Chemical Today June 2017

June 2017 | Volume II | Issue XIII | ₹200 www.worldofchemicals.com

Expert Viewpoint Pigments Textile Chemicals Biocides

Insights

Monochloroacetic Acid (MCA)

Safety

Chemical Safety Board News

LATEST TECHNOLOGY

IN PIGMENTS AND TEXTILE CHEMICALS Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

1

Along with our portfolio of products under our brand name Magna and Pro Floc we offer: • Flocculants: Super High Molecular Weight, High Molecular Weight and Low Molecular Weight.

• Decolourants and Coagulants: ranging from High to Low Molecular Weight.

• Biocides • Enzymes for Starch and Dextran.

• Scaling Inhibitors • Surfactants • Defoamers • Acid Inhibitors for chemical cleaning

Specialty Chemicals for the

Sugar Industry And

• IER • Engineering Services • Natural Biocides and Special Nutrients for Ethanol Fermentation

Water Treatment

Pro Tech USA with presence in more than 30 countries around the globe is leader in the sugar industry, timely attending the needs of our customers, supplying highest quality process chemicals and providing technical assistance, with the support of many specialist with more than 36 years of experience in the industry.

2

• Sugar Seeding

Contact us: antonio@protechinternational.net Ph: +1 (970) 581-2567 Fax: +1 (662) 404-7010 www.protechinternational.net

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

Keep Moving…

A long way to go!

T

he global pigment market has witnessed significant growth over the past few years owing to development in end user industries such as paints & coatings, construction etc and increased trend towards demand of specialty products. This trend is forecast to continue in the coming years due to advancement of new coating technology and availability of suitable alternatives for synthetic inorganic pigments.

It is the high end user spending that has resulted in an enhanced lifestyle with wide variety of choices. While this trend has led to the advancement of the pigments market in developed countries, we still have to see significant evolution of the pigments market in emerging countries. This divide was clearly visible whilst speaking to manufacturers and suppliers in the European and Asia Pacific region. Some of the discussions on an international level are how factors such as digitization, individualization, miniaturization, will play a major role in the global pigments industry in changing its colours.

Further, the global pigments market was worth $12.7 billion in 2015, anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.5 percent through 2024, according to a Global Market Insights report (August 2016).

These are primarily used as colourants; and extensively used in the paints & coatings industry, not only to impart colour and finish, but also protect the surface from weathering and corrosion. Consumers are also demanding high end quality paints such as those with metallic luster which will boost the demand of specialty products.

Growing construction sector significantly complements the industry owing to its widespread application in manufacturing coloured asphalt, shingles, metal panels, wood construction and cooler tiles. One of the most important applications in construction industry is concrete colourization due to properties such as high dispersability and good tinting property.

In addition, to the pigments market we also look at textile chemicals for this month. Consumers are increasingly looking for textiles that provide comfort and are suited to an active lifestyle, along with being sustainable. Moreover, manufacturers are motivated to develop sustainability in colouring systems.

It gives us immense pleasure as we celebrate our Anniversary Issue this month. The year has just gone by with the support of our network and content contributors. We have also got valuable insights, to enhance our write ups in the coming years. See what our collaborators and contributors have to say on page 6 In the coming few years we will plan to rope in the voices of the user industry. This will be beneficial as an indication of the things to come and direction that the future consumerism will be moving towards.

To connect and to give us a bouquet or brickbats, write to editorial@worldofchemicals.com

CHEMICAL EDITOR IN CHIEF: Shivani Mody

TODAY

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Disclaimer: All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. All photographs, unless otherwise specified, are used for illustrative purposes only. The publisher makes every effort to ensure that the magazine’s contents are correct. However, we accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions and for any loss or damage caused as an effect thereof. The information provided in this publication is for general use and may not be appropriate for the specific requirements of readers. Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Cover Image © Clariant © 2017 worldofchemicals.com

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

1

Chemical Today

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

CONTENTS QUOTES 04 LETTERS TO EDITOR ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

NEWS

GST RATES

08

06

NEWS GST RATES 08 NATIONAL 12 INTERNATIONAL 14 MOVERS & SHAKERS 16 DEAL BREAKER 18 IIOT 19 MAKE A DIFFERENCE 20 EVENTS 22 POLYMERS FOAM INNOVATIONS 24 COMPOSITES 28 HYBRID SEALANT 32 PHOTOVOLTAICS 34

INSIGHTS

INNOVATION (SKIN CARE)

52

SUPPLY CHAIN

EXPERT VIEWPOINT BIOCIDES 36 PIGMENTS 38 TEXTILE CHEMICALS 40 GREEN CHEMISTRY

44

INSIGHTS MONOCHLOROACETIC ACID (MCA)

50

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS SOUTH AFRICA

56

REPORT ANTIMICROBIAL TEXTILE CHEMICALS LEAK DETECTION DYES PIGMENTS & DYES SILICA FLOUR

58 60 61 62

ACADEMIC R&D ACADEMIC SPEAK R&D YOUNG TURKS

64 70 72

LOGISTICS INTERVIEW 74 SAFETY CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD NEWS

80

JOBS 82 PRODUCTS 84 EQUIPMENT EPC INTERVIEW 86 PROCESS SYSTEMS 88 EQUIPMENT 90 GLOSSARY 92

Published for June 2017.

2

RAW MATERIAL PACKAGING

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

76

Reference List

-Orient Paper Mills, M.P. -Gharda Chemicals, Lote

-Grasim Industries, Ganjam -Koruma Tarim - Turkey

14001

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

012

18001

303

QUOTES

The chemical industry has shown tremendous resilience in adverse global conditions. 80,000 commercial products causing 7 percent of GDP is an important contribution to national growth. India’s world market share of over 90 percent in castor oil is commendable and an example of our dominance in some of the categories

Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister for Commerce & Industry India.

The winning formula of governments policy support to our exporters’ determination to grow is bound to increase our share in the world market.

India has the talent, technology and infrastructure already. The reduction in corporate tax for MSME by 5 percent and introduction of Trade Infrastructure Export Scheme will help Indian exporters reduce transaction costs to become globally competitive. Other initiatives like setting up of CBEC’s Single Window Interface for Facilitating Trade (SWIFT), Make in India programme, relaxation in certain norms of environmental issues and expected GST roll out would spur growth in chemical sector further

Satish Wagh, Chairman, CHEMEXCIL.

Bengaluru, being the hub of information technology and skilled manpower, will prove to be the ideal location to set up a pharma and med tech zone and the ministry will work with the State Government to establish it soon.

Ananth Kumar, Minister of Chemical and Fertilizers, Government Of India.

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Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

The bullish trend will continue as the demand in China, the largest consumer, is going up. The crude oil price is also looking up, lifting the synthetic rubber prices. This will reflect on the Indian natural rubber sector as well.

C P Krishnan, Whole-time Director, Geofin Comtrade.

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. As exports increase, the chemical industry in Germany is growing. In addition, production sites are now scattered across the whole globe. With this in mind, medium-sized companies now see the advantage of having integrated and IT-connected supply chains Rachael Bartels, Managing Director and Chemicals & Natural Resources Global Industry Lead, Accenture.

As exports increase, the chemical industry in Germany is growing. In addition, production sites are now scattered across the whole globe. With this in mind, medium-sized companies now see the advantage of having integrated and IT-connected supply chains.

Michael Kriegel, Department Head, Dachser Chem-Logistics.

The European market for F&F ingredients is well known for its high standards particularly for use in personal care, food & beverage products.

Philippe Faucher, Managing Director, FCI

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

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LETTERS TO EDITOR ANNIVERSARY ISSUE Your magazine gives a comprehensive coverage of Chemical Industry. In spite of being a trade publication, it provides in-depth information right till the end usage of products, and is a delight to read. While reading Chemical Today, I feel that the magazine has been created with the determination to provide detailed information about the world of chemicals. It reminds me of RIL’s Founder Chairman Shri Dhirubhai Ambani, who used to say, “If you work with determination and perfection, success will follow. The magazine provides great information on critical segments. It is also one of the best aesthetically designed magazine available in the chemical space. The magazine covers chemical industry in a well-balanced manner.

However, my natural bias would be to read more about latest developments in technology, innovations and equipment, because, in my current role, I am more attached to the polymer segment. Furthermore, as the world is rapidly moving towards digitization, it will be another area of knowledge enhancement to understand its impact on chemical industry.

Ajay Shah, President, Polymer Chain, Reliance Industries Ltd. Chemical Today, as an Industry oriented magazine covers all facets of the Chemical Industry and various other sectors that are associated with it. The magazine gives a true picture of the industry and covers the various perspectives that are put forth in an objective and transparent way.

Namitesh Roy Choudhary, Vice President - PTSE – HSEQ & Capital Investments, LANXESS India.

First of all, Congratulations to Chemical Today for coming up with their Anniversary issue. Over the last year, this has evolved as a must read magazine for anyone connected with any spectrum of the Chemical Industry. The coverages are thoughtful and provide deep insight to whichever sector it is being addressed to. It will be helpful if challenges faced by the industry beyond their control are regularly highlighted - feedstock availability, infrastructural issues, lack of clarity on power sector reforms, to name a few.

Anil Kumar, President AMAI I am happy to note that your magazine is taking so much initiative to study the challenges faced by the industry. Its really a good beginning and wish your magazine to turn out as the key chemical magazine in the days to come.

Kashi Murarka, President, Indian Speciality Chemical Manufacture’s Association (ISCMA) and Chairman, Mirachem Industries The articles look nice!

Frank Rothbarth (Media) Covestro Germany Everything looks great!

Nadine Baumgartl (Media) Wacker Thanks for getting in touch. I’ve reviewed the latest issue of your ‘World of Chemicals’ publication, and there is some great content in there.

Johan Janssen, Manager, Corporate External Communications - Middle East, Honeywell Saw the article in your October issue – looks good.

Ian deSouza, Senior Manager, Communications, Performance Chemicals, Asia Pacific, BASF Personally, I do like the layout of the magazine. It gives us very modern and fresh impression. It is more lifestyle driven and I think it can attract the new generation easier.

Rita Tsang, Communications, Construction Chemicals, Asia Pacific, BASF South East Asia Pte Ltd The issues look great and we are even more delighted now to be participating.

Natalia McDonagh, Head of Marketing, Brenntag UK & Ireland Generally spoken, the magazine seems to be very well documented about many aspects of the global chemistry activities. You must have many well connected journalists. Since you offer a broad range of subjects and topics, I feel that the mixture of topics might not capture enough interest of enough people. The colourful illustrations at the beginning of each article are very well chosen and constitute real added value. The general layout is modern, but there is scope for improving the layout in some areas such as article alignment.

Clotman Dirk, Communications Manager, Euro Chlor My sincere congratulations to the magazine and doubly so knowing that within a year “Chemical Today” is also remarkably popular among online readers, all due to the magazine’s earnest efforts to cover most of the important sectors and critical segments in the Chemical Industry in an easy to read page layout design. It will be better if your future magazine issues could also share updated information, about national & international market information, volume and value share of the individual industry segment players and the future this holds for the progress of the specific industry chemical sector. I am proud for being associated with the magazine and personal compliments to your team of editors, writers and journalists for their sheer hard work, perseverance and determination that is mainly responsible for the magazine to reach this place. My best wishes for ‘Chemical Today’ to reach greater heights in the years to come.

Dr Sitaram Dixit, Consultant, Flavor & Fragrance, Home, Fabric, & Personal Care Chemical Industry, Life Member & Chairman of Consumer Guidance Society of India, Mumbai.

We wish to congratulate the entire team of Chemical Today on their Anniversary Issue 2017. Chemical Today is working hard connecting people related to chemical process industry and creating a platform for exchange of knowledge. As regular readers, we appreciate the contents – with the magazine covering a wide spectrum of chemical industry specially in coating, pharma, power & gas, petrochemical to name a few. The focus is multi faceted - connecting the inventors, users, process engineers and equipment suppliers. It has also touched upon allied laterals such as logistics, green chemistry, safety and environment friendly issues. Further, it actively covers major related events in the country giving them necessary coverage. We would appreciate if you could add more articles, features and case studies on eco-friendly processes which can be adopted by industries to minimize harm to the environment as adopted by leading companies around the world.

Rajesh Malhotra, Managing Director, Everest Group of Companies

6

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

Overall your Chemical Today magazine has a modern design and when you hold it in your hands it gives a high quality impression. I feel the topics you address cover nicely a wide range of different chemical sectors and different areas of interest. A topic you might want to address in a future issue of your magazine is for example the challenge of the digitisation of our world and the impact especially on international customer relationships and the corresponding logistics and supply chain. Especially compared to large multinationals, midsize companies might lose out if they don’t understand the opportunities and investments in this area which can bring to their business model.

Joerg Strassburger, Founder & CEO Go East Advisors GmbH I am a retired academician and basically a chemist by qualification. I like the quality and wide variety of articles published in your esteemed journal.

Dr V Balaram Former CSIR - Emeritus Scientist, Chief Scientist & Head, Geochemistry Division (CSIR - National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) It was truly a wonderful experience interacting with Chemical Today magazine. The coverage nano-enabled technology for health care is a very attractive feature of this magazine. To establish a research laboratory and to conduct research in advanced areas, this magazine provide useful information about equipment, IT In Chemicals, Logistics, Safety, Green Chemistry, Automation etc. The content and format is well-organized and attractive. I would personally recommend more coverage regarding sensing systems and nanomedicine related with personalized health care management.

Ajeet Kaushik, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Immunology (Prof. Madhavan Nair’s Laboratory), Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University.

Chemical Today is an important magazine for Indian chemical industry and academia to know the current developments in variety of different areas of chemical research. The quality of the printing, layout and design is exceptional and gives a great pleasure to read it. I would be happy if you include more on fine chemicals and agrochemical industries. You may include new segments like 1) current focused research 2) New inventions 3) Indian inventions (news item on a research published in high quality journal or from industry invention on that month. 4) Separate sections on Science News and Business News.

Dr Ganapati Shanbhag, Asst. Professor, Poornaprajna Institute of Scientific Research (PPISR), Bidalur, Bangalore.

It gives me great pleasure to write a few words for “Chemical Today,” a magazine which I came across when I was contacted by them for an interview regarding my patent. This was published in the October, 2016 issue.This magazine is a unique outlook for the Chemical industry. In the last four issues they have covered very important aspects of environmental as well as green chemistry, which include eco-friendly solvents, biosolvents, biodegradable plastics, biological coatings for implants, biorefineries, etc. There is also a special issue called “coatings special,” which has made an excellent attempt to produce almost all recent information. Chemical Today is a platform for all, with some knowledge in chemistry. They also come with very beautiful cover pages, colourful pages and designs. For all the up-to-date information, it is worth subscribing for the magazine.

Prof Dr Anjali Patel, Polyoxometalates and Catalysis Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Gujarat, India.

In my view Chemical Today magazine is covering all the major sectors of chemical industry and touching the critical issues. Today there is a dire requirement of the knowledge related to the technologies, machineries and safety to be shared with the world so that the scientists as well as common man may be aware of what is going on in the world and this magazine is doing well in this direction. The photographs related to the topic and of the author, enhance its beauty. I would like the Chemical Today magazine to focus a bit more on food industry also as chemical technology is the integral part of food sector.

Dr Anurag Singh, Assistant Professor, Department of Food Science and Technology, National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) My hearty wishes for the anniversary of the magazine. I have been following you for a longer time; you have made a remarkable contribution to the chemical zone by updating the latest outbreaks of industrial sector which are really helpful to grow as an academician. The quality of the articles are excellent but still I would like to make few suggestions. I feel it would be better if few more articles on advanced and latest updates on plastic and rubbers are included. Covering up the industrial aspects of polymer industries and latest alternatives that they have come up will be promising.

Dr Pradip K Maji, Dept. of Polymer & Process Engineering, IIT Roorkee World of Chemicals is one of the most comprehensive portal covering wide range of chemicals and related logistics, packaging, equipment and academic articles. The layout and design of the magazine is user friendly for easy navigation. Also, I would like to see a bit more on chemical transport regulatory news and also about GHS as these two elements are the final compliance for shipping chemicals by any mode of transport.

Shashi Kallada, Consulting & Training - Dangerous Goods by Rail, Road, River & Sea You have covered most of the chemical industry. Maybe you can increase your coverage in the Advance material section including nanomaterials, etc.

The article looks exhaustive. It could have more market data points as not everyone is interested in technical aspects.

Pratish K Gupta, Senior Research Analyst - Chemicals & Materials, Mordor Intelligence

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

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NEWS GST RATES

GST RATES FOR THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

IN INDIA - A QUICK GUIDE

© File Photo

8

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

T

he Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a critical change that the industry has been waiting for. Even on an international level, the industry is keeping an active watch given its effects on the growth and revenue of companies.

Considering the chemical industry the government has kept a large number of items under the 18 percent tax slab, while those under the nil and 5 percent category bring a good momentum for the industry.

The GST rate schedule for goods as per the discussions in the GST Council Meeting held on 18 May. Below are the items and tax slabs that are of particular interest to the chemical industry:

(Salt; sulphur; earths and stone; plastering materials, lime and cement) Nil: 1. Common salt, by whatever name it is known, including iodized and other fortified salts, sendha namak [rock salt], kala namak

5% All goods not specified elsewhere 1. Salt other than common salt.

2. Unroasted iron pyrites.

3. Sulphur of all kinds, other than sublimed sulphur, precipitated sulphur and colloidal sulphur.

4. Natural graphite.

5. Natural sands of all kinds, whether or not coloured, other than metal-bearing sands.

6. Quartz (other than natural sands); quartzite, whether or not roughly trimmed or merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular (including square) shape.

7. Kaolin and other kaolinic clays, whether or not calcined.

8. Other clays (not including expanded clays of heading 6806), andalusite, kyanite and sillimanite whether or not calcined; mullite; chamotte or dinas earths.

9. Chalk.

1 or less.

13.

Pumice stone; emery; natural corundum, natural garnet and other natural abrasives, whether or not heat treated.

14. Slate, whether or not roughly trimmed or merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular (including square) shape.

15.

Ecaussine and other calcareous monumental or building stone; alabaster [other than marble Marble and travertine] 16. Porphyry, basalt, sandstone and other monumental or building stone, whether or not roughly trimmed or merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular (including square) shape.

17. Pebbles, gravel, broken or crushed stone, of a kind commonly used for concrete aggregates, for road metalling or for railway or other ballast, shingle and flint, whether or not heat-treated; macadam of slag, dross or similar industrial waste, whether or not incorporating the materials cited in the first part of the heading; tarred macadam; granules cheeping and powder of stones.

18. Dolomite, whether or not calcined or sintered, including dolomite roughly trimmed or merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular (including square) shape; dolomite ramming mix.

29.

Mineral substances specified or included.

not

12% 1. Marble and travertine blocks 2. Granite blocks.

18% 1. Sulphur recovered as by-product in refining of crude oil

28% 1. Marble and travertine, other than blocks 2. Granite, other than blocks 3. Portland cement, aluminous cement, slag cement, super sulphate cement and similar hydraulic cements, whether or not coloured or in the form of clinkers

(Ores, slag and ash) 5% All ores and concentrates 1. Iron ores and concentrates, including roasted iron pyrites 2. Manganese ores and concentrates, including ferruginous manganese ores and concentrates with a manganese content of 20% or more, calculated on the dry weight.

3. Copper ores and concentrates.

4. Nickel ores and concentrates.

20.

Natural magnesium carbonate (magnesite); fused magnesia; dead-burned (sintered) magnesia, whether or not containing small quantities of other oxides added before sintering; other magnesium oxide, whether or not pure.

5. Cobalt ores and concentrates.

21.

Gypsum; anhydrite; plasters (consisting of calcined gypsum or calcium sulphate) whether or not coloured, with or without small quantities of accelerators or retarders.

22. Limestone flux; limestone and other calcareous stone, of a kind used for the manufacture of lime or cement.

23. Quicklime, slaked lime and hydraulic lime, other than calcium oxide and hydroxide of heading 2825.

24. Asbestos.

11.

Natural barium sulphate (barytes); natural barium carbonate (witherite), whether or not calcined, other than barium oxide.

26.

Natural steatite, whether or not roughly trimmed or merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular (including square) shape; talc.

12. Siliceous fossil meals (for example, kieselguhr, tripolite and diatomite) and similar siliceous earths, whether or not calcined, of an apparent specific gravity of

27.

Natural borates and concentrates thereof (whether or not calcined), but not including borates separated from natural brine; natural boric acid containing not more than 85% of H3BO3

25. Mica, including splitting; mica waste.

and

elsewhere

19. dolomite, Not calcined or sintered

10. Natural calcium phosphates, natural aluminium calcium phosphates and phosphatic chalk.

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

28.

Feldspar; leucite, nepheline nepheline syenite; fluorspar.

6. Aluminium ores and concentrates.

7. Lead ores and concentrates.

8. Zinc ores and concentrates.

9. Tin ores and concentrates.

10. Chromium ores and concentrates.

11. Tungsten ores and concentrates.

12.

Uranium concentrates.

or

thorium

ores

and

13. Molybdenum ores and concentrates.

14. Titanium ores and concentrates.

15.

Niobium, tantalum, vanadium zirconium ores and concentrates.

or

16. Precious metal ores and concentrates.

17. Other ores and concentrates 1. Granulated slag (slag sand) from the manufacture of iron or steel

18% All goods not specified elsewhere, that is other slag, dross, ash and residues 1. Slag, dross (other than granulated slag), scalings and other waste from the manufacture of iron or steel.

9

NEWS GST RATES 2. Slag, ash and residues (other than from the manufacture of iron or steel) containing metals, arsenic or their compounds.

3. Other slag and ash, including seaweed ash (kelp); ash and residues from the incineration of municipal waste.

(Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes) 5% 1. Coal; briquettes, ovoids and similar solid fuels manufactured from coal 2. Lignite, whether or not agglomerated, excluding jet.

3. Peat (including peat litter), whether or not agglomerated 4. Coke and semi coke of coal, of lignite or of peat, whether or not agglomerated; retort carbon 5. Tar distilled from coal, from lignite or from peat 6. Kerosene PDS 7. Liquefied Propane and Butane mixture, Liquefied Propane, Liquefied Butane and Liquefied Petroleum Gases (LPG) for supply to household domestic consumers or to non-domestic exempted category (NDEC) customers by the Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Hindustan petroleum Corporation Limited or Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited.

8. Coal gas, water gas, producer gas and similar gases, other than petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons

12% 1. Bio-gas

9. Petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons, such as Propane, Butanes, Ethylene, propylene, butylene and butadiene [Other than Liquefied Propane and Butane mixture, Liquefied Propane, Liquefied Butane and Liquefied Petroleum Gases (LPG) for supply to household domestic consumers or to non-domestic exempted category (NDEC) customers by the Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Hindustan petroleum Corporation Limited or Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited] 4. Petroleum jelly; paraffin wax, microcrystalline petroleum wax, slack wax, ozokerite, lignite wax, peat wax, other mineral waxes, and similar products obtained by synthesis or by other processes, whether or not coloured.

5. Petroleum coke, petroleum bitumen and other residues of petroleum oils or of oils obtained from bituminous minerals.

6.

Bitumen and asphalt, natural; bituminous or oil shale and tar sands; asphaltites and asphaltic rocks.

7. Bituminous mixtures based on natural asphalt, on natural bitumen, on petroleum bitumen, on mineral tar or on mineral tar pitch (for example, bituminous mastics, cut-backs).

28% 1. Avgas

(Inorganic chemicals) 5% 1. Thorium oxalate

18%

2. Enriched KBF4 (enriched potassium fluroborate)

All goods not specified elsewhere

3. Enriched elemental boron

1. Oils and other products of the distillation of high temperature coal tar; similar products in which the weight of the aromatic constituents exceeds that of the nonaromatic constituents, such as Benzole (benzene), Toluole (toluene), Xylole (xylenes), Naphthelene

4. Nuclear fuel

2. Pitch and pitch coke, obtained from coal tar or from other mineral tars.

3. Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, other than crude; preparations not elsewhere specified or included, containing by weight 70% or more of petroleum oils or of oils obtained from bituminous minerals, these oils being the basic constituents of the preparation; waste oils; [other than Avgas and Kerosene PDS], such as Superior kerosene

10

Oil (SKO), Fuel oil, Base oil, Jute batching oil and textile oil, Lubricating oil, Waste oil [Other than petrol, Diesel and ATF, not in GST]

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

6. Dicalcium phosphate (DCP) of animal feed grade conforming to IS specification No.5470: 2002 7. Steam

18% All goods not specified elsewhere 1. Fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine.

2. Sulphur, sublimed or precipitated; colloidal sulphur.

3. Carbon (carbon blacks and other forms of carbon not elsewhere specified or included).

4. Hydrogen, nonmetals.

rare

gases

and

other

5. Alkali or alkaline-earth metals; rareearth metals, scandium and yttrium, whether or not intermixed or interalloyed; mercury.

6. Hydrogen chloride (hydrochloric acid); chloro sulphuric acid.

7. Sulphuric acid; oleum.

8. Nitric acid; sulphonitric acids.

9. Diphosphorus pentaoxide; phosphoric acid; polyphosphoric acids, whether or not chemically defined.

10. Oxides of boron; boric acids.

11. Other inorganic acids and other inorganic oxygen compounds of nonmetals.

12. Halides and halide oxides of nonmetals.

13. Sulphides of non-metals; commercial phosphorus trisulphide.

14. Ammonia, anhydrous or in aqueous solution.

15.

Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda); potassium hydroxide (caustic potash); peroxides of sodium or potassium.

5. Nuclear grade sodium

16. Hydroxide and peroxide of magnesium; oxides, hydroxides and peroxides, of strontium or barium.

6. Heavy water and other nuclear fuels

17. Zinc oxide; zinc peroxide.

7. Compressed air

18. Artificial corundum, whether or not chemically defined; aluminium oxide; aluminium hydroxide.

12% 1. Medicinal grade hydrogen peroxide 2. Anaesthetics 3. Potassium Iodate 4. Iodine 5. Micronutrients, which are covered under serial number 1(f ) of Schedule 1, Part (A) of the Fertilizer Control Order, 1985 and are manufactured by the manufacturers which are registered under the Fertilizer Control Order, 1985

19. Chromium oxides and hydroxides.

20. Manganese oxides.

21. Iron oxides and hydroxides; earth colours containing 70% or more by weight of combined Iron evaluated as Fe2O3.

22.

Cobalt oxides and commercial cobalt oxides.

hydroxides;

23. Titanium oxides.

24. Lead oxides; red lead and orange lead.

25.

Hydrazine and hydroxylamine and their inorganic salts; other inorganic bases; other metal oxides, hydroxides and peroxides.

26. Fluorides; fluoroaluminates fluorine salts.

and

fluorosilicates, other complex

carbides of heading 2849.

49.

Inorganic or organic compounds of mercury, whether or not chemically defined, excluding amalgams

19.

Carboxylic acids with additional oxygen function and their anhydrides, halides, peroxides and peroxyacids; their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives.

(Organic chemicals) 12%

27. Chlorides, chloride oxides and chloride hydroxides; bromides and bromide oxides; iodides and iodide oxides.

1. Gibberellic acid

28.

Hypochlorites; commercial calcium hypochlorite; chlorites; hypobromites.

1. Gibberellic acid All goods not specified elsewhere

29. Chlorates and perchlorates; bromates and perbromates; iodates and periodates.

2. Acyclic hydrocarbons

30. Sulphides; polysulphides, whether or not chemically defined.

4. Halogenated derivatives of hydrocarbons.

31. Dithionites and sulphoxylates.

5. Sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives of hydrocarbons, whether or not halogenated.

32. Sulphites; thiosulphates.

33.

Sulphates; (persulphates)

alums;

Peroxosulphates

34. Nitrites; nitrates.

18. Polycarboxylic acids, their anhydrides, halides, peroxides and peroxyacids; their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives.

18%

3. Cyclic hydrocarbons

6. Acyclic alcohols and their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives.

20.

Phosphoric esters and their salts, including lactophosphates; their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives.

21. Esters of other inorganic acids of non-metals (excluding esters of hydrogen halides) and their salts; their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives.

22. Aminefunction Compounds. 23. 2922 Oxygenfunction aminocompounds.

24.

Quaternary ammonium salts andhydroxides; lecithins and other phosphoaminolipids, whether or not chemically defined.

35. Phosphinates (hypophosphites), phosphonates (phosphites) and phosphates; polyphosphates, whether or not chemically defined.

7. Cyclic alcohols and their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives.

36. Carbonates; peroxocarbonates (percarbonates); commercial ammonium carbonate containing ammonium carbamate.

8. Phenols; phenol-alcohols.

25. Carboxyamidefunction compounds; amide-function compounds of carbonic acid.

9. Halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives of phenols or phenolalcohols.

26. Carboxyimidefunction compounds (including saccharin and its salts) and imine-function compounds.

10. Ethers, ether-alcohols, ether-phenols, etheralcohol- phenols, alcohol peroxides, ether peroxides, ketone peroxides(whether or not chemically defined), and their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives.

