drilling platform or shut down production.

“We are trying to apply fundamental science and engineering processes to predict when a catastrophic event might occur and to develop new methodologies to monitor the process,” Krishnamoorti said.

In addition to Krishnamoorti, other UH researchers involved with the project include Andrea Prosperetti, director of the University’s Data Science Institute and the Center for Advanced Computing and Data Systems, George Wong and Konstantinos Kosterellos, associate professors of petroleum engineering.

They will work with Mulberry Well Systems LLC and other industry representatives on the project, which he described as a true partnership between industry and academia. “We want to bring in expertise from industry to be complemented by data science and other academic disciplines to address a complex problem,” he said.

The project grew out of discussions between the International Association of Drilling Contractors and the Subsea Systems Institute, a research center led by UH, with partners Rice University and NASA Johnson Space Center. Krishnamoorti, a chemical engineer, also serves as director of the Institute.

The work will involve modeling using advanced computing to better understand what happens, and under what conditions, as gas moves up a drilling pipe, allowing researchers to determine how to predict when the gas poses a danger.

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

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ACADEMIC SPEAK COATINGS

MIMICKING COATING APPLICATIONS

FROM NATURE’S LAP

Dr Uttam Manna, Assistant Professor, Chemistry Department, IIT-Guwahati, speaks about the potential of self-healing and super-hydrophobic coatings for industrial application.

Potential of self-healing and super-hydrophobic coating.

Superhydrophobic coatings repel water in air, and are highly prospective material for several relevant outdoor applications— including anticorrosion, self-clean of deposited dust and dirt, energy efficient and eco-friendly removal of oil-spills etc.

But durability of this biomimetic special wettability is a major concern before any practical applications. Often, synthesized biomimetic interfaces are found to be delicate under practically relevant severe settings—like scratching, creasing, exposures of UV irradiation and complex aqueous medium. The self-healing and three dimensional superhydrophobic coating is a simple and elegant approach to prolong the lifetime of artificial bio mimicked interfaces, and such material are inherently capable of sustaining various physical and chemical abrasions. This

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approach has emerged very recently with limited proof of concept demonstrations. Further, progress is essential on this research topic, where such material should be developed following simple and scalable synthetic process. This unique approach might resolve existing durability issue of the synthesized material and would appear as facile and robust avenue for many prospective and smart applications in future.

Insight into self-healing and super-hydrophobic coating research.

In last few years, our research group has extensively worked on the polymer based ‘chemically’ reactive coatings for addressing the existing durability challenge. Detailed fundamental investigations on natural superhydrophobic surfaces (e.g., a lotus leaf ) revealed the existence of hierarchical micro/nano-features that are topped by a low surface energy coating. Since then, several top-down and

bottom-up synthetic approaches have been developed with attention to these primary conditions: (1) a hierarchical topography, generally using hydrophilic elements, and (2) a thin layer of low surface energy coatings on top, achieved mostly by chemical vapor deposition of fluorinated inert molecules. However, materials that are synthesized following such general approach is highly delicate in severe settings.

coating and thus protecting various surfaces from any aqueous exposures.

The self-healing ability of our polymeric coating provides more life time of the embedded special wettability and allows to perform under practically relevant severe settings. In general, any perturbation of chemistry and topography in the artificial superhydrophobic interfaces are likely to damage the extreme water repellency property.

So, we have introduced a fundamentally different approach to develop selfhealing and bulk-superhydrophobicity, where the appropriate topography and essential chemistry would coexist three dimensionally—including surface and interior in the polymeric coating.

In our design, essential chemistry is three dimensionally optimized through robust covalent bonding, and the topography— which get damaged after exposure to the external pressure, is restored back after releasing the applied load from the coating.

Thus, the synthesized superhydrophobic coating can self-heal the physical damage and covalent integration of graphene oxide sheet playing a crucial role in this recovery of damaged topography.

We have strategically integrated ‘chemicallyreactive’ polymeric nanocomplex with graphene oxide nanosheets to synthesize the self-healing superhydrophobic coating, where the association of ‘reactive nanocomplex’ provided essential topography and chemistry—that conferred superhydrophobicity and covalent integration of graphene oxide sheets helped in achieving self-healing characteristics.

This synthesized material was found to be highly efficient in sustaining various forms of physical and chemical insults at practically relevant severe settings.

Sectors to benefit from selfhealing and super-hydrophobic coating.

Our current findings could be extremely useful in protecting substrates from corrosions, ecofriendly remediation of oil spills and developing smart textile with self-cleaning characteristic, preparing antiice-phobic coating etc. Furthermore, such material might be also useful in various biomedical applications—including controlled and sustained drug delivery, tissue engineering, high throughput diagnosis of diseases etc. Thus, this material would be of potential interest for protecting ship holes, simple and energy efficient managements of oil-refinery process, and separation of oil/oily contaminates from aqueous phases, etc.

Mechanism of self-healing and super-hydrophobic coatings.

Artificial bio-mimicked interfaces decorated with appropriate topography and essential chemistry, has inherent ability to repel aqueous phase due to presence of metastable trapped air. The trapped air that is present three dimensionally in our synthesized superhydrophobic bulk polymeric coating, is capable of minimizing the contact area between the beaded aqueous phase and the polymeric

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

Ways to synthesize substrate independent coatings.

There are very few examples of artificial lotus-leaf inspired coatings having impeccable durability, but most often they are substrate dependent and suffer from scalability issues. In our design, we aimed to have a substrate independent robust polymeric coating that are with highly durable bioinspired wettability. So that, the synthesized coating could be used in various platform for developing smart materials. In our design, entire polymeric coating is prepared through covalent gelation of simple reaction mixture (in ethanol) composed of branched polymer, small molecules and AGO. This gelation takes place irrespective of the chemical and physical nature of the selected substrates.

Insight into amino-graphene oxide (AGO) 2D nanosheets formulated during the research.

Graphene oxide sheets are well recognized for its exceptional mechanical property.

Here we wanted to covalently incorporate this nano sheet in the polymeric coating.

So we wanted to modify the graphene oxide with appropriate functional groups. My collaborator and colleague, Dr. Kalayn Raidongia synthesized and provided amino-graphene oxide. The amine groups on the graphene oxide sheets was then strategically exploited for covalent integration in the polymeric coating through 1,4 conjugate addition reaction. This covalent incorporation of AGO provided defect free uniform coating and the polymeric coating was capable of sustaining physical damages that are incurred by applied pressure on the synthesized polymeric coating.

Ways in which this material scores over other materials.

The coexistence of the essential surface chemistry and the appropriate hierarchical topography primarily conferred the bio-inspired super hydrophobicity.

Most often, the hierarchical topography that are developed using either brittle inorganic oxides or soft polymers/ polymeric components, are highly liable for permanent damage after application of pressure during common practise, and the anti-wetting property is likely to compromise at practical scenarios.

