Chemical Today Magazine PDF February 2022

February 2022 | Volume VI | Issue XIV

Expert Viewpoint Advanced Polymers

Insights

Auto Color Trends Construction Plastic Recycling

IT In Chemicals Digital Construction

Budget Views Market Update

CEMENTING

SUSTAINABLE STRUCTURES

Building bridges faster then ever before A

ll across, the world is undergoing a transformation at a fast pace, moving quicker than ever before. This fast paced transformation is also making an impact on the construction industry: One of the factors that are forcing the construction sector to modernize itself is the growing urban population. The expanding population will demand for better and speedily available - affordable housing, transportation and utility infrastructure. Considering all the factors it does implicate that the construction industry will look totally different within five to ten years moving forward.

While driving across any city one can notice the infrastructure development activities.

Flyovers are being built, complexes are being renovated, constant drilling on the ground is going on, new roads are getting carved, residential townships are being constructed, metro rails and stations are getting created and so on. But in spite of all the new-age requirements and even latest, innovative techniques, the construction industry continues to be traditional in its approach.

The construction sector has been slow in adopting the latest technological opportunities, and its labor productivity has stagnated accordingly. This lack of modernization can be attributed to various stakeholder challenges, the fragmentation of the industry, inadequate collaboration with suppliers and contractors, difficulty in recruiting experienced workforce, to name just a few.

Now with the government focus, environmental regulations and most of all citizens’ pressure, the construction and engineering industry has started embracing latest technology solutions. Some of the new-age solutions available for the sector are augmented reality, drones, 3D scanning and printing, Building Information Modelling (BIM), autonomous equipment and advanced chemical materials.

Here BIM should be regarded as the backbone of the new way of working based on the digital approach given that different elements (such as various software, drones, construction engines, building and infrastructure equipment) should ultimately be connected to it. But ultimately, the end result has to be completing infrastructure works in a much shorter time period, more productively & efficiently and reduce overall costs getting added on due to delayed projects.

We also look at the European chemical industry trends and growth opportunities for this month. The chemicals industry has been supporting the European Green Deal - Europe’s growth strategy which aims to make Europe climate neutral by 2050 while also introducing new legislative measures on circular economy and biodiversity. The EU chemical industry is already investing into renewable energy production and other technologies to reduce its emissions. Three main advancement that will have a big impact on the EU chemicals industry in the coming decades are – digitalisation, circularity and electrification of the chemical processes. All in all the European chemical industry activities and their success stories will create important models and case studies for the global chemicals industry.

For suggestions or feedback write to editorial@worldofchemicals.com

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

© 2022 worldofchemicals.com Cover Image Source : Unsplash.com

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Chemical Today

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

CONTENTS SECTOR VIEW

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

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QUOTES NEWS

NATIONAL INTERNATIONAL NEWS BUDGET EXPECTATIONS NEWS MOVERS & SHAKERS

CHEMICAL SECTORS

EXPERT VIEWPOINT HIGH-PERFORMANCE POLYMERS

TPUS ETHICAL SMARTPHONES NEW MATERIALS EV INFRASTRUCTURE PLASTICS MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLASTICS CIRCULAR POLYMERS POLYMERS ELECTRIC VEHICLES TEXTILE CHEMICALS OUTLOOK 2022

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EXPERT VIEWPOUNT

Director, Formulation & Application Development for

SABIC Specialties Business,

Global Marketing Leader, EV Batteries & Electricals from SABIC Petrochemicals

EQUIPMENT INTERVIEW

PUMPS & VALVES

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GREEN CHEMISTRY

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CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

38

MARKET UPDATES

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GLOBAL FOCUS EUROPE INTERNATIONAL EUROPE

47 48

AUTO COLOR TRENDS CHEMICAL PLASTIC RECYCLING CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

51 53 55

REPORTS EUROPE CONSTRUCTION CHEMICALS INDIA DYES & PIGMENTS MALEIC ANHYDRIDE MARKET PAINTS & COATINGS MARKET PETROCHEMICALS MARKET PETROLEUM COKE MARKET

58 60 62 65 67 69

ACADEMIC R&D

77

IT IN CHEMICALS

Simo Saaskilahti

CONSTRUCTION

78

JOBS

82

PRODUCTS

83

EQUIPMENT PUMPS & VALVES

86

EQUIPMENT

89

Interim President and CEO, Neles Corporation

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19 21 22 23 24 27 30

INSIGHTS

Dhanendra Nagwanshi

04 07 10 14

HIGH-PERFORMANCE POLYMERS

SECTOR VIEW

Luc Govaerts

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Published for February 2022.

QUOTES

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.

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.

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

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

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

NEWS NATIONAL COVESTRO EXPANDS POLYCARBONATE COMPOUNDING CAPACITY IN INDIA

Covestro recently inaugurated its new production lines for polycarbonate compounding at their Greater Noida plant in India, to support the ‘Make in India’ movement.

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EW DELHI, INDIA: Covestro recently inaugurated its new production lines for polycarbonate compounding at their Greater Noida Plant in India. To meet the demands and to support the ‘Make in India’ movement, Covestro planned this expansion in India. This hightech plant was recently put into operation.

of the Compounding Plant at Greater Noida, India, very specifically without any safety incidents. The collaboration of the project team, start-up team and the support from all our partner companies were the important factors to successfully put these new lines into operation,” said site manager V. Kumaraguru.

The plant has undergone several de-bottlenecking exercises in the past and as of 2017 it was able to support about 50 percent of the domestic requirements, while the remaining capacity was supported from Map Ta Phut Site in Thailand. With the objective to build a resilient business, the capacity expansion project was initiated in the year 2017.

This was followed by virtual ribbon cutting by Anand Srinivasan, and a small traditional ceremony of lamp lighting and coconut breaking by Kumaraguru.

This is the first large-sized project in India after Covestro was carved out from Bayer in the year 2015. With the installation of the 2 new lines, the capacity more than doubled for polycarbonate compounding at the Indian plant. This is the first project across all Covestro sites globally to implement the Compounding Blue Print concept.

Throughout the project the team achieved a clean safety record with ‘ZERO’ recordable incidents.

On Thursday, 9 December, Covestro (India) inaugurated its hightechnology Compounding Plant at Greater Noida. The inauguration ceremony was held in the factory premises and virtually attended by our colleagues and the leadership team from the other India sites and the global team.

“It is a great feeling to have completed the capacity expansion project

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Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

“We have been investing in capacities from Germany to China to India to further improve our competitiveness and customer-centricity. The latest expansion in Greater Noida – a key component of EP’s global footprint – will further enhance our capacity to better serve our customers in the region. Congratulations and many thanks to the team for achieving this great accomplishment despite all the challenges,” said Dr. Nicolas Stoeckel, head of operations, Engineering Plastics, who joined the celebration virtually.

“This investment in production technology reflects our growth as a company, and further demonstrates our commitment to serving our customers sustainably. We continue to proactively partner with our customers by anticipating their needs, studying the market trends and being available locally. We are confident that this exciting new investment will be highly successful,” said Anand Srinivasan, managing director, Covestro (India) Pvt Ltd.

ADANI TOTAL GAS TO INVEST RS 20,000 CRORE IN CITY GAS NETWORK IN EIGHT YEARS

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HMEDABAD, INDIA: Adani Total Gas Ltd (ATGL), a joint venture between Adani Group and France-based TotalEnergies, announced that it won licenses to expand its City Gas Distribution (CGD) network to 14 new Geographical Areas (GAs) in the recently concluded 11th round of CGD bidding by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB).

The company said it is extending its existing commitment to invest Rs 8,000 crore by adding Rs 12,000 crore for new projects. With the new GAs, ATGL is now the largest city gas distribution company in the country catering to 52 GAs, 19 of which are operated along with its strategic JV partner Indian Oil Corporation.

“Adani Total Gas is one of India’s pioneers in environment-friendly piped natural gas (PNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG). Now with the authorization of additional 14 geographical areas, our presence

expands from 39 to 95 districts,” said Suresh Manglani, CEO, Adani Total Gas Ltd. “With strong support from the Adani Group and TotalEnergies, ATGL is committed to the expeditious development of CGD networks across all these new 52 districts. ATGL will now be catering to 10 percent of country’s population with cleaner fuel for households as well as for transportation. Therefore, ATGL is fully committed to play a pivotal role in meeting the clean energy needs of India and this strategic expansion is fully aligned with our commitment of Nation Building.”

ATGL provides natural gas for cooking and water heating to more than 9 million households, economic transport fuel for vehicles by establishing around 2,000 CNG Stations and clean fuel to industrial and commercial consumers.

BHEL DEVELOPS INDIA’S FIRST COAL TO METHANOL PLANT IN INDIA

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YDERABAD, INDIA: Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) inaugurated its indigenously built coal to methanol (CTM) pilot plant with a 0.25 TPD (tonnes per day) capacity and with a methanol purity of more than 99 per cent from high-ash Indian coal.

“The role of the manufacturing sector will be crucial in realising this vision. The government has already highlighted the importance of the manufacturing sector through schemes like Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” said union minister for heavy industries

Mahendra Nath Pandey, who inaugurated the plant.

Pandey further said the capital goods industry is the backbone of the manufacturing sector as it provides critical inputs such as machinery and equipment to a broad set of user-industries.

This conversion of high-ash Indian coal to methanol through the gasification route is the first-of-its-kind technology demonstration in India.

HONEYWELL, NAVIN FLUORINE TO MANUFACTURE HYDROFLUOROOLEFINS IN INDIA

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UNE, INDIA: Honeywell and Navin Fluorine International Limited, part of the Padmanabh Mafatlal Group, announced a partnership to manufacture Honeywell’s proprietary Solstice range of hydrofluoroolefins (HFO) in India. Production is scheduled to commence by Q2-2022 at NFIL’s manufacturing facility in Gujarat.

“This partnership between Honeywell and Navin Fluorine reflects our confidence in the capabilities of Navin Fluorine to execute such complex, technical projects. We also hope to work with Navin Fluorine to develop a number of new, local applications for the Indian market,” added Reinhard.

This portfolio of next generation products has no ozone depletion potential and a global warming potential (GWP) of 1, thereby helping customers lower their carbon footprint without sacrificing end-product performance. These products have various applications, including in blowing agents for foam insulation and refrigeration liquid for chillers.

The demand for low-GWP solutions continues to grow. Multiple global regulations stemming from the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol require the phasedown of HFCs, driving the demand for more sustainable solutions. Honeywell’s partnership with Navin Fluorine will enable capacity expansion for its Solstice range to cater to the growing global demand for environmentally friendlier solutions.

“Many countries have pledged to be carbon neutral and promote technologies to help them meet their sustainability goals. This partnership enables these countries – including developing countries – to transition to HFOs from the more harmful hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) and hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) alternatives that are currently prevalent,” said Laura Reinhard, VP-GM, Advanced Materials FIP, Honeywell.

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

“As the country’s leading producer of specialty fluorochemicals, we are pleased to partner with Honeywell for production of Honeywell’s industry-first HFOs at our Dahej facility. This will be a truly Makein-India product that will serve global customers. We will also work together to develop new applications for Indian market,” said Radhesh Welling, managing director, Navin Fluorine International Ltd.

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NEWS NATIONAL SWARAJ, PRAJ TO SET UP LARGE ETHANOL PLANT IN INDIA

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UNE, INDIA: M/s. Swaraj Green Power & Fuel Limited announced plans to set up the largest ethanol plant (1100 KLPD) in Maharashtra in two stages, first stage capacity of 500 kilo litres per day (KLPD) and in second stage capacity shall be enhanced to 1100 KLPD based on sugarcane juice & BIOSYRUP®. Also necessary permissions have been acquired to enhance the plant capacity up to 1100 KLPD in near future.

After doing this Swaraj will become largest capacity plant to produce ethanol in India and Asia. Swaraj once again decided to work with Praj Industries Limited as technology partner for this proposed expansion project at Phaltan, in Maharashtra.

Established in the year 2010 Swaraj is recognized as one of the most progressive sugar mills and ethanol producer in India. Swaraj already has 60KLPD capacity plant for production of ethanol based on molasses as feedstock. Set up by Praj in 2018, this plant is equipped with advanced technologies for ensuring sustainability by reducing water footprints.

This plant is often regarded as benchmark for minimal water intake - as low as 2.5 litres of water per litre of fuel ethanol across India.

Swaraj and Praj have, now signed an agreement for expanding up to 500 KLPD capacity that is expected to be operational by third quarter of FY 2022-23. Praj is responsible for design, engineering, supply & commissioning of the plant, deploying its advanced sugarcane juice & BIOSYRUP® to ethanol technology. Praj’s Innovative solution to

process sugarcane juice in to a new sustainable feedstock BIOSYRUP® will help Swaraj secure round the year ethanol production.

“We are pleased to align with GOI’s ethanol blending program ( E20) aimed at achieving energy self-reliance while helping conserve environment and helps in saving huge foreign currency. We appreciate Praj’s expertise across the value chain and their commitments to deliver on promise. We believe this project will help uplift farming community in Satara and Solapur districts by creating job and entrepreneurship opportunities,” said Ranjeetsinh Naik-Nimbhalkar, founder & promoter, Swaraj.

“We recognize Swaraj as technology savvy customer who is always willing to adopt innovative technologies to ensure efficient plant operations.

We are grateful that they have bestowed trust in Praj’s technology once again for this prestigious expansion project. We believe this landmark project in Maharashtra is a significant step forward towards meeting government of India’s E20 blending mandates while helping decarbonize the transportation sector,” said Dr. Pramod Chaudhari, founder & chairman of Praj.

Being largest in Maharashtra, this project is expected to open up lucrative sugarcane juice and BIOSYRUP® to ethanol segment as an effective solution to address challenges of fluctuating sugar economy.

NOVA AIR INAUGURATES OXYGEN PLANT IN ANDHRA PRADESH

Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (left) has virtually inaugurated Nova Air’s oxygen plant of 220 ton production capacity at Sricity. Also present was Nova Air MD Gajanan Nabar (right) and other officials.

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The company has enormous experience in manufacturing gases and they have introduced advanced technology in the state.

“Oxygen is important not only for Covid, but also for industries.

We have set up their first plant in Andhra Pradesh and completed the constitution of the plant in fourteen months as there are good infrastructure facilities and good cooperation from the government departments and officials,” said Nova Air MD Gajanan Nabar.

The availability of industrial gases would be beneficial for industries and help in industrialisation, Nabar stated. The plant underwent a lot of safety measures and the preparations were made to store 1,000 tons of oxygen. The plant manufactures medical oxygen, liquid oxygen, liquid nitrogen and liquid argon gases.

UMBAI, INDIA: NovaAir Technologies India Pvt Ltd recently inaugurated its oxygen plant of 220 ton production capacity in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh in a record time of fourteen months.

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Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

NEWS INTERNATIONAL BOROUGE, AGS PARTNER FOR POLYMERS’ CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN UAE

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BU DHABI, UAE: Borouge said it has entered into an agreement with the Alliances for Global Sustainability (AGS), to support the UAE’s ambitions of adopting a circular economy.

AGS is led by Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan and facilitates partnerships between corporate entities, to generate innovative business models which enable environmental sustainability and circularity in all forms.

The agreement deepens collaboration between both parties to combat sustainability challenges and untap the positive potential of polymer products. Borouge will leverage the innovation, research, and development expertise of its world-class Borouge Innovation Centre, to promote and explore opportunities for the adoption of a circular economy in the UAE. The new partnership will also identify opportunities for targeted initiatives and campaigns which enhance community awareness about environmental best practices in waste management and recycling.

“Partnerships and collaboration between all stakeholders are crucial in addressing global sustainability challenges. Our work with Borouge has the potential to drive greater energy and water efficiency, as well as targeting carbon emissions and progressing the transition to a circular economy,” said Khalifa Al Nahyan, founder and CEO, AGS. “It gives us great pleasure to partner with the Alliances for Global Sustainability, to address global issues such as climate change, barriers to the adoption of circular economies, and spur positive behaviours within the community. We share a common goal of actively overcoming challenges facing the UAE, which is home to millions of people from all walks of life,” said Hazeem Sultan Al Suwaidi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Polymers Company (Borouge).

The latest partnership will also build on joint resources and untap additional circular economy opportunities in Abu Dhabi.

SHELL STARTS GREEN HYDROGEN PRODUCTION IN ZHANGJIAKOU, CHINA THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS: Shell said it has started operations at the power-to-hydrogen electrolyser in Zhangjiakou, a joint venture between Shell China and Zhangjiakou City Transport Construction Investment Holding Group Co Ltd. One of the world’s largest hydrogen electrolysers has started production of green hydrogen in Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province, China. The electrolyser will provide about half of the total green hydrogen supply for fuel cell vehicles at the Zhangjiakou competition zone during the Winter Olympic Games, set to begin on 4 February.

“The electrolyser is the largest in our portfolio to date and is in line with Shell’s Powering Progress strategy, which includes plans to build on our leading position in hydrogen,” said Wael Sawan, Shell’s integrated gas, renewable and energy solutions director.

“We see opportunities across the hydrogen supply chain in China, including its production, storage and shipping. We want to be the trusted partner for our customers from different sectors as we help them decarbonise in China.”

The project is part of a joint venture between Shell China and Zhangjiakou City Transport Construction Investment Holding Group Co Ltd, formed in November 2020. The 20 megawatts (MW) power-to-hydrogen electrolyser and hydrogen refuelling stations in Zhangjiakou are phase 1 of the joint venture. The companies have plans to scale up to 60 MW in the next two years in phase 2.

This is Shell’s first commercial hydrogen development project in China. Utilising onshore wind power, the project will initially supply green hydrogen to fuel a fleet of more than 600 fuel cell vehicles at the Zhangjiakou competition zone during the Winter Olympic Games. After that, the hydrogen will be used for public and commercial transport in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, helping to decarbonise its mobility sector.

“The hydrogen industry is critical for Zhangjiakou’s transition to low-carbon energy and to achieve the city’s carbon peak and carbon neutrality targets. The recent approval of the Hebei Fuel Cell Vehicle Demonstration City Cluster, which is led by our city, will also accelerate the development of the hydrogen industry in our city,” said Bai Jing, director, Zhangjiakou Municipal Development and Reform Commission. “This project will help secure hydrogen supply for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and make it a green one while contribute to the development of hydrogen industry in the city and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.”

“We are glad to contribute to China’s progress towards its commitment for a carbon-neutral Olympic Games, and in the longer term for its 2030 and 2060 carbon targets,” said Jason Wong, executive chairman of Shell Companies in China. “With project phase 2 expansion plans and through partnerships with the local government and businesses, we will support the development of a low-carbon energy system and low-carbon transport system in Zhangjiakou and the wider Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.”

Shell China and Zhangjiakou City Transport Construction Investment Holding Group Co Ltd had held the signing ceremony in Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province on 13 November, 2020. (File Photo)

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

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SERBIA REVOKES RIO TINTO LITHIUM MINE PERMITS FOLLOWING PROTESTS

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ELGRADE, SERBIA: The government of Serbia has withdrawn the exploration licences of Anglo-Australian mining company Rio Tinto following weeks of protests over plans for a lithium mine. “All permits were annulled... we put an end to Rio Tinto in Serbia,” prime minister Ana Brnabic said on Thursday, reported the BBC News. The project had been due to start production in 2027.

The decision comes just weeks ahead of Serbia’s general election in April.

Relations between Belgrade and Canberra have also soured recently over Australia’s treatment and deportation of Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic.

Djokovic, the world’s number one men’s tennis player who was unable to compete in the Australian Open, has supported the protests against the controversial mine.

In December, he posted images on social media of demonstrators and green landscapes along with comments written in Serbian such as “clean air and water are the keys to health” and “nature is our mother”.

Thousands of demonstrators have been taking to the streets in recent months, blocking main roads in several cities, including the capital Belgrade and the country’s second-largest city Novi Sad. They say the development of a large mine near the town of Loznica in the western Jadar Valley could cause irreparable damage to the landscape and contaminate the region’s water supplies.

Rio Tinto had previously said that any mining development in the country would meet both domestic and European Union environmental standards.

Speaking at a news conference in Belgrade on Thursday, Brnabic Serbia’s first woman and first openly gay prime minister - said the decision to abandon the $2.4 billion Jadar lithium mine was made

in response to requests from environmental groups.

It is undoubtedly tempting to look for a link between Australia’s treatment of Novak Djokovic and Serbia’s cancellation of Rio Tinto’s mining project. After all, it does have headquarters in Melbourne as well as London. And Serbia’s prime minister, Ana Brnabic, announced the demise of the much-trumpeted lithium extraction operation just days after her counterpart in Australia cheered the deportation of Serbia’s sporting icon.

The cancelled project is more likely a victim of Serbia’s domestic politics, rather than a bizarre diplomatic tit-for-tat. Novak Djokovic is important to Serbia - but not as important as the $2.4 billion which the mining giant had promised to invest.

In fact, pulling the plug is a reaction to months of protests. The movement has surprised Serbia’s authorities with its organisation, unity and broad support going well beyond the usual coalition of opposition activists. The government does not want to go into April’s elections against a backdrop of blocked roads and accusations about favouring foreign investors over local interests.

But the environmentalists say they will continue protesting until the authorities issue a permanent ban on lithium mining.

In December, local authorities in western Serbia scrapped a plan to allocate land for a lithium mine in the region. President Aleksandar Vucic had said that the opening of such a mine would require approval following an environmental study and a referendum. In a statement to Reuters news agency, the Australian government said it regretted Serbia’s decision: “We note the strong economic benefits of the significant investment by Rio Tinto in Serbia,” it said.

Lithium is the main component of the batteries used in electric vehicles and demand for the element is increasing. The World Bank estimates that globally the production of lithium will need to increase by 500 percent by 2050.

BASF STARTS NEW DIGITAL SERVICE FOR PERSONAL CARE INDUSTRY

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UDWIGSHAFEN, GERMANY: D’lite is BASF’s new digital subscription service for the personal care industry helping customers to identify the perfect cosmetic product offering. The right ingredients are defined by considering a huge amount of data while taking into account fast-changing market dynamics. BASF supports the customer in the complete product development process: from consumer understanding, market understanding, concept creation, market strategy development, formulation development up to the launch of the product via this platform.

“In 2020 more than 150,000 products in the personal care industry were launched globally. Being aware of this market dynamic we started working on a solution that would provide digital support to customers along the complete personal care product development process, enabling customers to create more innovative products and bring them to market faster based on better insights. Leveraging multiple feedback and improvement cycles, we now offer the digital platform D’lite globally to enable customers to access valuable knowledge being available 24/7,” said Martin Widmann, senior vice president, global strategic marketing, Supply Chain & IT at BASF Care Chemicals.

The offering combines the integration of multiple internal data sources, knowledge about the industry and data from leading external partners regarding market - and consumer intelligence.

“Without our partners it would not have been possible to offer

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Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

this digital innovation that combines market understanding and science. We are very pleased that we enlarged our cross-company collaboration with leading market intelligence and consumer intelligence partners as Mintel and Brandwatch,” said Robert Parker, new business development and divisional digital officer at BASF Care Chemicals.

Mintel is a leading market intelligence agency. “Mintel’s Global New Product Database (GNPD) is a catalogue of global product launches empowering BASF’s customers to help them gain more insights about the beauty and personal care market,” said Liz Westcott, Mintel European managing director.

Brandwatch is a leading consumer intelligence platform and consultancy. “It’s been a privilege to support BASF on such an exciting project, one that is truly innovative and digital-first in its nature. For us, this type of approach is very much the future of how companies can harness digital data,” said Jonny Davies, vice president, customer success, EMEA at Brandwatch.