27. Nitrilefunction compounds.

37. Cyanides, cyanide oxides and complex cyanides.

38.

Silicates; silicates.

commercial

alkali

metal

39. Borates; peroxoborates (perborates).

40. Salts of oxometallic or peroxometallic acids.

41. Other salts of inorganic acids or peroxoacids (including aluminosilicates whether or not chemically defined), other than azides.

42. Colloidal precious metals; inorganic or organic compounds of precious metals, whether or not chemically defined; amalgams of precious metals.

43.

Radioactive chemical elements and radioactive isotopes (including the fissile or fertile chemical elements and isotopes) and their compounds; mixtures and residues containing these products.

44.

Compounds, inorganic or organic, of rare-earth metals, of yttrium or of scandium or of mixtures of these metals.

45. Hydrogen peroxide, whether or not solidified with urea.

46. Phosphides, whether or not chemically defined, excluding ferrophosphorus.

47. Carbides, whether or not chemically defined.

48. Hydrides, nitrides, azides, silicides and borides, whether or not chemically defined, other than compounds which are also

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

11. Epoxides, epoxyalcohols, epoxyphenols and epoxyethers, with a three membered ring, and their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives.

12. Acetals and hemiacetals, whether or not with other oxygen function, and their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives.

28. Diazo-, azo- or azoxycompounds.

29. Organic derivatives of hydrazine or of hydroxylamine.

30.

Compounds function.

with

other

nitrogen

31. Organosulphur compounds.

32. Other organo-inorganic compounds.

33. Heterocyclic compounds with oxygen heteroatom (s) only.

34. Heterocyclic compounds with nitrogen heteroatom (s) only.

13. Aldehydes, whether or not withother oxygen function; cyclic polymers of aldehydes; paraformaldehyde.

35. Nucleic acids and their salts, whether or not chemically defined; other heterocyclic compounds.

14. Halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives of products.

36. Sulphonamides

15. Ketones and quinones, whether or not with other oxygen function, and their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives.

16. Saturated acyclic monocarboxylic acids and their anhydrides, halides, peroxides and peroxyacids; their halogenated, sulphonated, nitratedor nitrosated derivatives.

17. Unsaturated acyclic monocarboxylic acids, cyclic monocarboxylic acids, their anhydrides, halides, peroxides and peroxyacids; their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives.

37. Provitamins and vitamins, natural or reproduced by synthesis (including natural concentrates), derivatives thereof used primarily as vitamins, and intermixtures of the foregoing, whether or not in any solvent.

38. Hormones, prostaglandins, thromboxanes and leukotrienes, natural or reproduced by synthesis; derivatives and structural analogues thereof, including chain modified polypeptides, used primarily as hormones.

39. Glycosides, natural or reproduced by synthesis, and their salts, ethers, esters and other derivatives.

(Data Source – Saral GST) NOTE: For more information download pdf http://www.saralgst.com/pdfs/GST-chapter-wise-rate.pdf

11

NEWS NATIONAL L&T PARTNERS WITH ICT TO BUILD 2G ETHANOL PLANTS

L

&T Hydrocarbon Engineering (LTHE) has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) to build Ethanol plants based on the fully indigenous technology developed by ICT for producing Second Generation Ethanol.

This novel technology developed by ICT under the leadership of Dr. Arvind Lali, Head of DBT-ICT Centre, is capable of processing a variety of feedstocks and offers one of the lowest project life cycle cost.

Currently, India produces about 3 percent bio-ethanol blending with Ethanol derived from molasses, which is called first Generation (1G) Ethanol. There is a huge impetus from the Government of India to set up second Generation (2G) Ethanol plants in order to achieve the ambitious target of 20 percent blending of bio-fuels.

2G Ethanol is defined as that derived from agricultural wastes that do not impact human and animal food chains, and result in more than 60 percent reduction in fuel carbon emissions compared to equivalent petro-fuel use.

“The Department of Bio-Technology (DBT), Government of India, set up India’s first bio-energy research centre at ICT in 2008, known as the DBT-ICT Centre for Bio-science, with the express mandate to develop, scale up and monetize the 2G Ethanol bio-ethanol technology,” said Prof.

G.D. Yadav, Vice Chancellor, ICT.

LTHE and ICT will collaborate to provide complete solutions in setting up 2G Ethanol plants in terms of Process License, Technology Knowhow, Basic Engineering, Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) or Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM).

“We are delighted to be part of this initiative undertaken by the Government of India, and it is in line with our commitment to Nation Building. The 2G Ethanol projects will herald a new age of technological advancement and will fuel India’s green

economic growth engine.

LTHE will leverage its vast experience in engineering, construction and project management to meet challenges and deliver the 2G Ethanol projects,” said Subramanian Sarma, MD & CEO of L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering. Institute of Chemical Technology was established as the University Department of Chemical Technology (UDCT) on 1st October 1933 by the University of Mumbai, through active support of industries and philanthropists.

It was granted deemed university status in 2008, and was renamed as ICT.

VIKAS ECOTECH BAGS MEXICHEM’S ORGANOTIN STABILISERS ORDER

T

he New Delhi-based Vikas Ecotech, the maker of eco-friendly specialty chemicals, has won a commercial order to supply organotin stabilisers from the Mexico-headquartered Mexichem, a worldwide leader in plastic pipes and one of the largest chemical & petrochemical companies in Latin America. The organotin stabiliser will be used in the manufacturing of food-grade PVC compounds & pipes.

Vikas Ecotech received the first commercial order from Mexichem through its Columbian subsidiary. The organotin stabiliser supplied by Vikas Ecotech will be used in the manufacturing of food-grade PVC compounds & pipes. This order will have a multiplier effect and translate into additional demand for Vikas Ecotech’s products in South America.

“It is a privilege for Vikas Ecotech’s team to win this order from a global leader like

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Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

Mexichem. It validates our differentiated R&D and produce development strategy that meets international quality benchmarks and procurement competiveness. I look forward to continue developing a long-term association with many more prestigious clients including Mexichem,” said Vikas Garg, managing director, Vikas Ecotech.

primarily used in safety- & health-critical applications of PVC such as pipes & fittings and food packaging industries.

Worldwide regulations are increasingly being put in place to ban the use of toxic chemicals in all PVC applications. Vikas Ecotech is the first and only Indian company with an integrated in-house facility to produce organotin, which is a US FDA-approved ingredient for the PVC industry.

Supply contract from Mexichem is expected to help Vikas Ecotech bag similar orders in the near future. Recognition from a big manufacturer like Mexichem establishes the quality and efficacy of the company’s products and would help Vikas Ecotech cut down on customer approval timing with other buyers from about 6 months to a few days leading to increased sales of about 25 percent in this financial year. The company expects additional sales after this initial order from more Mexichem subsidiaries in 13 other Latin American countries and also other geographies worldwide.

The company manufactures 100-percent toxin-free organotin products directly from tin metals. Organotin stabilisers produced

by Vikas Ecotech are non-toxic solutions

Source: Business Standard

ZUARI AGRO CHEMICALS TO INVEST RS 1300 CRORE TO REVAMP UREA PLANT

Z

uari Agro Chemicals Ltd will invest Rs 1300 crore to revamp its ammoniaurea plant in Goa, making it more energy efficient and increasing the production.

“The Board of Directors of the company has approved the integrated revamp of ammonia-urea plants at a cost of approximately Rs 1300 crores,” said Zuari Agro Chemicals in a BSE filing. The revamp is expected to take around 25-30 months.

Consequently, the urea capacity will increase from 1350 metric tonne per day

(MTPD) to 1800 MTPD and energy per tonne of urea will be 5.39 Gcal as against existing 6.67 Gcal.

revamp of existing facilities, said a company official explaining the rationale behind the move.

The New Urea Policy 2015 by the Department of Fertilizers, GoI, mandates all vintage plants to bring down their energy consumption. Zuari Agro Chemicals’ plant is in vintage category as defined by Department of Fertilizers.

After revamp, which will result in increasing production & reducing energy consumption, ZACL will become one of the highly energy-efficient plants in the country.

To make the plant more energy efficient coupled with enhanced capacity to meet market demand it is necessary to undertake

The company has a manufacturing facility at Goa, with four plants, dedicated to provide farmers with urea, DAP and NPK based fertilizers.

Source: Business Standard

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

13

NEWS INTERNATIONAL CLARIANT, HUNTSMAN MERGE TO CREATE $13 BN SPECIALTY CHEMICALS COMPANY

S

wiss specialty chemicals company Clariant and the US-based Huntsman Corporation announced that they have agreed to combine in a merger of equals through an all-stock transaction.

The merged company will be named HuntsmanClariant. The transaction is targeted to close by year end 2017.

On a pro forma 2016 basis, the combination of both companies will create a leading global specialty chemical company with sales of approximately $13.2 billion.

The combined entity will benefit from each other’s strengths. It will have a significantly improved growth profile in highly attractive end markets and geographies. Huntsman Clariant will leverage shared knowledge in sustainability and boast a much stronger joint innovation platform. This will enable the development of new products in order to deliver superior returns and drive shareholder value.

“This is the perfect deal at the right time.

Clariant and Huntsman are joining forces to gain much broader global reach, create more sustained innovation power and achieve new growth opportunities.

This is in the best interest of all of our stakeholders. Peter Huntsman and I share the same strategic vision and I look forward to working with him,” said Hariolf Kottmann, CEO, Clariant.

As per the agreement, Clariant shareholders will hold 52 percent in the combined entity, while Huntsman shareholders will own the remaining 48 percent stake. Board of Directors of both the companies will have equal representation. The global headquarters of HuntsmanClariant will be located in Pratteln (Switzerland) and its operational headquarters will be based in The Woodlands, Texas.

providing substantial financial strength and flexibility,” said Peter R Huntsman, president and CEO, Huntsman.

“I could not be more enthusiastic about this merger and look forward to working closely with Hariolf Kottmann, a man I have admired and trusted for the past decade. We also look forward to a close association with his immensely talented colleagues around the world. Together, we will create a global leader in specialty chemicals with a combined balance sheet

The full synergy run-rate will be achieved within two years of closing. These synergies will be realized by reducing operational costs and improving procurement. The targeted synergies represent roughly 3 percent of total combined 2016 revenue with one-time costs up to $500 million.

There will also be additional cash-tax savings.

The new company will accelerate value creation for shareholders through a more robust combination of technology, products and talent. The combined company expects to realise more than $3.5 billion of value creation from approximately $400 million in annual cost synergies.

DOW STRENGTHENS COATINGS & SILICONES BUSINESS IN SAUDI ARABIA

T

he Dow Chemical Company said that it signed two agreements to advance the company’s strategic, innovation agenda in Saudi Arabia which will bring leading edge technologies to Saudi Arabia that support the Vision 2030 economic diversification and advanced manufacturing development plan.

Dow signed an agreement to construct a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility to produce a range of polymers for coatings and water-treatment applications, and a memorandum of understanding for a feasibility study related to a proposed investment in the Company’s Performance Silicones franchise.

“Dow has been a long-term strategic partner in Saudi Arabia for nearly four

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Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

decades and is the largest foreign investor in the country,” said Andrew Liveris, chairman and chief executive officer, Dow. “Through our global and regional experience and expertise, we have unmatched capabilities to deliver high value, innovative solutions that support the Kingdom in key growth areas that help advance the Saudi’s Vision 2030 plan designed to create a vibrant society and a thriving diversified economy.”

Located in the PlasChem Park in Jubail, the coatings facility will service the needs of the Saudi Arabian market with an innovative range of acrylic-based polymers for industrial and architectural coatings and water-treatment and detergent applications. The new coatings facility

will complement Dow’s existing coatings capabilities in the Middle East, which include an existing facility at Jebel Ali, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The proposed silicones investment will include constructing a fully integrated, world-scale siloxanes and high performance silicones complex geared towards markets and industries such as home and personal care, automotive, high performance building and construction, solar energy, medical devices, and oil and gas.

This move will serve to further integrate the former Dow Corning silicones business into Dow, and will accelerate the development of new hybrid materials which will be unique, technology rich solutions for regional-specific needs.

COVESTRO EXPANDS POLYCARBONATES CAPACITY IN SHANGHAI

C

ovestro announced that it plans to significantly expand its capacity to 600,000 metric tons per year in China reacting to the strong customer demand for polycarbonates in the Asia-Pacific region.

The expansion will be achieved through debottlenecking of its production lines and the expanded capacity shall be available starting 2019.

The move comes after the company had recently doubled its polycarbonate production capacity at its Shanghai site to 400,000 tons per year. “The expansion is essential to satisfy the growing demand”, said Dr. Klaus Schäfer, Chief Technology Officer, Covestro.

“The successful completion of this project will strengthen our global production network and demonstrates our continuous commitment to the Chinese market.”

Polycarbonate is increasingly being used in many areas of modern life – from electronic and IT appliances to automotive parts to medical devices and LED lighting. This has increased the demand especially for lightweight, highly transparent, breakproof and easy to shape polycarbonates.

“There is a rapidly growing demand for polycarbonate resins and blends, in particular in China. Segments like electronics, healthcare and automotive are our key customer industries in that region. Further expanding our capacity for

this high-tech plastic enables us to even better react to the changing needs of our customers and to guarantee sustainable supply,” said Michelle Jou, Global Head of Covestro´s Polycarbonates segment.

With the capacity expansion of the largest polycarbonate production site in the world, Covestro strengthens its global number one position in polycarbonate resins and intends to supply the volumes it needs to continuously outgrow industry. “We have grown our capacity share continuously in recent years and are committed to continue this path. This investment is one of the

steps we do to secure the necessary supply”, adds Michelle Jou. At the same time, Covestro underscores its leading position in highly efficient and environmentally compatible technology by recycling process saltwater at the production site. This is used again to produce chlorine and sodium hydroxide, two chemicals that in turn are needed as raw materials for polycarbonates.

“By using our innovative recycling process technology we safeguard our high level of cost efficiency”, said Klaus Schäfer.

PRAXAIR, LINDE INKS FORMAL MERGER AGREEMENT

P

raxair Inc (PX) has signed in principle a business combination agreement (BCA) with Linde AG, moving a step closer towards completing a merger of equals.

The companies would combine their businesses in a merger of equals under a new holding company through an all-stock transaction, consistent with the transaction structure that the companies announced in December 2016.

The BCA is yet to be approval by the board of directors of Praxair and the executive board and supervisory board of Linde.

Linde AG head office in Munich, Germany. (File photo)

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

15

NEWS MOVERS & SHAKERS CLARIANT APPOINTS BP SUPPLY CHAIN DIRECTOR AS INDIA PRESIDENT Adnan Ahmad succeeds Deepak Parikh who will be region president for Clariant in North America and CEO of both Clariant Corporation and Clariant Canada Inc

C

lariant has appointed Adnan Ahmad as region president, India.

He succeeds Deepak Parikh who had been leading Clariant’s growth strategy in India for the past 4 years.

Deepak Parikh will now serve as the region president for Clariant in North America as well as chief executive officer (CEO) of both Clariant Corporation and Clariant Canada Inc. Effective 1 June, Adnan Ahmad assumes the role of region president for Clariant in India and also the vice-chairman & managing director of Clariant Chemicals (India) Limited. Adnan joins Clariant from BP where he held various global and leadership roles with demonstrated success in transformational leadership and currently regional supply chain director.

Adnan began his career with Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) where he worked in a variety of manufacturing, supply chain and business roles across India. He also served on the board of Castrol India Limited.

DOW CEO NAMED CO-CHAIR OF SAUDI-US CEO FORUM Dow has been investing in Saudi Arabia for more than 40 years and is the largest foreign investor in the country.

T

he Dow Chemical Company’s chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) Andrew Liveris has been named co-chair of the newly launched Saudi-US CEO forum – established to demonstrate the strategic partnerships between the two countries, with the aim of mutual value creation and job growth.

The inaugural annual forum, under the theme “Partnership for Generations,” assembled CEO’s of major Saudi and US companies spanning several industries with senior Saudi government officials.

Discussions focused on opportunities to enhance bilateral trade and investments, strengthen economic ties and business relationships, and explore partnership and investment opportunities aligned to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

Dow has been investing in Saudi Arabia for more than 40 years and is the largest foreign investor in the country.

Additional investments include agreements with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) to construct a new Dow Middle East research and development centre, and a reverse osmosis manufacturing facility – the first unit of its kind outside of US. In June 2016, Dow became the first company to receive a trading license from the Government of Saudi Arabia, allowing 100 percent ownership in the country’s trading sector.

(File photo)

16

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

“Dow greatly values its long-standing, strategic partnerships and relationships in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I am honoured to play a key role in advancing Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan designed to create a vibrant society and thriving diversified economy,” said Liveris.

COVESTRO NAMES STEILEMANN AS NEW CEO; TO TAKE CHARGE NEXT YEAR

Current CEO Patrick Thomas has confirmed that he will retire and complete his contract as expected on 30 September 2018.

C

ovestro AG said that its CEO Patrick Thomas has confirmed that he will complete his contract as expected on 30 September 2018.

The supervisory board of the company has unanimously appointed Dr Markus Steilemann as his successor.

Dr Markus Steilemann is currently the chief commercial officer (CCO) and long-term colleague at the board of management since 2015.

Steilemann had a long career at Bayer, joining the company in 1999 and Bayer Material Science in 2004. Between 2013 and 2015, Markus Steilemann headed the entire Polycarbonates segment before being appointed to the Covestro board of management. Based on this broad international business experience and with innovation being at the heart of Covestro, Markus Steilemann is an ideal candidate for the succession of Patrick Thomas, the company said.

“We consider it our duty to be prepared for possible scenarios at an early stage. For this reason, we have examined potential candidates for succession in advance and come to the conclusion that we have an excellent successor in our own ranks with Markus Steilemann,” said Dr Richard Pott, chairman of the supervisory board.

Dr. Markus Steilemann, CEO-in-waiting at Covestro.

“I would like to thank the supervisory board for the confidence they have placed in me. Covestro is a great company characterised by an innovative spirit, high performance and the enthusiasm of its people.

I am looking forward to continuing this successful path by further pushing boundaries together with this great team,” conclude Markus Steilemann

LANXESS APPOINTS NEW CHIEF INTEGRATION OFFICER, STEPHEN FORSYTH

Forsyth is responsible for integrating the Chemtura businesses into Lanxess, which was acquired in April. This newly created position is limited to one year.

L

anxess AG expands its board of management with the appointment of Stephen Forsyth (61) as chief integration officer, effective 1 June. Forsyth is responsible for integrating the Chemtura businesses into Lanxess, which was acquired in April 2017. This newly created position is limited to one year.

Forsyth has more than 35 years of management experience in the chemical industry. Since 2007 he has acted as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Chemtura.

“The integration of the new speciality additives, urethanes and organometallics businesses takes top priority at Lanxess. In Stephen Forsyth, we have brought an expert on board who together with the other members of the board of management will rapidly make this integration a success,” said Dr Rolf Stomberg, chairman supervisory board, Lanxess.

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

17

NEWS DEAL BREAKER

PPG WITHDRAWS PROPOSAL IN COMBINING WITH AKZONOBEL P

PG Industries Inc said that it has withdrawn its proposal to combine with AkzoNobel NV and will not pursue a public offer for all the issued and outstanding shares of AkzoNobel.

PPG made the final decision after careful consideration, including the stakeholder interests of both companies.

“We were hopeful throughout this process that AkzoNobel’s boards would see the merits of our compelling proposal to combine our two great companies and create significant shareholder value and a more sustainable business for the future.

We strongly believe a combined company would create more opportunities and provide more benefits for our collective customers, employees, shareholders and society in general,” said Michael McGarry, CEO and chairman, PPG.

Michael H. McGarry

President and CEO, PPG

AKZONOBEL REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT

TO GROWTH AND PROFITABILITY A

kzoNobel acknowledges the PPG announcement and reaffirms commitment to accelerating growth and enhancing profitability.

“We continue to focus on our business, pursuing our strategy of accelerating sustainable growth and profitability and creating two focused, high-performing businesses - Paints and Coatings and Specialty Chemicals. We believe this will lead to a step change in growth and longterm value creation for our shareholders and all other stakeholders,” said Ton Buchner, AkzoNobel CEO. “Our talented teams around the world continue to develop, produce and deliver the most innovative and sustainable products and services for our customers, and I would like to thank all colleagues for their ongoing commitment. We reiterate our commitment to maintain an open and constructive dialog with our shareholders and all other stakeholders.”

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Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

Ton Büchner

CEO, AkzoNobel

NEWS IIOT

HONEYWELL INTRODUCES ‘CONNECTED PLANT’ SOLUTIONS AT FIRST INDIA TECHNOLOGY SUMMIT Brings together government, customers, and business leaders to promote the “Digital India” campaign.

Ajay Sawhney, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, addressing the audience at the launch of Honeywell India Technology Summit 2017

A

t the first India Technology Summit (ITS), Honeywell introduced its suite of solutions under the Honeywell Connected Plant (HCP) to promote digitization in industries in support of the government’s Digital India effort in New Delhi. HCP’s transformative solutions enable manufacturers and process industries leverage data and insights to improve the efficiency and profitability of their operations.

HCP combines the company’s unmatched industrial expertise, software and cloud technologies to make its customers’ operations more reliable, profitable and secure than ever before. HCP technologies enhance decision making, increase security and productivity, and improve collaboration across the enterprise by providing the right information at the right time. These solutions cater to energy,

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

manufacturing, infrastructure and other industries.

The inaugural session also was attended

by Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Additional Joint Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), Government of India; in addition to stakeholders from across the hydrocarbon sector.

The session was followed by a live technology demonstration showcasing HCP products and solutions, a plenary session and several speaker sessions.

Attendees had an opportunity to experience firsthand many of Honeywell’s solutions under the HCP portfolio.

“India is at the cusp of a digital revolution, driven by the government’s vision to digitize the economy, citizens and infrastructure,” said Ashish Gaikwad, managing director, Honeywell Automation India Limited

and country leader, Honeywell Process Solutions – inaugurating the day-long summit. “It is imperative for industry to adopt world-class technologies that improve safety, reliability, and efficiency in an increasingly competitive global environment, and our HCP proposition is uniquely positioned to achieve this industrial evolution.”

“IIoT is the industrial revolution of the 21st century and Make in India is at the heart of Honeywell’s business strategy here. The HCP proposition focuses on technologies and industrial solutions to help organizations harness the power of IIoT,” said Steve Gimre, managing director, Honeywell UOP India.

“Honeywell is positioned really well for this transformation, given our decadeslong history and relationships with our customers.”

19

NEWS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

BASF’S

MOBILE AIR CONDITIONER FOR THE BODY B

ASF SE has developed a new cooling textile –Luquafleece – which provides evaporative cooling, that can be individually defused and lasts for hours. Athletes as well as workers and many other people worldwide who are exposed to high temperatures are therefore now using active functional cooling clothing. This functional cooling cloth of the E COOLINE and IDENIXX brands, integrating the specially developed superabsorbent nonwoven fabric, giving a mobile air conditioning system to wear, which effectively supports the cooling system of the body. The water enters the active layer – of the Luquafleece– after being rapidly absorbed and distributed through a bacteriostatic textile fabric.With higher outdoor temperatures or increasing skin temperature during sports or work activity, the water molecules firmly bound inside the functional cooling clothing absorb the thermal energy, evaporate from the large surface of the three-dimensional nonwoven structure and thereby cool down the wearer.

The body sweats less and thereby saves energy that would usually be needed for thermoregulation. External cooling can therefore provide an increase in performance of up to ten percent in hot conditions.

Moreover, important body parameters – such as heart rate – are improved which protects people´s health. Like a fishing net, the polymer network of the superabsorber traps increasing numbers of water particles until its elastic restoring forces compensate the osmotic forces of the prevailing concentration gradient. In this way Luquafleece can absorb ten times its weight in water and retain it so firmly, that the functional textiles are dry on the surface.

“The fibers of this nonwoven fabric are coated with superabsorbent polymers (SAP) through a special technology. They absorb the water in a few seconds and retain it,” said expert Norbert Heidinger of BASF New Business GmbH, who markets the material.

The functional clothing only cools the body to the extent required by the prevailing situation. The intensity of evaporative cooling adapts to the surrounding temperature and exertion. Thus, no negative cooling effects can occur.

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Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

With the E COOLINE and IDENIXX brands, the idea of mobile, simple and effective cooling has therefore been successfully implemented and marketed. Apart from innovative materials, the environmentally friendly because bionic system only requires water and the heat the user wants to get rid of anyway.

Gabriele Renner, CEO “pervormance international GmbH” - describes the benefits of Luquafleece.

Future potential for air conditioning functional clothing.

Medicine is definitely another field of application in the future. Here we have already shown that we can significantly improve quality of life of people affected by multiple sclerosis with our cooling vests.

There are also other valuable uses such as treating menopausal complaints like hot flushes or reducing fever with our calf coolers, to mention only two. We also have projects under development in the fields of orthopedics and even beauty medicine.

Luquafleece as a wound healing solver.

BASF together with OSNovative Systems Inc have developed a wound dressing which is suitable for all types of wounds. The wound dressings are marketed under the name Enluxtra in US. This disruptive technology based on the superabsorber nonwoven material Luquafleece provided by BASF accelerates the wound healing process of most wounds and thereby reduces medical treatment costs.

Passive seat temperature control: In the lightweight comfort seat of the concept vehicle “smart forvision” from the Recaro company, as well as in office chairs of the Vitra company, the BASF nonwoven fabric Luquafleece reduces moisture in the seat and on its surface. Furthermore, the intelligent ventilation elements for shoes, offered by the Hamburg company IQTEX, are already based on the moisture-absorbent fleece.

Depending on the weather conditions, these elements are either breathable or watertight.

AKZONOBEL TO BE EXCLUSIVE COATINGS PROVIDER OF VOLVO OCEAN RACE A

kzoNobel NV has been confirmed as the official Boatyard supplier for the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race. All the boats competing in the next edition will be coated with the company’s International and Awlgrip range of products.

The competing yachts – including team AkzoNobel’s brand new Volvo Ocean 65 – have already been through an extensive refit process and have been coated with Awlgrip products, while the keel on each boat is protected with International coatings.

AkzoNobel has also developed unique custom colours for every team in the race, which will showcase its expertise to a huge global audience. Once the race starts in October, the company will supply

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

all the coatings required for repairs and maintenance at each of the stopovers.

AkzoNobel’s International yacht business will also provide technical expertise and, when required, will supervise the application process during pit stops between races.

Extensive preparations for the race have been taking place for several months at the permanent Volvo Ocean Race Boatyard in Lisbon, Portugal. When the race begins later this year, a massive logistical operation will see the Boatyard travel to all stopovers around the world.

Regarded as the pinnacle of professional, fully-crewed ocean racing, the route for

the 2017-18 race will visit some of the most remote and inhospitable areas of the world’s oceans. The boats will have to deal with extreme weather conditions, from freezing cold and raging gales to sweltering heat, so the coatings need to be as tough and durable as the sailors.

“As the world’s leading supplier of marine and yacht coatings, we’re delighted to be partnering with the Volvo Ocean Race as official Boatyard supplier. The race is the ultimate test of performance and, given our long association with the sea, it’s the perfect showcase for the company’s market-leading products,” said Alberto Slikta, managing director of AkzoNobel’s speciality coatings business.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

EVENTS

22

06 -07 July 2017 ARC’S 15TH INDIA FORUM

Location: Bangalore Organised by: ARC Advisory Group Website: https://www.arcweb.com/events/arc-industry-forum-india/ Join at ARC’s Fifteenth India Forum to learn more about how the digital enterprise will be realized and the benefits that this can bring. Discover what your peers are doing today and what steps they are taking in their respective journeys.

13 – 15 September 2017 FEICA

Location: Forte Village, Sardinia Italy Organised by: FEICA, the Association of the European Adhesive and Sealant Industry Website: http://www.feica-conferences.com/ The FEICA Conference and EXPO is firmly established as the premier event for Europe’s adhesive and sealant industry, providing essential insights into the key issues affecting the industry and great networking opportunities for formulators, customers and raw materials suppliers to discuss the latest trends and wider business environment.

14 – 15 September 2017 6th Speciality Films & Flexible Packaging

Location: Grand Hyatt Mumbai, India.

Organised by: Eliteplus Business Services Pvt Ltd Website: http://www.eliteplus.co.in/ The 6th Speciality films & flexible packaging global conference is a two day conference held at Mumbai. The conference will provide a knowledge platform to industry players, scientists, technologists & academicians in these segments from India and overseas.