However, there are only couple of attempts to address such important challenges, and the restoration of essential topography was achieved in the synthesized coating— by application of external stimuli (i.e.; heat treatment), and the controlling of appropriate external stimuli may impose some additional complexity during healing process at real outdoor scenarios. Thus, the material—that would be capable of self-healing physical damage and its native antifouling property without application of any external treatments (pH, light, heat or humidity etc.)—is highly desirable (to avoid such complexity) for convenient and widespread application, and our synthesized material is capable of doing so. Apart from this, our developed material is also capable of withstanding physical erosion of the polymeric coating during depth scratching.

Plan to commercialize the technology.

We are looking for suitable industrial partner to commercialize our current research in the near future.

Future research plans.

We are currently working on the further simplification of the polymeric coating and its compositions, so that it would be easier to scale up. We are also examining the performance of these synthesized material in different prospective applications at practically relevant settings. Our dream is to use this material at ‘real world scenarios’ in the near future. Also finding an appropriate reaction composition that provided a stable coating was the most challenging part of this reported work.

Areas of coating technology for young researchers to explore.

There is an immense opportunity for young research to develop smart coating that are embedded with various different biomimicked wettability—starting from rose petal, nepenthes pitcher, fish-scale etc. The artificial and durable biomimicked interfaces have lots of relevant and potential applications.

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JOBS QA/QC Officer Company: Reliance Industries Limited Date Posted: 16 March Country: India City: Vadodara

Job Description: QA/QC Officer’s main role is to carry out inspection of received finished product samples and distribution of finished product sample to the different sections of the laboratory. Analysis of finished product and carry out the complete analysis as per contractual methods and specifications and ensure effective sample management.

Lead Scientist

Job Description: Huntsman’s lead sceientists’ key accountabilities include very high level of expertise (Hands on experience only) in polymer synthesis and formulations development in water for textile/coating chemistry for textile/coating applications. The person should be expert in polymer and surfactant structure property relationship as screening tool to develop novel products.

Company: Huntsman Corporation Date Posted: 18 March Country: India City: Mumbai

Color Specialist Company: AkzoNobel Date Posted: 12 March Country: India City: Bangalore

Process Improvement Expert Company: Merck Date Posted: 21 March Country: India City: Bangalore

Analytical Chemist Company: DuPont Date Posted: 27 February Country: US City: Wilmington

Chemist (m / f) Synthesis and Development Company: LANXESS Date Posted: 21 March Country: Mannheim City: Germany

Senior Chemical Engineer Company: Lonza Date Posted: 18 March Country: Switzerland City: Visp

Job Description: Color Specialist should develop solid color formulas independently, and effects after approval of a senior color specialistm, interprets intermediate results from color measurements, formula calculations and sprayed formula, use instrumental techniques and available software.

Job Description: Purpose of this job is to ensure that the production laboratory is run to the highest standards of quality, safety & environmental safety & meet all regulatory needs, design a plan for manufacture with suitable technical input and help in operate within budgets, including planning & forecasting issues.

Job Description: The candidate will be a key technical resource responsible for independently developing methods, maintaining instrumentation, generating reliable and interpreting data, using thermal analysis techniques that include DMA, DSC, TGA, and TMA.

Job Description: The chemist should be reponsible for development of new products for the rubber, lubricant and plastics industries, synthesis and characterization of organic compounds, process development up to process transfer into production, execution and evaluation of reaction-accompanying analytics.

Job Description: As a Chemical Engineer in our Chemical Process Development Team the chemical engineer is responsible for the engineering tasks of the development of new production processes as well as scale-up and implementation.

Production Engineer Company: Ashland LLC Date Posted: 09 March Country: US City: Parlin

Job Description: Ashland LLC has an exciting opportunity for a Production Engineer to join our Ashland Specialty Ingredients group at our Parlin, New Jersey site. This is a very visible, significant role within the company and the Natrosol manufacturing operation. This position will report to the plant Production Manager.

Quality Assurance (QA) Manager Company: Royal DSM Date Posted: 12 March Country: The Netherlands City: Amsterdam

Job Description: The candidate will collaborate with an international team, with local Product Group Owners to define the standards per site or product line. QA Manager will be able to leverage the internal corporate network of DSM and external orientation to implement best-practices, will, in due course, create your own team of QA specialists.

Website: http://www.worldofchemicals.com/chemical-jobs.html

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Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

TWO DAY CONCLAVE 7 TH, 8 TH JUNE, SHERATON GRAND, BANGALORE

CORROSION TECHNOLOGY FORUM 2018

rldofchemicals.com

at: www.wo icals.com | Reach us em fch ldo or @w ce ren nfe

Conference: co

A Two Day Conclave - Corrosion Technology Forum, will focus on corrosion problems in Chemical & Process Industry by Galaxy of National & International Experts, Organised by World of Chemicals & The Society for Surface Protective Coatings India.

IT IN CHEMICALS CONNECTED PLANT

TIME TO MOVE BEYOND AGING ASSETS.

THERE IS A NEW PLANT IN TOWN C

hemical producers face many business challenges – from stiff competition and reduced margins, to limited human capital, regulatory compliance and supply chain digitization. While trying to juggle these challenges they also face the day-today realities of dealing with aging assets and growing support costs. Decades-old chemical plants across the US are working to address a wide range of equipment challenges, including obsolete equipment and unplanned downtime, and limited visibility into critical-asset performance.

With the digital landscape changing rapidly, chemical producers are looking to technology to help solve their issues with a quick ROI. That’s why it’s important to rethink business decisions and consider technology investments that will deliver both incremental and long-term ROI. The connected production technologies available today are far beyond what was available just 10 years ago. Advanced technology gives chemical producers immediate relief from the constraints of obsolete equipment and limited human capital and domain expertise. It can also help merge IT and OT systems to provide seamless connectivity to manage production and supply chain data into actionable real-time information. This

connected, information-driven approach to chemical production can be called a connected chemical plant.

Building a connected chemical plant doesn’t have to be daunting. Think of it like this: By strategically prioritizing investments around smarter technologies, a connected chemical plant offers nearly unlimited opportunities to monitor and improve production performance. So, what does this mean for you in everyday operation?

Increased asset utilization: Optimizing asset utilization begins with being able to measure asset performance and identify production problems in real time. A modern DCS can integrate all aspects of automation and information into a single, plant-wide infrastructure. Simultaneously, integrated power control systems can capture the electrical data from aging production assets to monitor their performance and help minimize unexpected downtime and predict equipment issues. It’s a win-win for chemical producers.

Improved operations flexibility: A connected chemical plant can make batch production more agile and flexible by allowing operators to more easily make changes and bring new products online faster. Difficult to measure batch to batch

variability causing quality and throughput issues? No problem.

Reduced risks: Operational and regulatory risk facing producers can be easily understood and managed with a connected chemical plant. Scalable safety instrumented systems (SIS) allow chemical producers to apply various levels of risk mitigation as required by their specific needs. Additionally, pre-engineered SIS solutions are also available to fill capability gaps and address specific business challenges in older plants in the most costeffective manner.

Improved maintenance and support: Many producers struggle to support the mix of automation technologies that they accumulated from multiple vendors over many years. Standardizing and consolidating technologies in a connected chemical plant reduces the number of systems with which maintenance technicians and support teams must support and stock spares.