The new platform D’lite can process countless data on existing consumer products and personal care brands, as well as offer market analysis and consumer insights in real time by analyzing multiple social media pages, blogs, forums, and review sites.

Subscribers to the service will have access to all of this and more, as the digital service evolves with additional functionalities and service modules in the coming months.

NEWS INTERNATIONAL DOW JOINS PLASTIC RECYCLER CYCLYX AS CONSORTIUM MEMBER

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ORTSMOUTH, US: Cyclyx International, a consortiumbased plastic feedstock management company with a mission to increase the recycling rate of plastic from 10 to 90 percent, has announced that Dow has joined the Cyclyx consortium.

Dow’s membership in Cyclyx will give it access to participate in customized takeback programs and innovations including plastic waste-based circular feedstock specifications tailored to its specific product pathways – which will help Dow to advance its sustainability and circularity goals.

Mary-Jane Hogg, global director of waste strategy for Dow, will serve on the executive advisory board of Cyclyx.

“Cyclyx’s unique approach to significantly increase plastic recycling rates supports Dow’s commitment to boost plastic circularity and keep plastic out of the environment,” said Hogg.

Cyclyx redirects more difficult to recycle plastic into recycling by tapping into extensive data on the chemical composition of post-

use plastics and using AI and predictive analytics to put it to use.

“Our work with Cyclyx supports Dow’s collaboration on leading technologies to enable a sustainable future with resourceefficient production of certified circular plastics – to preserve the environmental benefits of plastics, including the critical role plastics play in reducing carbon emissions,” said Hogg.

Dow is delivering against its 2025 Sustainability Goals, its third generation of 10-year goals, developed in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and also recently announced additional targets directed specifically at addressing climate change and plastic waste.

“We’re excited to welcome Dow to Cyclyx and Mary-Jane to the executive advisory board,” said Joe Vaillancourt, CEO of Cyclyx. “Dow has been very progressive in its commitment to environmental sustainability. Dow’s targets on eliminating plastic waste in the environment align well with Cyclyx’s mission to increase the recycling rate of plastics from 10 to 90 percent.”

EASTMAN TO BUILD WORLD-SCALE MOLECULAR PLASTICS RECYCLING FACILITY IN FRANCE

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ARIS, FRANCE: French president Emmanuel Macron and Eastman Chemical Company board chair and CEO Mark Costa jointly announced Eastman’s plan to invest up to $1 billion in a material-to-material molecular recycling facility in France.

This facility would use Eastman’s polyester renewal technology to recycle up to 160,000 metric tonnes annually of hard-to-recycle plastic waste that is currently being incinerated. The plant and innovation center would be expected to be operational by 2025.

This multi-phase project includes units that would prepare mixed plastic waste for processing, a methanolysis unit to depolymerize the waste, and polymer lines to create a variety of first-quality materials for specialty, packaging, and textile applications.

Eastman also plans to establish an innovation center for molecular recycling that would enable France to sustain a leadership role in the circular economy. This innovation center would advance alternative recycling methods and applications to curb plastic waste incineration and leave fossil feedstock in the ground.

The investment would recycle enough plastic waste annually to fill Stade de France national football stadium 2.5 times, while also creating virgin-quality material with a significantly lower carbon footprint. Eastman is the largest investor at this year’s “Choose France” event, which is focused on attracting foreign investment to France.

The long-term partnership between France and Eastman will contribute to the EU achieving its sustainability goals, by reducing carbon emissions and enabling a circular economy.

Eastman’s project has also garnered support from an impressive roster of global brands who share its commitment to solving the world’s plastic waste problem and view molecular recycling as a pivotal tool for achieving circularity. LVMH Beauty, The Estee Lauder Companies, Clarins, Procter & Gamble, L’Oreal and Danone are leading the way by signing letters of intent for multiyear supply agreements from this facility.

Eastman’s proven polyester renewal technology provides true circularity for hard-to-recycle plastic waste that remains in a linear economy today. This material is typically incinerated because it

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

either cannot be mechanically recycled or must be downcycled with existing technology. This hard-to-recycle waste is broken down into its molecular building blocks and then reassembled to become first-quality material without any compromise in performance.

Eastman’s polyester renewal technology enables the potentially infinite value of materials by keeping them in production, lifecycle after lifecycle.

“Accelerating the transition to a circular economy is one of the main challenges in the years to come. Eastman’s substantial investment in France demonstrates our country’s willingness to embrace innovative technologies that will help us achieve our ecological and economic ambitions, by revolutionizing our country’s plastics recycling capacities,” said Barbara Pompili, French minister for Ecological Transition. “France has always been at the forefront of this journey, and together with Eastman, is giving itself the means to achieve its ambitious plastics recycling targets set for 2025.”

“Eastman’s world-scale project will allow France to position itself as a European leader in new technologies for recycling and recovering plastic waste. This investment is the result of the ambitious approach to industrial reconquest led by the Government since 2017, which has enabled France to become the most attractive country in Europe from 2018 onward for industrial projects,” said Agnes Pannier-Runacher, French Delegate Minister for Industry.

“Eastman is proud to partner with the French government to actively contribute to France’s and the EU’s bold commitments,” Costa said. “France has demonstrated their commitment toward a sustainable future and Eastman has set similar, ambitious carbon and circular economy goals. The plan to build the world’s largest plastics recycling facility in France is an important part of our overall circular economy strategy.”

“We expect to achieve additional milestones in the coming months, including agreements related to securing the plastic waste that will be raw material supply, securing government incentives, and the site location decision.”

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NEWS BUDGET EXPECTATIONS

CHEMICAL INDUSTRY EXPECTS POLICIES THAT WILL BOOST THE SECTOR The chemical industry, which is one of the core industries holding the reigns of the economy, expects policies which will help the industry flourish through these pressing times. (Representative Image © Pixabay GmbH)

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he Union Budget will be tabled on 1 February. This year’s budget is important as it will try to manoeuvre the growth of the economy through the ongoing pandemic which has hit many business sectors over the last two years by repeated lockdowns, trade restriction and other interruptions.

The chemical industry, which is one of the core industries holding the reigns of the economy, expects policies which will help the industry flourish through these pressing times. Here is a look at what the industry expects from the Union Budget.

The Economic Survey for 2021-22, which will be presented by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Lok Sabha, expects the GDP to grow by 9.2 percent this year and 8 to 8.5 percent in 2022-23, despite concerns over hardening inflation and energy prices.

Against the backdrop of the pandemic and an economy facing some headwinds, we look forward to a well-rounded and growth oriented holistic budget from the Hon’ble Finance Minister. This budget should embrace all sectors through various growth measures that will boost economic activity.

“Growth in 2022-23 will be supported by widespread vaccine coverage, gains from supply-side reforms and easing of regulations, robust export growth, and availability of fiscal space to ramp up capital spending. The year ahead is also well poised for a pick-up in private sector investment with the financial system in a good position to provide support to the revival of the economy,” the Survey projected.

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Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

Rahul Tikoo, Managing Director, Huntsman India.

Last year, the specialty chemicals industry was amongst few sectors that successfully navigated through the Covid-19 induced slowdown.

We expect that the industry will continue to grow this year led by sustained growth through fast urbanization, evolving consumption patterns, along with increasing per capita income.

Recognizing the potential of this sector, the government has already outlined a strategy in line with its call for an ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, and we hope that efforts to improve the competitiveness of the industry shall continue to be on the economic agenda. All policy initiatives should be aimed at establishing India as a differentiated global manufacturing hub.

In 2022, Huntsman will continue to focus on sustainable growth through innovation, developing new application technologies through research led programs. We will continue to ramp up manufacturing in India and cater to rising domestic and export demand.

Vinod Paremal, Regional President, Evonik India Subcontinent.

We can accelerate our move towards a circular plastic economy with policy initiatives or government incentives serving an impetus for low carbon-intensive adaption. Just as there are Performance Linked

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

Incentives, there can be Sustainable practices that can be incentivised so that it interests those companies willing to invest in technology-driven specialty chemicals, low carbon-intensive, and circular economy-driven businesses.

Maulik Patel, CMD, Meghmani Finechem Ltd. The pandemic has been extremely disruptive, and each wave brought its own set of challenges. The frequent lockdowns, global and local travel restrictions, and other disruptions have fundamentally changed consumer behaviour across categories, with far reaching impact on manufacturing and supply chain. The economic recovery after the COVID shock is still delicate and will dictate fiscal support The Make in India 2.0 mission has its focus on 27 sectors, the government needs to widen the base to include more sectors. It needs to focus on facilitating investment and establishing schemes for domestic investments in the country.

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We look forward to announcements that will lay emphasis on the progress of the overall manufacturing sector. A digital transformation of the production units or factory floors is a new reality, with the pandemic paving the way to have less reliance on the fragile workforce and physical space. We are quite optimistic about the upcoming budget and look forward to the government’s support measures to revive consumption for economic growth.

should reduce import duties on critical components that are essential for manufacturing reliable medical cold chain units. This, along with production-linked incentives will help improve the country’s ability to access world-class medical cold chain products and also improve India’s export competitiveness in this industry.

Ketan Sablok, Group Chief Financial Officer, Rossari Biotech Ltd.

At the global level, there has been an increased commentary and actions taken on treating natural gas as a transition fuel to meet zerocarbon emission targets. As India remains under the global spotlight in context to decarbonization and its target to achieving net-zero by 2070, it makes greater sense to adopt a policy framework that can promote use of cleaner fuels such as natural gas to further accelerate growth of grid-connected renewables across the country. Blending hydrogen with Natural gas and using it for power generation in gas turbines is another way to utilize existing gas power assets and accelerate reduction in emission intensity from power sector. Also where possible, technologies like Carbon Capture can be investigated to reduce the net carbon footprint both in power generation as well as in industrial systems. Tax SOPs and improved investment scenario with a clear focus on ROI can greatly influence the solutions to meet the power sector challenges in India.

While Budget 2021 outlined the importance of being self-reliant through measures introduced to boost local demand, we look forward to Budget 2022 continuing to support the chemical industry’s growth.

Considering that the chemical industry is a critical and integral part of the growing Indian economy and presents enormous opportunities of attracting investment and creating jobs in the near future, the government’s initiative to sanction PLI Scheme for Chemical Manufacturers will help us convert challenges to opportunities, especially in view of China+1 strategy of the western chemical players.

Extending the PLI Scheme for value-added chemicals will bring in new projects, realign the supply chain from China to India thus making India a major chemical manufacturing hub globally.

As an industry, we must focus on sustainable products and solutions that not only act as green alternatives but will also help us overcome several of the existing challenges like wastage of materials and combating climate change challenges. Government must incentivize the use of clean energy and eco-friendly solutions in order to encourage the private sector to grow sustainably. Despite facing serious volatility in raw material prices and availability in the past few quarters, we expect the growth of specialty chemical to continue and are quite optimistic of improving our performance. Considering the textile industry imports a large quantity of Siloxanes (silicone softeners used in textiles), BCD (Basic Customs Duty) reduction from the current 7.5 to 5 percent will go a long way to support and sustain the local textile industry in comparison to our neighbouring countries like Bangladesh that currently have the competitive edge. We also see margin for BCD reduction in the Animal Health & Nutrition space, as there is a strong need to reduce the BCD on pet food imports from the current 20 percent to 7.5 percent. This will encourage more adoption of pets and thereby fuel the growth in the pet care industry.

Harish Mehta, Senior Advisor, CCFI. Out of total imports, 53 percent was the share of ready-made formulations imported (in value) which would go further unless stringent measures are not taken expeditiously. The industry is of the view that non-essential Imports should be stopped and simultaneously the customs duty on Imports of Technical Grade should be enhanced from present 10 to 20 percent. Likewise, custom duty on ready-made formulations is enhanced from the present 10 to 30 percent to safeguard the Indian Industry. Formulation import entails no value addition, or investment or employment, a trend adopted by MNCs and commodity traders who do not have their own manufacturing plants in India. The agrochemical industry has reached a turnover of Rs 55,000 cr out of which Rs 30,000 crore is exported to 130 countries with matching quality specifications, which is a matter of pride.

Jesal Doshi, CEO, B Medical Systems India.

Our expectations is for increased allocation in the healthcare sector - across the entire infrastructure, specifically for immunization. The COVID-19 is far from over and it is vital that the country is well prepared to fight the pandemic and any future pandemics, and a reliable medical cold chain is critical for the success of any immunization program. We believe that creating a sub-industry for the medical cold chain and separating it from commercial refrigeration, along with reduced GST rates could further boost the sector. The government

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Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

Deepesh Nanda, CEO, GE Gas Power South Asia.

Amit Saraogi, Managing Director, Anmol Feeds.

The year 2021 has been tough on all industries including the livestock and animal husbandry sector. Adding to this is the almost doubling of raw material prices like soya meal which is an important component in poultry and fish feed. This automatically pushes the price of finished products up and the farmers have to bear the brunt of it. Hence it is important to regulate the price of these raw materials and the upcoming budget must look into it. Moreover, import of genetically modified soya and maize must be allowed to bridge the demand supply gap that exists. The livestock sector currently contributes 25.6 percent to the Agricultural GDP and 4.11 percent to the National GDP and can grow further and contribute effectively towards nation building.

For successful crop, it is important that the animals receive the right nutrition.

The Government should look at bringing in policies so that a certain standard is maintained in feed production with approval from Ministry/ MSME / any other govt official for small scale feed manufactures – so that the quality and feed type can be monitored and maintained. A minimum contract growing charge should also be fixed for the poultry sector so that farmers are not affected by the fluctuating market. Animal husbandry farmers do not enjoy the same advantage as crop farmers. It is high time that they reap the benefits of credit and insurance. NBFCs and other financial entities should start providing credit loans to animal husbandry farmers so that the sector can reach its full potential. Though the Government has rightly focused on the aquaculture and fisheries sector in previous budget, further attention and implementation of previous measures must be ensured. The budget for the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojna needs to be increased by 400 percent to reap the benefits of this sector properly.

PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) PHDCCI urges to improve the cost structure of the Indian Aluminum industry and enhance competitiveness. In order to achieve this, it suggested to reduce the basic customs duty on the following critical raw materials like Calcined Petroleum Coke (for anode making in the Aluminum industry), Raw Petroleum Coke (for anode making in the Aluminum industry), Caustic Soda Lye; Aluminum Fluoride and Green Anode/ Pre-Baked Carbon Anode all by 2.5 percent.

Neeraj Jain, Chief Financial Officer, Cosmo Films Ltd. Due to the global pandemic and the surge of cases over major parts of our country, there is a fear of pause repetition in the economy.

The previous two years have been challenging for all of us due to the unprecedented Covid-19 virus and induced lockdown. But the union budget 2022 is expected to regain the economy and confidence throughout various industries. And, hence, we think the government should now include the packaging sector under the PIL scheme and the additional deduction for the companies who make investments in the CAPEX should be reintroduced by the government. To give momentum to our industry, the government should reduce or nullify custom duty on Polypropylene.

We also expect the budget to focus on exempting SEZ’s from paying MAT and the benefit of the RoDTEP scheme as it should also be extended to SEZ & AA license. Last, but not least, the government should extend the weighted deduction for R&D till 31st March 2025 as companies need to invest heavily in the development of R&D for developing new products.

Dr. Akshay Singhal, Founder, Log9 materials, working in the advanced EV battery-technology.

In the upcoming Union Budget, from the EV ecosystem perspective, we hope to see that the FAME Subsidy corpus should be extended to EV

retro fitment kits. Additionally, more R&D incentives should be given for energy storage and EV technology-related developments in India, as well as R&D investments made into local technology developments, which should be made 100% adjustable against corporate taxes.

Deepak MV, CEO & Co-Founder, Etrio.

At a time when EV adoption is gaining unprecedented momentum despite many challenges, in the upcoming Union Budget 2022, we at Etrio would like to see the Finance Minister address the criticallyimportant area of making wide and varied range of financing options available for EV commercial vehicles’ buyers – as this is extremely critical for further increased uptake of EVs in India, going forward. To this end, the Government should make the EV sector a priority lending sector for the financial institutions.

Additionally, reducing the GST taxation on lithium-ion batteries and EV spare parts and components can also be a great step forward from the EV manufacturing and OEM point of view. Given that increased adoption of EVs in the logistics and last-mile delivery segment is the need of the hour to reduce carbon emissions, the Government must also come up with additional sops or incentives for the nation’s fleet aggregators to switch entirely from IC engines to EVs in order to pave a sustainable and zero-emissions future. Last but not the least, we also hope that this budget answers the need for revitalizing the B2B retrofitment (ICE to EV conversion) space pan-India by bringing retrofitment under the ambit of FAME-II.

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For more details: Please Contact the team of worldofchemicals.com Tel : 08119350001 | E-mail : sales@worldofchemicals.com Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

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NEWS MOVERS & SHAKERS ARXADA ANNOUNCES DEPARTURE OF CFO IB JENSEN

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ASEL, SWITZERLAND: Arxada, a leading global specialty chemicals business, announced that Ib Jensen, chief financial

officer (CFO), has left the company to pursue another opportunity.

His successor is expected to join in April and will be announced in due course, it said.

Jan Kantowsky will serve as interim CFO until the permanent successor is in place. Kantowsky has more than 25 years of experience in operational management roles, specializing in interim management.

“Ib played a pivotal role in our divestiture and successful carve-out from Lonza and has guided Arxada through our first stages as an independent company. We are grateful to Ib for his leadership at Arxada and wish him success in his future endeavours,” said Marc Doyle, chief executive officer of Arxada.

“It has been a pleasure to have been a part of Arxada’s transformation

Ib Jensen

journey over the past three years and I am confident of its continued growth in the future,” said Jensen, outgoing CFO of Arxada.

UPL APPOINTS NUTRIEN AG EX-CEO AS NEW CROP PROTECTION PRESIDENT "Agriculture is one of the only systems on the planet that has the ability to reshape and reverse the effects of climate change. Mike's global perspective, entrepreneurial style and hands-on approach, coupled with a deep understanding of global food security challenges and driving passion for environmental and economic sustainability, makes him an excellent cultural fit to take UPL to the next level,” said Jai Shroff, group CEO of UPL. "I'm very impressed with UPL's leadership in sustainability and the OpenAg 'Reimagining Sustainability' platform, which takes a unique approach at bringing together the various stakeholders in the food and agriculture ecosystem, focusing on helping farmers, advancing new and more sustainable technologies and feeding a growing planet,” said Frank.

Pellicer will drive UPL group's growth strategy, leading multiple projects under OpenAg, including UPL's post-harvest business, carbon and digital projects, as a member of the group executive committee to enhance farmer resilience.

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Mike Frank

ONDON, UK: UPL announced that it is appointing Mike Frank as president and chief operating officer of UPL crop protection

as of 1 April, succeeding current COO Carlos Pellicer. Most recently Frank was executive vice president and CEO of Nutrien Ag Solutions from 2017 to 2021. Previously he spent 25 years at Monsanto.

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"The potential for UPL to create new value is incredible. The organisation is uniquely positioned to become the new no. 1, at the cross-point of sustainable ag and sustainable food systems,” said Pellicer.

UPL Group is reimagining sustainability across the breadth of its operations, powered by its OpenAg purpose to create sustainable growth for all.

MITRA CHEM APPOINTS CATHODE MATERIALS EXPERT AS PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT VP products to market, Lampert will bolster the push by Mitra Chem to build North American iron-based cathode capacity, thereby enhancing the global production and supply chain of vital battery materials.

Today's announcement comes on the heels of the completion of a $20 million Series A round. The round was led by Social Capital, a leading California investment firm run by Chamath Palihapitiya.

Other participants include Richard Tsai, Fontinalis Partners, Integrated Energy Materials and Earthshot Ventures.

"Our mission is clear: bring iron-based cathodes to market and lead the North American based production and distribution of key battery materials with innovation and efficiency in order to tackle the threat of climate change," said Mitra Chem CEO and co-founder Vivas Kumar. "Jordan brings decades of experience to Mitra Chem that will help us expand our capacity beyond the lab scale, and expertise to continue scaling up these vital technologies."

Jordan Lampert MOUNTAIN VIEW, US: Mitra Future Technologies Inc (Mitra Chem), a leading innovator in North American production of lithium-ion battery materials, announced appointment of Jordan Lampert as vice president of product development. Lampert joins Mitra Chem with experience in cathode materials at Engelhard and BASF. With his years of experience in bringing automotive-grade cathode

"I am thrilled to join the Mitra Chem team at such a critical moment where the supply and distribution of battery product materials is so vital to the fight against climate change. Mitra Chem has a vision for the future and the ability to execute a fundamental shift in the global supply chain that will power the massive expansion in electrification we are seeing across an array of sectors,” said Lampert.

While at Engelhard, Lampert launched Cathode Materials and development of NC based cathode for Lithion Yardney (now EaglePicher), USN's submarine program. From November 2008 through December 2014, Lampert was the group leader in Ludwigshafen for Cathode Materials R&D.

FAIRCHEM ORGANICS ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION OF CHAIRMAN MUMBAI, INDIA: Fairchem Organics Limited said that Utkarsh Bhikhoobhai Shah, chairman of the board of directors has tendered his resignation as chairman & director of the company vide his letter dated 28 January. Shah has cited his personal health discomforts and limitations in the letter, informed Fairchem in a regulatory filing to the SEBI. Fairchem’s business model is to procure waste generated in the oil refining mills and then using state of the art process equipment to isolate and purify a variety of components from the waste. Some of these components are used as building blocks to make further value-added products like dimer acid. Fairchem is India’s only manufacturer of dimer acid used in many consumer products including paints, printing inks, epoxy hardeners, drilling chemicals and moulds. Fairchem also processes Tocopherol which is used in formulating Natural Vitamin-E.

Utkarsh Shah

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

In October 2016 the name of Adi Finechem Limited (AFL) was changed to Fairchem Speciality Limited.

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NEWS MOVERS & SHAKERS DOW PROMOTES CORE R&D VP AS NEW CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER Argenton, vice president of Core Research and Development (R&D), has been named vice president, EH&S and chief sustainability officer, and will assume the role upon Draves' retirement.

Argenton will be responsible for corporate EH&S governance and corporate sustainability, including the reporting and disclosure of Dow's Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) performance.

Argenton’s last role was Core R&D VP, responsible for a broad portfolio of research programs and world-leading innovation capabilities, all aligned to the businesses' goals.

He had joined Dow in 1999 in Brazil as a research scientist. He has worked with various Dow technologies in close collaboration with customers, aligned to a broad range of applications like home and personal care, paints and pulp & paper.

"We have outlined a clear and ambitious plan to use our innovation and sustainability expertise to drive near-and long-term growth in the key markets we serve," said Jim Fitterling, Dow chairman and CEO. "Andre's scientific expertise and business experience will help us further advance our focus on decarbonizing and developing circular and sustainable materials that will help us achieve those goals.”

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Andre Argenton,

IDLAND, US: Dow announced that Mary Draves, vice president of Environment, Health and Safety (EH&S) and chief sustainability officer, has announced her decision to retire in April, following more than 32 years of service with Dow. Andre

Draves has served as vice president of EH&S and chief sustainability officer since 2019. "Over the course of her career, Mary has lived her passion for using science, innovation and collaboration to drive meaningful change. Above all, Mary has been an exceptional leader, who inspires others to reach further and to find the best answers," said Fitterling.

ONGC APPOINTS NEW CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER MUMBAI, INDIA: State-run ONGC said it has appointed Anurag Sharma as its chief financial officer, reported UNI. "The board of directors of the company at the meeting held on Friday appointed Anuarg Sharma, director (onshore) and as director (finance) additional charge as chief financial officer of the company," the company said in a regulatory filing.

The term of Sharma as CFO shall be co-terminus with his additional charge of director (Finance), it said.