18 – 20 September 2017 Industrial Gas Conference

Location: Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai Organised by: Gasworld Conference Website: www.gasworld.com/conferences The Middle East & North Africa Industrial Gas Conference is a 3 day conference held at Dubai. The event brings together industry professionals to discuss debate and network regarding the most current issues and innovations within the industrial gas market.

23 – 26 October 2017 KHIMIA

Location: Expocentre Fairgrounds, Moscow, Russia Organised by: Expocentre Moscow Website: http://www.chemistry-expo.ru/en/ KHIMIA 2017 International Exhibition for the Chemical Industry and Science showcases products from chemical technologies, research, new materials, commercial biotechnology in medical, pharmaceutical, food, paper, textile, agricultural and electric energy industries.

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

23

POLYMERS FOAM INNOVATIONS

FOAM INNOVATIONS ADDRESSING

GLOBAL CHALLENGES

BY FRANK DE VRIES Foam innovations addressing global challenges The growth in the world’s population is posing increasing challenges along the food supply chain, on precious resources, housing and on transportation. Among these challenges, two principal needs can be distinguished: those for improvements in sustainability and in efficiency.

SABIC regards polymer foam technologies as essential to meet these improvement needs: on one hand they offer material and energy savings while retaining or even improving product performance, and on the other hand they offer unique benefits over non-foamed polymer technologies, such as thermal and acoustic insulation, cushioning and protection. Enhanced physical properties and improved foamability of the polymers themselves

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Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

provide the key to enabling more efficient material usage and energy saving with foam technologies.

A large, diverse and growing industry The polymer foam-producing industry currently consumes around 25 million metric tonnes of plastics every year, creating revenues of around $83 billion. It is expected to grow by close to 2.5 percent per year over the next ten years. Polymer foams are widely used in numerous industries, most important among them being building & construction (25 percent of the total market), packaging (24 percent), furniture (19 percent) and individual and mass transportation (13 percent).

SABIC puts the polymer foam value chain into sharp focus

SABIC is increasing its focus on key market segments. This focus is part of a transformation program to accelerate implementation of its corporate 2025 strategy to become the world preferred supplier in the chemical industry. SABIC has identified “foaming and lightweighting” as an important focus area, where its numerous polymer-based solutions can help the entire value chain become more efficient, more sustainable and more profitable.

SABIC‘s diverse product portfolio reflects its customer-driven focus and its commitment to developing innovative and high quality foam solutions that are designed to last. SABIC is committed to the development of innovative solutions that go beyond its already established foam solutions portfolio.

SABIC’s intensified focus on foams will cover not only the converters, but the entire value chain. It has put in place dedicated business, marketing and sales teams, together with technical and compliance experts, to offer insights on customized applications and solutions with the most added value. This new set-up will enable a more focused and faster implementation of solutions to meet the needs of customers and partners around the world.

How does SABIC focus on foam technology?

With over 35 years of experience in foams, SABIC has a significant share of the market for foamable polyolefins, thanks in large part to its ability and willingness to tailor grades for the specific needs of the market.

These grades are already made in Europe and now also in Saudi Arabia, enabling SABIC to supply customers all around the world. In 2016 and 2017 SABIC launched three new dedicated physical extrusion foam grades for the Middle East and African (MEA) and Asian markets, with more in the pipeline for 2017.

Also in 2016, the first product of a new generation of LDPE foam grades from SABIC came to market, designed to increase production efficiency at the foam manufacturer. The new SABIC® LDPE “fast converting” foam grades reduce the time that semi-finished products need to be

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

kept in storage, thanks to faster degassing of the blowing agent.

SABIC also supplies polystyrene foam solutions into the Middle East and Africa (MEA) market from its operations in Saudi Arabia. SABIC already has an extensive and growing network involving partners from machine suppliers, foam producers and converters, additive suppliers, institutes and universities, and other parties actively involved in the foam production and conversion chain. This has put SABIC in a strong position to understand the foam market, its needs and drivers.

SABIC has recently redrawn its roadmap for foams to encompass the following: • Expansion of its current portfolio beyond polyethylene and polystyrene to include more polyolefins, such as polypropylene, polyolefin elastomers (POEs) and polyolefin plastomers (POPs), and engineering thermoplastics; • Collaboration through the value chain to generate a fullest possible set of solutions for polymer foams; • Dedicating a Global Innovation Center to Foam & Lightweight; • Leveraging its European market position globally.

Extending the possibilities in polyolefins

Polyolefin plastomers (POPs) SABIC® COHERE™ and polyolefin elastomers (POEs) SABIC® FORTIFY™are important additions to SABIC’s portfolio of foam solutions. The biggest outlet for these polymers is currently as additives in other solid polymers, where they improve properties such as impact resistance.

They can also be used in foam grades to enable production of foams that are more flexible and resilient, especially at low temperatures. SABIC is currently developing POP and POE grades for use in foams.

Beyond polyolefins and foam extrusion SABIC is very strong in polyolefins for extruded foams, where use is often made of their flexibility. But more rigid applications normally require the use of different process technologies, such as injection molding and blow molding. SABIC is developing foaming solutions for these processes as well, catering for latest down-gauging and lightweighting trends that are most evident in the automotive industry. Here, solid plastics have already replaced metals in many applications, and now foamed solutions are further reducing the weight of automotive products. SABIC intends to take a leading role in future collaboration with partners to advance the use of foaming technologies in part molding.

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POLYMERS FOAM INNOVATIONS

SABIC also has foamable grades of such engineering plastics as polycarbonate, modified PPE (NORYLTM) and PEI (ULTEMTM), for high-end applications in such areas as aviation as well as in various areas in land transport. These materials make possible such products as sandwich panels with foam cores that combine very high strength with low weight, as well as enhance flame retardance. LEXANTM FLIGHT F6L300 thermoformable sheet for example, is 40 percent lighter than traditional solid sheet.

Meeting value chain needs through state-of-the-art solutions Close collaboration with customers has enabled SABIC to build up a large bank of knowledge on the various foaming processes, and to develop dedicated grades that better meet customer needs.

Now, SABIC is creating new state-of-theart solutions that will enable producers and converters to make better foams and foamed products, even more cost effectively.

Several breakthrough innovations are in the process of being commercialized. The first fruits of this more focused approach are already visible in several newly developed polyolefin grades.

SABIC LDPE 2502X0, for example, offers special benefits for the physical foam extrusion process, as well for the resulting lightweight foams. The material is less sensitive to web breaks and foam collapse compared to current materials, resulting in a higher material yield during processing.

The SABIC foams produced have a higher compression strength and better resilience, as well as lower foam density, compared to similar materials.

SABIC LDPE 2402CX0 offers benefits for crosslinkable (XL) foam extrusion processes, and the corresponding crosslinked lightweight foams. This material shows a unique controlled reactivity combined with outstanding consistency, resulting in very stable processing with higher material yields. The XL foams have an improved properties-toweight ratio, offering the possibility to use them in higher added-value applications.

customers. Extruded foams currently have to be held in storage, sometimes for as long as ten days, after production in order for them to stabilize as the blowing agent escapes from the foam cells and is replaced by air. Only then can they be cut and laminated for further conversion. SABIC now has a breakthrough solution, already validated with key customers, that enables the foams to stabilize in just a few days.

This will provide a considerable saving in time to market and is likely to free up large areas of storage space at producers and increase storage efficiency.

This advance is aimed mainly at the packaging foam market, but is applicable as well to foams produced for various applications in different markets. This is particularly important, since SABIC foam producing customers are generally supplying to multiple industries.

Further innovations in polymer foams are already being planned and executed at SABIC’s new Foam Innovation Center in the Netherlands. This Center is equipped with most foam process capabilities as well as analytical equipment, enabling SABIC to carry out developments on new foam solutions, technology innovations and collaborative projects with customers, to reduce the material footprint, enable energy and cost reductions, and decrease time to market.

In SABIC’s Home of Innovation in Saudi Arabia, SABIC is already showcasing the latest solutions for its polymer and foam solutions. It continues to push the boundaries of technology to discover even better, more sustainable energy-saving solutions.

With its emphasis on innovation and its extensive experience and expertise in development and production of numerous types of thermoplastics for foams used across many sectors, SABIC sees itself as a strong partner that can be relied upon to provide advanced, high quality, sustainable solutions for its customers – and to open the door to new possibilities.

More innovations ahead SABIC is also developing technologies to increase productivity at foam producing

Author:

Frank de Vries is Global Director, Foam & Lightweight at SABIC.

Polymer foams are widely used in numerous industries. SABIC has identified “foaming and lightweighting” as an important focus area, where its numerous polymer-based solutions can help the entire value chain become more efficient, more sustainable and more profitable.

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Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

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27

POLYMERS COMPOSITES

STYLIGHT:

A NEW GENERATION

OF AESTHETIC COMPOSITES BASED ON STYRENIC CO-POLYMERS

Fig. 5: Details decorated insert

28

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

BY PIERRE JUAN, DR EIKE JAHNKE, PHILIPP DEITMERG StyLight product portfolio Launched in October 2016, Stylight*, a new generation of thermoplastic composites from INEOS Styrolution, remains a relatively young material, but INEOS Styrolution already developed and proposes a commercial product portfolio to fulfil the requirements of the targeted applications. This portfolio is divided into two categories, on the one hand products optimized for aesthetic semi-structural applications named “StyLight Aesthetic S” and on the other hand products optimised for structural, non-visible applications, called “StyLight Structural S”.

In this portfolio, INEOS Styrolution proposes products based on Glass woven fabrics, Glass Non-crimp fabrics (NCF) as well as one woven Carbon Fibre grade for aesthetic semi-structural applications.

These different textile types offer a diversity of mechanical properties, surface qualities and drapabilities. StyLight* sheets are available in any thickness from 0.25 mm up to 5 mm and in black or natural colour. The “Aesthetic S” product range (see Fig. 1) is available with or without a fleece and an extra thermoplastic layer can be applied on demand on the visible side of the application. Until now all these StyLight* products are based on one single type of matrix ie. a modified SAN matrix (stands for the “S” in the product name), it is nevertheless not excluded that new styrenic based thermoplastic matrices will be launched in the future to enhance the StyLight* offering depending on market demand.

Fig 1: StyLight* sheet product portfolio

Fig. 2: Portfolio of “SL” grades optimized for back injection molding for StyLight* composites

The thermoformed composite sheet is in most cases only one component of the application, a back injection molded reinforcement is typically needed for threedimensional parts used in automotive, electronic or sports applications. For that purpose, INEOS Styrolution developed and validated different high flow injection molding materials with optimize adhesion on the StyLight* sheet.

Consequently, the performance of the finished part will be determined by the combination of both components, the composite StyLight* “skin” and the back injected molded material.

Adhesion between both components has been measured on simple rib test tools to find the optimum material properties offering strength, surface quality adhesion and high flow to fill thin ribbing design, resulting in a portfolio of short glass fibre reinforced ABS/PA blends (Terblend® N) and ABS (Novodur®), they are identified with the suffix “SL” (see Fig. 2).

Finally, above and beyond the static mechanical performance of StyLight*,

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

Fig. 3: Comparative surface waviness (LMS method measured at NMF in Fürth)

29

POLYMERS COMPOSITES

Fig. 4: Demonstrator

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Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

INEOS Styrolution performed fatigue tests to evaluate the long term resistance of this new type of styrenic composite in comparison to alternative thermoplasticsbased composites, as well as epoxy based composites. The results are showing the good performances of StyLight* carrying a flexural load of 250 MPa after more than 2 Million cycles (tests performed by IVW, Kaiserslautern).

Surface aesthetics Although StyLight* shows a higher stiffness and a good stability versus other currently available thermoplastic composites on the market, these advantages alone would not justify the investment to develop and launch a new composite thermoplastic type on the market.

But the StyLight* composite is adding another significant advantage: its surface properties. Outstanding surface quality inherent to a styrenic matrix makes it possible to extend the application scope of composite thermoplastic to visible aesthetic parts at a competitive price level.

The lower shrinkage during the consolidation step of our amorphous styrenic copolymer matrix based on a modified SAN reduces the surface roughness (“waviness”) significantly, offering a superior surface quality compared to most existing standard thermoplastic composites (see Fig. 3).

Beside the surface “flatness” advantage, the low shrinkage of the styrenic copolymer matrix is enhancing the dimensional stability of the finished parts and reduces the risk of warpage. Combined with its low water absorption the StyLight* part dimension remains stable after manufacturing making it suitable for applications in vehicle interior or high tech applications requiring a good fit and finish. In combination with its good chemical resistance (environmental stress crack resistance, “ESCR”), StyLight* is a robust and versatile composite solution suitable for aesthetic semi structural high performance applications.

Demonstrator In order to validate these promising laboratory results and to validate the manufacturing behaviour of StyLight*, INEOS Styrolution decided to invest in a real size prototype mold made of steel, combining different features.

The concept of a door panel design was selected as it combines different construction, manufacturing challenges and complex shapes to demonstrate the performance of StyLight* (see Fig. 4).

Different surface aesthetics and a semi-

structural reinforcement have been integrated in the demonstrator design.

A thermoplastic composite sheet with a thickness of 1,2 mm was chosen to provide the best compromise between weight saving, good surface quality combined with a high mechanical strength while allowing the draping of a complex shape design.

Surface decoration One of the major challenges of the demonstrator was to take advantage of the StyLight* surface property and demonstrate the feasibility to achieve a decorated surface in one single manufacturing step.

We focused on two critical areas of the demonstrator: the lower part where the composite sheet is directly visible and the central part where the composite is covered and decorated directly in the mold with an insert developed by the company LEONHARD KURZ Stiftung & Co KG (Furth).

Different surface structures have been applied on the demonstrator: a high gloss surface finish around the loud speaker circle, a fine grain in the lower part, and a leather type grain in the upper part (see Fig. 5).

Industry applications for the new material The development and launch of this new material is mostly driven by the growing demand of light weight solution in the automotive industry to contribute to fuel efficiency. So far, the applications of composite thermoplastics in automotive have been focussing on the substitution of heavy structural parts typically made of steel but without any particular aesthetical value. INEOS Styrolution is convinced that there is more potential for thermoplastic composites to reduce weight in a whole new range of applications with partially visible surface.

Price remains one of the main obstacles slowing down the penetration of thermoplastic composites in the industry.

The high price of the semi-finished sheet, inherent to its manufacturing and raw material cost, added to the significant upfront investment required by the part supplier to develop expertise and to acquire new tooling and handling equipment makes this innovation affordable only to a relatively small market potential.

One of the solutions to reduce system costs is to integrate structural and aesthetic functions, reducing the number of components for a given application, taking advantage of StyLight* properties.

For this purpose INEOS Styrolution partners with KTM, a creative engineering * Trade Mark application pending

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

office to develop and propose innovative design concepts for a selected number of applications.

These selected automotive applications are offering the highest integration potential from INEOS Styrolution’s and KTM’s perspective: Automotive door module: Typically a door module comprises of three functions; an externally visible surface, typically a sheet of painted metal, a non-visible semistructural part, typically supporting all electronic and mechatronics of the door module and insulating the cockpit from the water, and an interior visible surface.

Here Styrolution is developing a concept to integrate the non-visible semi-structural function with the interior visible.

Automotive central console: This application is also very demanding with a directly visible surface, supporting electronic equipment and providing local structural stiffness. Moreover, the space available inside a console is very tight.

It should allow space for the wire tree and storage space. Here again a thin wall providing structural stiffness and offering a high surface quality is offering potential for the integration of multiple functions.

Automotive lift gate: There are many lift gate designs available depending on vehicle shape and design. Different composite solutions from long glass fibre reinforced PP to SMC have been used for quite some time. Until now the interior visible surface is covering the structural frame. Attempts were made to overmold a thermoplastic composite retainer with injected molded GF PP but this is adding cost and weight.

Here StyLight* is offering a potential integration solution.

Body panel for trucks or tractors: A massive weight reduction is possible with the replacement of thick SMC panel currently being used in this field. But this application is more demanding than initially expected.

Dimensional stability, class A surface quality, wind resistance, resistance to powerful vibrations are among the long list of specifications. Some of these panels also integrate functions like front light or bonnet. Here, StyLight* may again have a good value proposition to reduce weight.

For each of these different applications, alternative design solutions will be proposed, enhancing function integration, reducing the overall number of parts, striving for cost and weight reductions.

These concepts will be available to INEOS Styrolution customers as of mid-2017 to inspire engineers and designers thinking “out of the box”.

Author:

Pierre Juan, Dr Eike Jahnke, Philipp Deitmerg are from INEOS Styrolution, Frankfurt, Germany.

31

POLYMERS HYBRID SEALANT

EFFECTIVE STABILIZATION FOR

STATE-OF-THE-ART HYBRID POLYMER SEALANTS

H

ybrid polymer, especially Silyl-modified polyether (known as STPE polymers) and silyl-modified polyurethanes (known as SPUR polymers) are the modern hybrid sealants (SMP) which can be

used in wide ranges of applications, such as construction and transportations. Combining the strength of polyether and polyurethanes with the weathering resistance of silicones make these hybrid sealant as high performance. But these hybrid sealants also shows some disadvantages, for example: yellowing, chalking, cracking, after exposing under sunlight in outdoors or high temperature conditions after several months. So how to improve the weatherability of SMP sealants, we found out better weathering resistance results by adding Eversorb. HP1

M

ore than 65 percent of SMP sealants choose STPE polymer as their basic resin. The leading STPE polymer suppliers are Kaneka from Japan and Wacker form Germany. The structure of an STPE polymer consists of a polyether backbone and silane terminal functionality (Figure 1)

(Figure 1)

(Figure 2) STPE resin discoloration after UV and Heat exposure test

Although STPE polymer do not contain urethane bond or aromatic groups, light or heat will still cause photo and thermal degradation. The test results of UV exposure test (340nm,0.89 W/m2/nm) and oven test (105℃) for 240 hours both shows the polymer degradation and result in yellowness. (Figure 2) and a dramatic change of viscosity (table1). This results show photo degradation will break ether chain and generate free alkoxy radicals (RO.) Those alkyoxy radicals will react with polymers and start the chain oxidation reaction which cause fragments and decrease the molecular weight .We can observe the dropping viscosity (16000=>740 c.p.s).

Besides, thermal-oxidation degradation will also generate free radical resulting more complicated degradation which cause polymers turn yellow quickly. (Yi form 1.49 =>87.8).

Table 1

Table 2

Now we use 2 different formulation (with fillers and without filler to demonstrate how to improve weatherability by adding Eversorb HP1). We adopt common one-component hybrid polymer sealant formulations as presented on table 2

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Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

1. QUV exposure test for transparent STPE sealant 1 Test Sample : 2mm STPE sealant plate and Dumb bell (ASTM D412 ; Die C) 2. Measure unit: Yellowness index (Yi) / Tensile strength and Elongation retention (%) 3. Criteria: ASTM G154-1(340nm UVA lamp) ; 4. Test period: 1000 hrs. ; Temperature: 50 °C STPE transparent sealant without UV stabilization in QUV test will turn yellow and decompose very quickly less than 100 hours (Figure 3). But adding Eversorb HP1 2,4% can well protect STPE selant not to be decomposed and keep color retentention.

Table 3 (Figure 3) Blank STPE sealant decomposed by times

(Figure 4).

2.QUV exposure test result for grey STPE sealant 1

Test Sample : 2mm grey STPE sealant plate

2 Measure unit: Delta color difference (rE) /Tensile strength and Elongation retention (%) 3. Criteria: ASTM G154-1(340nm UVA lamp) ; 4. Test period: 1000 hrs. ; Temperature: 50 °C Adding 1phr,2phr Ev.HP1 in STPE grey sealant is slightly different in color difference . Besides, adding TiO2 , carbon black and other filler can also decrease the impact of yellowness issue and adding Ev.HP1 can help to maintain tensile strength and elongation retention after QUV exposure test.

(Figure 4) Performance of STPE sealant with Eversorb HP1

Conclusions: 1. Why hybrid polymer sealant need Eversorb for stabilization ?

Using UV light stabilization to improve the hybrid polymer sealant further in UV stability and adhesion after a long time outdoors exposure is necessary. Everlight chemical provide solutions of Eversorb® HP1 to reduce polymer degradation such as yellowing, cracking, losing mechanical and elastic properties.

2. What is the advantages of Eversorb® HP1 Eversorb® HP1 is a high performance UV stabilizers providing a long-term UV protection for STPE polymers, especially those high performance sealants for construction ,automotive and other outdoor applications. Unlike other powder additives, its liquid form can homogeniously incorporate in resin system which means you won’t need any heat up process for incoperation and hardly concern the migration issue.

3. Our recommendation Recommandation dosage of Eversorb HP1 is 0.5~3% based on resin solid Incorporating Eversorb HP1 in resin prior to catalyst is recommended as other catalyst might interact or interfere the system.

Table 4

Article By: Everlight Chemical Industrial Corporation Technical Service Dept. Specialty Chemicals BU

(Figure 5) Performance of grey STPE sealant with Ev. HP1

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

33

PHOTOVOLTAICS

NEW DURABLE,

HIGH-PERFORMANCE, FLUORINE-FREE PV BACKSHEETS

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Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

BY JAN GRIMBERG

I

n February this year, DSM acquired Sunshine, a Chinese manufacturer of innovative high-performance PV backsheets based on co-extrusion technology.

It has now become part of DSM, the leading player in anti-reflective and antisoiling coatings. With the addition of the fluorine-free backsheet to its portfolio, DSM is more than ready to use all its innovative power and expertise in materials science to help take the solar industry to the next level.

Win-win collaboration “Traditionally, PV backsheets are made using laminating technology,” explained Grimberg. “To stick the sheets together, you need to use adhesives. Sunny Zhao, the founder of Sunshine, decided it would be much more effective to use a co-extrusion process instead. In co-extrusion, all layers are created simultaneously. Combined with carefully designed polymers, this results in a very durable backsheet. DSM was impressed by this idea and started working together with Sunshine in 2016.”

“This was followed by the acquisition in February this year. DSM can add significant value to Sunshine, opening up the global market for this home-made Chinese technology. In addition, DSM’s extensive experience and expertise in polymers, material processing and materials sciences, in combination with the entrepreneurial spirit of Sunshine, will undoubtedly lead to more new and exciting solar products.”

Lowering LCOE and carbon footprint The high-performance PV backsheet has multiple benefits, said Grimberg. “It provides extra energy output, and it is highly durable. Thanks to the adhesive-free co-extrusion process, the layers are more or less inseparable. These robust panels can deal very well with the rough circumstances in deserts, where sand erosion can play havoc with solar panels. They also have a low moisture permeation – or WVTR (water vapour transmission rate). Improved durability obviously brings down the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of the module.”

“But that’s not all. Perhaps even more importantly, we can make these highperformance panels without making use of halogens, such as fluorine. A Life Cycle Analysis has shown that our backsheet has a carbon footprint that is 30 percent lower than fluorine-based products. Furthermore, recycling the modules at the end of their useful life will be cheaper, as our backsheets are 100 percent recyclable.”

Positive market response Market response to DSM’s new backsheet has been very positive. “The market is really interested in our high-quality products and materials,” said Grimberg. “The need for innovations to help bring down LCOE is more urgent than ever, especially given that in many markets subsidies for solar are being phased out. That’s why these parties are continuously looking for new and different ways to bring costs down. Innovative solutions such as the new backsheet can make a significant contribution to this effort.”

Long-term commitment When looking for innovations, project developers – the parties responsible for building and managing solar parks – are particularly looking for reliable partners with a good track record who are committed to solar for the long term. “DSM has a good reputation in the materials business and decades of relevant experience,” explained Grimberg. “We’ve collected lots of relevant data over the years – and continue to do so – to make sure our innovations are based on solid research and experience in the field. As investments in solar parks are substantial, developers tend to think twice before they decide which parties to engage with. Solar is no longer a market for opportunists. It’s become a serious business that requires a long-term commitment on the part of all parties involved.”

Portfolio of innovations DSM Advanced Solar is part of DSM, a globally operating science-based company that focuses on health, nutrition and materials. The company is active in renewable energy in a number of fields, with DSM Advanced Solar focusing specifically on developing technologies and materials that increase the efficiency, stability and sustainability of solar modules at every stage of the value chain. DSM Advanced Solar is the leading player in anti-reflective coatings. Besides its new fluorine-free backsheets, the company also recently launched a new anti-soiling coating for PV solar glass, which will bring significant benefits in terms of energy output and more cost-effective maintenance of solar parks.

Author:

Jan Grimberg is Business Director at DSM Advanced Solar.

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

35

EXPERT VIEWPOINT BIOCIDES

BIOCIDES - AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE

GROWING INDUSTRIES

BY SHIVANI MODY Global trends for the biocides industry.

Microbes will grow wherever they can find food and water. Biocides, sometimes also referred to as preservatives or bactericides, are used to control their growth and help prevent the harmful effects of microbial contamination in various industries, ranging from paints & coatings to oilfield processes.

The global biocide market is estimated at $6.5 billion and the demand for biocides increases with global trends such as urbanization, socioeconomic development and industrialization. This can be seen for example in the building and construction market: as construction increases, so does the need to protect building materials, including paint with sustainable solutions from microbial contamination.

The challenge the biocides industry faces is the ever changing regulatory landscape. That is where customers can really benefit from a supplier like Dow with our vast regulatory expertise across the globe.

Sectors with growth potential for biocides industry.

One of the key sectors that will continue to grow is construction, which calls for a need to preserve paints, coatings and building materials. Another area that will show rapid development is the hygiene market: here biocides can help prevent the formation of odor in textiles, or offer surface disinfection in food processing plants and hospitals.

Joe Ferrara, Commercial Director, Dow Microbial Control for EMEAI, discusses the global biocides business, which is growing with urbanization, socioeconomic development and industrialization. He also talks about how India stands as a prominent region of growth for the industry.

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Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

While biocides are used for product preservation, they are also used to protect processes: An increase in water desalination through membranes will positively impact the growth of biocides sector, as microbial control solutions are used to protect the membranes from biofouling. Here it is especially important that non-carcinogenic biocides are used, to not have corrosive and destructive impact on the assets. The same applies for protecting oilfield operations, where we see that readily biodegradable glutaraldehyde, one of the most versatile biocides on the market today, can offer microbial control without the negative impacts of a carcinogenic biocide.

Biocides market in India.

In recent years, India has enjoyed remarkable economic progress, which increased demand in construction, energy and consumer products.

These industries in turn drive growth of markets

such as paints & coatings, latex, adhesives, construction materials etc. The most important market for biocides in India is in material preservation, especially in the area of infrastructure. Many of the different climates in India help make building materials into ideal breeding grounds for microbes. Combined with increasing regulation, the biocide industry is under pressure to bring solutions to the marked that meet efficacy, sustainability and economic needs. The exploration of energy will slowly catch up in terms of opportunities for biocides increased drilling and oil production. Due to the large volumes of water used in this process, the demand for biocides is linked to this sector as well.

Dow Microbial Control’s product portfolio consists only of non-oxidizing biocides, because we believe in providing not only effective but also sustainable solutions. We care about our customer’s asset and do not recommend corrosive or environmentally harmful chemistries.

Challenges with misconceptions surrounding biocides

The trend of increased regulation and standardization will lead to the increased use of sustainable and cost-effective solutions and away from carcinogenic biocides.

Microbial control is complex in nature and there are many misconceptions in the market place. Dow Microbial Control takes an active role in educating the market based on science. Thank you for the opportunity to bust a myth: solid DBNPA does act similar to the typical halogen biocides, but does not convert to oxidizing biocide in any process. It is one of the most commonly used biocides, and when used according to safe use and handling practices, it is safe to use. Our portfolio is based on sustainable solutions and includes DBNPA as AQUCAR™ DB 100.

Having an edge over local manufacturing players.

Tackling gram-positive and gramnegative biocides.

Dow Microbial Control is a world leading provider of biocide and antimicrobial solutions for a wide range of industries all around the globe. We understand that microbial control issues are very local in nature, and therefore have customer application centres in 12 locations around the globe, including in Mumbai, India and Dubai, UAE. Our customers in India further benefit from locally manufactured biocides. Our broad, high-performing portfolio, coupled with our unmatched expertise in regulatory frameworks, product stewardship, toxicology and product application sets Dow Microbial Control apart from other biocide suppliers.

The biocides that we offer, including DBNPA and glutaraldehyde, are broad spectrum biocides, which means they are effective against both Gram positive and negative microbes. We do not supply selective biocides as they normally do not meet the needs of the industry.

Future of biocides against advancement of nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology has its own pros and cons.

We do not anticipate this technology to replace the need for biocides in the near future.

Dow’s biocides business and growth plans.

Dow Microbial Control in India has been growing considerably year to year.

We foresee tremendous potential in the market and will aggressively continue to seek opportunities for growth. Our local technical support and manufacturing will allow us to continue to meet our customers’ needs in various industries.