With these capabilities in place, chemical producers can better monitor and upgrade aging assets as needed. You can reduce the support costs associated with unplanned downtime and myriad systems. Then, you can focus newfound opportunities to improve operations and boost production.

Source: Rockwell Automation

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Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

IT IN CHEMICALS DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES

DRIVING PROFITS THROUGH

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES Digital Technologies in Chemical Plant Operations are now beginning to Drive Profits and Fueling Further Investments, finds Accenture research.

D

igital adoption is increasing in chemical companies’ plants as more firms recognize the technologies’ financial and operational value, according to Accenture’s new “Digital Technology in Chemical Plant Operations” survey. Yet, digital technologies are still in the early stages of deployment on the plant floor.

That may be changing, however. The survey of 360 chemical executives from 12 countries revealed 80 percent of respondents are investing more, or significantly more, in digital technologies for their plant environments, and 85 percent expect overall digital investment to increase in the next three years. Moreover, 92 percent of chemical executives are satisfied with the benefits received from their digital investments, with effective plant management the top cited benefit, followed by improved product quality.

An overwhelming number of respondents (95 percent) are also seeing the tangible financial value of utilizing digital in their operations. Just under one-third (31 percent) saw an operating profit improvement in production/manufacturing operations of 10 to 20 percent, with an additional 20 percent seeing gains of 20 to 40 percent. This is supported by our recent Industry X.0 research, which showed that combining technologies like augmented reality/ virtual reality, autonomous vehicles, big data analytics and digital twin to increase operational efficiency could realize initial savings of more than $90,000 per chemical company employee.

Although many chemical companies have started pilot programs across their operations, full deployment of digital technologies remains limited. Even for technologies where executives see more widespread adoption, including cloud, robotics, artificial intelligence, mobility/wearables and cybersecurity, less than onethird of respondents cited using each technology broadly.

When it comes to pilot programs, analytics is the technology in which chemical companies are investing most often, cited by 43 percent of respondents. Just under half (46 percent) listed analytics in their top three digital investment areas over the next three years, as it provides a way to drive more value from the large amounts of generated data. In fact, half (51 percent) saw analytics as one of the top three technologies with the most return-on-investment potential in the next 12 months, more than for other technologies.

Of this group of chemical executives, one in three plans to allocate 21 to 40 percent of their digital budget to analytics.

“In the chemical industry, there is a growing understanding of the potential for the digital reinvention of industry-or Industry X.0where businesses use advanced digital technologies to transform their core operations, worker and customer experiences and business models,” said Tracey Countryman, managing director and lead for Industry X.0, Accenture Resources. “By harnessing this reinvention, chemical companies can release value trapped in the enterprise not only by realizing efficiencies through smart connected assets but also through new digitally-enabled sources of revenue.”

Meanwhile, chemical firms’ plant operations are becoming increasingly connected, leaving them open to the growing threat of cyberattacks. In the past 12 months, 73 percent of respondents had more than 30 attempted breaches of their plant operations, more than half (54 percent) suggested more than 30 attacks were successful, and 50 percent indicated it took days, weeks or even months to detect them.

Yet, faced with this challenge, chemical companies’ abilities to identify, handle and respond to the threats are severely lacking.

Currently, only 42 percent can manage the financial risk due to a cybersecurity event targeting their plant operations, or minimize the disruption. Even less (39 percent) can identify the cause of a breach, and only a third (33 percent) are able to monitor for breaches. The repercussions of successful cyberattacks could be considerable. “Commercial consequences” was cited as the top cybersecurity risk to plant operations by 16 percent of respondents.

This encompasses production loss and breach of customer supply contracts, which demonstrates that successful cyberattacks could have a serious impact on the bottom line. Environment, health and safety (15 percent) and operational reliability (14 percent) risks were ranked second and third, respectively. The former suggests cyberattacks on plant operations could present a threat to the security and health of employees and the wider public.

“Chemical companies must invest urgently to bolster cybersecurity resilience and response capabilities for their industrial operations,” said Robert Boyce, managing director and cybersecurity lead, Chemicals & Natural Resources, Accenture. “As chemical plants typically have legacy operational technology systems, the technology across sites is not standardized and there are gaps in their security controls, leaving them exposed. Agile and adaptive capabilities are needed that can effectively react to and intervene with cyber threats to protect industrial operations.”

Source: Accenture

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

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PRODUCTS

Resource-saving refinish product line for auto industry B

ASF’s Coatings division has launched new product lines in Europe for its Glasurit® and R-M® refinish paint brands that make automotive refinishing more sustainable. They are the world’s first refinish products manufactured according to the certified biomass balance approach, therefore contributing to reduce CO2 emissions. For the biomass balance approach, parts of the fossil resources are replaced by renewable resources, such as bio-naphtha or biogas from organic waste or vegetable oils, already at the beginning of the production process.

Contact: BASF Coatings GmbH Glasuritstrasse 1, 48165 Munster, Germany Tel: +49 (0) 2501 14-0 Email:info-coatings@basf.com Web:http://www.basf-coatings.com

Thermosafe range for better corrosion protection, less maintenance Jotun launched a unique Thermosafe range. Thermosafe comprises of five products created to suit specific extreme environments-including temperature ranges from -196℃ to 1000℃, thermal exposure, corrosion, fire, cryogenic spills and heat enabling better corrosion protection and reduced maintenance needs. The Thermosafe range consists of: Jotatemp 250 which provides anticorrosive protection at continuous temperatures up to 250 degrees, Jotatemp 540 Zinc which offers both barrier and galvanic protection for temperatures higher than 120 degrees to name a few among others.

Contact: Jotun A/S P.O.Box 2021, N-3202 Sandefjord, Norway Tel: +47 33 45 70 00 Email: info@jotun.com Web:https://www.jotun.com

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PRODUCTS

New Electrical Steel Coating to Insulate Motors, Generators A

xalta Coating Systems introduced a new electrical steel coatingVoltatexÂŽ 1230 which is a functional coating that is designed to insulate silicon steel sheets of motors and generators in order to prevent the flow of electricity and reduce the eddy current. Electrical steel coatings also serve to increase the shelf life of the required punching tools. Voltatex is a complete range of high-performance varnishes that meet the C3, C5 and C6 insulation classes. Voltatex 1230 is also suitable for small transformers or transmitters where good insulation and punchability is important.

Contact: Axalta Coating Systems Uferstrasse 90, 4057 Basel, Switzerland Tel: +41 61 826 96 96 Email:pratteln.info@axaltacs.com Web:http://www.axaltacs.com

Lasting Protection Against Rust for Trucks and Trailers C

hemline Inc offers CHEMLINE 7025, a polyurea hybrid coating used to protect trucks and trailers against rust and corrosion due to weather, de-icing chemicals and other adverse conditions.

It provides an exceptional impact and abrasion-resistant barrier against scratches from gravel, dents from hauling animals or heavy equipment. It is a fast-set, spray applied, two-component, polyurea hybrid coating that contains 100 percent solids and zero VOCs. For expedited productivity and reduced labor cost, it has a gel time of 8 seconds and can be handled as early as 60 seconds. It is is unique in its resistance to blistering in humid application environments.