Anurag Sharma

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IFF APPOINTS MERCK HUMAN HEALTH PRESIDENT AS CEO “Frank joins IFF at a time when there are significant value creation opportunities ahead of us. We are confident in his ability to unlock profitable growth, capture synergies, maximize the N&B integration and optimize IFF’s portfolio to deliver strong value for shareholders,” said Ed Breen, IFF director.

“IFF is an iconic company and industry leader with tremendous opportunity to deliver outstanding customer experience and longterm, sustainable growth. The purpose and vision of IFF is very closely linked with accelerating global trends of nutrition, wellness and sustainability,” said the newly appointed CEO Clyburn.

The company also announced its decision to separate the chairman and CEO roles. Morrison, long-standing IFF Director, will assume the role of non-executive chairman of the board of directors, effective on 14 February. Breen will remain on the board as an independent director and the company will no longer have the lead independent director role.

Frank Clyburn NEW YORK, US: IFF announced the appointment of Frank Clyburn to succeed Andreas Fibig as chief executive officer and a member of the IFF board of directors, effective 14 February.

Clyburn joins IFF from Merck & Co, where he currently serves as executive vice president and president of Human Health and has full P&L responsibility.

“Frank is the best executive to lead IFF into its next chapter at the pace we need. His strong operating experience plus his handson approach and customer-centric perspective will accelerate the execution of IFF’s strategic and operating priorities,” said Dale Morrison, IFF director.

Earlier, Clyburn was chief commercial officer for Merck, responsible for Human Health commercial operations and the Human Health P&L. From 2013 to 2018, he was the inaugural president of the company’s Global Oncology business. He served on the board of directors of DuPont from 1 June 2019 to 20 January 2022, giving him familiarity with the merger between IFF and N&B to advance the integration.

IFF and DuPont had received unconditional clearance from the European Commission in 2020 for DuPont’s Nutrition & Biosciences (N&B) business to combine with IFF. Before joining Merck, Clyburn was vice president of Oncology and Internal Medicine business units at Sanofi Aventis.

SRF LTD APPOINTS VELLAYAN SUBBIAH AS NEW CHAIRMAN

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UMBAI, INDIA: SRF Limited said its board has appointed Vellayan Subbiah, non-executive independent director as

chairman of the board as of 1 April, 2022. Earlier in July the company had informed that Arun Bharat Ram will cease to be the chairman with executive powers as of 31 March 2022. At the annual general meeting in August, SRF approved Ram’s appointment as Chairman Emeritus for a period of five years with effect from 1 April, 2022.

Vellayan Subbiah

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

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TPUS ETHICAL SMARTPHONES

USE OF CIRCULAR MATERIAL SOLUTIONS FOR SMARTPHONES

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ovestro is collaborating with Fairphone, a Dutch social enterprise building a market for ethical smartphones, on the use of circular material solutions for its smartphones. Fully and partly recycled thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) are used in the protective case of the Fairphone 3 and its successor, the Fairphone 4, and partly recycled polycarbonates are additionally used in the newer device.

Products from Covestro’s post-consumer recycled (PCR) polycarbonate portfolio are used in the Fairphone 4’s rear device cover, middle frame and wireless charger. With a PCR content of 30 to 50 percent, this Makrolon® portfolio has physical properties comparable to virgin material and offers good impact strength, balanced flow behavior, and high stiffness and flame retardancy to ensure a long service life while reducing CO emissions by 30 percent compared to virgin material.

Covestro has also developed a new range of recycled and partially recycled Slug TPUs of the Desmopan® brand, which are now used in the protective cover of the Fairphone 4 and are certified according to RCS (Recycled Claim Standard), an international standard for the traceability of recycled raw materials within supply chains.

This includes the product Desmopan® 3095AU RC100, which was developed after identifying several streams of post-industrial recycled plastics. The fully recycled material exhibits the typical advantages of TPU, for example, high chemical and abrasion resistance, but easier processability because it melts at lower temperatures and flows better than virgin material. The product has proven itself when used in the protective case of the Fairphone 3 and is now being used in the Fairphone 4. It is available in three color variants: gray, green and pink.

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

Modular design repairability

favors

better

Fairphone devices are known for their modular design, which favors better repairability. Such a design requires materials with robust mechanical properties to enable repeated disassembly and repair. The glassfiber-reinforced grade of the Makrolon® PCR portfolio offers a good solution for the heavily stressed center frame of the Fairphone 4. The increased stiffness and impact resistance are in line with Fairphone’s modular design approach. Covestro thus also supports a mono-material approach in each case for the use of polycarbonates in the housing and TPU plastics in the protective cover to facilitate recycling of the smartphones at the end of their useful life.

“With the help of our post-consumer recycling portfolio, we support Fairphone in achieving its sustainability goals. This includes particularly robust material solutions that enable a modular design of Fairphone products and promote their repairability,” said Nan Hu, VP head of global industrial marketing, electronics & electrical in the Engineering Plastics business entity at Covestro. “Such projects and collaborations are in line with our vision to become fully circular.”

“With a shared mission to create a more equitable and sustainable future, Fairphone is pleased to collaborate with Covestro and use its recycled and recyclable materials solutions in our Fairphone 4. We believe Covestro can help us work towards a circular economy that creates a more sustainable world. This is just a first step, and we will continue to support Covestro in developing more sustainable materials,” said Wayne Huang, VP product operations at Fairphone.

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NEW MATERIALS EV INFRASTRUCTURE

MATERIALS TO IMPROVE SAFETY, COSTEFFECTIVENESS OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGERS

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onsumer adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) has grown significantly over the last year alone, representing 26 percent of new vehicle sales globally, according to industry analyst IDTechEx. As environmental consciousness and sustainability continue to influence buying behavior, EV unit sales are projected to continue on this trajectory and expand as much as 30 percent through 2030, by some estimates. To ensure this positive, CO2-reducing trend maintains its steady acceleration, a significantly expanded EV charging infrastructure is required.

Central to the production, cost-effectiveness and durability of EV chargers – from Level 1 residential to ultra-fast DC chargers – are materials that enable robust operational performance, component durability and protection from harsh conditions and handling. And also charging up needs to be as convenient as fueling up at the pump.

“Consumers, while all-in on the benefits of EVs, will only maintain this enthusiasm as long as the ability to use them – for short or long journeys – is made simple and reliable. Expanding the charging infrastructure cost-effectively with dependable systems is key,” said Henkel’s Justin Kolbe, director of market strategy for power and industrial automation, on the need for consumer-friendly access to charging devices.

For its part, Henkel has designed a select, proven collection of sealing, potting and thermal management solutions that provide the automation-friendly features required for mass production and deployment, along with the in-field attributes of ruggedness, safety and reliability necessary to bolster consumer confidence.

Materials in Henkel’s EV charging portfolio include: Thermal interface materials for secure safe and reliable operation – Effectively dissipating heat – whether from 220 Volts or 1,000 Volts – delivers the safety and long-term performance necessary for EV charging devices. Henkel’s trusted Bergquist® brand phase change,

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Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

GAP PAD and gap filler thermal interface materials (TIMs) help maintain stable operation of EV chargers’ power modules and highdensity components.

Gasketing and sealing to defend against damaging contaminants Exposure to changing environmental conditions, moisture and dust can damage sensitive components and reduce their operational life.

Henkel sealants and Sonderhoff formed-in-place-foam-gasketing (FIPFG) technology offer customized, mass production solutions to shield internal systems from harmful contaminants.

Tough protection with high-performance potting formulations – As the interface of charging power to the EV battery system, the reliability of charging connectors is critical. Constant plugging and unplugging, rough handling and the potential for vehicle rollover require connector protection solutions that can withstand harsh conditions. Cost-competitive, performance potting materials from Henkel enable complete encapsulation of cables and wires within charging connectors, providing long-lasting durability and defense against moisture ingress for high voltage parts.

Together, Henkel’s customized, proven EV charging materials portfolio delivers for both system manufacturers and EV owners.

“With solutions that are easily automated, costs are driven out of the manufacturing process while building reliable, rugged devices that will satisfy consumer expectations for all levels of EV charging devices,” he concludes. “In combination with Henkel’s global footprint, skilled global technical support team, and a deep understanding of compliance requirements in all regions, our select materials for EV chargers play an integral role in supporting reliable, low-cost, sustainable production and deployment to maintain the EV growth momentum,” said Kolbe.

PLASTICS MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

MAKING MUSIC WITH TPEs

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usic serves not only to provide entertainment to individuals but also to sooth frayed nerves, in some instances. Music has been known to help relieve stress and even been proven to control our heart rates and blood pressure. Creating music and playing musical instruments are tangible forces that have the power to magnify and enhance emotions and it is for these reasons music is known as “food for the soul.”

Meanwhile, musical instruments and accessories need to be able to stand the test of time and rigors of handling and constant use.

Previously, materials like wood and metals were used in musical instruments, and now manufacturers are utilizing state-of-the-art materials, such as thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), in their products to allow for more convenience, ease of use and lighter weight.

KRAIBURG TPE offers TPEs that are suitable to be applied on musical instruments and accessories. With features such as soft touch, scratch resistance, wide hardness range and more, TPEs are widely being used as solutions to musical instruments and accessories.

TPEs: music to the ears The company’s TPE compounds offer excellent resistance to sebum and oil and, thus, are suitable for applications such as earphones,

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

headsets, and earpiece tips that are in constant contact with the human body. With the soft touch feature of the TPE compounds, comfort is also maximized, especially in wearable electronic devices.

TPE compounds can also be used for sound damping of musical equipment. The sound absorption effect of the compounds provides stability and noise reduction on equipment such as speakers, amplifiers, and record players.

Providing versatility in musical equipment The TPE compounds are known for their high abrasion resistance, allowing for suitability in musical instrument accessories such as foot pedals, protection pads and portable keyboard stands.

The scratch and wear/tear resistance features of TPEs also make the compounds suitable to be used on musical accessories such as buttons, seals and switches on digital tuners and metronomes. The company offers non-toxic, environment-friendly materials with a wide hardness range, which allows a multitude of musical instrument applications. Furthermore, the TPEs can be pre-colored into various color options that creates more inspiring designs for applications in the music sector.

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PLASTICS CIRCULAR POLYMERS

RECYCLED PLASTICS USED MAKING FOR BABY FOOD CAPS Ella’s Kitchen will become the first company in the baby food category to use certified circular polymers from SABIC’s TRUCIRCLE portfolio.

“At SABIC, we are committed to creating sustainable, innovative solutions for our customers which have been produced in a way that optimize our planet’s natural resources and create value out of post-consumer plastics. Using advanced recycling technology we produce materials for high-quality, food-grade packaging which can be upcycled over and over again. This new collaboration with Ella’s Kitchen is beneficial to the eco-system of food packaging, and is another significant step towards a circular economy for used-plastics,” said Abdullah Al-Otaibi, ETP & market solution general manager at SABIC. The new collaboration forms part of Ella’s Kitchen’s wider packaging commitments to lower the environmental impact of its packaging and to make all of its packaging widely recyclable by 2024.

“Protecting the planet for future generations is a top priority for us at Ella’s Kitchen. That’s why we are proud to partner with SABIC to work on innovative ways for how we can lower the environmental footprint of our packaging by introducing recycled content. We understand that this will not solve the recyclability question of our packaging, but hope it will demonstrate our continued commitment to creating change and the opportunity chemical recycling can play to create food contact recycled content for packaging. We hope that industry continues to focus and invest in advanced recycling to increase the availability of the material which is what is really needed to unlock lasting change,” said Chris Jenkins, runs The Good Stuff We Do (Sustainability + Corporate Communications) at Ella’s Kitchen.

“We are delighted to be part of this innovative journey together with our customer and supplier as we have the ambition to offer the largest portfolio of sustainable solutions,” said Stefano Manfredi, global sales and marketing director at Gualapack.

The company’s TRUCIRCLE portfolio spans a range of products and services, including design for recyclability, mechanically recycled products, certified circular products from feedstock recycling of used plastic, certified renewables products from bio-based feedstock and closed-loop initiatives to recycle plastic back into high quality applications and help prevent valuable used plastics from becoming waste.

S

ABIC announced a new collaboration with Ella’s Kitchen, the UK’s number one baby food brand to create a new cap made from recycled plastic. Over 3.5 million pouches of Ella’s Kitchen’s organic strawberries and apples pouches will have this new cap and will be on the shelves in UK stores from January 2022.

The recycled content for the cap is created using certified circular polymers from the company’s TRUCIRCLE™ portfolio and comes from recycled plastics from post-consumer waste that would otherwise typically be destined for incineration or landfill. The company’s resins are then used by Gualapack, market leader of spouted pouches in the babyfood segment and supplier to Ella’s Kitchen, to produce the cap.

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Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

The certified circular polymers are produced via the advanced recycling of mixed and used plastic that could otherwise be destined for incineration or landfill. Through a process called pyrolysis, difficult-to-recycle used plastic is broken down into its chemical building blocks to produce pyrolysis oil. This is then used by SABIC’s as feedstock to create certified circular polymers which have the same properties as virgin material.

The circular polymers are certified under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification Plus (ISCC PLUS) scheme following a mass balance approach. This widely recognized international sustainability certification verifies that the mass balance accounting follows predefined and transparent rules. In addition, it provides traceability along the supply chain, from the feedstock to the final product.

POLYMERS ELECTRIC VEHICLES

DRIVING E-MOBILITY WITH ADVANCED SPECIALTY POLYMERS

BY BRIAN BALENO

E

lectrification is transforming mobility, and electromobility is fast changing the ways how modern electric vehicles (EVs) are built to meet higher safety, regulatory and performance demands. Materials capable of accelerating the time-to-market of next generation designs must combine greater flexibility for system integration, lightweighting and miniaturization with superior electrical properties, while also enhancing sustainability. Solvay provides OEMs and designers with an encompassing portfolio of high-performance specialty polymers and dedicated technical support to take on these challenges and create leading-edge solutions for safe and efficient, profitable and sustainable EV components.

For more than 20 years, Solvay’s specialty polymers have enabled the design and manufacturing of high-performance and cost-efficient components for internal combustion engines. Today, the innovation potential of these materials for lightweighting, metal replacement and enhanced sustainability is rapidly being extended to e-mobility applications such as battery systems, electric motors, and power electronics.

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

Slot liner molded in Xydar® LCP from Solvay for use as a barrier between the conductive windings and the body of electric rotors.

The LCP material offers significant total cost and performance advantages to replace incumbent multi-layer films in this application.

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Boosting the Efficiency of Electric Motors EV designers are faced with trends that are creating an increasingly aggressive electrical, thermal and chemical operating environment for e-motors. Major challenges include downsizing the motor to reduce space and lightweighting the designs to improve vehicle range, while at the same raising power and efficiency. This in turn requires thermally conductive materials to optimize heat dissipation as well as high-temperature insulation products to protect against electrical break down. Moreover, polymers offering a reliably high comparative tracking index of 600 volts and higher are needed to minimize electrical and magnetic losses.

The range of e-motor applications to meet these demands spans from high voltage connections and busbars to insulation, lubrication, cooling and seals. Solvay’ specialty polymers are spearheading new and next-generation designs in this segment with superior property retention at high temperatures, UL94 V0 flammability at reduced wall thicknesses and outstanding electrical performance. Two representative innovations that have recently finished as top winners in the Automotive Awards of The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) are slot liners molded in high-flow Xydar® liquid crystal polymer (LCP) and a magnet wire insulation using solvent-free KetaSpire® polyetheretherketone (PEEK).

Cooling lines with lightweight extruded coolant tubes and injection molded line connectors in Ryton® PPS from Solvay, replacing lower performing polyamides and metals.

The material provides the enhanced thermal, chemical, and flammability performance required for more demanding automotive fluid handling systems.

Further specialty polymers in Solvay’s portfolio for advanced e-motor designs include: high-heat Torlon® polyamide imide (PAI) as a higher peformance alternative to existing ICN-PAI enamel coatings; Ajedium™ PEEK film with superior conformability and lubricity vs. traditional laminates; Xencor™ long fiber thermoplastics (LFT) for slot wedges holding the magnet wire and slot insulation in place; Amodel® polyphtalamide (PAI) and Ryton® polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) for lightweighting metal replacement in coolant components ; Fomblin® PFPE for high-performance lubrication of e-motor bearings; and Tecnoflon® fluoroelastomers (FKM) for seals with enhanced friction and wear resistance in motors running at higher speeds.

Maximizing the Safety of Power Electronics Magnet wires coated with Solvay’s solvent-free KetaSpire® PEEK.

The high-performance specialty polymer can dramatically enhance the environmental compatibility in the manufacturing of EV motors.

Slot liners serve as an insulating barrier between the copper winding and the steel lamination of rotors in electric drive traction motors.

With its exceptional flowability, Xydar® LCP is capable of filling long and thin parts with zero warpage to meet tight tolerance specifications.

As a cost-efficient alternative, it outperforms incumbent multi-layer films with higher dielectric strength at elevated temperatures, thermal endurance up to 240°C and better thermal conductivity. In addition, it also ensures high stiffness, preventing breakage during assembly.

Magnet wires coated with KetaSpire® PEEK can be instrumental in increasing the power density and torque of lightweight and downsized e-motors. The insulation must withstand harsh bending operations during winding and high voltages to prevent electrical breakdown. Solvay’s PEEK polymer combines excellent dielectric strength and long-term stress crack resistance with high heat resistance and outstanding chemical resistance for this application.

Besides multilayer structures with an enamel tie layer, the technology is also opening opportunities for monolayer solutions where the PEEK coating is extruded directly on the copper wire. These thinner structures build on the material’s exceptional electrical performance and its adhesion to metals, enabling even higher copper densities.

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Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

Another challenge in the design of EVs is the integration of onboard charger, converter and inverter into a single power electronics module to save weight, space and cost. Ideally, these consolidated solutions are based on an all-thermoplastic approach for components from housings and covers, busbars, rods, brackets and miniaturized connectors to the cooling system as well as overmolded capacitors or insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) and Mosfets.

In all these applications, electrical reliability under high voltages and fire safety are paramount. In complementing its existing portfolio of high-performance polymers for this application area, Solvay has developed an entirely new generation of Amodel® PPA resins that combine high flame retardancy and best-in-class CTI ratings with optimized thermal cycling and chemical resistance. Typical applications to benefit from this property profile are high-voltage connectors, busbars, and IGBT and Mosfet capacitors.

As a breakthrough vs. conventional PPA technology, new Amodel® Supreme grades also retain their CTI over time even after temporary exposure to peak temperatures above 150°C, while Amodel® Bios addresses safety concerns in the event of uncontrolled thermal excursion and minimizes the risk of electronic corrosion thanks to its halogen-free formulation. A special Bios PPA grade permits the reflow soldering of surface mounted connectors without blistering.

The higher impact resistance and weld-line strength of the material allows designers to further reduce the wall thickness of connectors, saving up to 50 percent in footprint on the printed board and giving more space for other electronic devices.

The new Amodel® PPA polymers are also more widely considered by manufacturers seeking to meet ambitious sustainability standards. To these ends, the Bios range features a partially long-chain molecular structure with the highest glass transition temperature (Tg) as well as the lowest global warming potential (GWP) compared to incumbent bio-sourced long-chain PPAs. Since all electronic devices and circuitry generate excess heat, the reliability of power electronics greatly depends on the material used in the cooling system. This is where Ryton® PPS compounds come into play. The materials show high resistance to glycol-based and silicone-containing coolants and maintain their dielectric strength even at elevated temperatures. In addition, they are inherently flame resistant. Ryton® PPS in extruded cooling tubes complete with injection molded connectors replaces lower-performing polyamides and metals, which helps OEMs capitalize on the lightweighting potential of plastics also in more demanding automotive fluid handling systems.

Advancing the System Integration of E-Drives System integration creates challenges that need cutting-edge material technology. As electric drivetrains are consolidated from single units into next-generation integrated systems, specialty polymers can answer the needs for greater thermal flexibility to maintain seal integrity, for increased wear resistance at higher pressures, and for compatibility with new lubricating and cooling fluids. Solvay addresses the property profiles required for this emerging e-mobility trend with a wide range of proven specialty polymers.

For example, seals molded in low-temperature Tecnoflon® FKM provide outstanding property retention down to -40°C along with excellent resistance to harsh fluids and chemicals. For seal rings and thrust bearings, KetaSpire® PEEK and Torlon® PAI offer strong and

lightweight alternatives to metals and lower-grade plastics while meeting increased thermal, friction and wear requirements.

Other important applications in advanced integrated e-drives are transmission speed sensors, with housings molded in Amodel® PPA and Veradel® Polyethersulfone (PESU) to protect the sensitive electronics from aggressive chemicals and extreme temperatures; transmission solenoids in Amodel® PPA that must withstand thousands of actuations over the lifetime of the vehicle; oil pump housings molded in Ryton® PPS to replace machined metal parts without compromising precise tolerances, high strength and chemical resistance.

Reinventing E-Mobility Together Multiple factors must be considered when selecting the best suitable polymer for a high-performance component or system in e-mobility.

Individual designs and operating environments can vary greatly and introduce additional variables beyond those covered by typical data.

Solvay’s Materials Science Application Center (MSAC) in Brussels, Belgium, is where innovation meets advanced materials and scientific expertise to reinvent tomorrow’s e-mobility in close collaboration with OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. With state-of-the-art equipment for material testing, virtual engineering and prototyping under one roof, the MSAC supports customers in optimizing and validating the performance and productivity of their new designs from concept to approval.

In addition, the company also meets high sustainability standards as a partner in the value chain. Apart from continuously pushing the limits of reliability, lifetime and cost efficiency of its specialty polymers, Solvay has underscored the commitment to its One Planet roadmap towards increased sustainability by utilizing 100 percent renewable electricity in the production of its PEEK, PPA and PPS base polymers in the United States.

Author: Brian Baleno is Head of Marketing, Transportation at Solvay.

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Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

25

TEXTILE CHEMICALS OUTLOOK 2022

INNOVATION IN APPAREL TEXTURES SUPPORTS GROWTH OF TEXTILE CHEMICALS The demand for apparel with diverse textures and designs in India is majorly attributed to the inspirational youth, which constitutes a major part of the Indian population. (Image © Pixabay GmbH)

BY PANKAJ PODDAR

I

ndia is one of the largest exporters of textiles globally. Stringent regulations in China have forced several dye manufacturers to shut

down their plants, which enabled Indian players to permeate the international market. The majority of manufacturers in India have shifted their focus towards investing in product innovation supported by the Make in India scheme of the government. The demand for apparel with diverse textures and designs is majorly attributed to the inspirational youth, which constitutes a major part of the Indian population. Growing consumer disposable income coupled with increasing adoption of casual clothing is expected to enhance the clothing demand over the forecast period.

With the coupled increase in the textile industry, there has been a rise in the textile chemicals industry as well. Textile chemicals are different compounds used during the process of manufacturing clothes. They are also used to treat textile material at different manufacturing steps. These chemicals are usually added in the pretreatment of textiles, which includes de-sizing, scouring, bleaching, mercerizing, dyeing, printing, and finishing the overall process. They provide color, softness, sweat absorbency, proper texture, and finish to fabrics. They also offer flame, crease, wrinkle, and stain resistance, and antimicrobial and water-repellant properties to the final product.

The global textile chemicals market was valued at $24,308.38 million

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Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

in 2020, and it is projected to register a CAGR of around 4 percent during the forecast period (2021-2026).

Over the years, the scope of textile applications has expanded across various industries, which further increased the popularity of these chemicals. Some of the generally used textile chemicals are- biocides, flame retardants, and warp sizes, bleaches or mixtures, emulsified oils and greases, starch, sulfonated oils, waxes, and surfactants. As these chemicals play an essential role in achieving pre-defined textile properties, they have become paramount for textile and apparel industries all around the world.