For oxidizing and non-oxidizing biocides - prominent group for the company.

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

Biocides resistant to microbial immunity.

Immunity or resistance against industrial biocide including glutaraldehyde, isothiozolones, and DBNPA are another myth. These biocides attack microbes using various mechanism and at various areas on the bacterial cell. Hence it is very rare for microorganisms to genetically mutate.

Industrial biocides are not like antibiotics, which have specific site based action on the bacterial cell. When a biocidal treatment is ineffective, it is either when the active isn’t dosed appropriately, it is added with incompatible chemistries or at wrong points in the process.

Regarding R&D and innovation for biocides.

In Dow Microbial Control we are committed to Advanced Sustainable Microbial Control by developing and offering chemistries that do their job effectively and then go away, without doing harm to human health or the environment. We are one of the leaders in applications science, employing advanced microbiology techniques to innovate for real-world conditions. We are driven to continually develop new technologies and advanced sustainable solutions, new actives

and advanced diagnostics. An example is SILVADUR™ - The award-winning intelligent antimicrobial that keeps textiles fresh and odour-free. Our TAUNOVATE High-Throughput (HTP) test method is a powerful tool that allows you to get the right biocide for your formulation—at the right concentration. You can achieve excellent operational performance within a more efficient time frame and with remarkable cost savings compared to other test methods.

Biodegradable biocide solutions used in oil & gas and water industry.

Glutaraldehyde is readily biodegradable according to OECD 301. It is one of the most effective and versatile molecules available, offering effective and safe microbial control in oil & gas operations.

It is also well-suited for treating water flood injection water; drilling, completion, workover and fracturing fluids; produced waters; oil and gas transmission lines; gas storage wells and hydrocarbon storage facilities; and production wells.

A very important point in this context is that not all glutaraldehyde that you get in India from Far East or local manufacturer is truly genuine glutaraldehyde. There are non-genuine products, mixed with less effective aldehydes such as formaldehyde or glyoxal, but labeled deceptively as glutaraldehyde available in the marketplace.

GENUINE GLUTARALDEHYDE has a long safety record and its proper use is well documented. Use of non-genuine glutaraldehyde blends may place products, workers, processes, equipment and the environment in harm’s way.

Challenges faced by the biocides manufacturers globally.

Increasingly stringent regulations are driving the biocide industry to innovate.

In unregulated countries, increased competition and cheaper chemistries are deteriorating the value of these specialty molecules. In times of great cost pressures, we see cheaper, less effective and unsafe chemistries gaining share, jeopardizing effective microbial control, the integrity of assets and the reputation of brands. We see how our product and application expertise helps our customers get a cutting edge over their competitors by implementing microbial control properly with sustainable solutions.

India still has to undergo regulatory and registration changes. Once in effect, biocides will again be regarded as a specialty chemical and not simply a box checking exercise.

37

EXPERT VIEWPOINT PIGMENTS

PROVIDING FUNCTIONAL SOLUTIONS

TO MODERN COLOUR DEMANDS

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Friedhelm Felten, Executive Vice President and Head, Pigments & Functional Materials, Merck talks at length about how factors like digitization, individualization and miniaturization will have a major role for the global pigments industry in changing its colours.

BY DEBARATI DAS Trends influencing growth of pigments industry Our customers operate within a very diverse range of industries, and each industry has its individual trends. However, for cosmetic applications, the trends are strongly driven by the fashion industry where the latest trends in colour and effects are always driving our product range and development. Today, the trend towards adding function to colour is increasing. We have responded to this demand with our new “smart effects” product range. In the coating industry, customers are demanding for more metallic-like effects, for which we launched our new Meoxal® range.

Globally, the packaging industry is clearly driven by sustainability and a reduction in packaging. Anti-counterfeiting solutions are increasingly gaining interest here. The impact of digitalization as a mega trend will influence us more and more and we have to see how this will influence the needs of our direct customers. The way they process our pigments will change in the future and we have to make sure that we keep up with them.

In every industry, devices have become smaller and more powerful. The call for miniaturization has existed for several years now. These days the connection to the internet and internal company networks presents challenges in the design and material composition of new developments.

Designers and developers aim to integrate more and more features into the devices and must deal with the side effects of this vast concentration of components in less space. In this environment, functional pigments are required to provide heat or electrostatic dissipation, flame retardancy, mechanical strength, or integration of electrical circuits via LDS directly into structural parts of the devices, to name just a few applications.

Growth sectors for pigments industry Cosmetic and coating applications are still the growth drivers. However, electromobility and the request for individualization may change the picture.

Car manufacturers are trying to reduce weight by using more mass colouration in plastics rather than coating the plastics. Individualization may push the use of pigments in printing and plastic applications.

Changing pigment requirements in developed and emerging markets.

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

For the automotive industry, the quality of products manufactured in the EU and the Americas is perceived as higher than, for example, in Asia. However its value chain has been moved to Asia, especially to China. Product quality and availability are global KPIs. This is especially true for intermediate parts. The processes and raw materials being used are of differing quality. On the other hand, in the packaging industry, the demand for a high-sparkling and high-quality gold appearance is very strong in Russia and Asia – stronger than in the Western world – and our customers are demanding good effects. So, it really depends on the type of application.

Pigments as a critical element in the plastics industry.

Effect pigments are known to increase the perceived quality of plastics, even if they are just used at 1 percent concentration.

They are mainly used today in packaging, consumer electronics, and the consumer goods industry. However, you have to know how to process them to obtain a good result. This knowledge is not always available to processors. In this regard, we offer our application service so that our customers get a good result.

Growth potential for functional pigments in the Asia-Pacific region There is no easy answer to this question, as growth is often linked to design studios and development centres in the US and Europe with initial production of materials in the West. However, this is slowly changing due to several polymer producers relocating their development centres mainly to China.

In my personal point of view, the growth potential is in the low double-digit range.

Challenges faced by pigment industries Individualization and trends like car sharing and autonomous driving may change the demand for pigments. For example, the interior of a car might become more important than the exterior in terms of functionality and connectivity. The car becomes the new smartphone and Merck will ensure to deliver important materials like pigments, LC and OLEDs.

Effect pigment solutions from the company.

Our company is one of the world’s leading suppliers of effect pigments for the coating, plastics, printing, cosmetics, food and pharmaceutical industries.

Effect pigments underscore the emotional

impact of colour and are an important design element when surfaces with special impressions or qualities are created.

Application possibilities range from cars to packaging and high-tech products up to building facades. In addition to decorative effect pigments, Merck offers functional pigments and additives that offer practical advantages and specific additional benefits for coating manufacturers and those active in the plastics and printing industries.

Yet, functional materials play a vital role in numerous products and applications.

With inventiveness, expertise, and specialty chemicals, we develop valuable functional future-oriented solutions – from perfect surfaces and control of conductivity to authentication of products and banknotes.

Besides this, Merck also offers cosmetics manufacturers functional solutions for skin care and protection. We view ourselves as a curious trendsetter who creates new possibilities for customers time and again.

Focus on R&D and innovation We try to innovate, not only related to new effects with new products. We also want to deliver solutions. That is why we develop applications as well. Two examples are our in-mold-3D technology (IM3D), with which you can create a 3D visual in plastic parts, and our RGB printing technology, with which pictures can be created with just three pigments of our Spectraval® series.

Functional solutions with a difference Merck’s DurazaneTM range, which consists of polymers that form ceramic surfaces after curing, can be used for a multitude of applications ranging from easy-to-clean surfaces for architecture to industrial or high-temperature protection in combustion engines in the automotive and aerospace industries. Another innovation that’s not a pigment but is very new is Merck´s Tivida® range. This new class of fluorosurfactants is as eco-friendly as it is non-toxic and non-bioaccumulative. With the increasing need for non-toxic materials, these anionic and non-ionic surfactants close an important gap.

On the pigment side, Merck added Iriotec® 7340, a new light-coloured pigment, to the Iriotec® 7000 series. This is the brightest pigment in the range of pigments providing permanent antistatic dissipation. Last but not least, Merck has added new pigments for laser-marking applications, Iriotec® 8210 and 8826, fulfilling the need for increased marking speeds and top material compatibility.

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EXPERT VIEWPOINT TEXTILE CHEMICALS

WEAVING TEXTILE CHEMICALS

WITH SUSTAINABILITY

BY SHIVANI MODY Global textile industry trends influencing textile chemicals business.

Archroma is present in over 35 countries with 24 production sites, and that certainly allows us to have a unique perspective on the textile industry worldwide.

One of the major trends we see at the moment is the growing pressure to reduce the environmental impact of all steps throughout the textile supply chain. We see it as an opportunity as for Archroma, sustainability is just important but it is our nature. We continuously challenge the status quo in the deep belief that we can make our industry sustainable. Because of that, Archroma has been at the forefront of developing innovations that support the evolution towards a more sustainable industry, and our customers know that they can turn to us for solutions here and now.

Another major trend is the increasing role of speed to market with the influence of short fashion cycles. This is reshaping the industry. Archroma understands the specific needs of the entire supply chain - from the fiber to the shop.

We also see a growth in the area of synthetic fibres, especially polyester, which now makes up over half of the world fiber consumption. Technological developments are taking place at fast pace eg. digital printing or low liquor dyeing machines.

Technological innovations/ advancement in the textile chemicals.

I would mention three areas: • New generation of digital printing technology: They are allowing faster, more economical textile printing so as to be a realistic alternative to conventional screen printing. Here our new Inkpresso® technology is a great new option. The Inkpresso® system combines an Ink Formulation Unit (IFU) that Archroma developed with Swiss technology partner InkSitu, and a portfolio of eight standard reactive dyes, allowing textile printers to create their own ink on demand and on site.

The system allows lower stocks and reduces shelf life issues - and transported ink volumes can be reduced by up to 50 percent.

Thomas Winkler, President Brand & Performance Textile Specialties Business, Archroma opens up about ways in which sustainability in colouring systems is the biggest trend that is changing the textile chemicals manufacturers’ approach towards business globally.

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• Ecological alternatives to critical chemistry: Archroma is a fore runner with our alternatives to long-chain PFC repellents, such as our C6-based Nuva® N or our new Smartrepel® range which is not based on fluorine. Archroma also developed alternatives to formaldehyde-based printing systems – such as our “Zero add-on” formaldehyde Helizarin® EcoSafe pigment printing system - or to halogen based flame retardants – with our halogenfree Pekoflam® range.

• Colouration systems to minimize environmental footprint, reduce water and energy consumption: Here again Archroma has made the headlines with innovations such as “Advanced Denim” and “EarthColors”. Patagonia, a major forwardthinking brand, has already adopted both technologies to create its recent Denim and Clean Color collections.

Advanced Denim is a process that uses dyestuffs that bond more easily to cotton, allowing savings up to 92 percent in water, 87 percent in cotton waste, 30 percent in energy, compared to conventional synthetic indigo denim dyeing processes.

“EarthColors” is a new range of “biosynthetic” dyes for cotton and cellulose-based fabrics designed to provide rich red, brown and green colors to denim and casualwear. In this patent-pending process, Archroma makes use of almond shells, saw palmetto, rosemary leaves, and other natural non-edible agricultural waste products that would otherwise be sent to landfill.

Potential for textile chemicals in developing countries.

There are many exciting opportunities for the textile industry across many developing regions of the world, from Central America, to Africa and South-East Asia. Some are developing as close-to-market hubs, such as Central America for US, or as attractive alternatives to China for responsible economical textile production.

At the same time, the demand for more sustainable manufacturing processes will increase also in these developing market, and offer new opportunities for responsible players such as Archroma who have committed to sustainability and can offer both reliable product sources and ecoadvanced innovations and processes.

Regions with potential demand for textile chemicals.

We see a growing demand from South Asia, especially Bangladesh and India; South East Asia, in particular Vietnam and Indonesia; Central America and the Andean region; as well as from the Middle East and Africa where we see strong growth potential in the longer term. In terms of applications, there is a growing demand in the areas of synthetic fibers and functional finishes.

Demands from the textile manufacturing industry.

The industry is increasingly looking for solutions that combine sustainable and economical processing – from pretreatment, to colouration to finishing.

We give our customers innovative ecoadvanced products and systems to give new functionality, performance or coloration possibilities.

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

Changes and development of colours for denim apparels.

In the past, any new development for denim apparels would always have focused on creating new wash-down effects and fashion looks. Nowadays new colour developments for denim apparel are mainly driven by sustainability. This is where Archroma can offer its experience.

With our innovative technologies such as Advanced Denim or EarthColors, we help denim brands and manufacturers to create classic looks - or entirely new fashion looks and effects – bring together creativity, performance and sustainability.

Archroma’s business plans for Asia Pacific.

Archroma is very much at home in Asia in terms of our footprint there, including the global headquarters of our Brand & Performance Textile Specialties business based in Singapore. Asia-Pacific represents around half of our textile business: We are active in China, Japan, Indonesia and India, and we have invested in operations for manufacturing and servicing the textile industry in growth markets such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and Vietnam, where we aim to grow with our textile customers there.

On Smartrepel Hydro products and EarthColors technology.

Our innovative Smartrepel® products fulfill the stringent requirements of Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) standards, as well as Oeko-Tex, bluesign and others. Moreover, even being highly biodegradable they provide a highly durable water repellent effect.

EarthColors is a new range of seven “biosynthetic” dyes for cotton and cellulose-based fabrics designed to provide rich red, brown and green colors to denim and casualwear. In this patent-pending process, Archroma makes use of almond shells, saw palmetto, rosemary leaves, and other natural non-edible agricultural waste products that would otherwise be sent to landfill. The new dyes have been four years in the making, and they have the overall performance of our existing sulfur dyes range made from conventional raw materials.

The EarthColors range is produced near Barcelona, Spain, with all raw materials sourced from within a radius of 500 km.

And because the raw material is a natural polymer, they are exempts of REACH registration.

Process optimization tool for textile mills users.

Archroma’s ONE WAY Calculator, introduced back in 2012, is the successor tool of the former CostCalc tool, aiming to bring together the dual objectives of

ecology and economy. The ONE WAY tool simulates real processes in mills, providing detailed information about the costs and environmental impact of their production process - energy and water consumption, waste water, freight, time, running costs, COD / BOD values, and CO2-balance of single steps, machines, and the entire process.

With this information, they can see how efficient they are and what benefits and savings are to be expected if they do adaptations towards more eco-advanced recipes and processes. Archroma also plans to launch an online version of the tool that will take our ONE WAY sustainability service to a whole new level.

Increased demand for technical textiles in the medical, automotive, construction, pharmaceuticals etc sectors.

We support our customers with innovative and eco-advanced solutions: • In the area of coloration first, with our high performance pigment preparations, Printofix® TF that allow excellent light, weather and ozone fastness; • Second in the area of fire protection, with our halogen-free flame retardant range Pekoflam®; • Third, with our solutions for repellence and release, from our C6 based fluorochemistry technology Nuva® N to SmartRepel®, a new range for customers who are looking for options not based on fluorine; • And last but not least, our coating solutions, with our Appretan® and Lurapret® low-formaldehyde or formaldehyde-free polymer dispersions.

Challenges faced by textile chemicals manufacturers globally.

This industry is facing a challenge that we at Archroma see as a chance for the future of the industry: Sustainability - and the ever more stringent environmental standards coming in place in textile manufacture.

The textile industry as a whole also has to meet tighter specifications of leading textile brands and retailers under the positive influence of the public and influencers, such as the ZDHC group which we welcomed and supported from the very beginning.

The second main challenge facing the industry is the response times to meet customer needs in shorter cycles and global supply chains. And again, we at Archroma are able to help the industry take that challenge. We can rely on our unique global footprint of 25 production sites, as well as our presence in all major textile markets to support customers with sales and distribution, and technical expertise close to them.

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EXPERT VIEWPOINT TEXTILES CHEMICALS

GARMENTS NEEDS TO PERFORM, LOOK AND

FEEL BETTER THAN EVER Rohit Aggarwal, President, Huntsman Textile Effects points out that consumers are increasingly looking for textiles that are not only sustainable but which provide comfort and the performance levels required for an active lifestyle.

This has been the driving force for the company.

BY DEBARATI DAS

Global textile trends influencing the textile chemicals business.

Several forces are reshaping the global textile industry. Consumers today are demanding a cleaner and more transparent textile supply chain, which puts pressure on brands and retailers and, ultimately, on the mills that serve them. Regulatory authorities in India, China and elsewhere have also been introducing tougher environmental legislation and stricter enforcement policies for several years.

The economic environment is also more challenging. The global textile industry is now more competitive than ever. Brands have slimmer budgets and tighter delivery schedules, but they need fabrics that combine excellent performance and good looks to satisfy a more demanding market. At the same time, mills are facing rising wages and higher energy and transportation costs, plus price volatility in cotton and raw materials.

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Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

As economies develop, consumers have increased disposable income and more active lifestyles.

China will be a key market in this regard, with government efforts to boost grassroots participation in sports helping to create demand for sporting apparel.

Today’s consumer looks for versatile clothing. For the outdoor apparel industry, this means creating garments that perform well and look and feel good. And with a multitude of brands competing in the sector, consumers have more choice at more price points than ever before. Sportswear consumers demand clothing with rain-, stain- and soil-resistant effects and anti-bacterial and antiodor properties. They want clothing to keep them cool, to protect them from the sun, and to help them perform at their best. Fabrics must also be comfortable and long lasting – breathable and soft to the touch, with colors that stay true and won’t fade with frequent washing or exposure to the sun or pool chemicals.

Technology advancements in the textile chemicals business.

Innovation has always been absolutely critical to the growth and sustainability of the Huntsman business. While many in our industry are cutting back, we are investing more in dyes, smart processes, intelligent effects and digital inks. Huntsman Textile Effects today holds around 700 patents and some 25 percent of our products are less than five years old. We consistently invest around 5 percent of turnover in research and technology and more than half of our projects are related to environmental sustainability.

At Textile Effects, we enrich lives through innovation and developing products that not only create value for our stakeholders today, but also make a vibrant world possible for future generations.

We also have the most comprehensive range of non-fluorinated durable water repellents with High IQ Repel products that offer solutions for every performance need: • Everyday: smart and economical ecofriendly protection against everyday stains for school, casual, athleisure and business wear.

• Outdoor: durable and eco-friendly protection for outdoor clothing that excels in all weather.

• Extreme: extreme protection so that mountaineers, skiers and other adventurers stay warm, dry and comfortable, even in the most severe environments.

Products under HIGH IQ® Repel are of part of a brand assurance scheme to help mills, brands and retailers meet global demand for eco-friendly apparel with rain and stain protection. Huntsman Textile Effects also has a suite of digital ink solutions to meet growing demand for fast fashion. Our digital printing technologies allow mills to print an almost unlimited array of colors and complex patterns in short runs through a very clean process that minimizes waste and substantially reduces water and energy consumption.

Opportunity for textile chemicals in developing countries.

Demand for textiles is growing globally, fueled by population growth and rising household incomes. Asia will remain the global epicenter of textile manufacturing, with India, China and Bangladesh dominating. Countries like India and China continue to dominate the textile industry. China still accounts for large domestic consumption as a result of rising affluence and it also exports a large amount to developed economies.

Similarly, India has developed into a large market for textile chemicals owing to the domestic production and export of cotton and synthetic fibres. However, costs continue to rise in these markets, with higher wages and regulatory costs and more expensive raw materials, and competitive Southeast Asian nations are gaining ground.

Textile chemicals playing a major role to manufacture better textiles.

Consumers are increasingly looking for textiles that are not only sustainable but which provide comfort and the performance levels required for an active lifestyle. These demands will continue to drive innovation in the development of products designed to meet multiple requirements. We also help brands differentiate to capitalize on changing consumer preferences with technologies that support the creation of innovative textile products with intelligent effects such as durable water repellence and built-in freshness and sun protection.

Textile business of the company in India.

Huntsman has been active on the Indian subcontinent for more than 25 years. We have more than 1,000 associates in the region. Textile Effects has a manufacturing plant in Baroda in the state of Gujarat. We have offices across India and headquarters for the India sub-continent in Mumbai.

Our strategy for growth in India and the wider Asia Pacific is to focus on sustainability, innovation and collaboration. We are currently realigning our regional operations to bring decisionmaking closer to the customer and improve cross-functional synergy to react more quickly to evolving customer and market requirements.

Huntsman’s business plans in Asia Pacific Huntsman Textile Effects has an established presence in countries such as India and China. We are also present in the developing markets of Bangladesh and Southeast Asia, particularly Vietnam.

Asia remains the epicenter of the textile industry and our focus will continue to be on products that meet multiple requirements, including vibrant and lasting color, high light fastness, rain and stain management, lasting whites and overall comfort.

The textile industry is heavily reliant on fresh water and much of the water mills use ends up contaminated by salt and other pollutants. This is more serious in countries like India and Bangladesh that are already vulnerable to water shortages.

Stricter control of water is increasing as governments consider plans to address water issues.

As an industry leader and trailblazer, Huntsman is committed to collaboration in India and our other markets to help address this challenge, which we see as a pressing one for the textile sector.

Innovations from Textile Effects AVITERA® is the first para-chloro-aniline (PCA) free* reactive dye range. AVITERA® SE dyes ensure rapid and very high exhaustion for cotton and other cellulosic fibres and their blends. More of the dye is absorbed by the fabric, using less salt with less than 7 percent of the absorbed dye remaining unfixed, compared to between 15 percent and 30 percent of conventional reactive dyes. The unfixed dye is also easier to remove at lower washingoff temperatures, as it is not bound to the fabric fibres in a high-salt solution.

As a result, processing mills can dramatically increase productivity, since the dyeing and washing-off cycles are substantially shorter, while also making significant savings. Less water and salt are required and energy consumption, and CO2 emission are greatly reduced because water used in the dyeing and washing-off process does not exceed 60°C.

Challenges preventing market growth of textile chemicals.

The textile industry is heavily reliant on water and with increasing industry and government regulation, coupled with water scarcity, is a major challenge for the textile industry. This is particularly critical in countries like India and Bangladesh that are already vulnerable to water shortages.

Stricter control of water is increasing as governments consider plans to address national water issues and pollution control.

We are also now seeing more stringent expectations for water usage. The ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines released late last year, for example, will help our industry improve water quality by providing a harmonized set of wastewater parameters, test methods and limit values.

We see these demands and challenges as providing opportunities to our customers and our company. Our products and process improvements help mills and brands enhance profitability and stand out in their markets while meeting the strictest industry standards and regulations. We believe that sustainability and market growth can and must proceed in tandem, and this is what we deliver. This not only helps our customers achieve sustainable growth, but also raises standards across the textile industry.

To read the full interview, log on to www.worldofchemicals.com

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

43

GREEN CHEMISTRY

SUSTAINABLE BIOMEDICAL

TEXTILES FOR THE FUTURE The textile and clothing industry has a long history in Switzerland.

In order to remain competitive in the international market, the industry relies on innovations. The “SUBITEX – Sustainable Biomedicine Textiles” research initiative was set up by Empa and Swiss Textiles, the Swiss textile industry association, for this very purpose. The industry is working together to promote innovations in the field of biomedical textiles, and to bring them to the market more rapidly.

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Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

T

extiles are especially suitable for use on and in the human body. The body itself consists of many fibre too, including muscle, tendon and nerve fibre. Textiles can also be used to make copies of entire organs or parts of them. One current example of this is a major project involving Empa, called “Zurich Heart”: under the aegis of the Zurich University Medicine initiative, in collaboration with the University Hospital, the University and ETH (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) Zurich, Empa researchers are developing an artificial heart pump. This will include a fleece textile with a layer of heart muscle cells, which will not be detected by the blood as a foreign body.

“We need to say goodbye to the idea that the development of textiles revolves around cotton T-shirts,” said Rene Rossi, Subitex project manager and head of Empa’s Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles lab.

Instead, according to Rossi, their research is focused on a very wide range of ceramic, metal, wood and synthetic fibre.

“A textile is not just a cloth either, but rather a two-dimensional entity derived from a one-dimensional material: a fibre,” he added. The entities derived from this are flexible, malleable, stretchable, and light knitted, woven, or crocheted fabrics.

Many Swiss textile companies have also recognized this, successfully transforming

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

themselves into specialist manufacturers of highly technical and high-quality products.

For this, Empa has developed optical fibre that are used in hospitals to measure the vital functions of premature babies, or as biosensors with pH-sensitive fibre to monitor wounds. Other examples of applications include textile pressure sensors that can be installed in wheelchairs, for instance, in order to show incorrect pressure loads; textile plasters that release medication in a targeted way; and a wettable chest strap that can be reliably used for long-term monitoring of electrocardiograms for cardiovascular patients.

A research initiative with 15 industrial partners In order to promote further innovations and make even better use of the vast allround potential of textiles, Empa and the Swiss industrial association, Swiss Textiles, established the “SUBITEX” research initiative two years ago. The development and use of innovative materials, fibre, fabrics and processes should assure Swiss textile companies a long-term competitive advantage in the global market. As part of this initiative, ten projects co-financed by the Commission for Technology and Innovation (KTI) have already been launched. Fifteen textile companies have

now joined the initiative, including Flawa AG, Cilander, E Schellenberg Textildruck AG, Mammut Sports Group, Schoeller Textil AG, Serge Ferrari Tersuisse AG and TISCA Tischhauser & Co AG. So that it can pass on even more textile expertise to Subitex partners, Empa has invested part of the financial contributions from Subitex in the “Self-care materials” research program of the Competence Center for Materials Science and Technology (CCMX) of the ETH domain. The CCMX program is a mix of basic and industrial research and is extremely lucrative, because the Swiss National Fund (SNF) contributes the same amount to the program as that contributed by the industry.

For this purpose, Empa’s electrospinning and microfluidics systems develop fibre systems from smart polymers. These systems respond to external influences such as temperature, pH value, humidity or pressure. Today’s systems use small, passive capsules that can only release substances by decomposing. What makes self-care materials special is that their innovative fibre systems release substances in a targeted way over a specific period of time when they are “activated”. Very small fibre made from smart polymers can be used not only in biomedical textiles and fabrics, but also in packaging films for the food industry.

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GREEN CHEMISTRY

NATURAL DYE GARDEN PROMOTES A GREENER FASHION SUPPLY CHAIN

C

ollege of Human Ecology faculty and student efforts to advance sustainable approaches to textile and fashion design has led to the development of the Cornell Natural Dye Garden after a successful crowdfunding campaign that ended in fall 2016.

The project raised $10,365 for the development and cultivation of a dye garden, which will produce a variety of colours that come from the natural world and have a lower environmental impact.

“We know that synthetic dyes cause incredible environmental harm and pollute waterways. Human health is also impacted, particularly for laborers in the textile dyeing industries,” said Denise Green, assistant professor of fibre science and apparel design.

According to organizers, up to 200,000 tonnes of synthetic dyes are discharged into waterways around the globe every year, making textile dye plants the secondlargest polluter of water after agriculture.

In many developing nations where textiles are produced, workers may not be properly protected from the toxic chemicals used to dye fibre and fabrics, making synthetic dyes hazardous to environmental and human health, Green said.

In contrast, natural dyes, some of which come from weeds, are nontoxic. Some of these dye plants have the ability to grow aggressively without herbicides or fungicides.

“We believe natural dyes are an opportunity to make a sustainable intervention in the apparel supply chain,” Green said.

In May 2015, Green, in collaboration with fellow fibre science and apparel design faculty and students, as well as Human Ecology Facilities Services and Cornell Botanic Gardens staff, planted a test garden of natural dye plants at the northeast corner of the Human Ecology Building overlooking Beebe Lake.

“That success led us to the idea to put the garden in a place that’s more accessible for students and more visible in terms of our college life,” Green said.

In spring 2016, Green and her students moved the garden to a plot located in the courtyard between Martha Van Rensselaer Hall and the Human Ecology Building. The relocation of the garden, according to Green, allows students and faculty to grow a wider array of dye plants to be used in teaching and research.

“The garden won’t just be beautiful to look at, and valuable as a natural dye resource, but it will also be an opportunity to educate students, staff and the public about the plants we are growing and the range of colours they yield,” she said.

Beyond working on projects, Green hopes the garden will have deep and long-lasting impacts on fibre science and apparel design students who begin careers in the manufacturing and fashion industries.

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UPCYCLING ‘FAST FASHION’

TO REDUCE WASTE AND POLLUTION P

ollution created by making and dyeing clothes has pitted the fashion industry and environmentalists against each other. Now, the advent of “fast fashion”trendy clothing affordable enough to be disposable- has strained that relationship even more. But what if we could recycle clothes like we recycle paper, or even upcycle them? Scientists report today new progress toward that goal.

The team is to present the work at the 253rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world’s largest scientific society.