Contact: Chemline Inc 5151 Natural Bridge Ave, Saint Louis, MO 63115, USA Tel: (314) 664-2230 Email: info@chemline.net Web:http://www.chemline.net

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courtesy of www.reganosa.com

BEST TOTAL SOLUTIONS FOR THE EPC VALUE CHAIN  Terminals and Storages for LNG  Terminals and Storages for Petrochemical / Chemical Gases  LNG as Fuel

EQUIPMENT GAS ENGINEERING

REACHING

NEW PARADIGMS OF BUSINESS Richard Gadd, Director – Sales & Business Development and Member of the Executive Management Board, TGE Gas Engineering GmbH discusses at length the changing dynamics of the EPC industry.

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Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

BY SHIVANI MODY Global trends in storage and terminals in petrochemicals/ chemical gases segment.

Requirements of chemical manufacturers for gas production plants.

as China & Taiwan, though we do expect a shift in focus of growth areas, such as India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Vietnam.

The key trends which we are currently experiencing can be summarized as:

Typical requirements on gas production plants are safe and stable operations, high levels of availability over the entire plant life time, meeting the gas product specifications and low operational and maintenance costs. In the clear majority technical gases are liquefied for further storage and transport. For this purpose, but also to fulfill the required product specification for feeding downstream processes, the gas needs to be treated and purified prior to liquefaction. Generally, components like water, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, sulfur and aromatics must be removed to an acceptable limit. Depending on the downstream process requirements the product needs to be further purified.

Educts in the chemical industry like Propylene and Ethylene have very high levels of purity. LNG and LPG being commonly used for combustion purpose allow a wider range of gas composition / product specification.

Meeting the demand for Syngas and derivatives in terms of EPC equipment requirements.

Economies of Scale – our customers’ demands are progressively for larger facilities, exploiting flexibility in supply and seasonal feedstock price variations; acceptance of the new paradigm created from shale gas resources as reflected in feedstock availability and prices, and finally; the continuation of emerging market driven demand, with Asia remaining the strongest potential for new build-outs.

Trends in small-to-mid scale LNG production plants segment.

Small-to-mid scale LNG production brings in interest from many new localized investors, in most cases with a business model for which success is dependent upon ‘first-mover’ advantages. This often places the viability of projects within very tight investment budgets and the demand of fast-track delivery. This in turn leads to a high level of standardization in terms of technical solutions. In Russia, Asia and South America, the potential of small to mid-scale production remains high, especially for remote areas to take part in the LNG export business with low or no pipeline gas competition.

Potential for cryogenic systems and installations in Asia Pacific.

With growing petrochemical / chemical industry in Asia Pacific & India, there has been significant advancement for cryogenic systems and installations. Increasing focus on safety & reliability has led to a shift in cryogenic storages from single containment, steel / steel full containment to steel / concrete full containment storages.

Rising demand for methane gas and other natural gases in Asia.

Asia pacific and India are growing markets for petrochemical / chemical industry as major countries in this region are still developing economy. The average per capita consumption of polymers in India is 10 kg as compared to world average of 32 kg. And the 10-12 percent annual growth in consumption seen over the past decade is set to rise to 12-15 percent over the next decade. In terms of feedstock, India relies on naphtha for 50 percent of its feed, followed by 24 percent of propane & 22 percent of ethane. With tapering down of international gas price during past couple of years, natural gas is narrowing down the competitive price advantage of naphtha and likely to increase its share in the petrochemical feedstock.

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

Gas plants in developed versus emerging markets.

As the developed markets have already mature and established gas plant infrastructure the majority of new requirements come for installations or modifications within existing facilities, socalled “Brownfield” projects, whereas new requirements in emerging markets have more tendency to be “Greenfield” projects.

While local regulations need to be respected for each specific location the application of international codes and standards brings a greater homogeneity to the technical solutions which are employed.

Additionally, for the product demand, emerging markets are rapidly looking to establish similar end-product portfolios as developed markets offer, so again a greater on homogeneity on requirements and technical solutions is seen.

Role of IIOT and automation systems in process systems.

The potential for IIOT within process & control systems is vast. However, due to the high levels of safety, availability and reliability required within our cryogenic storage products ours is a very conservative industry and it will still take some time before this potential is fully embraced and implemented in general.

EPC for specialized facilities as for Syngas is very complex. Within the start of the project, the facility must be designed as per customer requirements allowing maximum equipment and plant availability and complying with site location requirements including but not limited to international codes and standards as well as local regulations for obtaining permits and technical capability. For these tasks, different engineering disciplines are working closely together to fix the design and to prepare the procurement activities for this specialized equipment.

This equipment needs to be designed for its purpose, fulfilling the codes and standards including environmental specification, it needs to be transportable and erected under the health and safety guidelines of TGE. This all needs close and continuous coordination of interfaces within design, procurement, delivery and construction disciplines where TGE is specialized as total solution provider to our customers.

Focus on R&D and innovation.

TGE follows two paths. We focus on investigating continuously on how added value can be brought to all customers within TGE’s existing product line portfolio.

Further we look for new customers and applications by continuously monitoring market trends to guide our development and to innovate our products. To share some examples, for customers which do not need fully tailor-made solutions, we developed standard plant design and execution concepts improving execution schedule and return of investment plans.

Furthermore, we strongly believe in LNG as a future marine, truck and power generation fuel and have already adjusted our market offering accordingly.

Challenges faced by manufacturers in the gases EPC industry.

Insight into company’s Asia Pacific business.

The challenges that we face for EPC business are not dissimilar to those faced by many industries today – to deliver cost-effective solutions in the shortest time frame while maintaining high levels of quality, environmental sensitivity and reliability.

At TGE we are looking for robust market growth to continue for petrochemicals / chemicals industry across this region. We have enjoyed sustained growth in the past 20 years mainly driven by markets such

The cornerstone for TGE in the EPC business is management of stakeholder risk, by meeting commitments, obligations and timely delivery of high value assets to our customers.

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EQUIPMENT WATER TREATMENT

REVERSE OSMOSIS AND IONEXCHANGE:

UNIQUE PROCESS STEPS TO MINIMIZE LIQUID DISCHARGE

BY KEDAR OKE AND DR JENS LIPNIZKI

T

he application of water treatment technologies to achieve “minimal liquid discharge” (MLD) or “zero liquid discharge” (ZLD) is increasingly under consideration in today’s water stressed world. MLD and ZLD are processes that minimize or eliminate the discharge of water or liquids from a plant process. The reasons to implement these processes can be • Regulatory •

Cost saving from water recycling, and reduction of water discharge costs

• Environmental - Increase sustainability of industrial sites in water stressed regions There are two treatment options for process water: internal recycling, and the end-ofpipe treatment.