Asia-Pacific region is the rapidly growing market in the textile chemicals industry and it accounts for more than half of the total textile chemical market size. The Apparel industry dominates the other segments in this region due to an increase in demand from consumers and growth in population, especially in India, China, Indonesia, and Thailand economies. Coating and sizing chemicals hold the major share in the product type segment in Asian countries.

In addition, the availability of cheap labor and growth in the number of R&D centers directly promote the growth of apparel industries.

Less harsh rules and regulations by the government also drive the market. The demand for textile chemicals in the Asia-Pacific region will grow owing to the ability to enhance the strength and adaptability of textiles, thus providing future opportunities in this field.

Environmental concerns associated with textile chemicals have also shifted the focus of major manufacturing companies toward green (bio-based) chemicals, which are eco-friendly in nature. Green chemicals are produced using plants and animals fats/oils, which not only makes them environment-friendly but also less expensive as compared to their conventional counterparts. Companies involved in manufacturing bio-based chemicals offer cost competitiveness owing to the availability of low-cost feedstock.

Since the world continues to recover, the transition to a more ecologically and socially sustainable phase offers astounding potential on both; national and global scale. While the industry advances with the present and future possibilities of the Indian Textile Chemicals Market, it is essential for companies to stay in a competitive landscape with sustainable trends that stimulate us to cut down on waste and create an environmentally friendly future without compromising on innovation and quality.

Upcoming trends for the Textile Industry: • Many industry players have joined forces to create innovative amenities by applying advanced resources such as artificial intelligence, which are slated to begin new avenues in the market.

These chemicals offer a chance to overcome profitability obstacles in the GCC countries, particularly in light of the low crude price

environment, while also mitigating China’s growing self-sufficiency in commodities • Leading companies should focus on acquisition and expansion strategies to garner market share.

• Digital textile printing ink - they have characteristics such as durability, high color, and superior image quality.

• Thermore Ecodown Fibers Genius - Extremely versatile, super resistant to Clumping, and animal-free.

• Smart fabrics & Intelligent Textiles - Smart fabrics can detect different environmental conditions and intelligent textiles or e-textiles can not only sense environmental changes, but also can automatically respond to their surroundings such as thermal, chemical, or mechanical changes, as well.

• Organic Fabrics - Clothes made from organic fabrics are low maintenance.

• Keeping comfort and body protection in mind, the textile Industry has also come up with solutions to keep your body hydrated and odorless, such as Moisture Management Finishes Odourless Finishes Antimicrobial Finishes

Author: Pankaj Poddar is Group CEO at Cosmo Films.

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

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Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

EXPERT VIEWPOINT HIGH-PERFORMANCE POLYMERS

Dhanendra Nagwanshi

Luc Govaerts

E-MOBILITY, ENERGY STORAGE POWERED USING HIGH-PERFORMANCE POLYMERS Dhanendra Nagwanshi, Global Marketing Leader, EV Batteries & Electricals from SABIC Petrochemicals, and Luc Govaerts, Director, Formulation & Application Development for SABIC Specialties Business, share their views on how the use of thermoplastics in battery industry can play a major role in addressing climate change issues.

G

lobal trends in battery industry and company’s role in addressing the climate change challenges.

The fire safety of batteries, therefore, must be maximized to prevent

At the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, 197

road, but also when charging. From our SABIC® PP FR and STAMAX™

countries have pledged to phase out fossil-fired energy production and

FR to NORYL™ NHP and VALOX™ FR resins, we offer a wide range of

become carbon neutral over the next few decades. The implementation of

halogen-free flame retardant compounds that show unique intumescent

these ambitious goals requires a major increase in harvesting renewable

and char-forming properties, stopping the propagation of flames in the

energy, such as wind, solar and water power, along with significant

case of a fire and eliminating the need for additional thermal blankets,

improvements in safe and efficient energy storage solutions for use in all

such as required when using metal designs.

segments of human society. The future is electric, and SABIC is firmly

These FR materials have an excellent fit in safe battery module

committed to supporting the battery industry with our materials and

housings, EV charging connectors, brackets and frames, for example.

design expertise to help accelerate this energy transition.

At the Battery Show in Stuttgart, we showcased 12 x 12 inch test plates

Key challenges in battery design where thermoplastic materials can make a significant difference.

underscoring the superior fire shielding performance of STAMAX™ FR

One of the most critical challenges in automotive and e-mobility is to

thermal runaway situations and the spreading of flames not just on the

resin vs. aluminum when exposed to a flame temperature of 1,000°C over 5 minutes.

enhance the resistance of EV battery components to fire. We have all

Role of thermoplastics in weight reduction.

seen those few but highly publicized cases when electrical vehicles catch

Thermoplastics provide an inherently greater strength to weight ratio

fire and how long it can take to put out the flames fueled by the battery

than metals, but not just on a component by component basis. More

packs. However, the real safety issue here is that EVs, in contrast to

significant benefits can be derived by using their design flexibility to

traditional combustion vehicles, don’t go to sleep when they’re not in

consolidate and create more compact battery designs by integrating

use, but are normally charged over hours and unattended.

features and reducing the number of individual parts.

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

29

Beyond lightweighting, which is instrumental in increasing the reach

lower water absorption compared to other incumbent materials. We’re

of EVs, this approach can also increase the reliability and integrity of

also showing selected pilot and commercial applications using advanced

designs, save assembly steps and reduce overall manufacturing costs.

LNP™ copolymer compounds which deliver low temperature ductility,

The high degree of integration possible is illustrated by an industry-first,

good flow, flame retardancy and laser weldability.

lightweighting pHEV battery tray cover using a halogen-free flameretardant (HFFR) SABIC® PP compound.

Two other highlights are the award winning ELCRES™ HTV 150 dielectric film to support the transition from conventional silicon (Si)

Other outstanding examples are a prototype EV battery pack with key

based semiconductors to next-generation, wide-band-gap technologies

components in various SABIC polymers for part consolidation, up to

based on silicon carbide (SiC) for high-efficiency EV inverter modules,

12% weight savings, integrated impact protection and excellent electrical

and certified bio-renewable ULTEM™ resins with 10% lower carbon

insulation compared to existing EV aluminum battery packs; and two

footprint compared to fossil-based incumbent materials for use in

prototype honeycomb structures of metal plastic hybrid with NORYL™

gaskets and insulation plates of high-performance industrial batteries.

GTX as well as an all-plastic battery pack side impact protection in

Contribution to the growing market segment of stationary energy storage.

XENOY™ HTX resin for significant weight and costs savings vs. metals.

Company’s engineering battery market.

plastic

innovations

for

We envision a considerable number of future stationary energy storage systems to rely on second-life former EV batteries as the circular economy

We are proudly introducing new NORYL™ NHP 6011 and 6012 resins,

of plastics evolves. Moreover, EVs themselves can serve as temporary

which combine robust flame retardancy with high impact strength and

stationary energy suppliers e.g. in remote areas or as emergency power

can be used in battery components. Our NORYL™ GTX technology, which

units. In another area, our Everflow joint venture is actively working on

has an excellent fit in battery top covers, corner support plates and other

implementing the next generation vanadium redox flow (VRF) long-

demanding structural parts, is also opening new opportunities as part

duration batteries designed to help generators in power plants manage

of honeycomb laminates for superior lightweight side crash protection

large surges in demand or balance the variable availability of power from

components of battery units, offering excellent dimensional stability and

renewable sources.

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GREEN CHEMISTRY

CHEMICALLY RECYCLED EPS FISH BOXES HOOK NORWAY

High-quality BOMLO® salmon filets packed with Styropor® Ccycled™ (Image © Peter Tubaas, Vestland Media)

F

resh fish and ChemCycling™: How does this go together? In a joint project, three companies have demonstrated how it works: BASF as raw material supplier for EPS, VARTDAL PLAST, who converts the beads into filet fish boxes and Bremnes Seashore that uses the boxes for the transport of some of its high-quality salmon brand BOMLO®.

“The EPS Fish Box is a well-known and trusted companion of ours with excellent properties for maintaining and securing the cold chain during transport. A secure cold chain is vital for food safety and preventing food waste. For us at Bremnes Seashore it’s exciting to try an alternative where the carbon footprint is significantly reduced and we always appreciate initiatives that promote the circular economy,” said Simon Nesse Okland, head of development at Bremnes Seashore.

Food contact approval and virgin-quality packaging Styropor® Ccycled™ has the same properties as conventional Styropor®.

This maintains the excellent packaging properties such as thermal insulation and pressure-resistance with good buckling stiffness and stacking stability, which are essential to keep fish cool and safe at the same time. In the production of the packaging foams that have become so well-known over the last 70 years, pyrolysis oil replaces fossil raw materials. BASF sources this oil from technology partners who use a thermochemical process called pyrolysis to transform post-consumer plastic waste that would otherwise be used for energy recovery or go to landfill into this secondary raw material. BASF then uses the oil at the very beginning of the value chain to manufacture new plastics and other products.

Since recycled and fossil raw materials are mixed in BASF’s production Verbund and cannot be distinguished from each other, the recycled portion is allocated to Styropor® Ccycled™ using a mass balance approach. Both the allocation process and the product itself, have been

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

certified by an independent auditor. In addition, a certified Life Cycle Assessment evaluating the environmental performance of the product concludes, that compared with conventional Styropor®, at least 50 percent of CO2 is saved in the production of Styropor® Ccycled™.

Styropor® Ccycled™ for each key application in BASF’s EPS product portfolio “Chemical recycling of plastic waste is not only an essential building block to achieve the European circular economy targets but is especially useful for applications with high requirements for the quality and safety of the material such as protective packaging, pharma boxes and food packaging. We are therefore very proud of the ChemCycling™ project with Bremnes Seashore on EPS fish boxes and we are happy to have helped our customer to progress on his sustainability path,” said Klaus Ries, head of BASF’s styrenics business in Europe.

Also, for the converter VARTDAL PLAST Styropor® Ccycled™ brings a lot of advantages as the product is identical to virgin material. Therefore, the production process does not have to be adjusted. The company and their products are certified according to the ecoloop certification programme, confirming that 100 % recycled material was used as feedstock. “Bremnes Seashore has been a customer of VARTDAL PLAST for decades and we are excited that they are the first customer to choose VARTDAL AIRBOX LOOP, an EPS fish box made from 100 percent Styropor® Ccycled™ raw material derived from chemically recycled plastics,” said Jan Endre Vartdal, owner and CEO at VARTDAL PLAST. “Our goal is to transform our entire production from using fossil based raw materials into using fossil free or recycled raw materials. The use of Styropor® Ccycled™ raw material from BASF enables us to begin this transformation in close cooperation with our customers without compromising on quality and recyclability.”

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SMART FOOD PACKAGING THAT KEEPS HARMFUL MICROBES AT BAY

The smart packaging made from corn protein can also extend the shelf-life of fresh fruit by two to three days.

I

n an experiment, strawberries that were wrapped in the packaging stayed fresh for seven days before developing mould, compared to counterparts that were kept in mainstream fruit plastic boxes, which only stayed fresh for four days.

bacteria or high humidity is present, provides protection only when needed thus minimising the use of chemicals and preserving the natural composition of foods packaged.”

The invention is the result of the collaboration by scientists from the NTU-Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health Initiative for Sustainable Nanotechnology (NTUHarvard SusNano), which brings together NTU and Harvard Chan School researchers to work on cutting edge applications in agriculture and food, with an emphasis on developing non-toxic and environmentally safe nanomaterials.

The smart food package material, when scaled up, could serve as an alternative to cut down on the amount of plastic waste, as it is biodegradable. Its main ingredient, zein, is also produced from corn gluten meal, which is a waste by-product from using corn starch or oils in order to produce ethanol.

The development of this advanced food packaging material is part of the university’s efforts to promote sustainable food tech solutions, that is aligned with the NTU 2025 strategic plan, which aims to develop sustainable solutions to address some of humanity’s pressing grand challenges.

Professor Mary Chan, director of NTU’s Centre of Antimicrobial Bioengineering, who co-led the project, said, “This invention would serve as a better option for packaging in the food industry, as it has demonstrated superior antimicrobial qualities in combatting a myriad of food-related bacteria and fungi that could be harmful to humans.

The packaging can be applied to various produces such as fish, meat, vegetables, and fruits. The smart release of antimicrobials only when

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Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

Cutting down on packaging waste

The food packaging material is produced by electrospinning the zein, the antimicrobial compounds with cellulose, a natural polymer starch that makes up plant cell walls, and acetic acid, which is commonly found in vinegar.

“The sustainable and biodegradable active food packaging, which has inbuilt technology to keep bacteria and fungus at bay, is of great importance to the food industry. It could serve as an environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum-based polymers used in commercial food packaging, such as plastic, which have a significant negative environmental impact,” Chan added.

The team of NTU and Harvard Chan School researchers hope to scale up their technology with an industrial partner, with the aim of commercialisation within the next few years.

GREEN CHEMISTRY

HARVESTING CO2 FROM FACTORY EMISSIONS TO MAKE USEFUL PRODUCTS

Scrubbing CO2 from factory flue gases can produce cyclic carbonates using common industrial chemical like propylene oxide as catalyst.

C

arbon dioxide can be harvested from smokestacks and used to create commercially valuable chemicals thanks to a novel compound developed by a scientific collaboration led by an Oregon State University researcher.

Published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A, the study showed that the new metal organic framework, loaded with a common industrial chemical, propylene oxide, can catalyze the production of cyclic carbonates while scrubbing CO2 from factory flue gases.

Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, results from burning fossil fuels and is one of the primary causes of climate change. Cyclic carbonates are a class of compounds with great industrial interest, meaning the findings are a boost for green-economy initiatives because they show useful products such as battery electrolytes and pharmaceutical precursors can be derived from the same process deployed to clean emissions from manufacturing facilities.

The new, three-dimensional, lanthanide-based metal organic framework, or MOF, can also be used to catalyze cyclic carbonate production from biogas, a mix of carbon dioxide, methane and other gases arising from the decomposition of organic matter.

A catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change, and lanthanides are a group of soft, silvery-white metals whose applications range from night vision goggles to flints for cigarette lighters.

Examples of lanthanides include cerium, europium and gadolinium.

“We’ve taken a big step toward solving a crucial challenge associated with the hoped-for circular carbon economy by developing an effective catalyst,” said chemistry researcher Kyriakos Stylianou of the OSU College of Science, who led the study. “A key to that is understanding the molecular interactions between the active sites in MOFs with potentially reactive molecules.”

A MOF is an inorganic-organic hybrid, a crystalline porous material

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

made up of positively charged metal ions surrounded by organic “linker” molecules, in this case lanthanide metals and tetracarboxylate linkers.

The metal ions make nodes that bind the linkers’ arms to form a repeating structure that looks something like a cage; the structure has nanosized pores that adsorb gases, similar to a sponge. MOFs can be designed with a variety of components, which determine the MOF’s properties.

Lanthanide-based materials are generally stable because of the relatively large size of lanthanide ions, Stylianou said, and that’s true as well with lanthanide MOFs, where the acidic metals form strong bonds with the linkers, keeping the MOFs stable in water and at high temperatures; that’s important because flue gases and biogas are hot as well as moisture rich. The lanthanide MOFs are also selective for carbon dioxide, meaning they’re not bothered by the presence of the other gases contained by industrial emissions and biogas.

“We observed that within the pores, propylene oxide can directly bind to the cerium centers and activate interactions for the cycloaddition of carbon dioxide,” Stylianou said. “Using our MOFs, stable after multiple cycles of carbon dioxide capture and conversion, we describe the fixation of carbon dioxide into the propylene oxide’s epoxy ring for the production of cyclic carbonates.”

Cyclic carbonates have a broad range of industrial applications, including as polar solvents, precursors for polycarbonate materials such as eyeglass lenses and digital discs, electrolytes in lithium batteries, and precursors for pharmaceuticals.

“These are very exciting findings,” Stylianou said. “And being able to directly use carbon dioxide from impure sources saves the cost and energy of separating it before it can be used to make cyclic carbonates, which will be a boon for the green economy.”

David Le, Ryan Loughran and Isabelle Brooks of the College of Science collaborated on this research, as did scientists from Columbia University and the University of Cambridge.

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OPTIMIZING GREEN HYDROGEN PRODUCTION FOR A LOW-CARBON FUTURE

ABB and HydrogenPro will provide electrical equipment for the world’s largest single stack high-pressure alkaline electrolyser. The system will be capable of producing 1,100 normal cubic metres of green hydrogen per hour.

A

BB has signed an order with HydrogenPro, a hydrogen plant company, to provide electrical equipment for the world’s largest single stack high-pressure alkaline electrolyser - a system that generates hydrogen by using electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

Once deployed, at a specially built test facility in Heroya, Norway in 2022, the system will be capable of producing 1,100 normal cubic metres of green hydrogen per hour (Nm3/h). The companies plan to have the testing up and running at the beginning of the summer of 2022.

Demand for hydrogen has grown more than threefold since 1975 and continues to rise, so scaling up technologies and bringing down the cost of production is vital to enable hydrogen to become widely used.

With electricity making up around 70-90 percent of green hydrogen production costs, reaching a high level of efficiency is key to lowering production costs.

ABB’s scope will include an integrated electrical package comprising transformers, rectifiers, DC Chokes and Busbars. Hydrogen is very energy intensive to produce sustainably - everything in the production process, each little component adds a little bit of inefficiency, so this integrated portfolio approach will ensure that every single, possible improvement in efficiency is made.

The validation program will include rigorous testing to see how the performance criteria and efficiency of the electrolyser can be optimized.

This will enable HydrogenPro to make further improvements to the

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electrolyser system before introducing similar technology on a longterm, large scale at similar facilities around the world.

“It was essential for us to work with a trusted, specialist partner to validate our technology and ensure optimum operational performance before we roll-out large-scale, global production, which will be key to future customer adoption,” said Karoline Aafoss, sales manager at HydrogenPro. “ABB’s portfolio of integrated electrification solutions will complement our world-class electrolyser technology to create the optimum green production model of the future.”

This collaboration follows a two-year partnership with HydrogenPro and represents ABB’s first green hydrogen order in Norway.

This program into scaling and testing hydrogen technology to enable global decarbonization goals will pave the way for the launch of large green hydrogen plants in the future, which are key to reducing global CO2 emissions.

“In this decade alone, low carbon hydrogen demand will double – and by 2050, it will make up almost a fifth of all global energy demand. Our collective challenge is to produce enough to meet the demand, at a much lower cost,” said Brandon Spencer, president of ABB Energy Industries.

“As an industry, we have a responsibility and commitment to explore how we can unleash the full environmental and economic potential of hydrogen, which has huge potential in helping to reach our climate goals. We are especially proud to be partnering with HydrogenPro on this important project.”

GREEN CHEMISTRY

MACHINE LEARNING USED TO PREDICT SYNTHESIS OF COMPLEX NOVEL MATERIALS

A nanoscale feedback loop: AI informs the high-throughput, tip-based synthesis of nanomaterial megalibraries, and structural and functional data gathered based on rapid screening are fed back into the model to inform subsequent experiments.

R

esearchers at Northwestern University and the Toyota Research Institute (TRI) have successfully applied machine learning to guide the synthesis of new nanomaterials, eliminating barriers associated with materials discovery. The highly trained algorithm combed through a defined dataset to accurately predict new structures that could fuel processes in clean energy, chemical and automotive industries.

“We asked the model to tell us what mixtures of up to seven elements would make something that hasn’t been made before,” said Chad Mirkin, a Northwestern nanotechnology expert and the paper’s corresponding author. “The machine predicted 19 possibilities, and, after testing each experimentally, we found 18 of the predictions were correct.”

The study, “Machine learning-accelerated design and synthesis of polyelemental heterostructures,” was published in the journal Science Advances.

Mapping the materials genome According to Mirkin, what makes this so important is the access to unprecedentedly large, quality datasets because machine learning models and AI algorithms can only be as good as the data used to train them.

The data-generation tool, called a “Megalibrary,” was invented by Mirkin and dramatically expands a researcher’s field of vision. Each Megalibrary houses millions or even billions of nanostructures, each with a slightly distinct shape, structure and composition, all positionally encoded on a two-by-two square centimeter chip. To date, each chip contains more new inorganic materials than have ever been collected and categorized by scientists.

Mirkin’s team developed the Megalibraries by using a technique (also invented by Mirkin) called polymer pen lithography, a massively parallel nanolithography tool that enables the site-specific deposition of hundreds of thousands of features each second.

When mapping the human genome, scientists were tasked with identifying combinations of four bases. But the loosely synonymous

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

“materials genome” includes nanoparticle combinations of any of the usable 118 elements in the periodic table, as well as parameters of shape, size, phase morphology, crystal structure and more. Building smaller subsets of nanoparticles in the form of Megalibraries will bring researchers closer to completing a full map of a materials genome.

Mirkin said that even with something similar to a “genome” of materials, identifying how to use or label them requires different tools.

“Even if we can make materials faster than anybody on earth, that’s still a droplet of water in the ocean of possibility,” Mirkin said. “We want to define and mine the materials genome, and the way we’re doing that is through artificial intelligence.”

Machine learning applications are ideally suited to tackle the complexity of defining and mining the materials genome, but are gated by the ability to create datasets to train algorithms in the space. Mirkin said the combination of Megalibraries with machine learning may finally eradicate that problem, leading to an understanding of what parameters drive certain materials properties.

A tool that works better over time Megalibraries allow machine learning tools to do what they do best — learn and get smarter over time. Mirkin said their model will only get better at predicting correct materials as it is fed more high-quality data collected under controlled conditions.

The team is now using the approach to find catalysts critical to fueling processes in clean energy, automotive and chemical industries.

Identifying new green catalysts will enable the conversion of waste products and plentiful feedstocks to useful matter, hydrogen generation, carbon dioxide utilization and the development of fuel cells. Producing catalysts also could be used to replace expensive and rare materials like iridium, the metal used to generate green hydrogen and CO2 reduction products.

35

UNIQUE SILICONE-BASED SYNTHETIC LEATHER MATERIAL FOR HIGH-END APPLICATIONS

Dow launched a Silicone Synthetic Leather, the world’s first high-end silicone-based synthetic leather material. The alternative synthetic leather solution offers comfort, health, and luxury, all while offering enhanced sustainability.

D

ow launched LUXSENSE™ Silicone Synthetic Leather, the world’s first high-end silicone-based synthetic leather material to meet specifications in transportation seating and interiors, furniture, fashion, wearable devices and consumer electronics with unique features. With this innovation in material science, Dow introduces an alternative synthetic leather solution that offers comfort, health, and luxury, all while offering enhanced sustainability.

“Globally, concerns over environmental protection and animal welfare are rapidly reshaping the leather industry – especially in China, the world’s largest leather market. Meanwhile, we saw that both general leather and the current synthetic alternatives could not meet the growing requirements for automotive and wearable electronic products when it came to weatherability, stain resistance, odor, and sustainability – so we developed LUXSENSE™ Brand to address these needs,” said Jeroen Bello, DOW global marketing director, mobility & transportation.

“As a global leader in silicone technology, Dow leveraged the unique molecular structure of silicone to match consumer demands for leather in terms of softness, moisture permeability, stability and environmental friendliness.”

Known for its soft touch and breathability, general leather offers premium texture and comfort. However, it also has some distinct disadvantages, including weak UV resistance, poor crack and anti-aging resistance, and fragility. Other kinds of synthetic leather, by contrast, are durable but with the problem of hazardous, irritating odor emissions, which come from complex chemical agents, posing a threat to human health.