“People don’t want to spend much money on textiles anymore, but poor-quality garments don’t last,” Simone Haslinger explained. “A small amount might be recycled as cleaning rags, but the rest ends up in landfills, where it degrades and releases carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas. Also, there isn’t much arable land anymore for cotton fields, as we also have to produce food for a growing population.”

All these reasons amount to a big incentive to recycle clothing, and some efforts are already underway, such as takeback programmes. But even industry representatives admit in news reports that only a small percentage gets recycled.

Other initiatives shred used clothing and incorporate the fibre into carpets or other products. But Haslinger, a doctoral candidate at Aalto University in Finland, notes that this approach isn’t ideal since the carpets will ultimately end up in landfills, too.

A better strategy, said Herbert Sixta, PhD, who heads the biorefineries research group at Aalto University, is to upcycle worn-out garments: “We want to not only recycle garments, but we want to really produce the best possible textiles, so that recycled fibre are even better than native fibre.” But achieving this goal isn’t simple. Cotton and other fibre are often blended with polyester

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

in fabrics such as “cotton-polyester blends,” which complicates processing.

Previous research showed that many ionic liquids can dissolve cellulose. But the resulting material couldn’t then be re-used to make new fibre. Then about five years ago, Sixta’s team found an ionic liquid1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-5-ene acetate - that could dissolve cellulose from wood pulp, producing a material that could be spun into fibre. Later testing showed that these fibre are stronger than commercially available viscose and feel similar to lyocell.

Lyocell is also known by the brand name Tencel, which is a fibre favored by ecoconscious designers because it’s made of wood pulp. Building on this process, the researchers wanted to see if they could apply the same ionic liquid to cotton-polyester blends. In this case, the different properties of polyester and cellulose worked in their favour, Haslinger said. They were able to dissolve the cotton into a cellulose solution without affecting the polyester.

“I could filter the polyester out after the cotton had dissolved,” Haslinger said.

“Then it was possible without any more processing steps to spin fibre out of the cellulose solution, which could then be used to make clothes.”

To move their method closer to commercialization, Sixta’s team is testing whether the recovered polyester can also be spun back into usable fibre. In addition, the researchers are working to scale up the whole process and are investigating how to reuse dyes from discarded clothing.

But, Sixta notes, after a certain point, commercializing the process doesn’t just require chemical know-how. “We can handle the science, but we might not know what dye was used, for example, because it’s not labeled,” he said. “You can’t just feed all the material into the same process.

Industry and policymakers have to work on the logistics. With all the rubbish piling up, it is in everyone’s best interest to find a solution.”

The researchers received funding support from the European Union’s Trash-2-Cash project and the Finnish government.

Recycling cotton-polyester clothes is closer to reality with a new method that can (1) dissolve the blended materials, (2) separate the cellulose and (3) spin new lyocell-like fibers.

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GREEN CHEMISTRY SUSTAINABLE CERAMICS

WITHOUT A KILN

ETH material scientists have developed a new method of manufacturing ceramics that does not require the starting materials to be fired. Instead, they are compacted under high pressure at room temperature in a significantly more energyefficient process.

T

he manufacture of cement, bricks, bathroom tiles and porcelain crockery normally requires a great deal of heat: a kiln is used to fire the ceramic materials at temperatures well in excess of 1,000°C. Now, material scientists from ETH Zurich have developed what seems at first glance to be an astonishingly simple method of manufacture that works at room temperature. The scientists used a calcium carbonate nanopowder as the starting material and instead of firing it, they added a small amount of water and then compacted it.

“The manufacturing process is based on the geological process of rock formation,” explains Florian Bouville, a postdoc in the group of André Studart, Professor of Complex Materials. Sedimentary rock is formed from sediment that is compressed over millions of years through the pressure exerted by overlying deposits. This process turns calcium carbonate sediment into limestone with the help of the surrounding water. As the ETH researchers used calcium carbonate with an extremely fine particle size (nanoparticles) as the starting material, their compacting process took only an hour. “Our work is the first evidence that a piece of ceramic material can be manufactured at room temperature in such a short amount of time and with relatively low pressures,” says ETH professor Studart.

generate a sufficiently high pressure for the compacting process. Larger workpieces require a correspondingly greater force,” says Bouville. According to the scientists, ceramic pieces the size of small bathroom tiles should theoretically be feasible.

Energy-efficient and environmentally benign “For a long time, material scientists have been searching for a way to produce ceramic materials under mild conditions, as the firing process requires a large amount of energy,” says Studart. The new room-temperature method – which experts refer to as cold sintering – is much more energy-efficient and also enables the production of composite materials containing, for example, plastic. The technique is also of interest with a view to a future CO2-neutral society. Specifically, the carbonate nanoparticles could conceivably be produced using CO2 captured from

the atmosphere or from waste gases from thermal power stations. In this scenario, the captured CO2 is allowed to react with a suitable rock in powder form to produce carbonate, which could then be used to manufacture ceramics at room temperature. The climate-damaging CO2 would thus be stored in ceramic products in the long term. These would constitute a CO2 sink and could help thermal power stations to operate on a carbon-neutral basis.

According to the scientists, in the long term, the new approach of cold sintering even has the potential to lead to more environmentally friendly substitutes for cement-based materials.

However, great research efforts are needed to reach this goal. Cement production is not only energy-intensive, but it also generates large amounts of CO2 – unlike potential cold-sintered replacement materials.

Stronger than concrete As tests have shown, the new material can withstand about ten times as much force as concrete before it breaks, and is as stiff as stone or concrete. In other words, it is just as hard to deform.

So far, the scientists have produced material samples of about the size of a one-franc piece using a conventional hydraulic press such as those normally used in industry. “The challenge is to

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A ceramic sample compacted at room temperature in an ETH Zurich lab.

8th Annual Congress on

Analytical and Bioanalytical Techniques August 28-30, 2017 Brussels, Belgium http://analytical-bioanalytical.alliedacademies.com/

INSIGHTS MONOCHLOROACETIC ACID (MCA)

D

utch specialty chemicals company AkzoNobel has formally joined hands with Atul Ltd, a part of Lalbhai Group, for the production of monochloroacetic acid (MCA) in India. Both the companies first announced the joint venture last year to establish a new plant at Atul’s facility in Gujarat by first quarter 2019. Each partner will hold a 50-percent stake in the joint venture, to be registered as ANAVEN. This partnership intends to further strengthen the market position of both the companies. AkzoNobel, which is the global leader in the MCA market, already has plants in the Netherlands, China, Japan and the US. This fifth plant in India will not just testify its market grip in India but also across Asia, especially China, which is currently the biggest consumer of MCA globally. It will also enhance Atul’s status as a key global supplier of herbicide 2,4-D, which uses MCA as a key raw material.

“The ANAVEN partnership will contribute to our vision of driving profitable growth for AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals in India, which is an important growth market,” said Knut Schwalenberg, managing director of AkzoNobel’s Industrial Chemicals business.

To keep with India’s growing demand for MCA, the plant will have initial annual capacity of 32,000 tons per year at startup, while it has been designed for future expansion to 60,000 tons per year. The facility will produce enough MCA to meet Atul’s growing demand for MCA and supply the expanding Indian market.

Knut Schwalenberg, Managing Director of AkzoNobel’s Industrial Chemicals business.

AKZONOBEL, ATUL PARTNER IN MCA PRODUCTION TO STRENGTHEN

GLOBAL LEADERSHIP 50

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

“We are delighted to partner with AkzoNobel to bring state-of-the-art technology for MCA to India from a world class company and develop a long-lasting relationship with AkzoNobel to create value for all the Stakeholders. The ANAVEN project will be in sync with the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Government of India,” said Sunil Lalbhai, chairman and managing director of Atul, on the JV. The partnership will use chlorine and hydrogen manufactured by Atul to produce MCA, taking advantage of both Atul’s existing infrastructure and AkzoNobel’s eco-friendly hydrogenation technology.

While MCA is an essential building block in the chemical industry and is used in a wide variety of chemicals, AkzoNobel customers use MCA to produce thickening agents for the food, oil, mining, personal care and detergent industries. It is also used in agrochemicals, adhesives, pharmaceuticals, thermo-stabilizers, surfactants and cosmetics.

BY DEBARATI DAS Aiming for global MCA leadership In a candid interview with Chemical Today Magazine, Knut Schwalenberg, MD, Industrial Chemicals business, AkzoNobel, talks at length about his Asian ambitions and vision behind the Indian MCA production plant.

Chemical business overview.

The chemical business of AkzoNobel has about 5 billion turnover.

We have 5 business areas- namely Industrial Chemicals producing salt and chemicals like chlorines, caustic soda, monochloroacetic acid, etc; Polymer Chemicals which produce catalysts for polymer and plastic industry; Surfactants; Pulp & Performance Chemicals and Ethylene & Sulphur derivate production units.

Vision behind ANAVEN We are the global market and technology leader of MCA and we are trying to expand the position further as the demand for MCA is growing in the emerging countries. We have factories in China, Europe, Japan, and in the US. Our next aim was to enter the Indian market which offers excellent opportunity for further growth. But MCA production needs chlorine which is not easy to transport.

So we were looking for a local chlorine production plant which can easily supply chlorine. Atul was an ideal partner for us as they have an established chlorine plant, they incorporate sustainability in their process and they are also involved in community programmes and social responsibility activities which made them a clear fit into the values of our company. Atul is also the largest consumer of MCA. So while we will get chlorine from Atul, 1/3rd of the initial MCA production will go to Atul for the production of herbicide 2,4D. We are the first company to install the best available technology for the MCA production. With this initiative, we will hold nearly 50 percent of the Indian market share and become the market leader of MCA in India. We are solely aiming for global leadership.

Technologies to be used in the Indian MCA plant We are aiming for technologies which can use smaller MCA plants with highest resource efficiency. We will be using the proprietary technology of AkzoNobel which has the highest efficiency. Once installed it will be the most modern plant in the world.

Key growth drivers of MCA market.

MCA is used in a lot of applications like agriculture, cosmetics,

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

surfactants, pharmaceuticals, food, etc. In all areas, MCA is used as an intermediate. It is very reactive and that is the strength of MCA and the reason why it is used in so many applications. The key drivers for this industry are GDP and population. We assume that the growth of MCA in India is about 8 percent, while globally it is less than 3-4 percent.

Challenges with MCA MCA is not an easy chemical. Safety in handling MCA is of key importance. You have to have experience and safe equipment in handling these chemicals. It also requires working processes that ensure safe production. For this, we only partner with companies having a strong technological and manufacturing background.

Regions with growth potential for MCA markets Since MCA needs chlorine and acetic acid, you can’t produce it everywhere. China is the largest market for MCA followed by Europe and that is where the manufacturing is predominantly based. US is a smaller market, India is growing very fast.

Innovation in MCA At AkzoNobel, a lot of research is happening in the area of MCA mainly to further improve efficiency and use of resources and maximise the yield so that we need less resources and smaller factories to produce high volume.

Implement sustainability Sustainability for us is the key license to operate in the future. We see sustainability as a given and as an opportunity. That is the reason why AkzoNobel is very strong in sustainability.

We have a clear target to reduce our carbon footprint. We aim to be a carbon neutral company by 2050 and all our activities are geared up towards this goal. Our electricity consumption has been reduced significantly. We invest in the technologies to produce acetic acid from renewable resources and chlorine CO2 neutral. We have also brought community programmes for developments.

Strategic plan to tap the potential in Asia Pacific The Indian market supports our growth plan significantly with larger growth potential than the European and US market. We are already established in Asia with our paint and coatings activity. We also have polymer activity in India. We are now looking for other opportunities to strengthen our base in India.

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INSIGHTS INNOVATION (SKIN CARE)

SKIN-MASSAGING REJUVENATING DEVICE

MECHANOBIOLOGICAL APPROACH FOR SKIN CELLS REGENERATION 52

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

BY JACQUES LECLAIRE Abstracts Skin aging is a complex biological process affected by internal and external factors.

Skin aging signs concern different compartment of the skin: the epidermis, the dermis and the hypodermis. It mainly impacts the production of proteins in the extracellular dermal matrix leading to damage to the elastic fibers, loss of skin firmness and wrinkles appearance. The classic approach in beauty care to fight skin ageing, consists in associating chemical or natural ingredients presenting a biological activity and to formulate them in an optimal way to favor their bioavailability into the skin.

In a more global approach of skin aging and in an objective to reach new performance, L’Oreal Research was interested in the use of alternative non invasive technologies as various types of energies or stimuli to induce skin rejuvenation. In this context, researchers have studied the answer of skin cells to mechanical stimuli. The massagedevice presented below shows that mechanical forces influence cell behavior: using proper frequencies, skin cells show immediate responsiveness to mechanical stimulation by inducing the expression of structural proteins involved in the biology of skin aging. Clinical trial revealed that twice daily use of the skin-massage device visibly improved aging signs including wrinkles, fine lines and sagging across the face, neck and decollete.

Inducing cells behaviour changes with mechanical stimulus

Mechanobiology means subjecting a biological tissue and hence its cells to mechanical stimuli and observing how they behave. Stress can mean pressure, twisting or pulling. Indeed, mechanical signals influence the biological development of tissues and organs: physical forces can promote cells development, influence their physiology or cause illness. This happens via a process called mechanotransduction, whereby cells incorporate the mechanical signals and convert them into biochemical ones. Changes in cells environment lead them to adjust their internal structure and cytoskeleton in order to adapt external stimuli and lead to visible morphogenesis modifications. The mechanical constrains modify cell formation and adhesion and influence the development of tissue structure. Almost all organs respond to mechanical forces by increasing stiffness in direct proportion to applied mechanical stress.

With cells environment changes, there is a modification of cells cohesion and communication. This process might prevent epithelial cells from spreading and plays a crucial role in tumors invasiveness.

While underlying mechanisms, ie. relation between the physical stimulus and the molecular response, are far from being understood, research is interested by using mechanobiology to improve anti-cancer therapies.

At the skin level, previous work showed that mechanical stimulation generates a biological response from fibroblasts.

Contraction of cells around a scar facilitates it to close completely and mechanobiology can be used to accelerate wound healing.

The impact of massage, and so mechanical stimuli, on the temperature of the body, blood circulation, muscle strength and the nervous system have all been explored, but very little is known on the impact of mechanical stresses on the structure or biology of the skin, and none at all on skin aging.

Strengthening of dermal matrix Skin aging is mainly due to internal and external factors that impact the production of proteins in the extracellular matrix.

This leads to damage to the collagen and elastic fibers network and degradation of the dermal-epidermal junction quality and elastic properties of the dermis. In adults, the gradual deterioration in the elastic fibers is not counterbalanced by the renewal of functional fibers and in term this process leads to the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles on the skin, loss of elasticity and firmness.

Knowing the potential impact of mechanical stimuli on cells behaviors, L’Oreal searchers have developed a massage instrument, for routine use and evaluate its ability to improve skin aging signs.

They found that an oscillatory mechanical stimulus exerted upon the skin surface can induce changes in the expression of some aging markers. In an ex vivo study ie. using excised skin samples maintained alive, they found that by treating skin twice a day for 1 minute with a specific massage device, they

Fig.1 Immunostaining of skin explant ex vivo for the expression of fibronectin, perlecan and laminin 5, according to various frequencies. The strengthening of the dermal-epidermal junction and increase in extracellular matrix production was obtained at an optimal frequency of 75Hz.

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

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INSIGHTS INNOVATION (SKIN CARE)

Fig.2: Design and optimization of massage head

Fig. 3: Twice daily use of the skin-massage device visibly improved skin proteins and aging signs across the face, neck and dĂŠcolletĂŠ.

induced a strengthening of the dermalepidermal junction as shown by the higher rate of expression in structural proteins such as collagen 7, laminin 5 and perlecan.

The massaging procedure also clearly led to an increase in the extracellular matrix with an improvement of fibronectin and procollagen 1 expression. Altogether these results show an anti-aging response of skin cells submitted to a mechanical stimulus.

A bespoke massage-device Based on above results, L’Oreal searchers designed a bespoke prototype skin massage device and optimized it to define the best combination between mechanical stress type and intensity and head shape.

Fig. 4: Photographs of one volunteer before and after treatment (cream + massage) 8 weeks.

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Research started by identifying the optimal stimulation required to slow aging. Best results were obtained using a stimulator that emitted surface vibrations, generating 9000 micromassages per minute. All the difficulty of this research work was to identify the optimal frequency of stimulation allowing obtaining the best positive antiaging effect. A whole frequency range of oscillation was so tested on skin explants ex vivo, going from

Fig. 5: Smart Profile Uplift skin massage device

40Hz to 180Hz. The strengthening of the dermal-epidermal junction and increase in extracellular matrix production as shown by various biomarkers was obtained at an optimal frequency of 75Hz. Using ultra-fast ultrasound imaging to study the movement of vibrational waves in the skin, researchers optimized not only the type of mechanical stimulus but also the shape of the device. This allows them to design a specific three-point massage head, calculating the distance between various points of contact to optimize the vibration amplitude within the skin and optimize rejuvenation.

The massage device for skin rejuvenation has been designed by engineers at Clarisonic in collaboration with L’Oreal innovation research teams.

Conclusive results on skin firmness, radiance and sagging Antiaging benefits of the massage device have been assessed in two major clinical studies. One covered two groups of women aged between 65 and 75, using either a cream alone, either a cream with the device twice a day for eight weeks. The evaluation was done by an independent expert in a double-blind study using a global aging atlas for lines and texture.

Evaluation was performed on different body zones: cheeks, lip contours, neck and décolleté. The results were completed by instrumental measurement and a selfassessment survey for volunteers’ perceived efficacy. The second study involved two

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

groups of women aged between 45 and 65 for 12 weeks. Skin aging was evaluated by measuring 15 signs of aging, including firmness, radiance, sagging, facial lines and softness of the skin around the face, neck and décolleté.

Among both clinical studies, best antiaging results were obtained when cream was used alongside the massage device. All data converge on a visible improvement in the signs of aging and in particular: firmness and slackening of the face and the neck.

We assume that changes in skin physiology and mechanical properties can be supported by the concomitant increased expression of dermal-epidermal junction proteins and elastin fibers.

Conclusion Mechanobiology is paving a completely new path for cosmetic anti-aging strategies. Astounding results are possible to achieve with a simple noninvasive daily routine. Effects are visible immediately and increase after 12 weeks. Similar to a face-lift, these performances are the fruit of groundbreaking research into the effect of mechanical stimuli on skin cell regeneration. The strengthening of the dermal-epidermal junction and increase in extracellular matrix structural proteins, following regular cyclic mechanical stimulations lead to improve several signs of skin aging, in particular the elasticity and firmness of skin around the edges of the face.

These results are only a first stage in a thorough work to understand better the impact of various stimuli on the skin.

It is about a first concrete application in the field of the mechanobiology and this new approach opens a new field in skin rejuvenation. It is likely that in the future new noninvasive approaches of skin antiaging can be suggested, using other types of physical or energy, only stimulations or in association with active biological ingredients. With every time as objective to push farther the performance to reach high antiaging efficacy levels without invasive surgery or aesthetic procedure.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Ingber DE (2006) Cellular mechanotransduction:putting all the pieces together afain. FASEB J 20:811-827. doi:10.1096/fj.05-542rev PMID:16675838 Khan S, Sheetz MP (1997) Force effects on biochemical kinetics. Annu Rev Biochem 6 6 : 7 8 5 - 8 0 5 . d o i : 1 0 ; 1 1 4 6 /a n n u r e v. biochem.661.785 PMID:9242924 Caberlotto E,Ruiz L,Miller Z, Poletti M, Tadlock L (2017) Effects of a skinmassaging device on theex-vivo expression of human dermis proteins and n-vivofacial wrinkles. PLoS ONE 12(3):e0172624. doi:101371/journal.pone.0172624.

Source: Jacques Leclaire is Scientific Director, International Research & Innovation, L’Oreal Group.

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INTERNATIONAL FOCUS SOUTH AFRICA

SOUTH AFRICA TO SHOW

DEMAND IN CHEMICAL SUBSECTORS

A

long with a wealth of gold, copper, diamonds, chromium and platinum, Africa contains 10 percent of the world’s oil reserves. Proven reserves for Africa have grown by nearly 120 percent in the past 30 years and this growth is expected to continue. African countries now make up 11 out of the top 50 countries in terms of proven oil reserves. Nigeria and Angola are among the top 20 oil producers in the world.

Demand in chemical subsectors Despite some of these impressive figures, the industrial base in much of Africa remains undeveloped and economic growth is coming from a very low base. As a result, opportunities in the chemical sector are likely to be focused within a small number of subsectors.

Demand for chemicals in the agriculture subsector will continue to grow based on several factors. Africa has 25 percent of the world’s arable land and 60 percent of the world’s uncultivated arable land.

Africa’s current low crop yields per hectare represent significant growth opportunities and even with existing cultivated land, a doubling of cereal yields would turn Africa into a major food surplus region.

In addition, the agribusiness value chain including storage, logistics, packaging and processing will add more opportunities for investors.

The consumer subsector will also see strong growth in the years ahead because of favorable demographics and rising consumer expenditure.

South Africa’s chemical industry South Africa has long been the leader in chemical production for the continent.

The chemical industry accounts for about 25 percent of the nation’s manufacturing sales, with synthetic coal and natural gasbased liquid fuels and petrochemicals dominating the sector. South African

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chemical producers are currently facing poor domestic demand and a volatile exchange rate that hampers exports. The country’s plastic and basic chemicals output declined throughout 2013.

Chronic problems include ongoing uncertainty about the outcome of wage negotiations, potential electricity supply shortages and slower growth in consumer spending that is undermining confidence within the petrochemicals sector. Nevertheless, domestic producers have benefitted from both a weak rand, which has sustained competitiveness, and relatively cheaper costs when factoring in transportation of imports, which has helped maintain current production levels.

The chemicals industry is a key sector of the South African economy. It accounts for about 25 percent of the nation’s manufacturing sales and is the most developed of its kind in Africa, according to the Chemical and Allied Industries’ Association, an industry group.

The chemical industry today faces a challenging environment and competitive landscape. KPMG’s chemical specialists can help chemical companies understand and react to a number of industry wide issues, including portfolio management, complex regulatory environments, driving operational excellence, targeting emerging growth and adapting to innovation and global mega trends.

Responding to industry issues The chemical industry today faces a challenging environment and competitive landscape. KPMG’s chemical specialists can help chemical companies understand and react to a number of industry wide issues, including portfolio management, complex regulatory environments, driving operational excellence, targeting emerging growth and adapting to innovation and global mega trends.

Complex regulatory environment Chemical companies are faced with an increasingly complex regulatory environment which show no signs of being applied on a homogenous global basis.

Emerging Market Growth Chemical companies are increasingly seeing the advantage of expanding their footprint as well as a number of new chemical majors establishing themselves from within high growth markets.

Driving Operational Excellence Finding innovative ways to drive operational excellence across the organization enables chemical companies to continue to be successful in uncertain times.

Innovation and Global Mega Trends Chemical industry leaders of the future need to successfully innovate to develop products that react to the emerging global mega trends, such as population growth, water and food scarcity, sustainability, including energy use and climate change.

Source: KPMG

REPORT ANTIMICROBIAL TEXTILE CHEMICALS

GLOBAL ANALYSIS AND FORECAST 2016 TO 2026 58

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

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extiles, with large surface area such as carpets, apparels etc, under certain temperature and moisture conditions become vulnerable for microorganism growth. These microorganisms are not only harmful to human beings, causing various infections and diseases; but also lead to undesirable effects on textiles such as discolouration, odour and reduced strength of material.

Antimicrobial chemicals help to control the growth of microorganisms in textiles as well as maintain their physical strength.

Use of antimicrobial chemicals in textiles have been known from long times, but recent research and development have brought superior antimicrobial chemicals in the market which can be used easily with high effectiveness in all application sectors, including, indoor, outdoor, apparels, technical, and industrial textiles.

Antimicrobial chemicals are used in textiles in two different stages, ie during the spinning and the finishing of textile process. In order to decrease health risks associated with infections from microorganisms, textile manufacturers are increasingly using antimicrobial chemicals in their products.

Owing to superior physical and biological characteristics that antimicrobial chemicals impart, textile manufacturers are also found to have been using them as their marketing strategy and the market for these chemicals in the textile industry is expected to increase at a significantly high CAGR over the forecast period (20162026).

Although textile chemicals have several advantages associated with them, however, striking out a balance between their efficacy and potential hazardous effects, remains a key challenge for manufacturers. In order to avoid such harmful effects and legal challenges associated with the conventional antimicrobial textile chemicals, organic and plant based chemicals are emerging as their alternatives in the market.

Long lasting properties of antimicrobial chemicals in textiles remain another concern for manufacturers. Special focus is given to maintain their chemical properties for over a long time, when exposed to varying outdoor and environmental conditions.

Market Segmentation Global antimicrobial textile chemicals market can be segmented on the basis of source, product type, application, and region.

Source Natural Synthetic

Product Type Quaternary Ammonium Compounds Triclosan

Market Dynamics

Metallic salts

Hygienic textile materials, as a result of growing health awareness, are gaining popularity among consumers across the globe. Besides, consumption of antimicrobial textile in the wound care market is also increasing. In apparels such as socks, innerwear etc, consumer preference for premium products with good antimicrobial properties is also developing, with high disposable income, population growth and lifestyle changes being the key macroeconomic factors supporting the growth.

Polybiguanides

The per capita consumption of natural and synthetic fibre has significantly increased and only a small fraction of textiles contain antimicrobial properties.

Therefore, huge potential for antimicrobial chemicals’ market growth exist which can be capitalized by manufacturers.

A growing number of health awareness programmes, development of hospitals and surgical labs create a substantial platform for use of antimicrobial textiles. Recently

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

developed smart textiles, used for health monitoring also utilizes hygienic and bacteria free textile materials. Increasing consumption of smart textile materials is further expected to push the demand for antimicrobial textile chemicals over the coming decade.

Chitosan Natural Polymers Others

Application Apparels Outdoor Industrial Home Furnishing

Key Players Some of the key players identified across the value chain of global antimicrobial textile chemicals Market include Goulston Technologies Inc, Microban International Ltd, Thomson Research Associates, Centro Chino Co Ltd, H & R Johnson (India), Dow Microbial Control (The Dow Chemical Company) etc.

Source: Persistence Market Research

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REPORT LEAK DETECTION DYES

MARKET AND OPPORTUNITY ASSESSMENT 2016 TO 2026

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eak detection dyes are the fluids used to detect leaks in the refrigerant system, transmission, fuel and coolant circulation lines of vehicles. These dyes are capable of detecting minute, elusive leaks in these lines, which is otherwise difficult to trace, by the conventional methods for leak detection. The most commonly used dyes for detecting these leaks are UV dyes. The dye is injected to the lines to be checked and circulated. The UV dyes accumulates in each minute leak and is then detected using a UV light.

As per the EU regulations each HVAC systems needs to be checked for leaks in order to avoid the release of refrigerants containing greenhouse gases causing potential threat to the environment. Leak detection using dye injection, being easy and effective method for leak detections in automotive and HVAC lines, is widely adopted in these applications.

Globally, the market for leak detection dyes market will register a considerable CAGR by the end of forecast period.

The global leak detection dyes market is primarily driven by the demand for efficient leak detecting techniques in HVAC industries and automotive services, as it can be used for detecting very minute leaks. These are otherwise hard to detect, by naked eyes or other conventional methods like nitrogen purging, soap bubble tests among others.

The method in turn saves the time and labour for rework, which in turn saves the operation costs. Other than the aforementioned advantages, it also complies with the SAE standards for leak detections and fulfills the EU regulations for the yearly leak detection checks to be done in the HVAC systems. However, there are some drawbacks for using the leak detection; for instance, the detection of leaks using the dyes does not give instant result. The process is time consuming as it takes time for the dyes to accumulate in the leaks among others. This might be a restraint to the global leak detection dyes market.

The global leak detection dyes market is segmented based on types, applications and region. Based on the types of leak detection dyes, the leak detection dyes market is segmented into oil soluble leak detection dyes and water-soluble leak detection dyes. Based on the applications the leak detection dyes market is segmented into automotive, HVAC and other industrial applications.

Based on the geographic regions, global leak detection dyes market is segmented into seven key market segments namely North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa.

Among the aforementioned regions, the adoption of leak detection dyes in the Western European market is more due to the strict EU regulations in the region for which mandates compulsory leak detection in HVAC systems once in a year. This makes the preference for leak detection dyes in the region among the HVAC service companies.

North American market for the leak detection dyes is followed by the Western Europe market. Growth in automotive industries and construction activities in the Asia-Pacific, MEA regions will also foster growth for global leak detection dyes market by the end of forecast period.

Š Tracerline

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Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

Some of the major players identified in the global leak detection dyes market includes, W W Grainger Inc, Chromatech Incorporated, Highside Chemicals Inc, Tracer Products, Abbey Color, Spectroline and Anderson Manufacturing Co Inc among others.