The internal recycling is conducted inside the plant processes, and implemented by analyzing the water composition and the water quantity to make a so-called “pinch point” analysis. In this analysis, the water quality and water quantity are determined for a specific production step, and a decision is made as to whether it is possible to use the wastewater from a certain production step as the water supply for a separate production step. If usage is not possible, an interception technology may be used to get the water quality to the level suitable so that it can be reused.

A typical technology for this is membrane technology. Depending on the type of contaminants, it can be microfiltration (MF) to remove bacterial substances, ultrafiltration (UF) to remove particulate and high molecular weight organics, nanofiltration (NF) to remove divalent salts and organics, or reverse osmosis (RO) to remove salts and small organic compounds.

Another technology that can be used is ion exchange treatment (IX). This technology should be applied if a selective separation is preferred, e.g., to remove specifically some ionic contaminants from the process water or to recover valuable ionic or non ionic substances selectively. This separation can be achieved using a special IX product called scavenger, selective resin or absorber resin. When interception technology is not possible, the client should consider an

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end-of-pipe treatment solution. In this case, the plant wastewater is collected and treated depending on the type of contaminants by either mechanical, biological, or filtration steps to produce a water quality that can be reused in an upstream plant process.

In MLD/ZLD processes, it is common that both interception and end-of-pipe treatment options can be applied for overall water management. Which treatment process is adopted usually depends on the size of the plant, and whether the treatment process is added to an existing plant. If an MLD/ZLD process implemented to an existing plant, in most cases an end-of-pipe treatment is preferred since less new piping, and less interference with the existing process is required. In the following industrial examples, two MLD (minimal liquid discharge) processes, which were implemented in existing plants in India, are presented.

These examples represent two different industries: the textile and the chemicals industry.

Chemical Industry This zero liquid discharge wastewater treatment plant is located inside the water treatment facility section of a major specialty chemicals producer. The wastewater plant processes treated sewage water via UF (ultrafiltration) pretreatment, cartridge filtration, and RO membrane desalination. The desalinated water is further treated by degasification, and ion exchange mixed bed columns installed with Lewatit®MonoPlusS108H and MonoPlusM800 to prepare boiler feed water. The RO installation is a two-stage system with a capacity of 38 m3/h. The feed water to the RO has a TDS in the range of 600–1,300 mg/l. The permeate has a TDS below 20 mg/l, and after mix bed application, a final boiler feed water quality of < 0.1mg/l TDS and 0.02 mg/l silica.

The concentrate is further treated by high pressure RO. The permeate of this concentrate RO is reused in the process, and, finally the brine concentrate is treated via an evaporation step to achieve the zero liquid discharge operation.

Membrane performance The water treatment installation was originally designed around “ultralow energy” seawater RO elements. However, after three years, these elements were replaced with Lewabrane® RO B400 HR elements since a performance projection (prepared with the LewaPlus® design software) showed that the required permeate quality could be achieved with standard test pressure BW elements operating at an even lower feed pressure.

Table 1: At a glance:

After start-up, the predicted performance advantages of the Lewabrane® BWRO membranes were confirmed during routine daily operation. The RO feed pressure with Lewabrane® RO B400 HR was throughout three years below 9.5bar (with the previous SWRO elements feed pressures were on average12 bar). The RO system salt rejection was approx. 98.6 percent (as compared to the 97.3 percent rejection achieved with the SWRO elements). The new Lewabrane® elements also provided an increased silica rejection (from 94 to 96.6 percent) resulting in an increase of the cycle time between regenerations for the mixed bed ion exchange system. After three years in operation (with monthly cleaning), the RO system rejection level is still in the order of 97.5 percent. Recently, the first stage Lewabrane® RO elements were replaced with a Fouling Resistant Type (Lewabrane® RO B400 FR) incorporating a 34mil feed spacer (recommended for wastewater application), which has resulted in a reduced cleaning frequency.

After the ion exchange sequence, the water is passed through a reverse osmosis system to remove salts and other remaining organics. The RO system operates at a recovery rate of 80 percent. The RO brine reject is further treated by NF (nanofiltration) membranes to recover the sulfate, while the sodium chloride, which passes through the NF membrane, is concentrated by a multiple effect evaporator. The sodium chloride salts are finally dried in a solar pan (as solid waste).

The concentrated sulfate from the NF process step is reused in the process.

The efficiency of the different treatment steps can be seen in the following table: Table 2: Water quality after treatment step

Textile Industry The second industrial example is an innovative process in the textile industry. The dying process requires high concentrations of salt to fix the dyes onto the cellulose textile. At the end of the process, the wastewater stream consists of a high concentration of salts and organics. Discharging the untreated wastewater would not only be harmful for the environment, it may also impact existing drinking water sources. Since the textile industry is an important employer, the Indian government strongly supports projects with MLD processes.

The aim of this MLD process was to reuse the process water, and recovery of the salt to •

The MLD treatment process is extremely efficient, and this underlines the advantages of an ion exchange pretreatment for an RO process. The lifetime of the RO elements in this process is 3–4 years, with the added benefit of reduced COD content from the scavenger resin treatment step to reduce the potential of bio growth.

Table 3: At a glance:

Save feed water costs

• Realize cost savings by recovery of the process salt •

Produce less waste

The key technologies to achieve a water quality, which could be reused in the process, were the application of a scavenger resin, a softening resin process, and a reverse osmosis process. In this process, the wastewater is first treated with a biological treatment (tertiary treatment) to reduce the amount of organics in the wastewater. This step is followed by quartz filtration. The process water is then passed through an ion exchange treatment stage consisting of a scavenger resin to remove the organic substances, followed by a high TDS water softening. Since sodium sulfate is added during the process, calcium must be removed to avoid the precipitation of calcium sulfate.

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

Conclusion The above industrial examples show that the reduction of wastewater, even in challenging process industries, is possible using the right tools. Ion exchange and reverse osmosis is a smart and efficient combination to treat wastewater with a high organics load and high salinity.

Even with waste-water as feed solution a final water quality, that can be used for boiler feed water, can be achieved by the combination of an RO system followed by polishing ion exchange mix bed.

The use of scavenger resin as a pretreatment before RO should be considered, to remove organics from the wastewater that can pass through an ultrafiltration process and lead to potential biofouling in the RO process.

Finally, for MLD/ZLD processes, it must be noted that it is often challenging to achieve standards, but innovative combinations of existing technologies make it possible to reach the targeted goal.

Author: Kedar Oke is Head – Marketing / Sales and Technical from LANXESS India and Dr Jens Lipnizki is Head of Technical Marketing Membrane from LANXESS Deutschland GmbH. Both are from Liquid Purification Technologies Business Unit.

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EQUIPMENT DISPERSION TECHNOLOGY

HIGH EFFICIENT DISPERSION IN LACQUER AND PAINT PRODUCTION

BY DR ING HANS-JOACHIM JACOB

Dissolvers were invented in the middle of the last century and have survived in lacquer and paint production until today. They have too many disadvantages, limitations and negative effects on the final product.

A new and advanced dispersion technology has started to displace traditional High Speed Dissolvers in Lacquer and paint production. This new technology enables enormous reductions in production costs and process times. Additional effects are a higher degree of dispersion, improved quality and raw material savings. Finally the energy consumption is reduced to about 30 percent compared to the old dissolver technology.