With the increasing awareness of the needs for greater sustainability and animal welfare, manufacturers and consumers are demanding

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innovative solutions that can integrate the advantages of traditional leather in terms of sight, smell, touch, and sustainability. Leveraging these insights on consumer and market needs while relentlessly exploring innovative technology, Dow developed LUXSENSE™ brand as a novel solution.

LUXSENSE™ brand offers a luxurious sense of sight in terms of cleanliness, durability, color personalization and design freedom. It avoids DMF and plasticizer usage, providing enhanced sustainability, as well as superior UV resistance and hydrolysis resistance that effectively prevents leather aging. Meanwhile, high flame retardancy is coupled with self-extinguishable features, and no harmful gasses are released in the event of a fire, making it a safe option for use in confined spaces. LUXSENSE™ brand adopts the innovative top coating technique to ensure fresh and non-tacky touch even in sultry and humid environments.

This combination of product benefits for both manufacturers and end-users means that LUXSENSE™ brand is widely applicable in a broad range of sectors and scenarios, including transportation seating and interiors, furniture, fashion, smart wearable devices, consumer electronics and other fields where there is a stringent demand for highquality material selection.

The launch of LUXSENSE™ brand supports Dow’s companywide commitment to reduce its net annual carbon emissions by an additional 15 percent, reducing net annual carbon emissions by approximately 30 percent by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Adhering to the concept of Seek Together, Dow is striving for a positive impact on society and the planet with innovative partners.

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

37

SECTOR VIEW CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

CEMENTING SUSTAINABLE STRUCTURES

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Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

BY DEBARATI DAS

T

here is a rise in construction and building activities driven by

Many innovative firms are developing a generation of new building

rapid urbanization and population growth. Along with this, the

material which are smarter, stronger, self-sustaining, sleeker, and

power of human imagination is leading to taller structures with aweinspiring architectures and interiors. Furthermore, there is a need for resilient yet sustainable structures. All these criteria cannot be cemented the traditional way.

environment friendly.

This transition to unique building materials have opened up avenues for architects to make challenging designs, while helping construction industry to build sturdier, cost effective, aesthetic yet

The brick-and-mortar mode of construction just doesn’t work

sustainable structures. New materials are also being engineered

anymore when people are thinking of taller than the tallest structures,

to have specific properties which can help change the dynamics of

unique architectures, or to be sustainable enough to give back to

construction industry.

nature as we take off a portion of it to build our concrete jungles.

There is a need for new materials with properties that meet the new age requirements.

Advanced Building Materials (ABMs) are a new generation of construction materials that demonstrate exceptional properties, making buildings and infrastructure smarter, more sustainable, energy-efficient, and resilient. These materials are bringing in a paradigm shift in the construction industry.

With the rise of smart cities, efforts towards decarbonization, making energy intensive structures and designing green buildings, there is an increasing demand for new chemicals and advanced materials in building and construction.

Here is a list of some of the most unique construction materials being used globally:

New-age construction materials Self-healing concrete: Concrete is the most widely consumed material in the construction industry. According to reports, around 5 billion metric tons of concrete will be used per year by 2030. However, one of the major issues with concrete is structural deterioration due to cracks. Buildings, roads, homes, tunnels, bridges, and other structures made of concrete at some point of time develop cracks.

The problem gets bigger when water seeps through these cracks and begin to wear away the remaining concrete and steel structures embedded in it resulting in complete collapse of the structures.

ABMs have stepped in not just to build the new generation of stronger,

Although, at a nascent stage, the technology of self-healing concrete

lighter and more sustainable building materials but also to solve

can revolutionise the durability of concrete structures and save

some of the most baffling challenges of the construction industry.

billions of dollars in renovation and repair costs.

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

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Transparent aluminum: Glass structures have an aesthetics

to create new buildings materials. Recycled cardboard is being used

of its own. However, it comes with its own set of problems of being

to create high-quality cellulose insulation. Plastic soda, water bottles

extremely fragile, heavy and costly. On the other hand, aluminum is

and aluminum cans are being used to create strong yet lightweight

extremely popular in construction for its light and durable qualities.

panels which can be used in buildings.

Adding the transparent element to it has opened up a whole new

Illuminating Cement: When aesthetics meets sustainability,

range of possibilities in construction. Transparent aluminium is

then innovation leads to a smarter choice. One such innovation is

fast becoming the favourable alternative for glassy structures giving

cement that absorbs sunlight and glows in the dark. This technique

the strength and durability of a metal while providing crystal-clear

allows the materials crystallisation properties to break up and allow

façade of glass. Transparent aluminum can easily be used to construct

the light to pass through making it opaque. This glow in the dark

towering glass-walled skyscrapers with less internal support while

cement is composed of silica, river sand, industrial waste, alkali and

building tougher, stronger, harder yet lightweight structures than

water. This highly energy efficient material is becoming popular in

glass.

construction and is used inside houses in bathrooms and kitchens,

Wooden structures: Wood has been used to build houses

and in the open like in swimming pools, facades, parking areas,

from ancient times. However, since it is weaker and vulnerable to

road signs etc. Due to its light emitting properties, it is an ideal and

fire, wood has been replaced with cement and steel. But now with

sustainable alternative to energy intensive lights.

advanced building techniques, wood is being reincarnated as mass timber, where solid wood is panelized and laminated for increased strength in construction. Various types of mass timbers such as gluelaminated timber (several pieces of lumber glued together to create strong beams) or cross-laminated timber (pieces of lumber stacked in alternating directions to support a lot of weight) are being used. This new age wood is also fire resistant, lighter and durable.

Cooling Ceramics: To make buildings more sustainable, various measures are being taken. One of the ways is to minimise or eliminate the use of air conditioners which is an energy-intensive process leading to carbon emissions. Passive cooling methods in construction has been in olden days. The same technology is being revamped for modern use. The Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia in Barcelona created a composite facade material of clay and hydrogel, which is capable of cooling building interiors by up to 6 degrees centigrade. The material, named as Hydroceramic, works due to the cooling effect provided by evaporating water. Hydroceramic utilizes the ability of hydrogel to absorb up to 500 times its own weight in water to create a building system that both decreases the temperature and increases the humidity of the surrounding air. Hence, the material’s cooling effect is greatest when the surrounding environment is warm, but when the surrounding is cool, little evaporation occurs.

Translucent wood: Glass is classy, and plastic is long lasting.

However, a material which is both classy and long lasting is hard to find. That’s when researchers experimented with wood, replaced lignin with polymers and made it transparent. Transparent wood is a great alternative to glass and plastic as it is environmental-friendly and energy efficient. Transparent wood’s strength is the same as lumber wood whilst being lighter and it can be utilized in home construction and bring more sunlight into the house. This reduces the need for artificial light which consumes a lot power. With the growing trend to build naturally lit houses, transparent wood is increasingly being used.

Recycled Waste: This is the age where sustainability plays a very important role. Scientists all over are trying not just to be sustainable in their future endeavours but also finding ways in which existing trash can be recycled. Architects and researchers are trying to recycle every possible material like scrap metal, cardboard, plastic bottles etc

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Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

Aluminum Foam: Aluminum Foam is durable and lightweight

being used in pillars, pipes, roads, concrete screens, dams, and

with high strength to weight ratio and a completely isotropic load

other structures that require greater durability over time. It is also

response. It also has other properties such as corrosion resistance,

more sustainable than cement which is a severe pollutant. Three

strength, electrical and thermal conductivity, etc, making it an

dimensional (3D) graphene-based architectures like hydrogels,

excellent choice for construction purposes. Aluminum foam panels

aerogels, foams, and sponges have become very popular due to its

are formed through air injection in molten aluminum and at a certain

structural interconnectivities and the outstanding properties of

temperature, when air bubbles stabilize forming foam panels which

graphene which offer these interesting structures with low density,

create intriguing patterns and layers for opacity, texture, transparency

high porosity, large surface area, stable mechanical properties, fast

and brightness. These panels can be made with into varied densities,

mass and electron transport. They have been extensively studied for

shapes and visibility.

a wide range of applications including capacitors, batteries, sensors,

Graphene: It is an extremely strong, elastic material and is

catalyst etc.

usually dubbed as a “miracle material”. Graphene has great efficiency

More and more new materials are constantly coming up to help make

against construction applications such as concrete and is increasingly

structures durable and sustainable.

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41 41

MARKET UPDATES

EXXONMOBIL, SABIC START GULF COAST MANUFACTURING UNIT IN US

I

RVING, US/RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA: ExxonMobil and SABIC announced the successful startup of Gulf Coast Growth Ventures world-scale manufacturing facility in San Patricio County, Texas. The Gulf Coast Growth Ventures facility will meet growing demand for performance products and the site has started operations ahead of schedule, it said.

Construction began in the third quarter of 2019, creating an estimated 6,000 high-paying construction jobs, and the manufacturing plant now directly employs more than 600 people.

Gulf Coast Growth Ventures represents ExxonMobil’s and SABIC’s first joint venture in the Americas. Ownership interests in Gulf Coast Growth Ventures is evenly divided with 50 percent to ExxonMobil and 50 percent to SABIC. ExxonMobil is the site operator.

The new facility will produce materials used in packaging, agricultural film, construction materials, clothing, and automotive coolants. The operation includes a 1.8 million metric ton per year

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Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

ethane steam cracker, two polyethylene units capable of producing up to 1.3 million metric tons per year, and a monoethylene glycol unit with a capacity of 1.1 million metric tons per year.

“We built this state-of-the-art chemical plant ahead of schedule and below budget, by leveraging our global projects expertise in execution planning and delivery, while keeping everyone safe and healthy,” said Karen McKee, president of ExxonMobil Chemical Company. “This is a remarkable achievement that positions us well to help meet growing global demand for performance products while providing meaningful investment in the US Gulf Coast.”

“This is a very proud moment for the parent companies,” said Abdulrahman Al-Fageeh, SABIC’s executive vice president of Petrochemicals. “It was with a great deal of dedication that our teams were able to safely start up each element of the plant before the close of 2021. As we begin this next chapter for GCGV, we look forward to continuing our role as a good neighbor in the Coastal Bend.”

TOTALENERGIES STARTS HIGH-PERFORMANCE POLYMERS PRODUCTION IN BELGIUM

F

ELUY, BELGIUM: TotalEnergies Polymer plant in Feluy, Belgium, announced the startup of a new production of highperformance polymers with the commissioning of a new reactor in its polypropylene unit.

Through this investment, TotalEnergies strengthens its leading position on the high value-added polymers market. The company is therefore increasing its production of grades that meet the highest quality standards and technical requirements of specialty markets, including medical and automotive.

Thanks to their many properties, such as lightweight, impermeability or resistance, plastics have become an integral

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

part of our daily lives. In the automotive sector for example, the use of polymers as replacement for metal contributes to reducing the overall weight of vehicles, thereby allowing reductions in CO2 emissions by as much as 10 percent. In the medical sector, polymers also play a crucial role in the supply of medicines, particularly by ensuring their protection and packaging.

“The commissioning of this new reactor in Feluy will enable us to meet the growing demand from our customers, including the automotive and medical specialty markets, for ever more efficient polymers that contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of enduse applications,” said Valerie Goff, senior vice president, Polymers at TotalEnergies.

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MARKET UPDATES

BASF EXPANDS FEED ENZYMES CAPACITY IN GERMANY

L

UDWIGSHAFEN, GERMANY: BASF has expanded the production capacity of its enzymes plant in Ludwigshafen, Germany. Through the expansion of the existing plant, BASF has significantly increased the annual number of feasible fermentation runs. The larger production capacity enables BASF to meet the growing global demand from customers for a reliable high-quality supply of the BASF feed enzymes Natuphos E (phytase), Natugrain TS (xylanase and glucanase) and the recently launched

the inclusion rate of feed enzymes to reduce feed costs continues to increase, global demand for feed enzymes is on a growth trajectory.

Natupulse TS (mannanase). The expanded enzyme plant has already started production and larger quantities of BASF feed enzymes are now available.

The market asks for more enzymes. Demand is expected to continue to rise in the coming years. This is where BASF wants to expand its position as one of the leading manufacturers of feed enzymes, said Daniela Calleri, BASF vice president business management animal nutrition. The excellent stability and proven efficacy of BASFs enzymes are meeting a growing demand. We are excited to serve our customers even better and grow together with them moving forward.

As a pioneer in the fields of enzymes in animal nutrition for more than 30 years, BASF has paved the way for better utilisation of feed nutrients. Enzymes have since established themselves as indispensable feed additives to improve efficiency and sustainability in animal protein production. As animal protein consumption and

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Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

With this capacity expansion, BASF addresses the needs of our customers through investments and product innovation, said Michael De Marco, BASF vice president, global business management enzymes. This underlines our commitment to meeting the increasing demand of our customers around the globe.

CLARIANT OIL SERVICES STARTS TWO MANUFACTURING SITES IN ANGOLA

H

OUSTON, US: Clariant said it has expanded its commitment to Africa with two recent sites in Angola. The company has a 20-year record of supplying local customers, and the two recently opened facilities in Soyo and Viana bring a wide range of technical and operational capabilities to the region. In January, the Soyo site directly supplied the first chemical to offshore customers—a landmark for Clariant’s deepwater operations in Africa.

“Over the last few years, we’ve significantly grown our operational footprint and capabilities in Angola,” said Mark Swift, head of oil services Africa. “This base is of strategic importance to Clariant in Angola and makes a statement that we are ambitious and determined to grow the business in this area.”

The new facility in the Kwanda Base, near Soyo, is located at the mouth of the Congo River on Kwanda Island, a site designed to provide logistical support for oil and gas operations. To fulfill the QC requirements for chemical supply, the laboratory is fully equipped with all conventional methodologies, as well as stateof-the-art infrared spectroscopy. These resources will assist the efficient supply of chemicals for subsea applications and make it possible to meet all testing requirements. The 3400m2 complex

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

also comprises offices and a covered warehouse with decanting and filtering equipment, and the processing capacity is expected to reach up to 1000 tonnes per month.

The Soyo facility was preceded by a warehouse and laboratory complex in Viana, near Luanda, which was commissioned and designed to support business expansion in the oil and gas industry in Angola. After several years of development, the site opened earlier this year. The technical capabilities onsite include equipment to test demulsifiers, deoilers, oil, and other oil-related products. For QC, the laboratory can assess appearance, pH, specific gravity, viscosity, FT-IR fingerprinting, particle counts, and non-volatile residuals, among other analyses.

Materials have been sourced locally where possible, which is also a Clariant prerequisite for now and the future. In addition, the laboratories are designed to ensure the careful segregation of oil waste for recycling or appropriate disposal.

“We now have people on the ground and facilities in place to meet our customers’ needs,” said Swift. “In combination with our expertise and production capabilities, this infrastructure will pave the way for further investments in the future.”

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GLOBAL FOCUS EUROPE

CHEMICAL INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTES

2. Base chemicals account for about 58% of EU27 chemicals sales

TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE FUTURE IN EUROPE

3. About 2/3 of EU27 chemical sales generated in four Member States

W

ith over 1.2 million workers, 499 billion turnover and 9.4 billion R&I investments, the European chemical industry is a wealth generating sector of the economy and a major contributor to building a sustainable future for Europe. Tomorrow’s world will become even more so a world created by chemistry, as many future climate-neutral and circular solutions rely on chemicals, from wind turbines to electric vehicles.

As most of all manufactured goods relying on chemicals, Europe’s chemical industry is a crucial element of almost all value chains and a vital part of Europe’s economy.

During the last two years marked by the pandemic and the subsequent economic crisis, our sector proved in practice its strategic role for Europe producing the necessary health care materials and equipment. Tomorrow’s world will become even more so a world created by chemistry, as many future climate-neutral and circular solutions rely on chemistry, from wind turbines to electric vehicles. Consequently, the European Commission has recognised the chemical industry for its “indispensable” role to help society achieve the new European Green Deal objectives.

The European chemical industry has the ambition to become climate neutral by 2050, and the sector is uniquely positioned at the heart of European manufacturing to contribute to realizing a climate-neutral society. At the same time, the chemical industry must remain competitive while undergoing a green and digital “twin” transition in order to

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Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

become climate-neutral, circular and digital, all while navigating the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS), which will not only 4. About €170 billion is generated affect the sector economically for the years from selling chemicals outside the and decades to come, but it will also create a EU27 area significant “ripple effect” across many value chains relying on chemicals.

For this transition to be successful, a clear pathway that includes concrete timelines, milestones, and measures should be put forward by EU policymakers in close collaboration with Industry. This Transition Pathway for the chemical industry should ensure the availability of competitively priced renewable and low-carbon energy, promote innovation and the deployment of breakthrough technologies, support the development of relevant infrastructure and facilitate access to public and private finance Here are some salient features of European 5. More than half of (EU27+UK) Chemical Industry: chemicals are supplied to the 1. Europe is the second largest industrial sector chemicals producer in the world as China dominates chemical sales globally.

INTERNATIONAL EUROPE

CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF EUROPEAN CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

Marco Mensink, Cefic Director General delves into the ways in which the growth of the European Chemical industry is governed by digitalisation, circularity, and electrification of chemical processes to achieve their ultimate ambition to be climate neutral by 2050.

BY SHIVANI MODY

O

pportunities for chemical industry in Europe.

Our European chemicals industry has been closely following and supporting the European Green Deal - Europe’s growth strategy which aims to make Europe climate neutral by 2050 while also introducing new legislative measures on the circular economy, biodiversity, innovation and more. The EU chemical industry has the ambition to become climate neutral by 2050 and is already investing into renewable energy production and other technologies to reduce its emissions We want to see Europe become a global innovation hub and a hotspot for investments. While tackling these the huge ambitions, with the right conditions, we believe the chemical industry can thrive as it helps Europe define its global advantage in a rapidly changing global landscape, by innovating towards circular models, leading on sustainability and remaining at the forefront of new technologies.

R&D and innovations in the chemical industry of Europe.

There are three developments that we believe will have a big impact on the chemical industry in the coming decades. These are- digitalisation within our industry, circularity and electrification of chemical processes.

When it comes to digitalisation; data mining and analysis, blockchain technology and AI intelligence, promise better, faster decisions, greater efficiency, and more transparency in our sector —like predictive toxicology can help us understand the safety profile of chemicals early in the research stage, enabling safe by design products.

For circularity, our chemical industry is uniquely placed to recycle and use it as buildings blocks to make new chemicals and materials. And it’s not just about recycling but also using biomass, using waste, and using CO2 as the feedstock.

Thirdly, the electrification of chemical processes can power our operations in the future. To lower our industrial carbon footprint, we

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

have been innovating towards electrification of these processes and thereby enabling the switch to green energy sources. In many cases this means a complete reinvention of established technologies and processes.

Improving international trade in Europe.

Our chemicals industry is one of the most globalised EU industrial sectors, highly dependent on open and fair trade. While stimulating growth and development, trading chemicals must be coupled with regulatory cooperation to ensure high levels of protection for human health and the environment. We support more efficient, transparent and cost-effective approaches to chemicals management between trading partner countries.

We believe the rules-based system of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has created a predictable and stable trading environment for our industry, enabling it to grow and invest globally. But the multilateral system is falling short in liberalizing trade in goods and in setting new rules. With this, Free Trade Agreements remain a cornerstone of EU trade policy and we believe they must focus on the elimination of tariffs and non-tariff barriers, regulatory cooperation and facilitate crossborder trade as much as possible; striving for the simplest customs procedures, rules of origin, digitalisation of all required documentation, and making logistical systems as flexible as possible.

We have also been actively contributing to the United Nations Global Harmonisation System (GHS) process and the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), which supports the development of national regulations and policy schemes that ensure chemicals are produced and used in ways that minimise adverse impacts on the environment and human health.

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Raw material requirements chemical industry.

and

sourcing

for

Raw materials are crucial to Europe’s economy. The EU is dependent on the imports of many raw materials that are crucial for a strong European industrial base. Europe, and its chemicals industry, is confronted with several challenges along the entire raw materials value chain including exploration and management, extraction and harvesting, processing and refining, manufacturing, use and recycling as well as substitution.

According to “Research and Innovation Roadmap 2050,” the use of metals, minerals, stones, aggregates and biotic materials (originated from living organisms, such as wood), will be essential for supplying most manufacturing operations. However, the range of raw materials is evolving as new consumer patterns arise, and technologies for the substitution of non-renewable, critical or energy-intensive materials, or for climate-friendly processes, develop.

We have high hopes for innovation in raw materials value chains - an area that remains untapped despite its great potential.

A more coordinated approach towards raw materials management will help reduce external supply dependency and lead to an efficient use and re-use of resources. Raw materials form the backbone of a circular economy, based on an increasing material recovery, and where end-oflife products are considered as a resource for another cycle.

Challenges faced by the European chemical industry.

Alongside the opportunities around the European Green Deal, the challenges we are facing right now are immense. Our chemicals industry is probably the only sector that faces a quadruple challenge. In addition to green and digital transition that all other sectors will undergo, we also have a circularity challenge and the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS) between now and 2050. With an unprecedented volume of regulatory change coming up, we will need to sequence all steps to make sure that the necessary investments are made early in the process.

Functioning of Cefic and enforcing EU chemicals legislation.

With the European Green Deal, in particular the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, our chemicals industry is facing the biggest regulatory

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Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

overhaul since REACH. We believe the Strategy should be based on three key pillars; enforcement, implementation and innovation, to turn the EU’s vision into a reality.

Enforcement of EU chemicals safety and environmental legislation is central in implementing the EU agenda. No matter how ambitious the legislation is on paper, it will never fulfil the level of protection of consumers and workers it has set out to offer, if not properly enforced.

As a member of the High Level Roundtable on the implementation of the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability Cefic initiated a debate about the urgent need to improve enforcement of EU chemicals law, which prompted the European Commission to develop a set of recommendations endorsed by all members of this Roundtable.

Furthermore, at the end of 2021 we launched an economic analysis of the impacts of the CSS, specifically on the Classification, Packaging and Labelling Regulation (CLP) and REACH, the centrepieces of EU chemical legislation. The data, collected from more than 100 European chemical companies, will be used as an input to the European Commission’s impact assessments. The results show the enormous challenge ahead of us. To enable industry to transform, we need a robust Chemical Industry Transition Pathway, and with this analysis, we are inviting European policymakers and EU Member State governments to work with us and turn the CSS into a genuine Growth and Innovation Strategy.

Pandemic impact on chemical industry in Europe and way forward.

We are encouraged to see that the chemical output is returning to the pre-pandemic levels but it’s clear that challenging times remain as the chemical sector is undergoing the ‘double-twin transition’ to meet with the European Green Deal goals. We believe that if we want to turn Europe into the green growth engine of the world, our industrial ecosystems can’t be governed in policy silos. More than anything else, coherent implementation of the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability will be needed to build a business case for a strong and sustainable EU chemical industry of the future.

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

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INSIGHTS AUTO COLOR TRENDS

AUTOMOTIVE COLOR OF YEAR 2022 LUXURY COLOR ROYAL MAGENTA

A

xalta Coating Systems announced its Global Automotive Color of the Year 2022 – Royal Magenta. The selection for the eighth edition of the exclusive Global Automotive Color of the Year, Royal Magenta, is a deep cherry color that brings a luxurious finish to the market. The robust design has a majestic dark finish engrained with merlot and garnet hues.

The color appears berry red in sunlight yet reveals a dark, mysterious look in the midnight hours.

of Royal Magenta is derived from Axalta’s track record of providing luxury finishes to the mobility market and ties into global color trends that convey elegance with an indulgent and festive color offering. Burgundy, violet and cherry-like hues are becoming more fashionable in the market. The premium color creates an opulent finish appearing lush with faceted jewel accents.