Source: Future Market Insights

PIGMENTS & DYES

GLOBAL ANALYSIS AND FORECAST 2015 TO 2021

Š Permionics Membranes Private Limited

A

pigment is a chemical material, which alters the colour of reflected or transmitted light due to wavelengthselective absorption. Pigmentation is entirely different from fluorescence, phosphorescence and other forms of luminescence, where materials emit light.

Dyes are substances, which are naturally coloured and have an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied.

Based on product, the pigments and dyes market is classified into two parts, namely dyes and organic pigments, and inorganic pigments. Dyes can be further classified into reactive dyes, disperse dyes, sulphur dyes, VAT dyes, acid dyes, direct dyes, basic dyes and others. Organic pigments are further classified into azo, phthalocyanines blues and greens, and high performance pigments.

Inorganic pigments are categorized as titanium dioxide, iron oxide and others.

Based on application, the pigments and dyes market are classified into textiles, leather, paper, paints and coatings, plastics, constructions, paper & specialty, printing inks and others. Dyes and pigments find multiple applications in paints & coatings,

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

printing inks, textile, construction and plastics. The paints & coatings industry is witnessing major growth due to growing infrastructure.

Major driving factors of the pigments and dyes market are increasing demand for high performance pigments (HPP), increasing usage of environment-friendly products and application in end-user industries.

Demand for pigment and dye products such as printing ink is driven by several factors such as technological development and increasing demand for digital inks.

Increase in end-user preference for environment-friendly products is likely to drive growth of the dyes and pigments market in the near future. Some of the factors restraining growth of the pigments and dyes market are environmental concerns, raw material price volatility and it’s global over capacity. Some of the recent trends in the pigments and dyes market are shifting of manufacturing facilities from the US and Europe to India, China and Taiwan, and the rising preferences for ecofriendly products. Since specialty pigments are eco-friendly in nature, they are expected to increase demand for pigments and dyes.

With its emerging economies and quickly growing manufacturing bases, Asia Pacific accounts for the largest market and is likely to remain as the highest growing region in the years to come. It is also said to be growing due to the emerging trend of shifting of manufacturing facilities from US and Europe to India, China and Taiwan.

There is also an increasing preference towards eco-friendly products. Asia Pacific is said to grow further followed by North America and Europe.

Some of the key players in the pigments and dyes market include Cathay Pigments Inc, Sun Chemical Corporation, Dainichiseika Color & Chemicals Mfg Co Ltd, E I du Pont de Nemours and Company, Ferro Corp, Flint Group, Heubach GmbH, Huntsman International LLC, Ishihara Corporation, Kemira Oyj, Kronos Worldwide Inc, Lanxess AG, Merck KGAA, Silberline Manufacturing Co Inc, The Shepherd Color Company, Toyo Ink SC Holdings Co Ltd and Tronox Inc.

Source: Persistence Market Research

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REPORT SILICA FLOUR

MARKET & FORECAST 2016-2024 Industry Trends Silica Flour Market size was worth over $350 million in 2015 and is expected to grow at over 7 percent between 2016 and 2024.

Europe Silica Flour Market Size, By Application, 2013-2024 (USD Million)

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Increasing glass demand and thriving construction industry are the major factors spurring the growth of silica flour market globally. Improved living standards, enhanced lifestyles and variations in climates have extended the innovations in glass sector on a regular basis as per the consumer demand. The rise of new commercial and residential projects in developing countries will steam up the demand for the product.

Increasing usage for glass in downstream commercial enterprises and packaging applications will boost the consumption of silica flour. In next couple of years, the product will have wide-scale applications in the oil-well industry.

There is a minor risk associated with prolonged exposure to the product, which was observed by some regulatory bodies globally. Hence, manufacturers need to comply with frequently amended workplace safety guidelines, which might reduce their profit margins. These factors can slow down the silica flour market in the near future.

Market - By Application Fibreglass accounts for a significant share in applications of silica flour market.

Fibreglass is used in new buildings in developing and developed regions to comply with environmental norms. It helps in maintaining the temperature of buildings by minimizing the heat exchange from the building interior to its surrounding and vice versa.

Fibreglass is also used extensively in vehicles to restrict the outside atmosphere from interfering with vehicle comfort.

Increasing fibreglass usage in multiple and diverse industries will bolster the product market.

Sodium silicate is next substantial application for silica flour. Sodium silicate possesses many properties, which makes it more beneficial than other alkaline salt and is used in a wide spectrum of applications owing to its low cost. It is used as zeolites, chemicals, deflocculates, catalyst bases, anticorrosive, coagulant aids, binders, cement, detergents, and adhesives in industries.

Various functional characteristics and properties of soluble silicates are used economically and efficiently to solve wide problems in chemical and industrial processes. The positive outlook of all these industries in future will foster the Silica Flour market growth. Silica flour is extensively consumed for fibreglass

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

manufacturing in the construction and renovation industry. Increasing adoption of fibreglass in the construction industry can be attributed to its distinguished insulation properties. Further, fibreglass application is growing in automotive manufacturing and transportation sector for aesthetic and security applications. Rise in construction activities and automotive industry due to the increase in global population will push the Silica Flour market during the forecast period.

Glass is a crucial component in plenty of products that are used in daily life. It is used to produce renewable energy in wind turbines and solar panels, fibre optic cables, and for life cycle engineering, biotechnology, medical technology, electronics appliances, housing, tableware, and packaging.

Escalating glass consumption in all these applications has bolstered the product market in the last decade and will continue in future.

Carbon black and amorphous silica are used as reinforcing fillers in the rubber industry.

Silica flour is an essential reinforcing filler to increase tyre’s longevity and strength and achieve longer lasting products. These reinforced filler tyres reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, especially due to silica. Increasing penetration of vehicles has flourished the tyre industry and augmented the usage of silica flour.

Market - By Region Asia Pacific has been spearheading in terms of consumption in silica flour market. China and India witnessed a rise in construction spending on residential & industrial projects in the recent years. Food & beverages, personal care products and electronics sectors are growing at a rapid pace in this region and in turn increased the glass consumption.

North America had witnessed a substantial upsurge in tyre industry due to automobile giants such as “General Motors” and “Ford Company.” Flourishing tyre industry have increased the product consumption as a reinforcing filler in this region. Moreover, the US is always recognized globally, for its renewable energy resources such as solar cells, wind turbine etc, leading to increased glass usage for these applications. Multiple and diverse industries in North America have spurred the growth of silica flour market in this region.

Europe, especially Germany is recognized all over the world for its outstanding automotive industry, providing a base to pioneers such as BMW AG, MercedesBenz, Porsche AG, Volkswagen AG,

and Audi AG etc. These producers are implementing fibreglass in their vehicles to achieve a competitive edge.

Further, these companies have grown industrial construction leading to the consumption of sodium silicate in the form of cement, binders, chemicals, adhesives, and detergents. All these have translated into a flourished silica flour market in recent years and will continue to ramp up during the forecast period.

Competitive Market Share The silica flour market is majorly concentrated in the US with companies such as Silica Holdings Inc, Premier Silica LLC, and SCR-Sibelco NV. Prominent producers are AGSCO Corp, Delmon Group of Co, FINETON Industrial Minerals Ltd, Saudi Emirates Pulverization Industries Co, Sil Industrial Minerals Inc and Opta Minerals Inc. Other key industry players in silica flour market include Hoben International Limited, International Silica Industries Company PLC, Premier Silica LLC and Adwan Chemical Industries Co Ltd.

Market Background Silica flour is used as a filler in mortar and plastics to enhance its quality and to reduce the quantity of tar required to fill the mold. The product is used as a rough substance in paints, toothpaste, skin products, and cleansers and as a filler for pharmaceutical products. It is produced by granulating silica sand into a fine powder.

It is also used for earth, tile, porcelain, fired and glass creation, and in foundry work. Rapid industrialization coupled with urbanization will drive growth.

Silica flour market will accelerate at a moderate pace over the forecast period owing to its wide and multiple applications.

These applications are pertaining to the end-user industries such as construction, automotive, personal care products, energy generation, chemical, and adhesives.

Major companies manufacturing the product are involved in mergers and acquisitions. Silica flour manufacturers are trying to tap and improve their footprint in multiple product lines serving different applications. Rising income levels and changing lifestyles are likely to strengthen silica flour market. Increasing adoption of the product in oil-well cement, reinforcing filler and cultured marble will provide an opportunity for manufacturers.

Source: Global Market Insights Inc

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ACADEMIC R&D COLLABORATION YIELDS PROMISING

INNOVATION IN STAIN RESISTANCE

Samples of cloth both untreated, left, and treated with a fluorine-free oleophobic coating developed in the labs of Emmanuel Giannelis, professor of materials science and engineering, and Jintu Fan, professor of fiber science and apparel design. The oil beads up and can be easily removed from the treated material.

W

hen you spill pasta sauce on your favorite shirt but there is no trace of it after being washed, you can thank oleophobicity, a resistance to oil commonly applied to textiles.

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Fan was also excited about the partnership, noting that engineers don’t always lend their expertise to the fashion industry.

That resistance, however, comes at a price.

The coating that makes textiles oil resistant is fluorine-based and breaks down into chlorofluorocarbon gas, a greenhouse gas harmful to the environment.

“In general, collaboration with the engineering department is very interesting and fruitful,” he said. “They are very good and bring a lot of wonderful ideas. But maybe in the past they were not targeting the textile and fashion industry, which is a $3 trillion a year industry.”

But that may change, as a result of a Cornell cross-campus collaboration involving Emmanuel Giannelis, professor of materials science and engineering in the College of Engineering, and Jintu Fan, professor and chair of the Department of Fiber Science & Apparel Design in the College of Human Ecology. Work from their labs has yielded a promising new material – for which the pair submitted a patent disclosure to the Center for Technology Licensing (CTL) – that could help change the way oleophobicity is developed.

At the time of his seminar, Giannelis and his group were working on super-hydrophilic polymeric membranes that are used in water purification, and Fan asked if they could team up and “basically apply some of the work that we were doing in polymeric membranes to textiles,” Giannelis said.

They worked with an apparel maker on creating a polymer that could make fabric more breathable while retaining wrinkle resistance – always a challenge – and Giannelis said they made good progress along that line.

“Fan listened to my presentation and invited me to team up with him to basically apply some of the work that we were doing in polymeric membranes to textiles,” said Giannelis, noting that a seminar he gave a few years ago led to his work with Fan.

“The company came back and said, ‘That is good and great – but can you do something similar with oleophobic coatings?’” he said.

“It’s a very different kind of chemistry, and something we had not worked on previously.”

A provisional patent for the material has been filed by CTL, according to Giannelis.

Postdoctoral researcher Genggeng Qi developed a polymer that combines well-

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

known chemistry with a rough surface texture that creates little air pockets. Fluids with a high enough surface tension will ball up on this fiber and not stick, making for easy cleaning.

This roughness uses the same principle as the water-resistant quality of the lotus leaf, which has a rough nanostructure and naturally repels water.

Fan is excited by early results of this material, noting that they’ve just done testing using mineral oil, which has a low surface tension.

“We’ve found that even after 30 washings, it’s still durable, which is great,” he said.

“Even if we can achieve (oleophobicity) that’s even close to fluorine-based (polymers), that would be a huge breakthrough.”

“I don’t want to declare complete victory,” Giannelis said with a smile, “but we believe we are the first group to show that non-fluorine-based chemistry opens up the possibility to create oleophobic coatings that are probably good enough to resist stains from vegetable oils, olive oil and other oils.

“For industrial applications … we’re not quite there yet,” he added. “But we believe that we’ve opened up an opportunity, and more work will get us there.”

METAL-ORGANIC

FRAMEWORKS USED AS LOOMS

The metal-organic framework is set up like a sandwich ( a). The molecular textile layer is woven in an active layer that is embedded between so-called sacrificial layers (b).

R

esearchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have made major progress in the production of twodimensional polymer-based materials.

To produce cloths from monomolecular threads, the scientists used SURMOFs ie. surface-mounted metal-organic frameworks, developed by KIT. They inserted four-armed monomers ie. smaller molecular building blocks, into some SURMOF layers. Cross-linking of the monomers then resulted in textiles consisting of interwoven polymer threads.

This work is now presented in Nature Communications.

Self-organized cross-linking of polymer threads ie. of extremely long molecules, to two-dimensional tissues is a big challenge in polymer chemistry. With the help of a bottom-up process to cross-link smaller molecules, so-called monomers, scientists of the Institute of Functional Interfaces (IFG) and Institute of Nanotechnology (INT) of KIT now made an important step towards reaching this objective. They produced a tissue from monomolecular polymer threads by using SURMOFs ie. surface-mounted metal-organic frameworks, as looms. This approach is now presented in Nature Communications.

The SURMOFs developed by IFG are frameworks consisting of metallic node

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

points and organic linkers that are assembled on a substrate layer by layer.

They have a crystalline structure and can be customized to a large range of the applications by combining various materials and varying the pore sizes. For weaving two-dimensional textiles, the KIT scientists specifically inserted special connection elements ie. four-armed monomers, into the SURMOF layers for later cross-linking. Then, these active SURMOF layers were embedded between so-called sacrificial layers. “In this way, we produced a sandwich-type setup to ensure that the textiles produced really are twodimensional, which means that they have a thickness of one molecule layer only,” Christof Woll said. He heads the IFG and is the corresponding author of the publication together with Professor Marcel Mayor of INT. The scientists then applied a catalyst in these active SURMOF layers to start a reaction for linking the monomers to polymers. Afterwards, the metallic node points were removed. Flat tissues of monomolecular polymer threads remained.

“The polymer threads are kept together by the mechanical forces resulting from the weave pattern,” Marcel Mayor explained.

“Hence, the molecular tissues are as flexible as textiles produced in a conventional way.”

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ACADEMIC R&D ENGINEER PATENTS WATERLIKE POLYMER TO CREATE

HIGH-TEMPERATURE CERAMICS

C

eramic textiles, improved jet engine blades, 3D printed ceramics and better batteries may soon become a reality, thanks to a recently patented polymer from a Kansas State University engineer.

Using five ingredients - silicon, boron, carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen - Gurpreet Singh, Harold O. and Jane C. Massey Neff associate professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering, has created a liquid polymer that can transform into a ceramic with valuable thermal, optical and electronic properties. The waterlike polymer, which becomes a ceramic when heated, also can be mass-produced.

“Of all the materials that we have researched in the last five years, this material is the most promising. Now we can think of using ceramics where you could never even imagine,” Singh said.

Singh is the lead inventor of the patent, “Boron-modified silazanes for synthesis of SiBNC ceramics.” Romil Bhandavat, 2013 doctoral graduate in mechanical engineering, is a co-inventer.

The engineers developed the clear polymer that looks like water and has the same density and viscosity as water, unlike some other silicon- and boron-containing polymers.

“We have created a liquid that remains a liquid at room temperature and has a longer shelf life than other SiBNC

polymers,” Singh said. “But when you heat our polymer, it undergoes a liquid to solid transition. This transparent liquid polymer can transform into a very black, glasslike ceramic.” Ceramics are valuable because they withstand extreme temperatures and are used for a variety of materials, including spark plugs, jet engines, high-temperature furnaces or even space exploration materials.

As a preceramic polymer, Singh said the liquid material has several important properties.

• The polymer is low density and can create lightweight ceramics instead of the usual heavy ceramics.

• The polymer is scalable and can be massproduced in grams or kilograms.

• The ceramic derived from this polymer can survive extreme temperatures as high as approximately 1,700 degrees Celsius. Yet the ceramic has a mass density three to six times lower than that of other ultrahightemperature ceramics, such as zirconium boride and hafnium carbide.

• The polymer can make ceramic fibers.

If the polymer is heated to approximately 50 to 100 degrees Celsius, it becomes a gel similar to syrup or honey. During this gel state, the polymer can be pulled into strings or fibers to create ceramic textiles or ceramic mesh.

• The liquid polymer has processing flexibility. It can be poured into molds and heated to accurately make complex ceramic shapes.

• Because the polymer is a liquid, it is sprayable or can be used as a paint to make ceramic coatings. The ceramic can protect materials underneath or can create more efficient machinery that works in hightemperature environments, such as steam turbines or jet engine blades. The polymer also may be used for 3-D printing of ceramic parts using a benchtop SLA printer.

• When combined with carbon nanotubes, the polymer has even more applications. It can create a black material that can absorb all light - even ultraviolet and infrared light - without being damaged. The combined nanomaterial can withstand extreme heat of 15,000 watts per square centimeter, which is about 10 times more heat than a rocket nozzle.

• The polymer could be used to produce ceramic with tunable electrical conductivity ranging from insulator or semiconductor.

• The presence of silicon and graphenelike carbon in the ceramic can improve electrodes for lithium-ion batteries.

• The ceramic derived from this polymer has a random structure that is generally not observed in traditional ceramics. The silicon in the ceramic bonds to nitrogen and carbon but not boron; boron bonds to nitrogen but not carbon; and carbon bonds to another carbon to form graphenelike strings. This unique structure provides stability at high temperature by delaying reaction with oxygen.

“Often, researchers have only looked at high-temperature properties,” Singh said.

“We are among the few that looked at other properties-such as electronic, electrochemical, thermal and optical properties -and exposed these properties in this material.”

Singh’s research has been supported by the National Institute of Standards and Technology radiometry team and the National Science Foundation. He is continuing to research the polymer’s possibilities for making ceramic fibers and even battery electrodes. The patent was issued to the Kansas State University Research Foundation, a nonprofit corporation responsible for managing technology transfer activities at the university.

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NEW HYBRID INKS FOR

PRINTED, FLEXIBLE ELECTRONICS WITHOUT SINTERING Scientists at INM have developed a new type of hybrid inks which allows electronic circuits to be applied to paper directly from a pen.

F

lexible circuits can be produced inexpensively on foil or paper using printing processes and permit futuristic designs with curved diodes or input elements. This requires printable electronic materials that retain a high level of conductivity during usage in spite of their curved surfaces. Research scientists at INM – Leibniz Institute for New Materials have now developed a new type of hybrid inks which allows electronic circuits to be applied to paper directly from a pen, for example. They are usable after drying without any further processing.

To create their hybrid inks, the scientists combined the benefits of polymers and metallic nanoparticles: gold or silver nanoparticles are coated with organic, conductive polymers and are then

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

suspended in mixtures of water and alcohol.

“Metal nanoparticles with ligands are already today printed to form electronics circuits,” explained the materials scientist Kraus, adding that the shells mostly had to be removed by a sintering process. While the shells control the arrangement of the nanoparticles, they impede conductivity.

He added that this was difficult in the case of carrier materials that are sensitive to temperature such as paper or polymer films since these would be damaged during the sintering process. Kraus summarized the results of his research - “Our new hybrid inks are conductive in the as-dried state, are mechanically flexible and do not require sintering.” In their hybrid inks, the organic compounds have three functions: “The compounds serve as ligands, ensuring

that the nanoparticles remain suspended in the liquid mixture; any agglomeration of particles would have a negative effect on the printing process. Simultaneously, the organic ligands ensure that the nanoparticles have a good arrangement when drying.

Ultimately, the organic compounds act as ‘hinges’: if the material is bent, they maintain the electrical conductivity. In a layer of metal particles without the polymer sheath, the electrical conductivity would be quickly lost on bending,” Kraus continued.

Due to the combination of both materials, when bent, the electrical conductivity is greater than in a layer that is made purely of conductive polymer or a layer made purely of metal nanoparticles.

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ACADEMIC R&D RESEARCHERS RELEASE FIRST CHEMICAL MAP OF

DYES FROM HISTORIC DYE LIBRARY

R

esearchers from North Carolina State University have released the first chemical “map” of dyes from the Max A. Weaver Dye Library, which contains almost 100,000 samples of unique dyes and fabrics. The information could assist researchers in developing dyes with desirable properties.

NC State analytic chemist Nelson Vinueza is working on digitizing and analyzing the library so that its contents are accessible to the public. “Each vial has the chemical structure written on it, so we must first digitize those molecular structures and then select candidates to do further characterization,” Vinueza said. “Obviously with a library of this size, the time and expense associated with characterizing each dye would be prohibitive, so we needed a faster, more efficient way to be able to analyze these dyes.”

Vinueza partnered with NC State computational chemist Denis Fourches to create a cheminformatics map of the 2,700 dyes that had their molecular structures already digitized. The computer models allowed the researchers to compare dyes with similar chemical structures and properties.

The cheminformatics analysis also enabled the identification of 150 chemically unique dyes representative of the library. In order to assist researchers in developing dyes with desirable properties, these sampled chemical structures are now publicly available in the ChemSpider database. “There are 58 million chemicals in the ChemSpider database, and 143 of the dyes have completely unique chemistry, which is really fantastic,” Vinueza said.

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“We believe that this addition can prove invaluable to researchers who are looking for particular characteristics in these chemicals, such as antibiotic or anti-cancer properties, or for dyes that absorb light in ways that could lead to better solar-cell technology,” Vinueza continued. “This dye library could prove invaluable in creating cutting-edge solutions to problems ranging from human health to the environment.”

“The chemical maps and the other cheminformatics modeling techniques we used here provide a cheaper and faster way to screen for chemical dyes with the desired properties,” Fourches said.

“And since these dyes were constructed sequentially over time, it is straightforward to pinpoint where structural changes led to properties of interest. We actually show that small modifications of the dyes’ chemical structures can lead to dramatic changes of their properties. This library is a real treasure trove for chemists.”

The research appears in Chemical Science and was funded by NC State Chancellor’s Faculty Excellence program. The Max A. Weaver Dye Library was donated to the NC State College of Textiles in 2014 by the Eastman Chemical Company. Vinueza and Fourches are co-corresponding authors. Postdoctoral scholar Melaine Kuenemann in the Fourches laboratory is lead author.

NC State graduate students Yufei Chen and Nadia Sultana from Vinueza’s laboratory, research assistant professor Malgorzata Szymczyk, Ciba professor of Dye Chemistry Harold Freeman, Dean David Hinks, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Antony Williams contributed to the work.

TRANSPARENT CERAMICS

MAKE SUPER-HARD WINDOWS

S

cientists have synthesised the first transparent sample of a popular industrial ceramic at DESY. The result is a super-hard window made of cubic silicon nitride that can potentially be used under extreme conditions like in engines, as the Japanese-German team writes in the journal Scientific Reports. Cubic silicon nitride (c-Si3N4) forms under high pressure and is the second hardest transparent nanoceramic after diamond but can withstand substantially higher temperatures.

“Silicon nitride is a very popular ceramic in industry,” explained lead author Dr Norimasa Nishiyama from DESY who now is an associate professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology. “It is mainly used for ball bearings, cutting tools and engine parts in automotive and aircraft industry.”

The ceramic is extremely stable, because the silicon nitrogen bond is very strong.

At ambient pressures, silicon nitride has a hexagonal crystal structure and sintered ceramic of this phase is opaque. Sintering is the process of forming macroscopic structures from grain material using heat and pressure. The technique is widely used in industry for a broad range of products from ceramic bearings to artificial teeth.

sample of this material,” emphasized Nishiyama.

Analysis of the crystal structure at DESY’s X-ray light source PETRA III showed that the silicon nitride had completely transformed into the cubic phase. Investigations with a scanning transmission electron microscope at the University of Tokyo showed that the highpressure sample has only very thin grain boundaries. “Also, in the high-pressure phase oxygen impurities are distributed throughout the material and do not accumulate at the grain boundaries like in the low-pressure phase. That’s crucial for the transparency,” said Nishiyama.

“Cubic silicon nitride is the hardest and toughest transparent spinel ceramic ever made,” summarized Nishiyama.

The scientists foresee diverse industrial applications for their super-hard windows.

“Cubic silicon nitride is the third hardest ceramic known, after diamond and cubic

boron nitride,” explained Nishiyama. “But boron compounds are not transparent, and diamond is only stable up to approximately 750 degrees Celsius in air. Cubic silicon nitride is transparent and stable up to 1400 degrees Celsius.”

However, because of the large pressure needed to synthesise transparent cubic silicon nitride, the possible window size is limited for practical reasons. “The raw material is cheap, but to produce macroscopic transparent samples we need approximately twice the pressure as for artificial diamonds,” said Nishiyama. “It is relatively easy to make windows with diameters of one to five millimetres. But it will be hard to reach anything over one centimetre.”

Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ehime University, the University of Bayreuth, Japanese National Institute for Materials Science, and Hirosaki University were also involved in this research

At pressures above 130 thousand times the atmospheric pressure, silicon nitride transforms into a crystal structure with cubic symmetry that experts call spineltype in reference to the structure of a popular gemstone. Artificial spinel (MgAl2O4) is widely used as transparent ceramic in industry. “The cubic phase of silicon nitride was first synthesised by a research group at Technical University of Darmstadt in 1999, but knowledge of this material is very limited,” said Nishiyama.

His team used a large volume press (LVP) at DESY to expose hexagonal silicon nitride to high pressures and temperatures. At approximately 156 thousand times the atmospheric pressure (15.6 gigapascals) and a temperature of 1800 degrees Celsius a transparent piece of cubic silicon nitride formed with a diameter of about two millimetres. “It is the first transparent

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

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ACADEMIC SPEAK SOLAR CELLS

LIGHTING UP THE WORLD

WITH JAMUNS

Soumitra Satapathi and his team is working on making dye sensitised solar cells from jamuns* which is cost effective and eco-friendly.

Satapathi is Lead Researcher and Assistant Professor at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee in Uttarakhand.

BY DEBARATI DAS Research insight.

In our research, we are trying to replace costly Ru-based sensitiser with low cost natural products ie. dye sensitised solar cells (DSSCs) or Gratzel cells. Jamun based DSSC is one step towards that goal. The ease of availability of Jamun fruits and their cost-effectiveness is the scoring point here. Anthocyanin in Jamun is a coloured pigment and is therefore suitable for light absorption. Apart from being cost effective, they also have large extinction coefficient. For our research, we plucked fresh jamuns from the trees of IIT Roorkee. The skin and flesh were separated from the seeds.

Fresh plums, Black currant pulp and mixed berry juice were purchased from the local market. Dyes were extracted from jamun, plum, black currant, and mixed berry juice by ethanol. The mixture was then centrifuged and decanted. The extracted anthocyanin was used as sensitiser in titanium-di-oxide layer.

The key here is to optimise lot of parameters to extract maximum anthocyanin and confirm the existence of anthocyanin analytically.

DSSCs or Gratzel cells v/s Conventional solar cells A Gratzel cell is composed of a porous layer of titanium dioxide (TiO2) coated photoanode, amonolayer of dye molecules that absorbs sunlight, an electrolyte for dye regeneration, and a cathode. They form a sandwichlike structure with the dye molecule or photosensitiser playing a pivotal role through its ability to absorb visible light photons. The constituents in DSSC make them cost effective and ease of fabrication in comparison to conventional solar cells.

* Jamun – It is a purple coloured fruit, known as Java Plum. It is native to India and adjoining regions of Southeast Asia.

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DSSC - a scientific solution for global warming The increasing pressure on fossil fuels and concern of global warming has inspired

continuous search for alternate energy.

Uncertainty over the pace at which new large dams or nuclear plants can be built means strong reliance on solar power (areas where India has high potential and equally high ambition) to deliver on the pledge to build up a 40 percent share of non-fossil fuel capacity in the power sector by 2030. In principle, we have a large social need for renewable energy especially solar energy. For quite sometime, our lab is actively engaged in low cost high efficiency solar cells production. Natural dye based DSSC is a result of that initiative. I hope lot other things will come along the way to solve the global problem.

Future research and growth of the project.

We are trying now to take this technology to the next level by optimising several factors. We are also expanding our area and started working on indoor lighting and zero energy building.

We are also in talk with few industries for the commercialisation of this product.

Apart from DSSC, we also work on Perovskite Solar cells and Organic Solar Cells to provide solutions to industry in energy and materials science.

Potential for higher research in India India has huge potential for higher research.

During the past few years, infrastructures and facilities have improved and lot of new research institutes came into place. The funding sources are generous if one has novel and creative idea. Moreover, we have strong pool of young researchers who are actively participating in ground breaking works. One important guideline for young researchers will be if you have creative ideas, do not hesitate to pursue them. It is also important to work in cluster research form and be interdisciplinary.

R&D YOUNG TURKS Investigating use of new low-cost ceramic for optical parametric oscillators (OPO)

SOCIETY FOR SCIENCE & THE PUBLIC REGENERON STS

Nathaniel Paul Lee Nathaniel Paul Lee, 17, of Jericho, entered the Regeneron Science Talent Search with a physics project investigating the use of a new low-cost ceramic for optical parametric oscillators (OPO) that could reduce their cost 20-fold. Current OPOs that modulate lasers for scientific purposes require a single crystal that is both toxic and costly to manufacture.