D

ispersion is the most important process in lacquer and paint production and has the highest influence on the quality of the final product. The better the dispersion the higher is the efficiency of the dispersed ingredients in the final coating. Traditional high speed dissolvers are simple free rotating discs with bent teeth at their circumference. Due to the wide distance between the rotating dissolver disc and the static wall of the vessel the shear gradient is very low: just about 50 reciprocal seconds.

To create shear forces with low shear rate a dissolver needs a high viscous liquid

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Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

or at least a shear thickening or dilatant rheology. Lacquers and paints have exactly the opposite rheology: they are low viscous, shear thinning and thixotropic. A dissolver cannot create significant shear in a low viscous lacquer or paint. To shear with a dissolver the viscosity has to be increased extremely. For that reason the dissolver process starts with just a part of the liquids but all the thickeners to maximize the viscosity. This is completely paradox since the most important ingredients which have to be dispersed are very fine powders (pigments, silica, fillers and extenders).

Making a liquid extra high viscous before adding finest powders is absurd. A high viscous liquid will not get into smallest capillaries and cannot wet fine particles as fast and complete as a low viscous liquid.

The results are stable agglomerates, quality issues, extra-long dispersing and milling times, heat generation and a waste of energy.

In other industries dissolvers have disappeared since years. Now the dispersion technology in lacquer and paint production has started to change as well â&#x20AC;&#x201C; worldwide.

Conti-TDS Technology The new Technology is based on an inline dispersing machine which is able to induct and disperse powders into liquids under high speed and vacuum. The machine is installed outside the process tank and recirculates the liquid with high speed. Additional pumps are not required.

Picture 1: Conti-TDS with process tank and big-bag station The core of the machine is the dispersing chamber equipped with high shear tools. Exactly in the high-shear dispersing zone the machine creates a very strong vacuum. With this vacuum it inducts powder directly from bags, bag tipping stations, hoppers, drums, containers and big bags into the liquid. No vacuum tank or vacuum pump is required which pulls uncontrolled amounts of powder or solvent vapor out of the liquid into filters or exhaust systems like in a vacuum dissolver. The induction is dust-free because 100% of all the powder goes into the liquid. Dust pollution of the working area is completely avoided.

Picture 1

The powder is inducted into the recirculating liquid loop and arrives in the vessel as a liquid dispersion. No dust appears above the liquid surface; no partially wetted agglomerates are built up above the liquid surface, a common problem with dissolvers. The infamous powder crusts that usually build up inside a dissolver tank above the surface and then fall into the liquid and reduce product quality never occur when using this system.

Picture 2: ystral Conti-TDS The mixing and dispersing chamber of the Conti-TDS has three connections: a liquid inlet (blue arrow), a powder inlet (orange) and a product outlet (purple, Pictures 2 and 3). Liquid and powder are introduced into the machine from opposite sides and leave the chamber in the middle. That means the machine pulls liquid and powder from two different directions, mixes and disperses them, and pumps the final dispersion back to the vessel.

Picture 2

Liquid and powder cannot get in contact with each other before they reach the dispersing zone. This way uncontrolled agglomerations are avoided completely. The dispersion of the powder into the liquid is always done under equal, constant and controlled conditions, independent from the speed of the operator. The product quality is absolutely reproducible, even for different batch sizes.

Picture 3: Wetting and Dispersing Zone Constant quality has been one of the biggest problems with dissolvers. Particle size, Color strength, viscosity, air content, gloss and film formation are influenced by the way how the operator has added the powder. The quality changed from batch to batch, from operator to operator. Slower powder addition caused longer process times, higher temperatures, lower viscosities. Faster addition caused more agglomerates and further post processing time. It means longer shear, higher temperatures and lower viscosity as well. Dissolver batches always had to be quality checked â&#x20AC;&#x201C; adjusted â&#x20AC;&#x201C; checked and adjusted again. These steps took time and blocked production capacity during waiting for the QC results.

The Conti-TDS produces absolutely constant qualities. Because of the much faster process and the not required post-adjustment. One Conti-TDS can always replace a number of dissolvers.

The high vacuum inside the dispersing zone has two important reasons: 1. to induct the powder directly into the liquid 2. to wet and disperse every single particle.

Picture 3

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

Every powder contains air - lots of air. The powder particles are touching each other, but there is always air between the particles, even inside their capillaries, even inside agglomerates. The amount

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EQUIPMENT DISPERSION TECHNOLOGY of air in the powder is always underestimated. A heavy powder like titanium dioxide contains at least 75 volume-% air. A very light powder like fumed silica contains up to 98 percent air.

Air is compressible. It compresses under pressure but expands under vacuum. Under the high vacuum inside the dispersing zone it expands up to 20 times compared to its normal volume. All the air between the single powder particles expands. The distance between the single powder particles increases in the same range.

Particles that have touched each other initially become separated during their passage through the dispersing zone.

To reach this fluidization and separation no additional air is required, just the existing air under the influence of vacuum.

Because of the wide distances between the particles in the dispersing zone, liquid easily gets around them. The vacuum allows the liquid to completely wet each particle from all directions.

The dispersion takes place in the relatively small rotor-statorrotor zone under maximum vacuum, turbulence and shear. During the shear zone passage the effective liquid surface is increased some million times. This way the available liquid surface during powder wetting is larger than the powder surface. This is the ideal precondition for complete 100 percent wetting and immediate dispersion. Every single particle is wetted completely before it leaves the shear zone.

Picture 4

The air, which came in together with the powder, is separated from the dispersion due to the centrifugal forces outside the dispersing zone. It leaves the product in the process tank as big bubbles.

Picture 4: Particle size distribution titanium dioxide after induction, 30, 60 and 120 seconds dispersion Picture 4 shows a typical particle size distribution for the induction and dispersion of titanium dioxide. Immediately after induction the result is better than reference samples produced with Dissolver and Mill. The medium particle size is already 0.46 µm. 99,9 percent of the particles are below 2 µm. Not any oversized particle is visible.

The distribution is very narrow.

After 120 sec additional dispersion the medium particle size goes down to 0.38 µm. 100 percent are below 2µm and 98 percent are below 1µm.

Titanium dioxide is the most important pigment in lacquer, paint and ink production. It covers more than 59 percent of the global pigment demand. The prices for titanium dioxide are rising since 2009. Companies which are using the Conti-TDS for titanium dioxide are reporting about enormous savings. They save time, energy and raw material because of the better dispersion.

Picture 5: Skidded unit with one Conti-TDS-5 between two process tanks

Installation and Operation The machine is installed in a recirculation loop with a process vessel. This way it operates independently from vessel size and filling level. To double the capacity with minimum additional costs one machine is often installed between two vessels (picture 5).

You need just one machine, one control system and one powder addition point to double the production output.

During production in one vessel the other vessel is discharged from the last batch and filled with the liquid for the next batch already.

In the average 50 seconds after finishing the powder induction the required particle size is reached and the product is ready to transfer.