“Royal Magenta delivers a new luxury look that is optimized for future mobility,” said Hadi Awada, senior vice president, Global Mobility Coatings at Axalta. “With innovative mobility-sensing and environmentally-optimized waterborne technologies, we’re helping the mobility industry transition toward increasingly sustainable solutions, electric vehicles and autonomous driving.”

“This year, we have designed a complex-looking color that can be applied in a simplified manner,” said Nancy Lockhart, global product manager of Color at Axalta. “The design process began by tinting waterborne paints with various layering systems to provide depth and color. With sustainability in mind, the end color was achieved with a conventional basecoat – clearcoat layering. It’s as easy on the eyes as it is to apply.”

Royal Magenta is formulated for all vehicle types and enriches the mobility palette with alluring color. Royal Magenta is stylish and functional and is engineered to work with radar systems used on autonomous vehicles of all sizes. The sophistication

As a leading color expert in paint and coatings, Axalta uses its innovative technology, advanced color formulations and proprietary insights into global and regional color preferences to drive future color trends.

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Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

The selection for the eighth edition of the exclusive Global Automotive Color of the Year 2022 by Axalta - Royal Magenta, is a deep cherry color that brings a luxurious finish to the market. The color appears berry red in sunlight yet reveals a dark, mysterious look in the midnight hours.

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

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INSIGHTS CHEMICAL PLASTIC RECYCLING

MAKING PLASTIC CIRCULAR

The chemical industry has developed various complementary solutions to recycle scrap or contaminated plastic that is hard to recycle mechanically. With this, plastic can be easily broken down and converted into valuable secondary raw materials with the same quality as fossil fuels.

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lastic plays a vital role in our day-to-day life as it is lightweight, durable, and cheap, and thus largely utilized in an array of applications. Excessive use of plastic around the world has resulted in greenhouse gas emissions, which have severely affected the planet by causing extensive heat, melting of glaciers, loss of cloud forests, an upsurge in sea levels etc, leading to severe climate change. Plastics include a variety of synthetic and semi-synthetic materials that are made up of long-chain molecules known as polymers, which further comprise smaller repeating building blocks called monomers. These monomers differ in shapes and sizes, and the bonding between them determines plastic’s properties like rigidity, toughness, melting temperature, and others which further affects the way it is used. In 2016, 42.0 million metric tonnes of plastic waste was generated in the US and 26.3 million metric tonnes in India.

In the process of chemical plastic recycling, a polymer is chemically reduced to its original form of monomer so that it can be reconstructed into a wide range of plastic materials. With emerging technologies for plastic recycling, the chemical industry has developed various complementary solutions to recycle scrap or contaminated plastic that

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Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

is hard to recycle mechanically. With the help of chemical recycling, plastic can be easily broken down and converted into valuable secondary raw materials in order to produce new chemicals and plastics with the same quality as fossil fuels. Recovering plastic from waste and then converting it into useful products has been a major driver for many commercial industries as it is both environmentally and economically effective.

Recycled plastic is utilized in various products, including construction materials, carrier bags, watering cans, wheel arch liners, car bumpers, damp proof membranes, reusable crates, bins, composite pit, food trays, water bottles, etc., which provides vast scope for plastic as well as chemical manufacturers to make a good fortune. Recycling through chemical methods also provides virgin quality raw materials, which further enables the production of food-grade materials from consumer waste. Plastic recycling via chemical methods is still largely at the precommercial stage. However, manufacturers are generating interest for the replacement of unsustainable feedstock sources. Chemical methods hold a lot of potential to significantly improve the recycling rates and divert plastic waste from landfills rather than mechanical methods.

Advantages of Chemical Plastic Recycling Plastic recycling through chemical processes holds a large scope for improving the recycling landscapes. It also ensures the high-quality output of recycled plastic as it is converted back to feedstock for chemical industries: • It is an outstanding approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and further helps in saving fossil fuels.

Chemical plastic recycling decreases the reliance on crude oil imports and lowers the carbon footprint of products.

• Additives, fragrances, and dyes can be separated from the packaging material through chemical recycling.

• The food packaging sector holds a lot of potential for chemically recycled plastic

Some of the Plastic Streams Suitable for Chemical Recycling Include: > Sorted mono streams that cannot be recycled mechanically PVC packaging and laminates, which are difficult to recycle by conventional techniques, utilize chemical recycling methods. PET packaging such as trays and cups are also difficult to recycle via mechanical methods.

> Mixed plastic flows After sorting, most of the household plastic ends up in the ‘mix of plastics’ stream. When recycled mechanically, it can be used to manufacture various products. This is also known as low-grade recycling. With the help of chemical recycling, these mixed streams provide higher quality products.

> Plastics with fragrances, additives, and dyes With the help of chemical recycling through magnetic depolymerization, dyes and other contaminants can be easily removed, which further leads to a high-quality raw material that is equal to the fossil raw material for plastics.

A circular economy is basically restorative and regenerative by design.

In this economy, the materials follow a closed-loop system rather than being used once and then discarded. In the plastic industry, a circular

economy refers to keeping the value of plastics in the economy without leakage into the natural environment. One of the biggest drawbacks the circular plastics economy faces is the poor functioning of markets.

In order to ensure that a product is recyclable or not, it requires more than simple manufacturing from technically recyclable polymers.

Other features of the product like adhesives, labels, pigment can somehow hinder the recyclability of the plastic, thus increasing the cost of producing or reducing the value of secondary raw materials. To make plastic circular, recycling rates needs to be enhanced significantly for about 4 - 6 percent in developing nations while 9 – 12 percent in developed countries.

The chemical industry can increase resource efficiency by implementing chemical recycling technologies at a large scale and help to close the loop in the transition to a circular economy for plastics. Tonnes of plastic waste has become economically attractive to recycle because chemical recycling can turn it into valuable secondary raw materials.

The shift from a ‘wasteorientated’ to a ‘resource-orientated’ economy can help create a single market for secondary raw materials.

Major Players Some of the major players operating in the Plastic Recycling market include Covanta Energy Asia Pacific Holdings Ltd, SUEZ NWS Limited, Eco-Wise Waste Management Pvt Ltd, The Shakti Plastics Industries, DH Recycling Ltd, Cleanaway Melbourne, Sapporo Plastic Recycle KK, Veolia Indonesia, Polyester Machinery Co Ltd, IAV Global, Poly Pipe Recycling and others.

Conclusion The demand for chemically recycled plastic is rapidly increasing as it is widely utilized in the manufacturing of numerous products such as carrier bags, reusable crates, watering cans, damp proof membranes, construction materials, bins, composite pits, water bottles and others.

The chemical plastic recycling market is likely to witness healthy growth in the upcoming years due to its increased demand for various applications. To make the plastic circular, it is important to support the projects and initiatives that hold the potential to improve the economies of recycling infrastructure and recycled polymers. Companies need to be aware of the wider impact of the collection and recycling of their products.

Source: TechSci Research

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

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INSIGHTS CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

FUTURE OF CHEMICALS AND ADVANCED MATERIALS IN CONSTRUCTION: BREAKING AWAY FROM THE PAST

Use of advanced software like Building Information Modeling (BIM) and more prevalent use of drones, simulations, augmented reality, 3D printing and so on could mean that construction efficiency will improve while minimizing waste. (Representative Image © Pixabay GmbH)

BY DUANE DICKSON, MICHELLE MEISELS, AIJAZ HUSSAIN

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he ancient history of concrete and other building and construction materials is replete with many stories. In these stories, we often get a glimpse of chemicals or materials that were used to make monuments or structures. For example, from the biblical story of Moses, we surmise that Egyptian pyramids were made with limestone-based mortars and mud bricks with straw—which acted as reinforcement and added strength to the building material.

However, the diversity of construction chemicals and advanced materials (CAMs) has expanded by leaps and bounds since the making of the pyramids. Today, it not only includes concrete admixtures but also adhesives and sealants, coatings, insulation materials, and polymer composites. These CAMs—gifts of the petrochemical revolution—are designed to extend the otherwise “natural” life of the structure, give integrity, provide protection, and cut down material waste.

Concrete admixtures, for instance, which are increasingly used for producing super-strong concrete, are comprised of plasticizers/ superplasticizers, accelerators, air-entraining agents, bonding agents, retarders, shrinkage reducers, and so on. While adhesives and sealants help in joining dissimilar building components in a flexible, costeffective, and durable manner, coatings enable lasting protection against weather and corrosion. Insulation materials like polymer foams help not only in thermal, acoustic, fire, and impact insulation but also enable lightweighting of building structures and components.

Polymer composites come in many different forms, and given their high strength-tostiffness ratio and low density, they offer durability, low weight, impact resistance, design flexibility, parts consolidation, toughness, and heat resistance.

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Four trends in buildings and construction that are shaping the future of CAMs Several emerging and existing trends within the broader construction industry have the potential to disrupt the future of construction CAMs. It is thus imperative for companies to not only be aware of how these trends could impact their product demand but also take steps to turn potential challenges into opportunities.

1. Technology advances and integration: Use of advanced

software like BIM (Building Information Modeling) and more prevalent use of drones, simulations, Augmented Reality, 3D printing, and so on could mean that construction efficiency will improve while minimizing waste.

In one way, this could lead to lower demand (than anticipated earlier) for construction CAMs (because of lower waste generation), but on the other hand, this could open new opportunities for chemicals companies.

bring down the overall project costs. In fact, costs and speed of project completion are the two most important factors that contractors and construction companies look forward to— even surpassing the need to “go green.”

For example, because of increasing use of 3D printing in constructing residential dwellings, 3D printing–compatible chemicals and materials are expected to be in high demand and experience higher growth. In fact, bold projections are already made for 3D printing in the construction market. According to one source, it is projected to grow from a mere $40 million in 2016 to a staggering $40 billion by 2027, a CAGR of 87 percent. Heeding this prediction, a few chemical companies have recently acquired companies in the 3D printing space and kickstarted joint development efforts with some 3D printing startups.

Clearly, prefabrication or modular construction is a rising trend for all of these reasons, and more so indicated by the increasing number of tech startups in the “offsite construction” space. Prefabricated units can be made offsite, reduce waste generation, recycle material, and thus expedite the overall construction process. Apart from this, technologies like 3D printing can also help in reducing overall project costs and streamline processes. Innovation at the product level can also help reduce the transportation time and eventually the costs of construction. For example, a global chemicals conglomerate started shipping latex powders instead of heavy liquids, which can be readily made into formulations or mixed with water at a manufacturing facility or construction site for further use, thus reducing transportation times and costs.

These new technologies and their integration could also address the growing issue of flat or declining productivity of construction labor and low digital maturity of the global construction industry. It might be no surprise, then, that construction startups based on technologies like cloudbased collaboration software and hardware are attracting the most funding.

2. Sustainability and the circular economy: The buildings and construction industry remains the centerpiece of the global warming puzzle since more than a third of global final energyuse (36 percent) and energyrelated CO2 emissions (~40 percent) are directly attributed to the sector. Based on the recently concluded Paris agreement, the energy intensity of buildings needs to improve by 30 percent from current levels by 2030. The achievement of this target seems far-fetched, as more than two-thirds of new buildings and construction will be in many emerging economies without strong mandatory building codes.

Nevertheless, many national governments are making green building standards more stringent as the target year approaches. These evolving regulations are exerting more pressure on construction companies to use materials and chemicals that have a lower carbon footprint and are less resource-intensive. For example, chemical admixtures, which are added during the concrete-making process, not only reduce overall water usage but also take less time to set. Electric poles made up of polymer composites are lightweight, possess lower carbon footprint, and have a longer shelf-life than metal poles.

Many other polymer composite applications are already underway in the building and civil engineering sector that are not only new and complex applications (from a design perspective) but also provide a way to retrofit and refurbish older infrastructure without bringing it down.

Whether it is an aging pipeline infrastructure, an abandoned factory, or the roof of a commercial building, the trend of adaptive reuse and repair is picking up as a ready alternative to costly replacement, and construction CAMs remain the best bet to meet this growing trend.

The mounting wave of smart cities, which is much broader in scope and scale than green buildings, is also expected to enhance the demand for new chemicals and materials. For example, for enabling an energyefficient infrastructure within a smart city, chemicals companies can innovate across different chemicals and requirement types like high reflectance coatings, high-performance insulation foams, and phase change materials.

3. Trends in project completion timelines and overall costs: Due to rising material costs and lower availability of skilled labor, the construction industry has suffered from low productivity and extended deadlines. There is often an imminent need to not only speed up the time needed to construct a building or infrastructure but also

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

New, advanced material innovations like self-healing concrete and nanomaterials like Graphene might also lead to overall lower life cycle costs, though there is a high initial cost associated. These novel materials enable instant repair of a concrete structure, thus eliminating the need for its repair, rehabilitation, or complete replacement for relatively longer periods of time.

4. Skilled labor shortage: Labor costs typically account for 40 percent of total construction project costs—indicating that the construction industry is still labor-intensive, though regional variations exist. The construction industry has been dealing with a skilled labor shortage issue for a long time, and contractors and construction companies are sometimes forced to recruit contractual labor that often comes with inflated costs. Many construction companies and contractors are now relying on nontraditional approaches to solve this recurring issue.

How should construction CAMs companies respond? a. Adopt a “solutions-oriented” approach: Chemicals companies can provide new offerings that integrate their products with a service. Services that integrate well with products can include technical assistance as well as digital services that enable a customer to find the right product match. For example, a diversified chemicals company not only provides digital tools (to find the right product) to its customers, but also an online order portal. Owning such solutions can help companies capture a greater share of the growing pie, especially in the emerging technology space. For instance, out of the $40 billion market projected for 3D printing in construction (by 2027), 90 percent is attributed to applications and services, while only less than 1 percent is directly attributed to materials. b. Collaboratively develop “sustainable” solutions: Companies can promote and position their solutions (products + services) to decrypt the most pressing issues of the industry—with sustainability capturing the top-of-themind share for most businesses.

A “sustainable” solution can be innovative, but it can be costly too.

Therefore, apart from delivering “sustainability” benefits to the customer, such solutions should also strive to reduce overall systems costs (including installation cost) and expedite project completion.

Understanding and acting on these requirements will likely need proactive collaboration between construction CAMs companies, contractors, and construction tech companies. Such collaboration would also synchronize and streamline a finalized plan for execution across materials, systems, processes, and operations.

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c. Enhance existing product portfolio through innovation and restructuring: The construction CAMs industry seems on the path to consolidation, with many mergers and acquisitions (M&A) simultaneously happening. Companies should be on the lookout for how these M&A activities are shaping up and whether there are opportunities for them to boost their existing product portfolio. Construction CAMs companies can also explore acquiring or tying-up with emerging tech companies to develop new products that complement their existing portfolio. These technology JVs can be in the space of emerging building technologies like 3D printing and prefabrication, or they can also be in construction management software and technical tools. The good news is that the existing construction tech startup space has very few pure-play construction companies funding them, which leaves ample opportunity for construction CAMs companies to jump in.

d. Embrace the digital paradigm: Such an approach could include machine learning, big data, sensors, networks, and simulation tools that can help convince the customer of a reduction in total systems costs without compromising overall performance or quality, through real-time monitoring. For example, a product simulation tool can readily assess what can be the potential reduction in overall costs for

a component if the customer incorporates a certain product from the construction CAMs company. Investing in digital technologies can also create unparalleled differentiation, enhance construction efficiency, and mitigate the issue of skilled talent shortage.

New Hope For The Future Some $69 trillion worth of infrastructure investment could be needed between 2017 and 2035, a majority of which (~60 percent) will likely happen in emerging economies.26 In Asia-Pacific, for example, a substantial portion of investment is expected to be directed toward middle-class residential housing, and huge infrastructure initiatives funded by the government (eg, China’s Belt and Road initiative).

Because of this, growth in construction CAMs will likely outpace global GDP growth and the overall construction market. But for construction CAMs companies to successfully ride this wave, they should shed their old skin and adopt “newer” ways of doing business. Companies that embrace innovative technologies (including digital), focus more on collaborating with their customers, and strive toward making their organizations highly agile by restructuring their product portfolios may stand a higher chance to ride on the crest even when the seas become rough.

Source: Deloitte

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Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

REPORTS EUROPE CONSTRUCTION CHEMICALS

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY USES 4D VIRTUAL REALITY TO ENHANCE BUYER EXPERIENCE

The rising middle-class population, coupled with increasing disposable incomes, has facilitated an expansion in the middle-class housing segment, thereby increasing use of construction chemicals. (Image © Pixabay GmbH)

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he construction industry is one of the industries that are badly impacted by COVID-19. Because of a lack of funds, labor shortage, and lockdown regulations, many projects were halted in 2020. Due to a ban on inter-state travel, an exodus of migrant workers, also known as informal sector workers, wreaked havoc on the supply chain. This caused less consumption of different construction chemicals from various respective applications and decreased their demand and supply in the region. Moreover, many end-user sectors and manufacturing factories related to building construction applications were temporarily stopped in the region, keeping in mind the concerns of the workers in the industries.

Owing to all these factors, the construction chemicals market in the European region is hindered by the impact of COVID-19.

Key Highlights Over the short term, growing construction activities in the region, increased adoption of innovative construction procedures, as well as, rising demand for water-based products are expected to drive the market’s growth.

Regulations for VOC emissions and unfavorable conditions arising due to COVID-19 pandemic are expected to hinder the growth of the market studied.

By end-user industry, residential segment dominated the market and is expected to grow with fastest rate during the forecast period.

Increasing focus on sustainable materials is likely to act as opportunity for the market studied, through the years to come.

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

Key Market Trends Residential Sector to Dominate the Market The residential construction comprises both luxury housing and middle-class house segments.

Elite class is synonymous with luxury, and elite housing refers to luxurious residences. The demand for apartments, penthouses, villas, and bungalows in gated communities with world-class designs and amenities is increasing rapidly, and the developers are launching projects to cater to such demands.

Architects are producing new innovative elite housing ideas to cater to such demands. To overcome the challenges in the new and innovative elite housing projects, construction chemicals are used in a huge quantity.

Elite housing is also evolved with emerging technologies in construction. The construction industry has started using 4D virtual reality models to fully immerse the owners in the environments of the construction during the planning and design stages. Making the buyers walk through a fully interactive immersive experience before finalizing plans allows them to win buy-in and produce plans that fully meet the expectations. Augmented reality allows users to walk through real 3D environments with their feet while gathering and viewing additional real-time information about that house. Due to these technological advancements, elite people are tempted to construct new luxury houses.

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The residential construction industry in Germany is on the rise, even after the covid effects of 2020. The construction industry output increased by 2.8 percent in 2020. The turnover decreased in Q1 2021. In 2022, the residential construction activity is expected to have a rebound of about 2.5 percent.

According to the Federal Statistical Office, turnover in building completion work was up 9.1 percent in the third quarter of 2021 compared to the third quarter of 2020.

According to Eurostat, construction cost of new residential buildings was 9.40 percent year-on-year in September of 2021.

The rising middle-class population, coupled with increasing disposable incomes, has facilitated an expansion in the middleclass housing segment, thereby increasing the use of construction chemicals in the segment during the forecast period. Thus, the increasing residential construction in Europe is expected to positively impact the construction chemicals market in the forecast period.

Germany to Dominate the Market in European Region Germany had the largest market for construction chemicals in Europe, which is expected to increase during the forecast period.

Germany has the largest construction industry in Europe.

The country has been continuously investing in quality infrastructure and has one of the best infrastructures in the world. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report in 2019, the country ranked 8th in terms of infrastructure index in the period, 2018-2019, gaining two places from 10th in 2017-18.

Germany has the largest construction industry in Europe. The construction industry in the country has been growing at a slow pace, majorly driven by increasing new residential construction activities.

According to industry experts, completion of the construction of new houses was estimated at 306,376 Units in 2020 as compared to an increase from the previous number of 293,002 Units for 2019.

In addition, during 2020, the domestic construction sector recorded robust growth of about 6 percent, in terms of revenue. The trend is predicted to remain the same for the next two years, due to expected

impact of growth in residential construction and public investment.

The non-residential and commercial buildings in the country are expected to witness significant growth prospects during the forecast period. The growth is likely to be supported by lower interest rates, increase in real disposable incomes, and numerous investments by the European Union and the German government.

In May 2020, the construction of a total of 32,000 apartments with building permits was approved in Germany. According to provisional data, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) further reports that this was 3.9 percent more building permits than in May 2019.

According to Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis), the construction of new dwellings increased to 327.26 thousand in 2020 compared to 317.82 thousand in 2019. The construction industry registered a significant growth in the country despite a severe impact by the pandemic.

In the third quarter of 2021, the country have starter the construction of the Central Hospital in Lorrach, Baden-Wuerttemberg with the investment of $418 million and is expected to be completed by 2025.

The project aims to build a center for mental health and a medical department store with a parking garage.

Additionally, the German Government and national railway company Deutsche Bahn have agreed to invest approximately EUR 86 billion into rail network maintenance over the next ten years. Overall, all such factors are expected to drive the construction industry in the country, which in turn, will drive the market for construction chemicals through the forecast period.

Competitive Landscape The construction chemicals market in Europe is partly consolidated in nature, with the top 5 companies occupying a regional share of ~47 to 49 percent. The prominent companies in the market are using different strategies (such as mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, agreements, collaborations, and the expansion of production facilities) to meet consumer demand. The major players in the market studied include Sika AG, MBCC Group, MAPEI SpA, Dow and RPM International Inc, among others.

Source: TechSci Research

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Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

REPORTS INDIA DYES & PIGMENTS

PERSONAL CARE, COSMETICS TO DRIVE DYES & PIGMENTS IN INDIA

Due to improving living standards and evolving lifestyles, the demand for cosmetic products such as skincare, haircare, and perfume is growing rapidly, giving the Indian cosmetics industry a high boost. (Image © Pixabay GmbH)

M

arket Analysis

The increasing demand for personal care products like cosmetics is driving the India dyes and pigments market. The rising demand for cosmetics and other personal care products is supporting the growth of the pigment industry. The increasing demand for unique effect pigments in personal care products is expected to drive the Indian market. The Indian beauty industry is growing rapidly due to globalisation and the introduction of multiple new brands in India, which is further driving the growth of the dyes and pigments market in India.

of the India pigments market. The production value of the pigments industry in India reached a volume of nearly 133.52 million tons.

The India dyes and pigments market accounts for almost a quarter of the global market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11 percent between 2021 and 2026.

The major factors driving the industry studied are the increasing demand from the paints and coatings industries. Paints and coatings account for a significant share of the market and are estimated to be one of the fastest-growing application sectors. Architectural and decorative coatings account for a major consumption of pigments.

Thus, the rising construction and infrastructure activities in the country act as a significant driver for the market.

Another factor driving the industry is the increasing purchasing power of the consumers and their changing lifestyle. Their interest in innovative and quality products is pushing the industry growth.

With urbanisation, the competition among the major players is also growing. This has resulted in the availability of a variety of products in the market.

Market Outlook The India dyes and pigments market is being driven by the growth

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

Due to the rising demand for organic pigments, they are the dominant type of pigments being produced in India, accounting for 58 percent of the total pigment production in India. The growth of the pigment market is aided by the cosmetic industry growth in the country. Due to improving living standards and evolving lifestyles, the demand for cosmetic products such as skincare, haircare, and perfume is growing rapidly, giving the Indian cosmetics industry a high boost. The cosmetic industry is a major application sector for the pigments market.

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The dyes industry in India is expected to witness a steady growth in the coming years due to environmental crackdowns in China, resulting in a shutdown of several domestic dye companies. India is better placed due to the availability of the ecosystem, feedstock, technology, and compliance required for the industry. Thus, the consumer base of China is likely to shift to India due to these reasons in the coming years.

Properties and Applications Dyes are material that are mixed into a solvent and used to change the colour of something. Pigment, on the other hand, refers to a highly coloured class of compounds used to dye certain materials.