Nate replaced the crystal with a new ceramic composed of crushed zinc selenide. In tests, his composites proved to be comparable to monolithic crystals in efficiency and spectral coverage, and he believes his composite is the first to show the viability of these costeffective ceramics for use in nonlinear optics.

His device is scheduled for clinical testing. Nate’s research was motivated by his grandfather’s medical crisis while abroad, caused by a disease he believes will someday be detectable early using an OPO diagnostic tool. An Eagle Scout, Nate is the son of Mimi Man and Paul Lee. He attends Jericho High School where he is a debater, student council president and varsity cross country runner. In his free time, Nate works as a developer with several startups, most recently on a tool to enhance communication among law enforcement agencies.

Developing new method of capturing carbon dioxide emissions

Ethan Joseph Novek Ethan Joseph Novek, 18, of Greenwich, developed and holds an issued utility patent for a new method of capturing carbon dioxide emissions for his Regeneron Science Talent Search engineering project. His novel carbon capture process desorbs high-purity CO2 by adding an organic solvent to a CO2 - rich aqueous ammonia solution. He recovers the organic solvent with low temperature distillation.

The remaining CO2 - lean solution is recirculated. Ethan’s process requires 75 percent less energy than current CO2 capture processes. Ethan believes his process is the first CO2 capture process capable of being powered entirely by abundant low temperature waste heat. Ethan holds seven patents related to his research and is first author of a peer-reviewed paper describing this work in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters.

At Greenwich High School, Ethan was active in the DECA Business Club and cross country and track until he began working full time as researcher and CEO of the company he founded to commercialize this technology. Ethan’s future plans are built around his passion to harness untapped energy sources and turn waste products into valuable commodities. His parents are Bonnie and Keith Novek.

Source: Society for Science & the Public

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Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

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LOGISTICS INTERVIEW

SAFE, SUSTAINABLE, SUPERIOR

LOGISTICAL ROUTE

Susheel Kumar Mittal,

Director, Supply Chain & Information Services, South Asia, BASF delves on how safe and effective logistics of hazardous chemicals is becoming an unavoidable part of the industry supply chain.

BY SHIVANI MODY Global trends in safe transportation of hazardous bulk chemicals Material flows are becoming increasingly global in the chemical industry. China now leads in global chemical production.

With capacities coming back in the US and Middle East, we will continue to see globally integrated and complex supply chains.

Moreover, consolidation in the global shipping industry is likely to put further pressure on lead times.

In such a scenario, greater emphasis needs to be placed on compliance, safety and sustainability, when transporting hazardous bulk chemicals.

The Indian chemical industry is also following this trend. There is already increased activity in the logistics infrastructure space such as ports, rail and waterways. However, from my point of view, what is very encouraging is the

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emergence of logistics service providers who are specialising in the chemicals sector. Another very important trend is an increasing use of digital technologies like track and trace which provides more transparency to customers.

All of BASF India’s hazardous cargoes are tracked via GPS and monitored 24 X 7.

However, as chemical supply chains are global, these solutions must transcend national boundaries and provide a globally available tracking environment.

Industry’s response for handling logistical challenges

APAC’s growth potential in the chemical logistics space

The Indian chemical industry understands the need to establish standards for transport safety, security, and emergency response and the importance to foster cooperation and collaboration. With this larger vision in mind, initiatives like Nicer Globe were created. Nicer Globe is a program developed by the Indian Chemical Council that aligns our industry with globally acclaimed standards, infrastructure, and services for the safe, secure, and efficient transportation through collaboration.

Key benefits include behavioural safety monitoring, a 24 X 7 emergency response centre, and certification for road safety adherence.

Asia, led by China, is the world’s leading chemical producer. According to Cefic, China alone accounted for nearly 40 percent of global chemical sales in 2015.

Yet Asia is a very diverse and large region.

The heterogeneity of this region makes logistics quite challenging. On the one hand Singapore and Hong Kong rank first and second on the Enabling Trade Index1 (ETI), ahead of developed economies.

On the other hand, several countries fall short in maturity. China ranked 56 and India ranked 100. This implies there is ample scope for development of chemical logistics in Asia.

The laggards need to catch up on infrastructure and safe handling practices.

There are several areas to consider: transport emissions, greener transport options (eg. greater use of rail and waterways), further progress of supply chain security, wider adoption of the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) program in Asia, more specialised service providers, etc.

Chemical logistics and infrastructure in India First, from a purely Indian perspective, roads have been the primary mode of transport for the industry. Overall, freight traffic by road is estimated at 57 percent2.

So, the potential to develop and utilise alternative modes such as rail and coastal shipping is substantial. I believe we are at a stage where planned investment in India, if completed on time, will change the scenario. The Government’s ambitious Sagarmala projects hopes to leverage the country’s coastline and inland waterways to drive industrial development. China has done better here and India has some ways to go.

up a chemical warehouse for a retail chain or a furniture manufacturer is entirely different from putting up a chemical shore tank. The design is influenced by safe handling needs, compliance requirements, and customer needs. This can mean significantly more resources and time.

Specialised logistics service providers know the chemical industry well, can understand these requirements, consider them in their projects early and therefore can provide solutions that meet expectations.

Sustainability in supply chain

Third, from a regulatory perspective, there are some challenges for chemical transportation, that should be addressed via alternative transport modes.

I think supply chains can take the lead for achieving sustainability goals for chemical companies. When I say supply chain, I mean the entire value chain all the way from raw material procurement to distribution to our customers. BASF cofounded the chemical initiative Together for Sustainability (TfS). TfS brings together several companies to enhance sustainability within the supply chain. The goal of TfS is to develop and implement a global audit program that will assess and improve sustainability practices within the supply chains of the chemical Industry.

In addition, BASF is using “intermodal” transport modes wherever possible. The “Kombiverkehrsterminal” in Ludwigshafen facilitates transportation by rail and truck in Europe from and to the site. Compared with road transport, transports by rail can amount to CO2 emissions of ca. 65 percent.

This alone saves us close to 75000 MT annually in CO2 emissions.

M&A in chemical logistics sector

Services offered at BASF

The chemical industry has operated under tough market conditions for several years. However, we had a very strong fourth quarter in 2016. Uncertainty will continue to be our new normal, the cycles are getting shorter and less predictable.

Today, profitable growth is the priority for players in the chemical space. When you see consolidation in this context, the stakes for logistics go up. There are two ways to address this question: M&A in the chemical industry and M&A in the logistics space. Consolidation in the global shipping market already has significant impact on the industry in terms of vessel space, service levels and increased lead times.

As the world’s leading chemical company we have a very broad and diverse portfolio.

We supply to different industry and customer segments. One size does not fit all in this case. On the one hand, we distribute our products for crop protection in small pouches or bottles to farmers. On the other hand, we supply commodity chemicals via tankers and pipelines.

Second, we need a more service-oriented mindset in these sectors. Frequency of services, reliability, and load building are still issues faced by shippers in India.

Specialised logistics players v/s regular logistics companies Logistics companies specialised in the transport of chemical goods need to address two challenges. The first challenge is the safe transportation of cargo. The second is full and complete compliance.

For example, the expertise required to put

We make sure our supply chain solutions are designed to create value for each of these customers. Let’s take an Indian example: one of our automotive customers wanted us to respond fast, reliably ondemand. This was very important due to their Just In Time supply chain.

We worked with our service providers to establish a unique delivery model from our manufacturing site to the redistribution centre, and finally to the customer. This model has been in place for nearly a year now and the customer is happy. Today, nearly 40 percent of automotive shipments from this site, are done using this model.

Managing safety of materials from point-to-point during transportation At BASF, we never compromise on safety. That is why we take every effort to make sure we transport our products and materials safely. First, all our service providers undergo a very thorough road safety assessment. We ensure all vehicles deployed to carry our material meet our minimum checks and requirements.

Similarly, only trained drivers are allowed to drive these vehicles.

We conduct route surveys before allowing hazardous cargo on the road. Every curve or blind spot is checked by our transportation and distribution safety experts and preventive measures are mandated.

Vehicles carrying BASF materials are tracked via GPS and monitored 24X7.

Digitisation at BASF Digitalisation presents big opportunities for us. Adoption of digital is contributing to efficiency and creating new opportunities.

At BASF, we have already begun this digital journey called “BASF 4.0” for digitally enabled products and services in the BASF value chain.

With digital solutions, we can provide our customers access to important information in real time. As part of our digitalization strategy, BASF plans to significantly expand its capabilities to run virtual experiments with a so-called supercomputer which we will build in 2017 in Ludwigshafen, Germany. The new system will make it possible to answer complex questions and reduce the time required to obtain results from several months to days across all research areas.

We are also creating an integrated supply chain with our customers and exchange logistic relevant data. This allows us to supply our customers better and faster.

In production, we are using data to better forecast maintenance requirements of our plants and reduce unexpected shutdowns.

Impact of GST on the chemical industry The chemical industry, as all industries, will certainly be impacted by GST – I think positively. Simply put, GST takes the tax distortion out from supply chain. For example, the decision to locate a factory or warehouse will now be based on where it makes most sense from the value chain perspective. Supply chain designs will be shaped by customer expectations and supply chain parameters.

1

World Economic Forum (2012) “The Global Enabling Trade Report 2012: Reducing Supply Chain Barriers” http://reports.weforum.org/global-enabling-trade-report-2012. The report identifies countries for developing “institutions, policies, and services facilitating the free flow of goods over borders and to destination.”

2 McKinsey’s building India: transforming the nation’s logistics infrastructure, 2010

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

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SUPPLY CHAIN RAW MATERIAL PACKAGING

DIRECT DISPENSE PACKAGING

Innovation for Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing 76

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

BY NANDU DEORKAR

B

iopharmaceutical manufacturing is a complex process involving precise amounts of materials and numerous variables that can affect drug product quality and yield. While a strong focus on quality, safety and drug efficacy is essential, biopharmaceutical manufacturers are also committed to reducing costs and improving manufacturing efficiencies.

One area involving significant costs (and potential risk to quality) is the buffer and cell culture materials preparation process. This production step is labourintensive, requires investment in storage and environmental resources, and involves repeated quality assurance (QA) testing as bulk materials are subdivided for individual process runs. However, new innovations in raw materials packaging can help biopharmaceutical manufacturers streamline operations, mitigate risks and improve efforts toward operational excellence (OpEx).

Traditional raw material delivery methods Upstream biopharmaceutical processes consume various raw materials, including cell culture media, carbohydrates, amino

acids and buffers, which are typically supplied in powder form. The bioreactors and medium preparation tanks that use these materials often operate around the clock. This includes both large-scale reactors with 10,000 L capacity, to newer generation single-use technologies, with multiple 2,000 L bioreactors.

In general, two kinds of packaging systems are used today to supply bulk dry materials: traditional 100 kg drums with one or two plastic liners; or smaller cardboard boxes with plastic liners holding 50 kg. Both bulk packaging systems are part of standard practices that most raw materials suppliers have established for their supply chain systems.

The end user (ie. the biopharmaceutical producer) typically orders, receives and stores enough salts, buffers and other cell culture powdered materials to last several weeks or months. These materials are then subdivided by the biopharmaceutical producer and used in smaller amounts depending on the processes they are running. This bulk material packaging and delivery methodology satisfies the raw material supplier’s operational

requirements, but without full consideration of how that material is used by the end biopharmaceutical producer.

Traditional operational inefficiencies and risks The biopharmaceutical manufacturer must then follow multiple processing steps with this method to properly manage and utilize these bulk raw materials. Bulk materials are received and inventoried in storage areas under the appropriate temperature and humidity controls to maintain product integrity. The container’s outer packaging is cleaned and sanitized and brought into a clean room suite, where a sample is taken to independently confirm via lab analysis that the product’s quality, purity and characterization match what was ordered.

After confirmation, the bulk material is cleared for use in the producer’s dispensing operation.

Once cleared, the package is once again brought into a clean room packaging suite where the contents of the drum are subdivided by hand according to manufacturing requirements – for example, if 45 kg are initially required, that quantity

A common problem with packaging, storing and sub-dividing powdered materials in bulk containers is material caking, or clumping.

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

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SUPPLY CHAIN RAW MATERIAL PACKAGING is removed and packaged into temporary transit packaging while the remainder of the drum is put back into storage.

This subdivision step is time-consuming and risks cross-contaminating the remaining bulk material.

Complications due to material caking/clumping Various raw materials such as salts, buffers, amino acids and carbohydrates tend to form clumps or cake due to their crystal structure and surface moisture content.

This caking, or clumping (Figure 1), is a common problem with packaging, storing and sub-dividing powdered materials in bulk containers. Severe cases of caking can result in complete solidification of the entire package. Caked materials must be completely broken up, in order to measure out the precise amounts needed for bioreactor processes. This can be timeconsuming and involves an open container which is at risk for cross-contamination and absorption of additional moisture, potentially extending the problem. This practice also creates a potential safety risk, as operators work with mallets or hammers and manually break up clumps while the container is open, and can lead to injury and material loss.

New packaging innovation for pre-weighed, free-flowing materials Most recently, innovative chemicals suppliers have begun offering single-use, pre-weighed product bags that provide biopharmaceutical producers with an easyto-use method for dispensing salts, buffers and other cell culture materials directly into their media or buffer preparation tanks, in the exact amounts they specify for a given process.

This innovative packaging option essentially completes the evolution from one-size-fitsall 50 kg and 100 kg bulk product drums, to individual direct dispense bags. The bags are constructed using the same type of polymers already used to line the traditional bulk drums, so there generally is no need for biopharmaceutical manufacturers to re-validate the packaging material.

In addition, the size, shape, sealing and seams of these bags are designed so that when they are inverted, they dispense virtually all the pre-weighed material into the bioreactor. An important consideration here is that pre-weighed and dispensing amounts are within a one-percent tolerance of the amount of material required.

To help ensure a free-flowing dispensing system, the bags also incorporate design features to reduce clumping, including

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To help ensure a free-flowing dispensing system and eliminate clumping, some bags have outer and inner layers with special desiccant materials installed between the two layers. The inner layer uses a vapor permeable material; any moisture that develops within the bag passes through this material and is controlled by the desiccant, to maintain the correct moisture levels.

outer and inner layers with special desiccant materials installed between the two layers (Figure 2). The inner layer uses a vapor permeable material so that any moisture that develops within the bag passes through this material and is controlled by the desiccant to maintain the correct moisture levels and reduce clumping to an absolute minimum (Figure 3).

Direct dispense bags simplify sampling and testing Traditional large-volume bulk container packaging also requires time-consuming sampling and testing to verify the material properties of a newly delivered drum of product. New direct dispense bag systems are compatible with non-destructive identity-testing tools, such as contact-free Raman spectroscopy. With Raman testing, there is no need to open the bag and take a physical sample to verify the product; the closed bag can be scanned and verified upon delivery, saving multiple testing steps.

The packaging is also tamper-evident, to ensure validity and supply chain security.

In addition to near Raman testing, a “tailgate” or side sample can be provided with the bags, so any biopharmaceutical producer that is required to conduct full analyses of all materials used in their processes doesn’t need to open the bag to obtain a product sample. The tailgate is fully traceable ensuring its equivalency to the materials packed in the bag.

Direct dispense system saves time and money

• Facilities: Use of direct dispense systems can eliminate the need for dedicated raw material clean room preparation areas, drum storage and handling equipment, and environmental (temperature and humidity) controls for those areas.

• Testing/validating: Use of Raman testing and tailgate samples greatly simplifies the testing identification step.

• Quality: Pre-weighed direct dispense systems eliminate the need to clean the weighing and dispensing area for another operation saving time and reducing crosscontamination risks.

• Material stability and efficient use: Reduced-clumping packaging design improves raw material yields by avoiding material non-conformities and inaccurate ingredient measurements from severely clumped materials.

• Safety: Reduced-clumping packaging leads to better environmental, health and safety practices, as employees no longer need to engage in the potentially unsafe practice of breaking up clumps that can form in traditional drums.

• Raw materials savings: Pre-weighed amounts in direct dispense bags that match specific biopharmaceutical process requirements eliminates the need to buy and store material in bulk, reducing overages, out-of-date materials and disposal costs.

Expanding the use of these direct dispense systems can help advance OpEx initiatives and reduce costs within the biopharmaceutical industry’s supply chain.

There are multiple savings associated with the use of these systems:

By developing raw material packaging and delivery options to align more closely with the operational requirements of biopharmaceutical producers, innovative raw materials suppliers are helping to eliminate inefficiencies and drive down costs within the overall supply chain and production environment.

• Labour: Eliminates the time and cost of personnel who need to weigh, subdivide and dispense materials from bulk containers.

Author: Nandu Deorkar (PhD) is Vice President of Research and Development at Avantor™ Performance Materials, Center Valley, PA (USA).

PRESENTING ARC’S FIFTEENTH INDIA FORUM

Industry in Transition: Realizing the Digital Enterprise J U LY 6 -7, 2 0 17 • B A N G A L O R E

Featured topics: Industrial companies are revisiting their own business processes and technology approaches as competitors and partners start to employ “digitalized” business processes and exploit the increasing convergence between operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) on the plant floor. Trusted technology vendors are moving from Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) concepts to real IIoT products, solutions, and services. Intelligent connected products, along with network communications, software, and analytics now enable manufacturers to improve uptime and optimize operating performance. Other hot topics such as cognitive computing, machine

improving energy eFFiciency advanced control strategies smart grid and smart cities collaboration at the user and device levels managing legacy and aging inFrastructures

learning, and artificial intelligence power much of this transformation.

3d training and simulation

The Digital Enterprise benefits from smarter products, new service and

social media

operating models, new production techniques, and new approaches to design and sourcing.

advanced analytics and big data

ARC Advisory Group’s Fifteenth India Forum for process and discrete

cloud computing

industries is a not-to-be-missed event for all stakeholders – technology

impacts oF mobile computing

solution providers, end users, industry trackers, decision and policy makers, and the media. In an advanced automation and informationdriven world, terms such as Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Smart Manufacturing, Industrie 4.0, Digitalization, and Connected Enterprise, are clearly moving past the hype stage to the point where real solutions are emerging backed by strong associated business cases.

This is the new age of innovation.

enterprise and plant asset management supply chain management including service liFecycle management cybersecurity and saFety

TO REGISTER: Space Is Limited! Call India +91-80-2554-7114 or USA +1-781-471-1000, Register on-line at www.arcweb.com/events/arc-industry-forum-india/, or e-mail ramang@arcweb.com.

V ision , E xpEriEncE , A nswErs Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

for i ndustry

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SAFETY CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD NEWS

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the annual Friends of Ireland St. Patrick’s Day lunch honoring Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., March 16, 2017.

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

TRUMP’S PROPOSAL

TO SCRAP CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD DRAWS CRITICISM

P

resident Donald Trump’s proposal to do away with the federal agency that investigates chemical accidents drew sharp criticism from environmental, labour and safety advocates, who said that eliminating the watchdog would put American lives at risk.

Christine Todd Whitman, the former US Environmental Protection Agency head, on Thursday called the proposal to get rid of Chemical Safety Board (CSB) and cut EPA funding short-sighted, saying both have long been an industry target for advocating greater public information on chemicals.

“If you want to put the American people in danger this is the way to do it,” she said of the president’s proposal to cut the CSB’s funding entirely from the 2018 federal budget. “The chemical industry has fought back from the beginning.”

The CSB investigates major chemicals accidents to search for their causes and makes recommendations that could prevent a recurrence. It has no regulatory power, but is influential because its recommendations are often adopted by industry, labour, government officials, the EPA and Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The president recently outlined a plan for fiscal 2018 discretionary spending, which exclude programmes like Social Security, that removes allocations for 19 independent bodies, including the CSB and Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The CSB, which has an annual budget of about

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$12 million, defended its work, saying its work has broadly improved safety. “As this process moves forward, we hope that the important mission of this agency will be preserved,” the agency said in a statement.

Chemical and energy industry officials offered limited comment on the proposal.

Petroleum and refining industry groups, Exxon Mobil Corp, BP Plc and Tesoro Corp did not respond or declined to comment directly on the potential phase out.

The American Chemistry Council, a trade group that represents major chemicals producers, said in a statement it would work with the administration and Congress to “ensure EPA has funding to carry out essential responsibilities.” It did not comment directly on the CSB. The American Petroleum Institute, the oil industry trade group, said it looked “forward to working with the administration and Congress as all of these issues work their way through the budget process.”

Michael Wright, director of health, safety and environment at the United Steelworkers union, said the CSB’s recommendations generally have been welcome by labour and industry. One such recommendation that stemmed from a fatal 2005 refinery incident included barring portable trailers that cannot withstand an explosion.

The board’s reviews of major accidents have proved significant. Its probes have led to industry standards on worker fatigue, greater reporting of hazardous chemicals to first responders, and have prompted

companies to keep workers not directly involved in projects out of harm’s way.

In California, many of the board’s safety recommendations have been drafted into law. For example, the state worker safety agency, known as Cal/OSHA, has doubled its investigative staff based on CSB recommendations.

“This is one of the best bargains in Washington,” said the USW’s Wright. “If it has prevented even one accident, it has saved far more money than its budget over its entire history.”

Its probe of the fatal Deepwater Horizon rig explosion was controversial because of its two-year length and extensive need for outside help. The work led to new standards for safety in the offshore oil industry and in well equipment.

But some recommendations have not been yet been implemented. After a fatal 2013 explosion in West, Texas, that killed 12 first responders the CSB proposed facilities that store large amounts of fertilizer be covered by emergency planning laws that give first responders more information. That remains open.

Beth Rosenberg, a former CSB board member and now an assistant professor at Tufts University School of Medicine, said the CSB “does excellent work; other countries admire this agency.” She said opponents “don’t know what they’re doing here or how useful this board is.”

Source: Reuters News

NORWAY IS FIRST TO RATIFY 2010

COMPENSATION REGIME FOR HAZARDOUS, NOXIOUS CARGOES

Ms. Dilek Ayhan, State Secretary in the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, hands over the instrument of ratification of the 2010 HNS Protocol to Mr. Kitack Lim, Secretary-General, IMO.

N

orway is said to be the first country to become a Contracting State to a key compensation treaty covering the transport of hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) by ship.

The International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea, 2010 (2010 HNS Convention), when in force, will provide a regime of liability and compensation for damage caused by HNS cargoes transported by sea, complementing existing regimes already in force for the transport of oil as cargo, bunker oil used for the operation and propulsion of ships, the removal of hazardous wrecks and claims for death of or personal injury to passengers, or for damage to their luggage, on ships.

Ms Dilek Ayhan, State Secretary in the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, handed over the instrument of ratification of the 2010 HNS Protocol to IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim on 21 April during a meeting at IMO Headquarters in London, United Kingdom.

Norway also provided, as required by the treaty, data on the total quantities of contributing cargo liable for contributions received in Norway during the preceding calendar year.

Lim warmly welcomed the ratification by Norway and encouraged other States to follow suit.

“The HNS Convention is the last piece in the puzzle needed to ensure that those

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

who have suffered damage caused by HNS cargoes carried on board ships have access to a comprehensive and international liability and compensation regime,” said IMO secretary general Kitack Lim. “The number of ships carrying HNS cargoes is growing steadily with more than 200 million tonnes of chemicals traded annually by tankers and we have to recognize that accidents can and do happen. I urge all States to follow the example set by Norway and consider acceding to the HNS 2010 treaty as soon as possible, in order to bring it into force.”

Entry into force of the treaty requires accession by at least 12 States, meeting certain criteria in relation to tonnage and reporting annually the quantity of HNS cargo received in a State.

IMO, together with the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC Funds) and the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF), has disseminated a six-page brochure that explains to States the purpose and benefit of the HNS Convention and encourages IMO Member States to take the next steps to ratify or accede to the Convention.

IMO measures relating to the prevention of accidents that involve HNS cargoes are already in force, including ship design, operations and safety on board as well as safety of loading and unloading operations.

There is also a Protocol covering preparedness and response to shipping accidents involving hazardous substances.

The 2010 HNS Convention aims to deliver

the uniform and comprehensive regime needed to provide compensation for costs, including clean-up and restoring the environment, in the event of an incident involving HNS cargoes. Total compensation available under the Convention is capped at 250 million Special Drawing Rights (SDR) of the International Monetary Fund (approximately USD $340 million at current exchange rates) per event.

Shipowners are held strictly liable up to a maximum limit of liability established by the Convention for the cost of an HNS incident. Registered owners of ships carrying HNS cargoes have to maintain insurance that is State certified. The HNS Fund pays compensation once shipowner’s liability is exhausted and is financed through contributions paid post incident by receivers of HNS cargoes.

The HNS Fund is administered by States and contributions will be based on the actual need for compensation.

HNS covered by the Convention include: oils; other liquid substances defined as noxious or dangerous; liquefied gases; liquid substances with a flashpoint not exceeding 60˚C; dangerous, hazardous and harmful materials and substances carried in packaged form or in containers; and solid bulk materials defined as possessing chemical hazards. The HNS Convention establishes the principle that the ‘polluter pays’ by ensuring that the shipping and HNS industries provide compensation for those who have suffered loss or damage resulting from an HNS incident.

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JOBS Jr Executive - QC Company: Pfizer Date Posted: 28 April Country: India City: Aurangabad

Research Scientist Company: ExxonMobil Date Posted: 31 April Country: China City: Shanghai

Officer- Production

Job Description: The candidate should conduct quality control tests including instrumental and chemical, maintain laboratory instruments to ensure proper working order and troubleshoot malfunctions when needed.

Job Description: Research Scientist has to lead and coordinate within R&D multifunctional team in project design and execution, participate in global chemical research programmes, interface with ExxonMobil technology / marketing / manufacturing organizations, apply advanced polymer and materials science to create ideas and to propose development programmes for innovation in the fields of polymer physics targeted at achieving competitive advantage, thereby contributing to strategic business development opportunities.

Company: BASF Date Posted: 02 May Country: India City: Dahej

Job Description: This position’s responsibility is of technical, quality and cost effective manufacturing of plant operations in the shifts. It also involves plant and process safety, health and environment activities related to the plant and personnel working in the plant.

R&D Technician

Job Description: Arkema R&D technician’s mission is to carry out polymer depolymerization tests in order to form valuable small molecules. These tests will be carried out in stainless steel installations on the scale of a few grams to a few hundred grams. It may be necessary to modify the assemblies and carry out routine analyzes (gas chromatography).

Company: Arkema Date Posted: 05 May Country: France City: Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes

Chemist Company: Air Liquide Singapore Pvt Ltd Date Posted: 05 May Country: Singapore City: Singapore

Senior Process Engineer Company: The Dow Chemical Company Date Posted: 08 May Country: India City: Chennai

Sr. Research Chemist Polymer & Dyeing Auxiliary Synthesis Company: Huntsman Date Posted: 12 May Country: India City: Mumbai

Chemist I

Company: PPG Industries Inc Date Posted: 12 May Country: US City: Burbank

Senior Formulations Chemist Bath & Shower Company: Lubrizol Corporation Date Posted: 12 May Country: US City: Piscataway

Lab Analyst Company: Eastman Date Posted: 13 May Country: US City: Akron

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Job Description:The candidate should perform and analyze products to ensure that they are in compliant to ISO procedures and customers’ requirements, assist and ensure smooth laboratory operations etc.

Job Description: This role acts as a technical resource to lead project teams and to provide expertise in one or more of specific fields eg. process separation, process development and modelling optimization, fluid mechanics and mixing and heat transfer on at least a site wide basis and as a part of related global networks.

Job Description: The candidate must be able to effectively communicate with people from all regions of the company, and from multiple disciplines (Manufacturing facilities; Research and Development; Scale-Up; Pilot Plant), scheduling and performing synthesis, blending and other formulation work on the laboratory, bench and pilot plant level following safe operating procedures.

Job Description: The candidate must be self-motivated and be able to acquire practical knowledge and the experience required to test aerospace sealant and coating materials through interactions with other personnel. In addition to formulation development, the candidate is expected to prepare samples and conduct extensive material tests.

Job Description: As the Senior Formulations Chemist, you will deliver new concepts for the Bath & Shower market by leading the development and application of innovative products within the Bath & Shower market segment for Lubrizol. You will be the technical leader responsible for translating market needs into new product development opportunities.

Job Description: Eastman’s Rubber Additives Technology organization has an immediate opening for a Lab Analyst in the Akron Crystex Laboratory. Crystex Lab functions as both a research lab and quality control lab for Eastman products developed for and used in the rubber industry.

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Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

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PRODUCTS

New super-transparent pigment preparations C lariant unveils Hostatint™ A 100-ST, a range of super-transparent preparations based on non-halogenated pigments to support the eyecatching metallic and mineral effects as well as new shades for surface and contour enhancements so desired for today’s lifestyle products. The new Hostatint A 100-ST range features nine ready-to-use, highly-transparent pigment preparations that offer the entire colour circle to solvent-based paint systems. In addition to its performance benefits, Hostatint A 100-ST helps the coatings industry to open up manufacturers’ creativity options.