When the batch is ready to discharge the machine automatically switches over to the second tank and starts the process there. This way it is possible to produce up to 20.000 kg finished paint per hour. This way a continuous and uninterrupted production is possible.

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Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

Picture 5

The system in picture 5 shows a skidded unit with two tanks of about 2.200 liters volume. Bigger systems with up to 2 x 25.000 liters or more are available as well, but often they are not faster.

Limitation is the speed of the powder handling. High effective powder handling and BigBag discharge systems are delivered in combination with the Conti-TDS. If the powder comes mainly in big bags the system on picture 5 has already an optimum size.

In areas with high flexibility and a wide range of batch sizes and formulations - like in the production of wood coatings or customerspecific industrial coatings - the two vessels system has a totally different target. In this case the two vessels are made in different sizes to cover a wide range of batch sizes. With such a “Two-Size Double-Tank System” it is possible to produce batches in a size range from 1 : 30 - for example batches from 100 to 3000 liters in the same system.

Picture 6: Two-Size Double-Tank System The process tanks have sample points, but it is not necessary to check every single batch; the quality is constant. The foot print of such a skid is very small: just 2 x 5 meters. Today flexibility is getting more and more important. With such a system it’s possible to produce very effectively different formulations and variable batch sizes.

All Conti-TDS systems have an integrated and paint industry approved automatic cleaning unit. To keep the process system always clean every batch starts with a cleaning step. A part of the process liquid is added through the cleaning heads and keeps the tank and all relevant parts clean – even if the following batch is the same product. Additional cleaning with extra liquid is possible if there is a product change between incompatible materials or different colours.

Inside the process tanks there are high effective jet stream mixers installed which are moving and turning the liquid vertically. These mixers provide an instantaneous homogeneity. This is important because of the high speed powder addition. Simple agitators with mainly horizontal rotation are not able to mix the liquid homogenously and fast enough.

Economic Advantages

Picture 6

Additional to the technical advantages there are obvious economic advantages with this new technology as well. The production costs of paint are typically reduced to below 10 percent compared to the dissolver process. Additionally, a significant reduction in raw materials is possible because of better dispersion or higher color strength. A reduction of the production times to below 20 percent is typical. Consequently, energy savings down below 35 percent are reported as well. Generally the Conti-TDS guarantees higher product quality, much higher flexibility in the production and a much higher level of safety.

Author: Dr - Ing. Hans-Joachim Jacob, Process - and Application Engineering at ystral gmbh.

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

77

EQUIPMENT New compact online pH analyzer

M

etrohm Process Analytics introduced 2026 pH Analyzer which provides integrated solutions for 24/7 online analysis of critical chemical parameters in industrial processes and wastewater streams. The 2026 pH Analyzer performs pH measurements online for up to 2 sample streams, saving valuable time for process operators. Potential hazards and safety concerns regarding critical pipeline sample points are removed.

Calibration and cleaning is done automatically. A 7” full-color touchscreen allows easy access to customers data. These process analyzers are a great fit for process analysis especially in the chemical, food and beverage, potable water and industrial wastewater sectors.

Contact: Metrohm GmbH & Co. KG In den Birken 3, 70794 Filderstadt, Germany Tel:+49 711 77088-0 E-Mail: info@metrohm.de Web:https://www.metrohm.com

Introducing compact gas analyser

H

iden Analytical introduced the new HPR-20 range of applicationspecific compact benchtop gas analysers for dynamic measurement of in-process gas composition. All systems feature precision quadrupole mass spectrometers with mass range options from 20 to 1000 amu being available for specialised applications. The HPR-20 EGA system is configured for fast-response evolved gas measurement at nearatmospheric pressures. Systems are routinely used in conjunction with thermal gravimetric analysers (TGAs), with standard interface options available for operation with a wide range of TGA systems. The HPR20 R&D system is optimised for the researcher, with a wide selection of standard and customised system interface configurations.

Contact: Hiden Analytical Ltd. 420 Europa Boulevard, Gemini Business Park, Warrington, WA5 7UN, UK Tel: +44 [0] 1925 445225 Email:info@hiden.co.uk Web:http://www.hidenanalytical.com

Micro Flowrate Compatible LC-MS for pharma industry

S

himadzu Corporation has released the Nexera Mikros which maintains the durability and operability of liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) systems. It can accommodate a wide range of flowrates, from semi-micro flowrates (100 μL/min to 500 μL/min), which are often used for analysis in existing systems, to micro flowrates (1 μL/ min to 10 μL/min). This system provides at least ten times the sensitivity of existing LC-MS systems. The position of ionization interface has been optimized for loading samples into the mass spectrometer. UF-Link, a connection mechanism between the newly developed analytical column and the mass spectrometer, ensures high sensitivity.

Contact: Shimadzu Corporation 1 Nishinokyo Kuwabara-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8511, Japan Tel: +81-75-823-1111 Web:https://www.shimadzu.com

Gas Analyzer combines two instruments to become one

B

aseline, the industrial analyzer group within MOCON Inc has introduced the new Series 9200 PetroAlert gas analyzer which combines the selective detection of a gas chromatograph (GC) with the continuous monitoring abilities of a total hydrocarbon analyzer (THA) in a single, compact, sensitive and stable instrument. The Series 9200 is specifically engineered to meet the requirements of the oil and gas industry’s exploratory well-logging process. Its speed and accuracy allow well loggers monitoring a drill site to analyze the hydrocarbons within a well both quantitatively and qualitatively, while drilling.

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Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

Contact: MOCON-Baseline 119661 US Highway 36, PO Box 649, Lyon, CO 80540, USA Tel:+1 303-826-6661 Email:info.baseline@ametek.com Web: http://www.baseline-mocon.com

Modular counterflow cooling tower to meet process cooling demands

S

PX Cooling Technologies Inc lauched the new Marley MD Everest, a modular counterflow cooling tower which is designed to meet today’s process cooling demands, and is suitable for power generation plants, chemical, oil and gas plants, and other process applications with a wide range of thermal loads. Whether designing a new plant or replacing an aging traditional site-constructed cooling tower, the MD Everest tower’s pre-configured design offers significant advantages that enable safer assembly processes. The MD Everest counterflow tower’s robust structure meets seismic and wind load requirements and withstands the rigors of process cooling applications using heavy-duty, corrosion-resistant materials.

Contact: SPX Cooling Technologies, Inc. 7401 West 129 Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66213, USA Tel:1-913-664-7400 Web:http://spxcooling.com

IoT-Enabled Analyzer to measure Alkalinity Automatically, Accurately

E

lectro-Chemical Devices (ECD) has introduced new analyzer which automates the process of routine alkalinity measurement with a simple, accurate and cost-effective approach. Maintaining water quality with the proper balance of pH and alkalinity levels is essential in many different processes-everything from drinking water to wastewater processes, as well as in irrigation water, water-based beverages and pharmaceuticals, electronics manufacturing and more. The CA900 Titration Analyzer for alkalinity measurement is so easy to install and start up that a technician can do it in less than 15 minutes.