Pigments are stable at normal temperatures and have a high tinting capacity, so when applied on objects or combined with a liquid, only a small amount is required to see the colour.

The dyes market can be segmented: •

Azo

•

Acid Direct

•

Disperse

•

Oil Soluble

•

Reactive

•

Sulphur

•

Vat

•

Solubilized Vat

•

Food Colours

Dyes find its applications in textiles, food, paper, and leather, among others.

Based on product types: •

Optical Whitening Agents

•

Organic Pigments

•

Pigment Emulsion

•

Inorganic Pigments

Pigments find wide applications in paint and coatings, plastics, printing inks, and textiles sectors, among others.

Source: ExpertMarketResearch

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Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

REPORTS MALEIC ANHYDRIDE MARKET

BIO-BASED MALEIC ANHYDRIDE COMMERCIALIZATION IS OPPORTUNITY FOR MARKET

The increasing sales of passenger cars and commercial vehicles drives the maleic anhydride market in the automotive industry. (Image © Pixabay GmbH)

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he maleic anhydride market size is estimated to be $2.8 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $3.4 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 4.2 percent. Factors such as increasing demand for UPR in the automotive industry, high growth in the construction and wind energy industries, and growing demand of 1,4-BDO in various end-use industries are major driving factors. Commercialization of bio-based maleic anhydride is the major growth opportunity for the market.

Asia Pacific is the key market for maleic anhydride, globally, in terms of value. It is also the fastest-growing region in the maleic anhydride market. Whereas Europe is the second-largest market for maleic anhydride, globally, in terms of value, followed by North America.

The market is highly dependent on the automotive and industrial sectors. Asia Pacific is the largest region in terms of value for the maleic anhydride market.

In Asia Pacific, a reduction in vehicle traffic was seen from South Asia constituting countries, such as India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Central Asian countries. This lowered the demand for maleic anhydride in the region. China holds a major market share in the maleic anhydride market in the Asia Pacific region but was severely affected by the pandemic initially. Millions of people were quarantined, thus putting a pause on all supply chains dependent on China. The travel bans and lockdown imposed in most of the major cities in China had reduced the production of oil in the country. It has also affected the workforce community without which, many ports, such as Shenzhen and Shanghai, are closed for operations.

However, the country has shown signs of recovery after the lockdown of three months. Most of the businesses have reopened, which is expected to generate the demand for maleic anhydride. Other developing countries too have accelerated their vehicle production in 2021 after the rollout of the mass vaccination drive.

Market Dynamics Driver: Increasing demand for UPR & 1,4-BDO from the automotive industry Impact of COVID-19 on Maleic Anhydride Market The global pandemic has affected almost every sector in the world. The maleic anhydride market has shown negative growth as it was affected due to disruptions in the global supply chain and fall in the oil prices.

This situation arise due to fall in demand from the automobile sector.

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

The increasing sales of passenger cars and commercial vehicles drive the maleic anhydride market in the automotive industry. Maleic anhydride is used as an ingredient in UPR, which is further used to manufacture automotive composites, such as closure panels, body panels, fenders, Grille Opening Reinforcement (GOR), heat shields, headlamp reflectors, and pick-up boxes.

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Maleic anhydride copolymers are also used to manufacture lubricant additives, such as viscosity index improver, pour point depressant, and dispersant. The increasing sales of passenger and commercial vehicles, globally, are driving the overall maleic anhydride market.

The motorization rate has increased over the past five years in developed and the developing countries, owing to the increasing disposable income of people and industrial growth. The consistent rise in the number of vehicles is increasing the demand for engine oil, functional fluids, and automotive components in the emerging economies; thus, positively influencing the maleic anhydride market.

Restraints: Growth in demand for hybrid vehicles and increasing battery price parity Hybrid vehicles contain both a small Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and an electric motor for optimum power utilization and reducing emissions from vehicles. The growing number of hybrid vehicles is expected to reduce the demand for engine oil, functional fluid, and transmission fluid per vehicle, almost by half, according to industry experts. This factor, coupled with the increasing battery parity, is expected to impact the volume of the maleic anhydride market.

Batteries for electric vehicles are very expensive; however, with improved technology, their cost is reducing, and the driving range per charge is increasing. These factors have a huge impact on engine oil consumption, especially with decreasing battery costs. The demand for electric vehicles is expected to increase, thereby decreasing the overall engine oil consumption; which is expected to decrease the demand for maleic anhydride in lubricating oil additives.

Opportunities: Commercialization maleic anhydride

of

bio-based

Maleic anhydride is traditionally produced through the oxidation of aromatic compounds. The key players in the market are continually innovating to develop alternative feedstock for maleic anhydride due to the growing awareness regarding the toxicity of benzene and other aromatic compounds. Although there is an alternative for petroleumbased maleic anhydride available in the market, there are few applications, such as UPR, copolymers, and 1,4-BDO, wherein maleic anhydride cannot be replaced by other substitutes. Hence, to solve this problem, an alternative to the petroleum-based maleic anhydride is available—bio-based maleic anhydride—that can be produced using a renewable source as feedstock. The bio-based raw material is fermented to produce a mixture comprising butanol, which is further purified and then oxidized to get the desired maleic anhydride.

The use of bio-based feedstock has its own advantages over conventional ones. The oil resources are limited, and the extraction of benzene and its further oxidation are expensive procedures. In addition, the manufacturers have to rely on tougher technologies and sophisticated equipment, which directly affects the manufacturing cost of maleic anhydride. In order to overcome these constraints, the commercialization of bio-based maleic anhydride on a large scale is essential

Challenges: Fluctuations in prices of crude oil Crude oil prices play a crucial role in the maleic anhydride market. Any structural changes in the oil market impact the raw material prices for maleic anhydride. The fluctuations of prices of crude oil places maleic anhydride producers in adverse situations, which affect profitability.

The fluctuating crude oil prices in the last few years have affected the maleic anhydride value chain as crude oil is the raw material for benzene, which is used for manufacturing maleic anhydride. Countries that consume large amounts of energy have been coping with oil prices

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above USD 100 per barrel since 2011, which had fallen to approximately USD 50 per barrel in March 2020. Therefore, fluctuating crude oil prices have created uncertainties for maleic anhydride producers.

Owing to fluctuating base oil prices, the decision to buy crude oil becomes difficult as manufacturers are unsure of the prices at which they should buy crude oil.

n-butane to be fastest-growing raw material in market The n-butane-based maleic anhydride accounted for the larger share, in terms of both volume and value, in 2020. This dominance is expected to continue during the forecast period, owing to its high demand from the growing building & construction and automotive industries. The n-butane segment is projected to witness higher growth, in terms of both volume and value, during the forecast period, owing to stringent policies and regulations on the use of benzene for maleic anhydride production.

Lubricating oil additives was the largest application Lubricating oil additives is the third-largest application of maleic anhydride. Maleic anhydride is used in the production of lubricating oil and hydraulic fluids to boost the performance of lubricants by providing alkalinity, static and dust control, emulsification, corrosion inhibition, dispersion, shear stability, and low-temperature fluidity.

Lubricating oils are used in gasoline and diesel engine crankcase to prevent dispersion and corrosion. The growing automotive industry in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East & African regions is expected to drive the demand for lubricating oil additives, which, in turn, would drive the demand for maleic anhydride in the region.

Regional Growth Asia Pacific is projected to be the largest maleic anhydride market, in terms of value, in 2020 due to the rise in the automotive production.

The maleic anhydride market in the Asia Pacific is also projected to grow at the highest CAGR, in terms of value, during the forecast period.

This dominance is attributed to the growing domestic industries, increasing demand from end-use industries, and growing use of maleic anhydride in different applications, such as agricultural chemicals and pharmaceuticals. The demand for maleic anhydride is growing and is expected to register higher growth in Asia Pacific and the Middle East & Africa than in the other regions.

Europe was the second-largest market for maleic anhydride, in terms of value, in 2020. The maleic anhydride market in Europe is projected to grow slower during the forecast period as it is a mature market.

The chemical industry is a significant part of the country’s economy; it is regarded as the world leader in chemical production and has four categories: base chemicals, specialty chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and consumer chemicals. However, the growth of maleic anhydride in the region has been hampered due to the financial crisis, which still has a profound impact on many of the economies in the region. The European chemical industry, however, is still in a strong position. The majority of the chemical sales in Europe are of petrochemicals and

polymers, which experience a continuous rise of share in sales among all the chemicals.

The demand for maleic anhydride in industries, such as automotive and building & construction, is driving the market in the region. There are huge growth opportunities in Germany, the UK, Spain, Italy and other European countries.

The UPR segment is the most significant application of maleic anhydride in the region. Europe has a few global market players of maleic anhydrides, such as Polynt-Riechhold Group (Italy) and ESIM Chemicals (Austria).

Source: MarketsandMarkets Research Pvt Ltd

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REPORTS PAINTS & COATINGS MARKET

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY DEMAND TO PROPEL PAINTS & COATINGS MARKET

Architectural applications generated the highest demand for paints and coatings market during the historical period (2015–2020), both in terms of volume and value. (Representative Image © Pixabay GmbH)

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arket Overview

The global paints and coatings market was valued at $151,399.4 million in 2020, and it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.8 percent during 2020–2030. The key factors responsible for the growth of the market include the growing construction industry, increasing demand for automobiles, surging demand for paints and coatings from the oil and gas industry, and increasing consumer spending.

The market for paints and coatings is highly backward-integrated with the petrochemical feedstock and titanium dioxide industries and forward-integrated with the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. Since the pandemic led to a temporary halt in commercial construction and industrial production, the requirement for paints and coatings reduced. Further, as per the International Energy Agency (IEA), the global oil demand fell in the year 2020 due to the COVIDinduced shock and a shift in the momentum toward investments in clean energy. Thus, the crude oil supply–demand imbalance and its future uncertainty have impacted the market negatively.

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Acrylic Formulations, Architectural Applications Dominated Market The acrylic category accounted for the larger share in the paints and coatings market in 2020, based on formulation. This was mainly due to the highly soluble, elastic, versatile, and non-toxic nature, as well as the water resistance, of acrylic compounds. In addition, the increasing use of acrylic coatings on interior and exterior walls, windows, and door panels is a major factor driving the demand for them.

Architectural applications generated the highest demand for paints and coatings during the historical period (2015–2020), both in terms of volume and value. This is attributed to the rapid growth in the global population, which has resulted in an increasing demand for paints and coatings for residential and commercial construction projects.

Adoption of Smart Coatings Is Key Market Trend Smart coatings can change their properties according to an external stimulus, such as temperature and electric field. They are increasingly being used in commercial applications, and also offer various advantages in a range of other applications, such as repairing damaged aero engines and oil and gas platforms. Due to their self-cleaning, selfhealing, and self-stratifying properties, smart coatings have gained traction in the market in recent years, as consumers are willing to pay premium prices for them. Hence, the rising adoption of these solutions is trending in the market for paintings and coatings.

Ultraviolet (UV) Technology To Witness Highest Growth Rate The UV category is projected to register the fastest growth in the market during the forecast period (2021–2030), based on technology.

This can be attributed to the increasing adoption of these variants in the aerospace industry as they offer high reactivity, rapid curing, long shelf life, low-temperature processing, virtually no volatile organic compound (VOC) emission, high hardness, and abrasion resistance.

Moreover, the UV curing technology can be used in industrial finishing areas, such as wood coating, automotive coating, wire coating, packaging coating, metal decorative coating, and floor finishing.

Asia-Pacific Market To Witness Fastest Growth in Coming Years Geographically, APAC was the largest market for paints and coatings in 2020, and during the forecast period, it is expected to witness the fastest growth, owing to the increasing demand for paints and coatings for the renovation and repair of commercial and residential buildings.

Additionally, the increase in the government and private investments in the construction and automotive sectors is driving the paints and coatings market in the region. For instance, according to the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), in Union Budget 2021–2022, to support initiatives such as Housing for All and Smart Cities Mission, the Government of India allocated $1.89 billion (INR 13,750 crore).

Construction Industry and Demand for Automobiles To Drive Growth The construction industry is growing at a significant pace in Sweden, the US, China, India, Canada, Australia and the UK, owing to the rising population and increasing urbanization rate. This has resulted in the increasing investment in construction projects, such as hotels, apartments, offices, retail centers, and civic infrastructure. For instance, construction output in India is expected to grow at an average of 7.1 percent each year till 2025. Moreover, in April 2020, the Government of India set a target of constructing roads worth $212.8 billion in the next two years. Thus, the government investments in infrastructure development are propelling the consumption of paints and coatings.

Globally, the increasing demand for automobiles, on account of the rapid urbanization, rising disposable income, and changing lifestyles, is also directly affecting the growth of the paints and coatings market, as these materials are widely used in automobile applications, especially since people are becoming more inclined toward purchasing attractive vehicles. For instance, in 2019, around 91.3 million automobiles were sold worldwide, while the sale in 2014 was 88.3 million units. This not only drives the usage of paints and coatings during auto production, but also during their lifetime, such as for painting over scratches.

Source: P&S Intelligence

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

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REPORTS PETROCHEMICALS MARKET

END-USE INDUSTRIES DEMAND TO FUEL PETROCHEMICALS MARKET GROWTH

The petrochemicals market to witness steady growth from 2021 to 2028, owing to demand from industries such as construction, industrial, textile, medical, pharmaceuticals, consumer good automotive and electronics. (Image © Pixabay GmbH)

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verview

The global petrochemicals market size was valued at $536.1 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4 percent in terms of revenue from 2021 to 2028. The market is expected to witness steady growth over the forecast period owing to increasing demand from end-use industries such as construction, industrial, textile, medical, pharmaceuticals, consumer good automotive and electronics. Products such as ethylene, propylene, benzene are widely used in various end-use industries such as packaging, electronics, plastics, and rubber. Rising shale gas exploration in North American countries such as the Canada and US is expected to further augment market growth.

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The dynamics of the market for petrochemicals has a direct impact on a vast number of performance products such as plastic resins, synthetic fibers, rubber products, paints and coatings, adhesives and sealants, lubricants, water treatment products, and industrial chemicals.

Economic development coupled with population expansion in emerging economies of Asia Pacific countries including China, India, Japan and Thailand is expected to drive the market in the predicted years.

revenue share of more than 45.0 percent in 2020. A critical factor fueling growth of the market in this region is surged domestic consumption of petrochemicals owing to the rapid growth of enduse industries. Companies in the region are shifting toward natural gas liquids and other non-oil feedstocks to cater to the rising demand for petrochemicals, along with strategizing cost-effective methods to increase sales of the products.

Crude oil and natural gas are the major raw materials used for the manufacturing of petrochemical products. The volatile prices of crude oil are a major challenge in the procurement process of crude oil as a raw material for manufacturers. The industry players that are reliant on crude oil as a feedstock for manufacturing are likely to face difficulties in the coming years. However, declining prices of natural gas owing to a rise in its production are expected to augment the growth of the market over the forecast period.

North America accounted for the second-largest revenue share in the market in 2020 and is anticipated to witness a CAGR of 6.6 percent in the predicted years. Growing consumption of ethylene specifically in anti-freezing/cooling applications in the automotive industry is projected to drive the growth of the ethylene segment in North America.

Moreover, the surging demand for ethylene from the packaged food industry is also anticipated to contribute to its demand.

The steam cracking process is one of the most commonly used processes for manufacturing petrochemicals from natural gas or crude oil. In this process, ethane, a derivative of natural gas or naphtha that is predominantly derived from crude oil, is used for the manufacturing of olefins. A steam cracker has equipment operating at pressure from near-vacuum to 100 atm and operating at temperatures from 100 K to 1400 K. End-use industries evaluate the quality of products supplied from time to time and establish procurement agreements with suppliers to purchase petrochemical derivatives in bulk and ensure their stable and seasonal supply. An increasing number of petrochemicals suppliers in the market has resulted in the high bargaining power of buyers.

Product Insights Ethylene was the leading product segment and accounted for the largest revenue share of 40.1 percent in 2020. The segment is expected to witness a CAGR of 6.5 percent in the coming years. The growth is attributed to ongoing industrialization and flourishing automotive and packaging sectors in emerging economies such as India, Brazil, Vietnam, and Thailand are expected to fuel the consumption of ethylene significantly in these countries in the coming years. Surged use of polyethylene, HDPE, and Low-density Polyethylene (LDPE) is expected to foster the overall growth of the market for petrochemicals.

The methanol segment is predicted to witness the highest CAGR over the forecast period. Methanol is used as a feedstock for producing acetic acid and formaldehyde, which are used in foams, adhesives, foams, solvents, plywood subfloors, and windshield washer fluids. The demand for methanol is predicted to witness growth on account of its high demand in several end-use industries such as construction, paints and adhesives, pharmaceuticals, plastics and automotive.

Butadiene was the second-largest product segment in 2020 and accounted for 15.1 percent of the revenue share. It is majorly utilized as a chemical intermediate and a monomer during the production of polymers such as styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), Polybutadiene Rubber (PBR), Polychloroprene (PBR), and Nitrile Rubber (NR).

Butadiene derivatives have witnessed a significant increase in demand specifically in China, India and other Asian countries owing to the flourishing end-use industries such as automobile, consumer goods, construction and others.

Regional Insights Asia Pacific dominated the market and accounted for the largest

Ethylene is primarily utilized to produce polyethylene, which is a widely used consumer plastic in several end-use industries. Increasing ethylene production in key countries, such as Germany, France, and the UK, of the region, has led to the surged demand for petrochemicals from manufacturers to produce various industrial chemicals.

Key Companies Companies engaged in manufacturing petrochemical products continuously undergo acquisitions and mergers, and joint ventures with governments and other key players that are already in the field of oil and gas. By these operational integrations, companies seek to expand their reach to potential customers at optimum distribution cost.

Recently, China National Petroleum Corporation signed an agreement with the Republic of Benin to construct a pipeline from Niger to the Atlantic coast in Benin to strengthen its crude oil business footprint in Africa. LyondellBasell Industries Holdings BV and the China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation announced a 50-50 joint venture to produce Propylene Oxide (PO) and Styrene Monomer (SM) in China.

The competitive rivalry among producers of petrochemicals is high as the market is characterized by the presence of a large number of global players with strong distribution networks. Top players have been dominating the market for the past few years owing to increasing investments in R&D activities related to new product development and manufacturing processes.

Source: Grand View Research

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REPORTS PETROLEUM COKE MARKET

ENERGY & CEMENT SECTORS TO BOOST GLOBAL PETROLEUM COKE MARKET

The global petroleum coke market is envisaged to take massive strides in its growth owing to incessant power need of the energy and cement sectors, especially in emerging countries of Asia Pacific. (Representative Image © Pixabay GmbH)

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arket Overview

The global petroleum coke market was valued at $24.1 billion in 2020 and is estimated to expand at a CAGR of 8.1 percent from 2021 to 2031. And the global petroleum coke market is expected to reach the value of $56.8 billion by the end of 2031.

Further, the global petroleum coke market is envisaged to take massive strides forward in its growth owing to incessant power need of the energy and cement sectors, especially in emerging countries of Asia Pacific. The growth of the world petroleum coke market could be further complemented on the back of quick expansion of steel production due to the development of transportation, highway, railway, automobile and construction industries. Besides its usage as a cost-effective and an alternative fuel, petroleum coke could be engaged as a profitable asset in the manufacture of certain chemicals and as a confined power generation fuel.

Due to growing environmental concerns and pollution, the employment of petroleum coke could be discouraged, thus negatively affecting the global demand for petroleum coke. However, the process of gasification of petroleum coke is expected to boost profit margins and encourage clean power production.

Aluminum Industry a Major Consumer of Calcined Coke In terms of product type, the worldwide petroleum coke market could be classified into calcined or green coke and fuel grade coke. The aluminum sector is researched to be a major consumer of calcined coke.

It could account for a staggering 75 to 80 percent of the demand in the calcined coke market on a global platform by 2031. The remaining percentage of the demand for calcined coke is predicted to be secured by steel, paper, paint and chemical sectors.

Calcined coke in these sectors could be used for manufacture of titanium dioxide pigments. Moreover, calcined coke finds extensive application in fertilizer, glass, brick, and colorings markets.

Fuel grade coke, on the other hand, is envisioned to be highly utilized in power and cement kilns sectors. This type of petroleum coke could also draw a high demand due to its ability to blend with traditional coalfired boilers. Fuel grade coke is expected to benefit from the complete replacement of steam coal by technologically-enhanced boiler designs.

Cement and Power Generation dominate in Asia Pacific

Applications

The Asia Pacific petroleum coke market is foretold to gain a strong impetus in the near future as it rides on a stunning growth in developing economies of China and India. The cement sector of India is likely to engage petroleum coke at a significant rate. Power plants in China are projected to use major percentage of petroleum coke for the generation of power.

Rise in population and aggressive industrialization in Asia Pacific are expected to raise the hopes of petroleum coke manufacturers operating in these regions. More opportunities are foreseen to take shape in Asia Pacific as the region dominates the international petroleum coke market in respect of demand led by colossal imports. At present, the US is analyzed to hold the dominant position in the export of petroleum coke. The low cost of petroleum coke is likely to be a major attraction for its import since a substantial quantity of power could be produced at an economical rate. Besides this, a large quantity of heat can be produced with a small quantity of petroleum coke.

Europe is anticipated to be another major importer of petroleum coke due to its increasing demand in the region. Petroleum coke is considered a preferable option instead of natural gas and coal in view of its timely and easy availability.

Market Competition Of all the major players operating in the global petroleum coke market, HPCL-Mittal Energy Limited (HMEL), ExxonMobil Corporation, Essar Oil Ltd, Chevron Corporation and BP Plc are anticipated to be prominent market players.

Source: Transparency Market Research

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ACADEMIC R&D

UNCOVERING CATALYTIC MECHANISM AT ATOMIC LEVEL

The images compare experimental (left) and simulated (right) reaction intermediate in the formation of a benzene-like compound with single bonds

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reactions. The researchers were able to match atomic scale images of the reaction they observed with theoretical calculations.

Using a combination of microscopy and spectroscopy to get real-world imagery as well as sophisticated theoretical calculations, Washington State University researchers collaborated with Prof. Junfa Zhu from the University of Science and Technology of China to unravel an underlying mechanism of a catalytic reaction at the atomic level.

“In real catalysts, when there are so many side reactions, it’s so complicated that making the direct link between experiment and theory is very difficult,” McEwen said. “But when you have well-defined catalysts like those we were looking at, you can obtain a much more predictive understanding of what’s going on, and this can be used as a stepping stone toward the development of more complex models on more realistic catalytic surfaces.”

atalysts are used in a wide variety of industrial processes around the world in everything from the production of medicines, fertilizers, plastics, and other household products to the processing of fossil fuels.

The work, published in the high-impact journal of the American Chemical Society, JACS, improves fundamental understanding of reactions that could someday lead to more efficient industrial processes.

“There’s a popular image of something like witch’s brew in which things are randomly stirred together to make the catalysts what they are. Here we’re trying to predict how to synthesize something very particular,” said Jean-Sabin McEwen, associate professor in the Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering and corresponding author on the paper.

The researchers studied the reactions of a chemical called biphenyl, a naturally occurring organic compound that is in coal, natural gas, and crude oil. The researchers compared two slightly different versions of the chemical. Adding two or four extra bromine atoms to the molecule resulted in a dramatically different chemical reaction when they interacted with a simple silver surface. In one case, the result was a benzene-like compound with single bonds. In the other, the molecule resembled a honeycomb, similar to the beginning of a carbon graphene sheet. One of the reactions also required higher temperatures and more energy to complete, an important concern for industries using catalytic

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WSU recently became an affiliate member of the Center for Rational Catalyst Synthesis, a National Science Foundation-funded center that aims to better understand the fundamentals of making catalysts. The NSF center asks that universities work with industrial partners in an effort to solve real-world problems, said McEwen.