For electronics OEMs, the halogen-free pigment molecules support the formulation of bright green colour shades that meet industry restrictions on halogen content. Industrial coatings with the super transparency of Hostatint A 100-ST can be used to add a quality appeal to applications by emphasizing the visibility of a substrate such as glass, wood or metal. Super transparent coloured coatings, virtually invisible over a black substrate, are also particularly effective in highlighting black/color contrast. Hostatint A 100-ST pigment preparations are easy and safe to use.

Contact: Clariant Plastics & Coatings Ltd Rothausstrasse 61, CH-4132 Muttenz Switzerland Phone. +41 61 469 5111 Fax. +41 61 469 6597 Email:MB-Europe@clariant.com Web:www.clariant.com

New glass-ceramic coating upgrades fireplaces and woodstoves S

CHOTT introduced SCHOTT ROBAX® IR Max coating which can reflect a large portion of heat radiation back into the combustion chamber, significantly reducing the heat that escapes. This effectiveness never diminishes, contributing to highly efficient, low-emission combustion.

Watching the dancing flames of fireplaces and stoves shouldn’t leave anyone dripping in sweat as soon as the heat builds up. This is a common occurrence in low-energy and passive houses, for example, which have high thermal insulation. Everything near the fireplace – furniture, carpet, curtains, and people – can get uncomfortably warm when the heat turns up. ROBAX® IR Max prevents this by reflecting up to seven times more heat radiation back into the combustion chamber than uncoated fire viewing panels. As a result, not only does less heat escape, but the higher temperatures inside the fireplace or stove also contribute to better combustion, lowering emissions.

Fuel can be used optimally and heating costs reduced. ROBAX® IR Max offers longevity that is second to none.

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Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

Contact: SCHOTT North America, Inc. 555 Taxter Road, Elmsford, NY 10523, USA Tel:914-831-2286 Email:info@us.schott.com Web:www.us.schott.com

Effective pigment with unique pearlescent black for cosmetic formulations

S

un Chemical’s new SunSHINE Mystic Black is an effective pigment which achieves a unique combination of jetness, coverage, sparkle and luster. The rich colour can be used to create beautifully bold formulations for lipstick, mascara, eyeliners, eye shadows and nail lacquers. SunSHINE Mystic Black is based on synthetic mica which provides a soft skin feel and high colour purity compared to natural mica. SunSHINE Mystic Black joins the SunSHINE family of pure synthetic mica-based pearlescent pigment colours ranging from iridescent colours to metallic effects with unrivaled sparkle and intensity. SunSHINE pigments provide some of the lowest residual heavy metals levels available in the market. Their transparency, luster, chroma, broad range of particle sizes and smoothness make them ideally suited for use in all finished product formulations.

Contact: Sun Chemical Corporation 35 Waterview Boulevard, Parsippany, NJ 07054-1285, USA Tel: + 1 973 404 6000 Fax:+ 1 973 404 6001 Email:lynn.campbell@sunchemical.com Web: www.sunchemical.com

Introducing dye sublimation inks D uPont Advanced Printing (DuPont) introduced its newest DuPont™ Artistri® dye sublimation inks as part of its broad textile ink portfolio.

DuPont™ Artistri® Xite S1500 dye sublimation ink and DuPont™ Artistri® Xite S2500 is the newest offering in its growing dye sublimation portfolio.

Xite S2500 is a mid-viscosity dye sublimation ink for printing on polyester textile substrates and expected to be launched in the third quarter of 2017.

Xite S2500 will offer superior product consistency, jetting reliability and colour print performance. “Our Artistri® dye sublimation inks not only deliver outstanding color saturation, but also demonstrate productivity benefits through excellent jetting characteristics and superior batch-to-batch consistency,” said Balaji Srinivasan, marketing manager, Europe Middle East & Africa, DuPont Advanced Printing. The textile ink portfolio is available for a wide variety of printheads, from low to high viscosity. Artistri® Xite inks feature recently launched pigment inks which achieve greater color with improved workflow efficiency and reduced environmental footprint over alternative printing technologies.

Contact: DuPont de Nemours (Deutschland) GmbH DuPont Str.1, 63263 Neu Isenburg, Germany Tel: +49 6102 18-0 Fax:+49 6102 18-1224 Email:ellen.richter@dupont.com Web: www.dupont.com

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

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EQUIPMENT EPC INTERVIEW

OPPORTUNITY GALORE FOR

EPC MARKET Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC) market potential in Asia Pacific.

With more than a trillion dollars invested in India, which includes investment in Chemicals, Petrochemicals and Refineries, the opportunities for EPC players are plentiful.

The Asia Pacific Region is also seeing a lot of preexecution and execution activity. Several projects are on the anvil in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, The Philippines, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. We believe that India and the Asia Pacific needs radically more efficient and rigorous execution approaches towards project execution.

Fluor can help implement and share such best practices based upon transparency, safety, execution excellence and sustainability.

Trends in EPC segment The trends in the EPC segment in India and the Asia Pacific vary in consonance with the investment source - privately funded vs publicly / government funded projects. The investments have tended to be weighted towards publicly funded projects.

Clients in government funded projects as well as some privately funded projects tend to select the least ‘quoted price’ option, rather than the least ‘life cycle’ cost option. Little credit is given to a bidders’ track record of schedule and cost certainty, quality, and HSE. Publicly funded projects are bound by government procurement guidelines that often mandate purchasing preference for local and / or, government owned bidders.

Arun Kumar Jain, Managing Director, Fluor Daniel India Pvt Ltd, tells how this is the best time for EPC players to invest, innovate and reap the benefits of the burgeoning markets

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In the recent past, large investments have begun to flow in from multiple players in the private sector as they set up multi-billion dollar projects. This has initiated a process of change in the bidding and selection paradigm. Owners have now begun giving evaluation credit for technical competence and execution capability and pedigree. Commercial terms and conditions are easing though still heavily weighted in the client’s favour in terms of risk allocation. Very few local contractors truly have technical capability, robustness of execution work processes, risk management skills and financial muscle to execute large and complex projects on their own.

This is where global contractors like Fluor can step in to fill the voids.

Fluor is selective in deciding which projects to pursue, but once the decision is made to pursue a project, we go all out to win and execute the project to international standards.

Demands from chemical producers Chemicals producing companies manufacture chemicals for a wide variety of industries including a significant share for the oil and gas and energy industries.

Some producers have been hurt by falling product prices of their clients while others have stepped up production for other clients. A common feature of new investments though, is the stark need for greater capital efficiency in plant set-up.

This is leading producers to opt or ask for fit for purpose design and specifications and for EPC companies to exhibit innovation in construction techniques to realize the lower set up costs. In an effort to self-control project execution, some clients are opting for a hybrid execution model wherein client resources are also a part of the home office and field teams at the EPC contractor’s home offices and field and often leading them.

Market potential of EPC solutions in developed v/s emerging markets.

In recent years, a key client business objective has been to reach the market in the shortest possible time while its Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractors are expected to continue to abide by established guidelines for cost, quality and safety. As a result, EPC contractors are devising new project execution strategies to meet this client objective.

Reducing work at site is one such strategy.

While modularization is not a new process, the quantum of offsite work achievable has significantly increased using advanced, or, what Fluor describes as 3rd generation modular execution. This execution model splits a project into process blocks that are designed as adjoining compact modules which in turn drives plot plan optimization.

Substantial advantages gained from using an advanced 3rd generation modular execution approach include: • Reducing some bulk material quantities through a more compact plant layout realized by synergizing equipment and implementing a distributed controls philosophy

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

• Maximizing transfer of labour hours from a low efficiency and high cost field environment to higher efficiency and lower cost module fabrication yards • Reducing the time required and risk associated with completing this work at site and • Significantly reducing the footprint required for the facility thus reducing the bulk materials, civil works and related indirect costs and mitigating the environmental effects of project construction.

This award winning execution approach of Fluor has been recognized for its concept, value, delivery and impact.

3D platforms in EPC projects Commercially available 3D platforms are evolving in response to new and unique project requirements and EPC companies like Fluor continue to build automated add-ons that increase speed of execution and also reduce manual discretion / data transfer related errors. 3D platforms are further being developed to help in design of existing plants, or, revamp projects in conjunction with laser photogrammetry of the existing facilities. EPC companies are developing, or, improving commercially available software for plant design.

Recent development across 3D platforms has seen seamless electronic plant design and data transfer to steel and pipe fabricators thus reducing deliverable life cycles and lowering the error rate and consequent recycle. Current 3D platforms allow simultaneous access to multiple stakeholders like engineers, fabricators and clients which improves both the quality and timeliness of the release of construction deliverables. Enhanced digitization has also helped improve resolution of project scope change control.

EPC business at Fluor Fluor India’s growth has been significant.

From less than 700 employees in 2009, today we have 3,400 employees and are poised to grow further in the near term as we respond to the international and regional market demands to lower cost of services.

We are working in a variety of sectors in the Asia Pacific and Indian markets, especially chemicals, petrochemicals, gasification, power and the industrial sectors. We continually assess the numerous new projects coming up by applying objective criteria of selectivity. We are bullish on the

growth in the Indian and regional markets and hope to contribute to economic growth of the region.

With a trillion dollars and more of infrastructure investment planned in the next few years, we lay great store by the business opportunities in India, especially in the business segments of chemicals, clean fuels, refineries and LNG.

Focus on R&D and innovation Being an EPC company, we naturally pursue innovation in execution. A few examples are: • Refining modularization to the next level in our 3rd generation modularization programme to enable our clients to have the option to substantially reduce field work, improve quality, increase safety and shorten execution schedule particularly in remote locations.

• Key enhancements in the 3D execution platforms to increase engineering execution efficiency.

Fluor is a global leader in carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and we have long-term commercial operating experience in CO2 recovery from flue gas with very high oxygen concentration. To help clients reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Fluor has developed patented CO2 recovery technologies.

Supporting start-up firms in the energy & chemical sector Our commercial strategies team is involved in evaluation of all projects. Fluor pursues and executes projects across the globe and in doing so differing commercial strategies best suited for a project. Where, mutually beneficial, Fluor could enable Indian start-up companies fetch business in international bidding by lending them access via our structured global prequalification programme.

Supply chain network models of Fluor to carry out EPC projects.

Fluor has often modified the traditional Engineer, Procure, Construct (EPC) model to incorporate early integration of strategic suppliers whereby significant savings in time and cost can be realized for a project whilst still ensuring that long term total life cycle cost targets of an owner are met. We have observed that if we use a sequential process and procurement doesn’t get involved until late in the capital cycle, we have precious little ability to influence the capital cost of a project.

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EQUIPMENT PROCESS SYSTEMS

PROCESS PILLARS FOR

CHANGING CHEMICAL MARKETS Kumar Swamy, Vice President, Sandvik Process Systems mentions the ways in which process industry is playing a vital role in the changing dynamics of the global chemical industries by supporting its R&D initiatives with new technologies and efficient processes.

Changing role of process industry in global chemical markets.

With rare exceptions, chemical companies can no longer depend on volume to drive growth and profitability. The highest volume for basic chemicals is concentrated at one location - China. This has had an impact on cost of production, distribution and consumption. However, this gave the opportunity or option for most part of the world to focus on high value added or new generation products for profitable business.

Process Industry has a big role to play in supporting the R&D initiatives for the chemical industry to develop new products or new compositions for a profitable sustainable growth.

Growth opportunity of process industry (in chemical markets) in India The Indian chemical industry is the 6th largest in the world and 3rd in Asia. The economies of scale have improved to a level where the traditional means of production is no longer possible. That is where the process industry is developing new technologies, automation, efficient processes, cost leadership both in RM & Resources.

Sectors with growing importance for sulphur solidification and handling systems With government emphasising on cleaner fuels and implementation of BS VI standard fuels until 2020, Indian refineries are eyeing to meet the emission standards while meeting the growing demand on an expansion mode. To raise a refinery

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requires five years of construction. At the moment, the nation is a net exporter and if it is not initiated there will be a need to import, which the refining community and Government is handling efficiently.

Besides, the steel industry also requires sulphur solidification and handling.

R&D and innovation in the field of cooling and solidification section Most of the R&D efforts are being targeted towards more automation, less environmental impact, newer applications, higher capacity processing, modular construction and methods to create value to customers.

Expectations from chemical industries.

Chemical companies require safe, energy efficient and user friendly equipment and systems to suit their operations. They are looking for higher machine availability, repeatability of performance to focus on the core business.

There is also a growing focus on process optimisation, cleaner process wherein effluents and emissions should be under nil or acceptable limits.

Comparing chemical process industry requirements in the developed and emerging markets.

In developed markets, the capacities push state of the art equipment, processes and operations in their manufacturing program. Whereas, in an emerging market the growth is co-created with suppliers, customers and producers to meet the break-even and economic threshold of

investments. It is a challenge to address economic operations vs economic viability of investments based on available capacity to utilise.

Process systems from the company.

Sandvik Process Systems is a key product area with the Sandvik Group. Its expertise includes manufacturing of steel belts as well as the design, manufacture and installation of steel belt systems mainly for refinery, petro-chemical, chemical, wood and food segments. Its product range includes single and double belts systems for granulation, flaking, film casting and lamination, as well as a variety of drying, cooling, heating, pressing, cooking, freezing and conveyor belt systems or combination of one or many in the segments.

Rotoform drop depositor technology for fine chemicals.

The development of the Rotoform family has opened up new opportunities for the pastillation of virtually all types of chemical melts. Over couple of thousand different product chemical types have been processed on this system; among the most common are fatty alcohol, fatty acid, waxes, resins, rubber / plastic additives and agrochemicals. The Rotoform Pastillation process is a reliable technology, delivering dust-free pastilles that provide all the key advantages of this product form ie. easy product flow and high bulk weight for easy bagging, transportation, storage, metering, blending and re-melting. Molten product is fed to the Rotoform via a pump and then uniformly deposited in form of drops – across the full width of the steel belt.

The circumferential speed of the rotoform is synchronised with the speed of the beltdrops are therefore deposited without deformation. Heat released during solidification and cooling is transferred via the steel belt to cooling water sprayed underneath. This water is collected in tanks and returned to the water recooling system.

At no stage does it come into contact with the product.

Focus on R&D and innovation for chemical process industry.

Sandvik’s latest introduction to the market is Rotoform® 4G Process. A number of key features within the Rotoform® 4G have been completely redesigned to offer easier operation and simplified servicing.

These include an all-new refeed bar control; long lasting bearing units; a pneumatic lifting device for the Rotoform depositor and an improved safety hood.

These and other enhancements add up to a significant development in solidification technology, allowing you to produce better quality pastilles direct from the melt, more easily and more safely.

As a part of adding value to our customers with newer product compositions and improving operational effectiveness, we undertake product and productivity development programs at our productivity centre.

Sulphur degasser as the most economical process equipment to reduce hydrogen sulfide over other similar degassers.

Over the years, Sandvik has developed innovative products in the solidification, drying arena for the chemical industry.

Sandvik Sulphur Degasser’s are compact “out of pit” design with no moving mechanical parts that need to be repaired

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

or replaced. All of the degassing is done via air purging through the molten sulphur to carry the H2S and H2Sx to the head space where it is vented to incineration or other capture means (ie. scrubbing).

A mild catalyst can be added to assist in carrying the H2S and H2Sx to the head space. We do not charge any license fees like other technologies. Ours is also a continuous flow through design.

Challenges faced by chemical process equipment manufacturers globally.

The major challenge is that of commoditization of products pushing cheaper alternatives to process their melts.

The growth and demand to match the economics and availability is often the challenge. The overall sustainable growth and profitability is also a major area of concern.

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EQUIPMENT Sulphur degasser with superior features The Sandvik Sulphur Degasser (DG Series) is an efficient and economical process for reducing poisonous hydrogen sulfide in liquid sulphur. This easy to use system delivers maximum degassing capability to below 10 ppm H2S, mitigating potential for downstream regulatory violations. The Sandvik DG Series is compact, self contained and portable. It is supplied skid mounted, fully wired, with all piping installed. The system offers superior environmental and HSE performance, operating continuously under negative pressure in a fully contained system with reduced potential for spills.

Contact: Sandvik Asia Pvt. Ltd. Mumbai Pune Road, Dapodi, Pune 411012, India

Tel: +91 20 30 63 33 46 Fax: +91 20 27 10 31 32 Email: kumar.swamy@sandvik.com Web: http://processsystems.sandvik.com

CRN pumps for diverse applications

T

he CR/CRN is a versatile pump range suitable for diverse applications that demand consistent and cost-efficient supply. It can be used for processing water, chemicals, solvents, brine etc. The basic CR pump range is available in four different materials: cast iron, two grades of stainless steel, and all-titanium. There are eleven flow sizes, capable of producing up to almost 50 bar of pressure. Pump parts which are typically vulnerable to difficult liquids or particularly demanding operating conditions can be optimized for their purpose and designed for specific requirements.

Grundfos offers a “mix and match” modular approach, so one can configure a pump that meets the exact needs.

Contact: Grundfos Pumps India Pvt. Ltd. 118 Rajiv Gandhi Salai, Thoraipakkam, Chennai 600 097, India Tel. +91 44 4596 6800 Toll Free: 1800 345 4555 Fax +91 44 4596 6969 Email:salesindia@grundfos.com Web:http://in.grundfos.com

Dry containers in various standard sizes

A

rcon’s dry containers are available in various standard sizes such as 20 foot (6.09 m), 40 foot (12.18 m), 45 foot (13.7 m), 48 foot (14.6 m), and 53 foot (16.15 m) and it is used to load, transport, and unload goods. As a result, containers can be moved seamlessly between ships, trucks and trains. The two most important and most commonly used sizes today are the 20-foot and 40-foot lengths. The 20-foot container, referred to as a Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) became the industry standard reference. The 40-foot length container - literally 2 TEU - became known as the Forty-foot Equivalent Unit (FEU) and is the most frequently used container today. The container sizes need to be standardized so that the containers can be most efficiently stacked - literally, one on top of the other.

Contact: ARCON (a division of ALPPL) 606, Vashi Infotech Park, Plot No. 16, Sector 30A, Vashi, Navi Mumbai- 400703, India

New touch-screen balances with useful features

T

he new Cole-Parmer® Symmetry® touch-screen balances, with industry-leading warranties, boast many useful features . A large colour resistive touch-screen display allows workers to easily view weighted results and menu options. Data can be easily imported and exported easily via USB flash drive, and USB, RS-232, Ethernet offer secure connection; Wi-Fi is available on select models. Free database software is also included with each balance. The expanded line of touch-screen balances includes: Cole-Parmer Symmetry B Series toploading and analytical balances are designed to provide accurate measurements of weighed loads.

Contact: Cole-Parmer North America 625 East Bunker Court Vernon Hills, IL 60061, USA

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Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

Tel: 800-323-4340 / 847-549-7600 Fax: 847-247-2929 Email: sales@coleparmer.com Web: www.coleparmer.com

Tel: +91 98204 58424 Email: raju.chormare@arconcontainer.com Web:http://www.arconcontainer.com

Oval gear flowmeters for high pressures

K

OBOLD’s DON-H is built to handle high pressures up to 5800 PSIG, while delivering high performance. It is engineered to precisely measure clean, non-abrasive liquids with viscosities up to 1000 centipoise and temperatures up to 250° Fahrenheit. Even higher viscosities, up to 1,000,000 centipoise are available with special cut rotors. Common application media includes: petroleum, oil, chemicals, grease, fuels, ink, pastes, etc. Measuring ranges are available in 0.13 to 9.5 gallons per minute up to 0.26 to 10.6 gallons per minute. Connections are offered from 1/8” to 1/2” NPT. The signal can be processed via a remote display controller, a PLC, or via other options like batchers and totalizers.

Contact: KOBOLD - USA 1801 Parkway View Drive Pittsburgh PA, 15205, USA Tel : (412)788-2830 Fax: (412)788-4890 Email: info@koboldusa.com Web:http://koboldusa.com Web:www.valcraftengineers.com

Hydraulic diaphragm metering pump for different surroundings

P

roMinent’s new hydraulic diaphragm metering pump Orlita® Evolution is ready for anything: it is robust and ATEX-tested, incredibly flexible and is safe and reliable. Its intelligent functions place it in the upper premium segment. It meters liquid media with extremely high precision, achieves a reproducibility of better than ±1 percent, complies with the strict requirements of the ATEX standard. The Orlita® Evolution protects itself against nearly all malfunctions and impermissible operating statuses.

The intelligent temperature control system keeps the pump’s operating temperature within the permitted range at all times. The new diaphragm position control prevents damage to the robust PTFE diaphragm even in the event of serious malfunctions.

Contact: ProMinent GmbH Im Schuhmachergewann 5-11, 69123 Heidelberg, Germany Tel : +49 6221 842 0 Fax: +49 6221 842 215 E-Mail: info@prominent.com Web:https://www.prominent.com

Introducing ultra-small, portable device pump

K

NF NMP 03 micro gas pump starting at a lightweight 11g and measuring just 12.9 mm wide and 24.2 mm in length is a diminutive pump that delivers very consistent, linear transfer from a few milliliters to 500 mL/min. In addition to ultra-small size and wide flow rate range, NMP 03 offers a long service life, outstanding efficiency, leak tightness, and quiet, low vibration operation, making it ideally suited for handheld, battery-operated applications. Typical portable device applications include emissions measurement and gas analyzers; ion-mobility spectrometry (trace detection); drugs and explosives detection; handheld pipette/dosing etc. NMP 03 is also well-suited for outdoor use and applications involving hot or cold gases.

Contact: KNF Neuberger Inc. Two Black Forest Road, Trenton, NJ 08691-1810, USA Tel: 609-890-8600 Fax: 609-890-8323 Email: supportusa@knf.com Web:https://www.knfusa.com

Pumps for applications with chlorine, fluorine containing chemicals

E

lectric drum and container pumps of series Lutz B2 Vario are for many years the perfect solution when it comes to handling small liquid amounts of acids, alkalis, solvents and other chemicals from drums and small containers, whatever industry you are in. All housing and hydraulic parts coming into contact with the liquid are made of the highly resistant fluoroplastic polyvinylidenefluoride. Due to the excellent chemical and thermal features, this pump is ideally suitable for applications with chlorine and fluorine containing chemicals. Typical branches and application areas are drinking water - and waste water treatments, local and private pool water treatment, surface- and plating processing as well as applications in environmental and waste disposal plants.

Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

Contact: Lutz Pumpen GmbH Erlenstrasse 5-7, DE-97877 Wertheim, Germany Tel.: +49 (0)9342 8 79-0 Fax :+49 (0)9342 87 94 04 E-mail: info@lutz-pumpen.de Web: www.lutz-pumpen.de

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Kimberlite Chemicals (India) Pvt. Ltd.

23

Xobber

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India Tel: +912269409850/60 E-Mail: sales@sharplexfilters.com www.sharplex.com

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India Tel: +91 80 42487300 Email: info@kimberliteindia.com www.kimberliteindia.com

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

GLOSSARY PAGE NO Adwan Chemical Industries Co Ltd 63 AGSCO Corp 63 Air Liquide 82 AkzoNobel 18, 2, 50 American Chemical Society 47 ANAVEN 50 Anderson Manufacturing Co Inc 60 Archroma 40 ARCON 90 Arkema 82 Atul Ltd 50 Audi AG 63 Avantor Performance Materials 78 BASF 6, 20, 75, 82 BMW AG 63 Brenntag 06 Business Standard 12, 13 Cathay Pigments Inc 61 Centro Chino Co Ltd 59 Chromatech Incorporated 60 Cilander 45 Clariant 14, 16, 84 Cole-Parmer North America 90 College of Human Ecology 46 Covestro 6,15, 17 CSIR7 Dainichiseika Color & Chemicals Mfg Co Ltd 61 Delmon Group 63 DESY 69 Dow Chemical Company 14, 16, 82 Dow Microbial Control 36, 59 DSM 35 DuPont 85 E Schellenberg Textildruck AG 45 East Advisors GmbH 07 Eastman 82 Empa 44 ETH Zurich 48 Euro Chlor 06 Everest Group 06 Everlight Chemical Industrial Corporation 33 ExxonMobil 82

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Chemical Today Magazine | June 2017

PAGE NO Ferro Corp 61 FINETON Industrial Minerals Ltd 63 Flawa AG 45 Flint Group 61 Florida International University 07 Fluor Daniel India Pvt Ltd 86 Future Market Insights 60 Global Market Insights Inc 63 Goulston Technologies Inc 59 Grundfos Pumps 90 H & R Johnson 59 Heubach GmbH 61 Highside Chemicals Inc 60 Hoben International Limited 63 Honeywell 06,19 Huntsman 14, 42, 61, 82 IIT Roorkee 07, 70 INEOS Styrolution 29 Institute of Chemical Technology 12 International Silica Industries Company PLC 63 Ishihara Corporation 61 Kansas State University 66 Karlsruhe Institute of Technology 65 KAUST 16 Kemira Oyj 61 KNF Neuberger Inc 91 KOBOLD 91 KPMG 56 Kronos Worldwide Inc 61 L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering 12 L’Oreal Group 55 Lanxess 06, 17, 61 Leibniz Institute for New Materials 67 Linde 15 Lubrizol Corporation 82 Lutz Pumpen GmbH 91 Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda 07 Mammut Sports Group 45 Mercedes-Benz 63 Merck 38, 61 Mexichem 12 Microban International Ltd 59

PAGE NO Mirachem Industries 06 Mordor Intelligence 07 NIFTEM 07 North Carolina State University 68 Opta Minerals Inc 63 Persistence Market Research 59, 61 Pfizer 82 Porsche AG 63 PPG Industries 18, 82 PPISR 07 Praxair 15 Premier Silica LLC 63 ProMinent GmbH 91 Reliance Industries Ltd 06 Reuters 80 Sabic 24 Sandvik 88, 90 Saudi Emirates Pulverization Industries Co 63 Schoeller Textil AG 45 SCHOTT 84 SCR-Sibelco NV 63 Serge Ferrari Tersuisse AG 45 Sil Industrial Minerals Inc 63 Silberline Manufacturing Co Inc 61 Silica Holdings Inc 63 Society for Science & the Public 72 Spectroline 60 Sun Chemical 61, 85 Sunshine 35 Swiss Textiles 44 The Shepherd Color Company 61 Thomson Research Associates 59 TISCA Tischhauser & Co AG 45 Toyo Ink SC Holdings Co Ltd 61 Tracer Products, Abbey Color 60 Tronox Inc 61 Vikas Ecotech 12 Volkswagen AG 63 W W Grainger Inc 60 Wacker 06 Zuari Agro Chemicals Ltd 13

June Issue

Sector Focus Chemicals Section Textile

• Mercerising Agents • Peroxide Stabilisers • Peroxide Killers • Neutralizers • Dyeing Chemicals • Solubalisers & dispersents •Levelling agents • Soaping agents • Dyeing agents • Dyeing & Printing Chemicals • Vat levelling agents • Thickners •Binders • Stain removers • Anti back staining agents • Finishing Chemicals • cationic softners flakes/ paste • Nonionic softners flakes/ paste • Anionic softners flakes/ paste • Reactive softners • Soluble softner flakes • Antistatic Agents • Spin finishes • Spining aids • Other Speciality Chemicals • Special Agent • Polymer • Printing Agent • Dyeing Auxiliaries • Finishing Agent • Pretreatment

Inks and Dyes

• Printing Inks •Liquid Inks •Polyster Inks •Textile Printing Inks •Specialty Inks •Dyes Intermediates

• Leather Dyes •Natural Dyes • Smoke Dyes • Synthetic Dyes • Leuco Dyes • Oxidation Dyes • Solvent Dyes • Textile Dyes •Basic Dyes •Acid Dyes • Reactive Dyes • Direct Dyes • Fluorescent Dyes • Inkjet Dyes

Pigments

• Inorganic Pigments • Natural Pigments • Organic Pigments • Pigment Intermediates • Fluorescent Pigments • Phthalocyanine Pigments • Quinacridone Pigments • Ultramarine Pigments

Glass & Ceramics

• Ceramic Raw Materials • Anti-Setting Agents • Binders • Deflocculants • Lubricants •Specialty Minerals • Specialty Chemicals • Rheology Modifiers •Suspension Agents • Organoclay Thickeners • Glass Additives

Equipment Section EPC (Engg, Procurement & Construction) • Oil and Gas Process Plant • Chemical Process Plant • Heat Recovery System • Chlor-Alkali Plant • Storage System • Chemical Dosing Unit

July Issue

Sector Focus Chemicals Section: • Oil & Gas, Petroleum • Fuels and Lubricants • Coolants • Fluids • Oleochemicals

Equipment Section: •

Filteration & Separation

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