Contact: Electro-Chemical Devices 1500 North Kellogg Drive, Anaheim, California 92807, USA Phone: +1-714-695-0051 Email: sales@ecdi.com Web:https://ecdi.com

New system puts pumps into the Internet of Things

K

SB introduced a new pump monitoring system called KSB Guard.

Networked vibration and temperature sensors fitted directly to the pump make availability at plant level transparent for the first time. The system ensures that changes in the operating behaviour of the machine are detected at an early stage. KSB Guard is ideally suited for retrofitting. The sensor unit can be mounted during operation, with no need for changes to the machine. A battery unit, which is also supplied, provides self-sufficient power supply. The data, which is captured hourly, is transferred directly and wirelessly in encrypted form to the KSB Cloud.

Contact: KSB SE & Co. KGaA Johann-Klein-Str. 9, 67227 Frankenthal, Germany Tel. +49 6233 86-0 E-mail: info@ksb.com Web:https://www.ksb.com

New Industrial Ball Valve Line for various applications

H

ayward Flow Control introduced a new generation of thermoplastic floating ball valves, the TBH Series True Union Industrial Ball Valve. Assisting users in protecting property and life, an integral lock-out feature secures to the body of the valve. The System2™ Sealing Technology utilizes the upstream seat as a backup to the downstream seat and enhances the sealing of the downstream seat. Typical applications or installations for the TBH Series include, but not are not limited to, chemical transfer and processing, mining and mineral processing, metal plating / surface finishing, marine, pulp and paper, landfills / environmental infrastructure and other demanding applications.

Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

Contact: Hayward Flow Control One Hayward Industrial Drive, Clemmons, NC 27012, USA Tel: (888) 429-4635 Email:hflowintl@hayward.com Web:http://www.haywardflowcontrol. com

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ADVERTISING INDEX HRS Process Systems

India Tel: +9120 2566 3581 / 82/ 6604 7894 / 95 Email: info@hrsasia.co.in www.hrsasia.co.in

Xobber

India Tel: +91 80 42487301 Email: sales@xobber.com www.xobber.com

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Ystral

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TGE Gas Engineering

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Astral Poly Technik Limited

Back Inside

Covestro (India) Pvt. Ltd India Tel: + 91 22 25866161 www.covestro.in

Back Cover

Email: ranga.rajan@ystralindia.com www.ystral.com www.tge-gas.com

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Kimberlite Chemicals (India) Pvt. Ltd. Front Inside India Tel: +91 80 42487300 Email: info@kimberliteindia.com www.kimberliteindia.com

India Tel: +91 7966212000 Email: ipd@astralpipes.com www.astralpipes.com

GLOSSARY PAGE NO A*STAR 68 ABB Limited 11 Actelian 60 Addcon Group 13 ADM 10 AkzoNobel, 12 52 Alligator Bioscience 60 Alok Masterbatches Pvt Ltd 48 Applied DNA 08 Arab Potash 08 Arcticzymes 60 Aston Foods and Food Ingredients 10 AVA Chemicals Pvt Ltd 73 BASF Asia Pacific 70 BASF 13, 37, 74 BioAg 17 Biolum 60 Biotec Pharmacon 60 CEAMA 06 Chemistry Industry Association of Canada 42 Chemithon 57 Christian Burkert GmbH & Co. KG 77 Clariant 34, 37, 45 Covestro India 07, 26 DASK 60 DGIST 32 Dow AgroSciences 70 Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics 45 Dr. Reddyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Laboratories 06 DSM 30 Eastman Auto & Power Ltd 06 Emerson Process Management 77 Evonik Industries 11 ExxonMobil Lubricants Pvt Ltd 46 Fenix Process Technologies Pvt Ltd 76 Freie Universitat Berlin 35 Future Market Insights 41, 57 GHCL 08 Global Bioenergies 34 Global Market Insights 60 Goetze KG Armaturen 76 Grand View Research Inc 59 Guangzhou Lonkey Industrial Co Ltd 57 Haiquing Biotechnology 57

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Chemical Today Magazine | April 2018

PAGE NO Hempel 75 Henkel 19, 59 Huish Detergent 57 Huntsman 23, 70 IIT Bombay 51 Jordan Phosphate 08 Kao Corporation 59 KL-Kepong Oleomas 57 Kraton 45 LANXESS 29 Lion Corporation 57, 59 Lumax, LLC 77 Maharshi Dayanand University 62 Marathon Oil Libya Limited 10 Merck 70 Method products pbc 59 Microlit 76 Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation 10, 70 Momentive Performance Materials Inc 70 Monsanto 16 Nicca Chemical Co Ltd 09 Nova Nordisk 60 Novozymes 16, 60 OIST 65 Persistence Market Research 55 Reliance 08 Resil Chemicals Pvt Ltd 09 Ruhr-Universitat Bochum 35 Sabic 11, 70 SEPPIC 75 Shell 70 Shimadzu Europa GmbH 76 SISTO Armaturen S.A. 77 Stepan Company 57 Sundaram Polymers 45 Symrise AG 74 The Dow Chemical Company 70 The Life Of Science 62 Total 10 University of Mississippi 64 University of Plymouth 63 Velox 11 Vikram Solar 07 Wacker Silicones 25

April Issue

Sector Focus Chemicals Section Paint & Coatings

• Antisettling Agents • Colorants & Tinting Systems • Defoamers • Rheology Modifiers • Specialty Additives • Wetting & Dispersing Agents • Coalescent Agents • Flow & Leveling Agents • Waxes & Slip Additives • Pearlescent Pigments • Dispersing Agent • Matting Agents

Propellants

• Aerosol Propellants • Firearm Propellants • Rocket Propellants • Liquid Propellants • Solid Propellants • Hybrid Propellants • Pharmaceutical Propellants

Gas Treatment

• Scale Inhibitor • Scale Dissolvers • Paraffin Inhibitors • Paraffin Solvents • Gas Hydrate Inhibitors • Oxygen Scavengers • Gas Sweetening Chemicals

Aerosols

• Industrial Aerosols

Industrial Gases

Equipment Section

EPC (Engg, Procurement & Construction)

• Crude Distillation Units • Vacuum Distillation Units • Naphtha Hydrotreater • Indmax FCC Unit • Aromatics Extraction • Sulphur Recovery Units • Hydrogen Plants • Pharmaceutical Formulation Plants • Air Separation Units • Hydrogen-Nitrogen Generation Units • Coke Oven Gas Treatment Plants • Coal Tar Filtration Filter Press Plants • Ion Resin Plants

• Iron Oxide Pigment Plants • Caprolactam Plants • VCM / PVC Plants • Polystyrene Plants • Linear Alkyl Benzene Plants • Caustic Soda-Chlorine Plants • Refinery Units • Hydrogen Peroxide Plant • Sulfuric Acid Plant • Hydrochloric Acid Plant • Calcium Carbonate Plant • Sodium Hypochlorite Plant • LABSA Plant

May Issue

Sector Focus Chemicals Section: • Flavour & Fragrance • Cleaning and Sanitation • Biocides

Equipment Section: •

Chemical Process Equipment

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