Developing catalysts is very costly for industries, requiring systematic and repeated testing that have great difficulty in predicting end results, he said.

“It would be a huge saving in cost if we could predict what we’re going to get at the end of the day, either computationally or through a combination of experiments and theory,” he said. “This is a very fundamental study that addresses the interest of industries in making catalysts what they are.”

The lead authors on the paper include Zhiwen Zeng from the University of Science and Technology of China and Dezhou Guo, a postdoctoral researcher in the Voiland School. The work was funded by the National Science Foundation CAREER program along with Washington State’s Joint Center for Deployment and Research in Earth Abundant Materials.

ENHANCING EFFICIENCY OF KEY ENERGY STORAGE METHOD

The reversible reactions can absorb energy in the form of heat and thus conserve energy that would otherwise be lost.

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esearch by the Oregon State University College of Engineering has uncovered a way to improve the efficiency of a type of grid-scale storage crucial for a global transition toward renewable energy.

Moving toward net-zero carbon emissions means dealing with the intermittent, unpredictable nature of green power sources such as wind and solar and also overcoming supply and demand mismatches, said OSU’s Nick AuYeung, who led the study along with Ph.D. student Fuqiong Lei. Those challenges, AuYeung notes, necessitate energy storage through means beyond pumped hydro plants, which feature a turbine between two water reservoirs of different elevations, and huge lithium-ion batteries.

The computer modelling study spearheaded by AuYeung, associate professor of chemical engineering, and Lei found that one of those additional energy storage technologies, compressed air, could be improved via chemical reactions.

The reversible reactions can absorb energy in the form of heat and subsequently conserve energy that would otherwise be lost.

Findings, published in Energy Conversion and Management, are also applicable to a related technology, liquid air energy storage, AuYeung said.

As their names suggest, the liquid and compressed air techniques harness energy that can be accessed when needed by allowing stored air – either pressurized or cooled to a liquid form – to expand and pass through electricity-generating turbines.

However, both CAES, as compressed air energy storage is typically expressed, and LAES (liquid air) score somewhat poorly in a category known as round-trip efficiency, AuYeung explains. With either, only about half the energy put in can be pulled out – think of it as making a bank deposit of $1,000 but, due to various charges, only about $500 is available for withdrawal.

“An advantage of CAES is that it allows energy to be stored at large scales, which is a hurdle for electrochemical battery technologies,”

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

he said. “But a major challenge for traditional CAES is reaching high round-trip efficiency.”

In a conventional CAES process, electricity is used to compress air, and the compressed air is stored below ground in a cavern or in a pressure vessel, AuYeung said. When the air is compressed, its temperature rises, but that heat is typically regarded as waste and thus goes unrecovered and unused.

“To discharge the air to produce power, it’s usually heated with natural gas to increase the turbine feed’s enthalpy, the total system energy,” he said. “Factoring in heat lost during storage, the result is that the overall round-trip efficiency – the ratio of turbine output work to work consumed through compression – is only between 40 percent and 50 percent.”

AuYeung and collaborators at OSU, Mississippi State University and Michigan State University came up with a storage scheme to improve that efficiency – thermochemically recovering lost heat – and developed a mathematical model for its design and operation. An advantage of thermochemical energy storage, or TCES, over other methods is a higher energy density made possible by capturing heat in the form of chemical bonds, he said.

Using their model, the researchers analyzed the performance of TCES incorporated into thermal energy storage via “packed beds” – vessels filled with some kind of solid packing medium, where energy reaches the solid by means of a heat transfer fluid such as air. The filler material is typically alumina, ceramic or crushed rock.

Oregon State University supported this research through the OSU Advantage, which assists work related to entrepreneurship, intellectual property and technology transfer.

The collaboration included David Korba, Like Li and Wei Huang of Mississippi State University, who were instrumental in building the mathematical model, and Kelvin Randhir of Michigan State University, who helped in the conceptual development.

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CUSTOMISED ENZYMES FOR CATALYZING NEW-TO-NATURE REACTIONS

The images compare experimental (left) and simulated (right) reaction intermediate in the formation of a benzene-like compound with single bonds

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nzymes are biology’s catalytic workhorses, binding molecules together, splitting them apart and reconfiguring them in processes vital to everything from digestion to breathing. Their availability, efficiency and specificity have long made them popular for reactions outside biological systems as well, including those involved in food preservation, detergents and disease diagnostics.

“Enzymes are nature’s privileged catalysts,” said UC Santa Barbara assistant professor of chemistry Yang Yang. “They can catalyze reactions with amazing selectivity.” Efforts over the past three decades have also resulted in the development of customized enzymes - enzymes rapidly evolved for directed purposes, to interact with specific molecules, resulting in a high yield of desired products with unparalleled selectivities.

However, Yang added, the reactions that enzymes can allow for are relatively limited - a somewhat small repertoire for their powerful ability to efficiently make products at lower material, energy and environmental costs.

To bridge that gap and merge the best of both worlds - versatility and selectivity - Yang and his research team have developed a method by which certain enzymes can be coaxed into facilitating useful reactions that were never previously observed in the biological world, thereby widening their repertoire and opening possibilities for processes never before conducted by enzymes.

“If we can develop these so-called new-to-nature enzymatic activities, then we have very powerful biocatalysts for pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries,” said Yang, who with colleagues at UC Santa Barbara and University of Pittsburgh authored a paper that appears in the journal Science.

3D Chemistry Stereochemistry (also known as 3D chemistry) is essential to controlling the bioactivity of small-molecule medicines. Most biomacromolecules, including DNAs and proteins, are chiral, meaning they are asymmetric in structure.

“It’s just like your left hand and right hand: They look the same but they are not superimposable, meaning they are chiral,” Yang explained. “To effectively interact with these chiral biomacromolecules, small-molecule drugs have to be designed with specific stereochemistry. Oftentimes, one enantiomer of a chiral drug molecule is very potent, whereas the other enantiomer is ineffective or even poisonous.”

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The most efficient way to create such valuable chiral molecules is based on asymmetric catalysis, he said, a process where a tailored catalyst selectively produces one enantiomer (non-superimposable chiral molecule) instead of another. Unfortunately, many challenges still exist in the field of asymmetric catalysis. In particular, a class of widely used reactions - namely radical reactions or reactions involving open-shell intermediates - have not yet succumbed to asymmetric catalysis. This problem has long eluded synthetic chemists.

“Organic radicals are very common and extremely active reaction intermediates in synthetic chemistry,” Yang said. “However, it’s known that controlling the stereochemistry of these reactions is very, very hard.”

There are two problems that arise, he explained. One is that the radical, once generated, usually doesn’t interact tightly with the catalyst.

“So there’s no way to impose stereocontrol over these radical-mediated bond formations,” he said.

Secondly, there is oftentimes the activity-selectivity tradeoff.

“If you have a highly active species, then it’s going to be relatively difficult for you to control the selectivity of the reactions involving these intermediates. So there’s usually a trade-off,” Yang said.

The solution? Directed evolution - evolve the enzyme to be able to rein in the radical.

“Directed evolution uses these rounds of mutation and screening to optimize enzyme functions,” Yang explained. “In this process, we create a huge library of enzyme variants by DNA manipulation.” With a DNA library for target reactions the researchers can express and screen their protein mutants to aid in the identification of promising enzyme catalysts. The improved enzyme then becomes the parent in the subsequent round of engineering. This way, through iterative cycles of mutation and screening, optimal enzyme activity and selectivity are reached.

Using this method, the researchers were able to repurpose an enzyme into conducting an “unnatural biocatalytic reaction, namely stereoselective atom transfer radical cyclization,” merging the power of synthetic catalysis and control nature affords with enzymatic catalysis.

This new ability opens up many possibilities, including a wider variety of molecules that can be acted upon by newly evolved enzymes.

CAMERA THAT DISTINGUISHES 12 DIFFERENT TYPES OF PLASTIC TO BOOST RECYCLING

The reversible reactions can absorb energy in the form of heat and thus conserve energy that would otherwise be lost.

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n collaboration with Vestforbrænding, Dansk Affaldsminimering Aps, and PLASTIX, researchers from the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering at Aarhus University have now developed a new camera technology that can see the difference between 12 different types of plastics (PE, PP, PET, PS, PVC, PVDF, POM, PEEK, ABS, PMMA, PC, and PA12). Together, these constitute the vast majority of household plastic types.

For the first time, we can now tell the difference between a wide range of plastic types and thereby separate plastics according to their chemical composition. This is absolutely ground-breaking and it will increase the rate of recycling of plastics immensely. The technology has already been tested at pilot scale and it will be implemented at an industrial scale in spring 2022.

In contrast to common perceptions, plastic is in no way near one material. Rather, it is a combination of many materials (polymers) with different chemical compounds and additives such as pigments or fibres, depending on its use. It is very difficult to tell the difference between different types of plastics, and this is what makes it difficult to separate and recycle them.

The technology makes it possible to separate plastics based on a purer chemical composition than is possible today, and this opens up for completely new opportunities to recycle plastics. The technology has been tested at pilot scale and is planned to be implemented at PLASTIX and Dansk Affaldsminimering Aps in spring 2022.

“With this technology, we can now see the difference between all types of consumer plastics and several high-performance plastics. We can even see the difference between plastics that consist of the same chemical building blocks, but which are structured slightly differently. We use a hyperspectral camera in the infrared area, and machine learning to analyse and categorise the type of plastic directly on the conveyor belt. The plastic can then be separated into different types. It’s a breakthrough that will have a huge impact on all plastics separation,” said associate professor Mogens Hinge, who is heading the project at Aarhus University.

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

The study has been published in the scientific journal Vibrational Spectroscopy.

Plastics are currently separated using near-infrared technology (NIR) or via density tests (floats/sinks in water). These methods can separate certain plastic fractions (for example PE, PP, and PET), but not with the same accuracy as the new technology, and therefore not with the chemical purity in the composition, and this is vital to be able to increase the recycling rate of waste plastic.

“The technology we’ve developed in collaboration with the university is nothing short of a breakthrough for our ability to recycle plastics. We look forward to installing the technology in our processing hall and starting in earnest on the long journey towards 100% utilisation of waste plastic,” said Hans Axel Kristensen, CEO of PLASTIX. Plastic must be at least 96 percent pure by polymer type to be recycled in conventional industry. This means that the plastic has to be separated to an almost pure product in terms of chemical composition.

Using the new technology, we are now a big step along the way, said Hinge, who stresses that the technology is continuously being developed and that data indicates it may be possible to differentiate even further between polymer types and additives before long.

The hyper-spectral camera technology has been developed in crossdisciplinary collaboration, including BSc and MSc engineering students and researchers at the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering at Aarhus University, as well as experts from the participating companies.

The research is part of the Re-Plast project, which is being funded by the Innovation Fund Denmark with DKK 22.7 million. The project is being headed by the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering at Aarhus University. Other participants are the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Aarhus University, Vestforbrænding, Dansk Affaldsminimering and PLASTIX.

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GOLD SOLUTION TO CATALYSIS GRAND CHALLENGE

The images compare experimental (left) and simulated (right) reaction intermediate in the formation of a benzene-like compound with single bonds

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simple, low-cost method of directly converting natural gas into useful chemicals and fuels, using the precious metal gold as a key ingredient, has been proposed by researchers at Cardiff University in collaboration with researchers at Lehigh University, US and the National Centre for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, China.

Whilst natural gas is one of the greenest fossil fuels, it still emits dangerous greenhouse gases into the atmosphere when burned.

This has, in turn, led researchers to devise novel ways of converting methane, which accounts for 70-90 percent of natural gas, into more useful products, such as a fuels and chemicals, in a simple, cost-effective and low-carbon manner.

In a study published in Nature Catalysis, the team led by researchers from the Cardiff Catalysis Institute has demonstrated, for the time, the direct conversion of methane into methanol and acetic acid using a gold catalyst.

Up until now, this has only been achieved through indirect routes which include multiple steps that are highly energy consuming and very costly.

To achieve the creation of methanol and acetic acid the team reacted methane with oxygen in the presence of a catalyst made from gold and the zeolite ZSM-5.

By examining the catalyst using high-powered electron microscopy, it was revealed that the active catalyst did not contain gold atoms or

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clusters, but rather gold nanoparticles – extremely small particles between 3 to 15 nanometres in size that can exhibit significantly different physical and chemical properties to their larger material counterparts.

The production of methanol using this catalyst was expected; however, the novelty of the new method came in the production of acetic acid.

Acetic acid is a common industrial chemical with large quantities used to make products such as ink for textile printing, dyes, photographic chemicals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, rubber and plastics.

Methanol, meanwhile, is commonly used as a precursor to many other commodity chemicals, as well as a biofuel.

Despite the well-known inertness of the precious metal gold, pioneering research by scientists at the Cardiff Catalysis Institute has demonstrated that it is, in fact, an extremely efficient and reliable catalyst that can be used effectively in many important industrial processes.

“The oxidation of methane, the main component of natural gas, to selectively form oxygenated chemical intermediates using molecular oxygen has been a long-standing grand challenge in catalysis. We have successfully demonstrated this for the very first time in this study, providing an important first step towards the creation of important fuels and chemicals in a simple and cost-effective way,” said co-author of the study professor Graham Hutchings, Regius Professor of Chemistry from the Cardiff Catalysis Institute.

NOVEL ELECTROCATALYST BOOSTS SYNTHESIS OF UREA FROM CO2 AND N2

The reversible reactions can absorb energy in the form of heat and thus conserve energy that would otherwise be lost.

A

research team led by Prof. ZHANG Guangjin from the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has fabricated a novel InOOH electrocatalyst with unique frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) for efficient urea synthesis at ambient conditions. This work was published in Chem Catalysis.

The industrial process of nitrogen (N2) fixation, ie, the amino synthesis process, consumes a great deal of energy and produces a large amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) due to harsh reaction conditions.

Electrochemical C-N coupling reactions at ambient conditions can realize both N2 fixation and CO2 conversion into value-added urea molecules, thus solving the problem of excessive CO2 emissions during the N2 fixation process. However, this strategy remains challenging due to the low catalytic activity and selectivity of the catalyst.

FLPs are composed of a Lewis acid and a Lewis base that are sterically prevented from bond formation. “FLPs possess the capability of chemisorbing and reacting with various gas molecules. They can capture and react with N2 and CO2, thus forming a new strategy for urea electrosynthesis,” said ZHANG.

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

In this study, the researchers synthesized rice-like InOOH nanoparticles coupled with well-defined FLPs (i.e, In···In-OH), thus achieving a urea yield rate of 6.85 mmol h-1 g-1.

The electron-deficient Lewis acidic In sites and electron-rich Lewis basic In-OH achieved the targeted chemisorption of the N2 and CO2 molecules, respectively, by electronic interaction.

The bonding and antibonding orbitals of reactant molecules interacted with the unoccupied orbitals of the Lewis acid and nonbonding orbitals of the Lewis base to generate desired intermediates for urea synthesis in artificial FLPs. The researchers used linear sweep voltammetry to preliminarily evaluate the potential performance of urea electrosynthesis with IOOH hybrids.

The results showed that InOOH hybrids exhibited good performance in the electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction and the CO2 reduction reaction, thus feasibility of the electrocatalytic urea production process.

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IT IN CHEMICALS CONSTRUCTION

DIGITALIZATION OF CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: REVOLUTION IS UNDERWAY

New generation of craftsmen and professionals tech savviness is spreading in the construction industry, which traditionally has been, resistant to change, accelerating the adoption of digital tools and training the younger generations for emerging tech-related jobs. (Image © Pixabay GmbH)

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New technological capabilities

Evolving client expectations

and efficiency rise over the past few years opening the path to new

he Construction Industry is reshaping itself, albeit slowly but certainly faster than previously. Pressure for change is coming from several complementary directions: Clients, influenced by other rapidly changing markets (such as B2C with platforms that have triggered new relationships, tailored products and powerful service levels), now expect also the same from their homes, offices, commercial buildings and infrastructures to make their “connected lives” even more a reality. Constructions need to be more and more individualized, modular, connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) and allow for specific performance tracking, optimization of energy and improved security and health parameters for instance.

Client demands are quickly rising and become more and more complex with expectations increasingly on the “usage” more than on the product itself.

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Sensors and various hardware as well as software have seen cost drop possibilities. Technologies available on the market are more numerous than ever before (such as virtual and augmented reality, drones, robotics and additive printing) making it urgent to separate the more valuable ones from mere novelties. New generation of craftsmen and professionals tech savviness is spreading in the construction industry, which traditionally has been, resistant to change, accelerating the adoption of digital tools. Innovative university curricula are training the younger generations for emerging tech-related jobs. Many new jobs, not yet known, will be created in the years to come with the adoption of new tools and processes.

Booming start-up environment Startups have taken advantage of the market opportunities induced by some of these trends to fill newly created added-value gaps. Oliver Wyman has identified nearly 1,200 startups worldwide since 2010 in real estate and construction. These startups have received around US$19.4 billion in funding over the period, half of it in 2017.

Supportive legal frameworks Governments, particularly in the Nordic countries and the UK, are increasing their CO2 and energy efficiency regulations and raising their targets. Digitalization provides a great opportunity to reduce the environmental impact of construction projects. There will also be heightened requirements on data usage and cyber security in buildings and infrastructures going forward that will need to be carefully analyzed (General Data Protection Regulation). Importantly, labels

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

and groups are also more and more launched to help the market move in one common direction and support innovation.

Launch of large infrastructure projects Market needs are tremendous in terms of new infrastructure networks between cities as well as in terms of upgrading partly old existing structures.

All players in the industry, whether they are promoters, engineering companies, builders, suppliers of equipment, materials, or distributors will be impacted by digital pressures. Each one will experience this differently, of course, but there is no doubt that significant change is coming. The outlined trends put pressure on incumbents (both equipment and traditional construction and service players) by producing a more complex and dynamic competitive landscape and the progressive disruption of traditional channels in the battle for customer access and control.

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and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) triggering additional opportunities. Important to notice, BIM also serves as an enabler for the industrialization of processes and parts.

Of course, while it always remains a priority, the focus on BIM will vary from one construction player to another depending on their position on the value chain. For instance, promoters, contractors, equipment manufacturers or facility management operators will consider BIM differently. Similarly even among contractors, building and infrastructure players, different BIM approaches will be used. This will likely trigger a displacement in value capture along the chain. General contractors may benefit more from higher-efficiency engineering and better managed project lead times as well as reduced waste; building material suppliers may see some of their volumes diminish. This may push upward integration and further concentration of building material suppliers to capture value.

It is first necessary to get full picture of digitalization’s stakes and assess the current level of maturity Our experience shows that construction players often lack a full picture of the stakes of digitalization for their industry. To define a company vision, they need to answer the following questions with objectivity: • How are client expectations evolving? What are the evolutions that really matter?

• Which new technologies and offers come or will come to market in the months and years ahead?

• How is the player landscape evolving? What are competitors doing?

• What start-ups should be partnered with or invested-in quickly?

• What is the true current maturity level regarding digitalization in the company (in terms of strategic vision and KPIs, employees’ skills and missing competencies, key processes, technological readiness and tools)?

• What are the current roadblocks for improvement the company is facing? How could the company’s digitalization be rendered more “complete” and “solid” while accelerating its pace?

Work on digital operational efficiency levers Digital opportunities in operations are numerous. For industrial players they mainly fall under the “Industry 4.0” framework, whereas for distributors they are related to “omnichannel operations”. For contractors we have identified three specific “smart operations” lever categories:

Interactive work processes Virtual, augmented and mixed realities as well as dematerialization, in-situ documentation, connected schedules and immediate planning adjustments, vision of historical changes. Process efficiency has the potential to drastically increase through more efficient, transparent and rapid collaboration.

Addressing these questions is essential given the current state of the construction industry. The market is not on “cruising mode” anymore.

Its complexity and hence related threats but also opportunities are booming making it compulsory to understand an increasing number of variables so as to stay ahead of the game. In the same way, it is essential to always consider in coherence the full picture, the entire digital ecosystem of the company.

Connected machines, equipment and workers

Consider BIM as backbone of the digital strategy

Industrialization of processes and parts

Building information modeling (BIM) should be regarded as the backbone of the new way of working triggered and targeted by the digital strategy given that different elements (such as various software, drones, construction engines, building and infrastructure equipment) should ultimately be connected to it.

Overall BIM – especially 5D integrating planning and budget – is expected to trigger significant improvement potential (direct costs, quality, delays, security, image) along the full construction value chain (design, construction, operations and destruction). This potential can be further enhanced if possible connections to the BIM are used and hence if BIM acts as a real central coordination methodology and cockpit of a given project (and not only as a “siloed” software).

We estimate that in this case around 15 percent to 25 percent total cost savings are achievable. Recent evolutions also connect BIM

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All machines and equipment (and even the workers on construction sites) have the potential to ultimately be connected, triggering improvements on dimensions such as maintenance, energy consumption, health and safety incidents, delays or quality. Robotics related innovations are also being tested and increasingly applied to automatize the execution of repetitive tasks and support workers.

Construction tends to industrialize through pre-fabrication, modular production or 3D printing for instance which is without doubt a big opportunity to increase the productivity in the sector.

Digital construction processes have nothing in common with the old fashioned “pen and paper methods” of yesterday. The expected impacts on direct costs, delays but also safety, image, work satisfaction and environmental protection are numerous. Key here is to select levers very carefully differentiating business units and projects. Not all “great digital ideas” that appear on the market will eventually carry real savings. More importantly, as already outlined above, operational efficiency levers should not be considered by the material function alone for instance, or similarly project by project with isolated “POCs”: it is a matter of defining a real strategy, beyond specifics, that will generate synergies in coordination with BIM.

Our conviction is that the time is right for the implementation of a real digital strategy in the construction sector. The possibilities of BIM, the rapid growth of various start-ups, the increasingly demanding client expectations make it compulsory to shift from a siloed POC mode to a real overall strategy, with a clear mid/long term disruptive vision communicated to the company and a three to five years roadmap. In this respect it all comes down to defining a balanced transformation for construction industry players: on the one hand, it must be framed, planned, efficiently carried by company leadership; on the other, it must allow for creativity, new ideas, a quicker market pace, flexibility, and open partnerships. To say it differently: a broadened vision on a paved road.

Concclusion Digitalization in the construction world is in its infancy. While innovation is booming it still remains scattered and not really organized.

Nonetheless, digital in construction will eventually generate usages and breakthroughs that we simply cannot conceive yet.

It is our opinion that launching a new strategy is not really an option, it has now become unavoidable. Digitalization is currently in a process of reinventing the construction industry, triggering an overall value migration from the central construction part of the value chain up to the engineering and design function and down to facility management and operations’ services. Numerous data will be generated throughout the construction process and will hold tremendous value that needs to be captured. In addition, cost baselines are quickly evolving making competition even more intense in an environment with traditionally low margins. Taking quickly position, aligned with the accelerating market pace, is essential to take advantage of the opportunities and avoid future setbacks in the long run.

Authors: David Kaufmann, Xavier Ruaux and Michel Jacob are Partners at Oliver Wyman.

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JOBS

Chemical Process Engineer

Company: Saudi Arabian Oil Company Date Posted: 02-Feb-2022 Country: SAUDI ARABIA City: Dhahran

Factory Process Chemist Company: Akzo Nobel N.V Date Posted: 02-Feb-2022 Country: AUSTRALIA City: Sunshine North, VIC

Job Description: Lead multidisciplinary teams to develop strategies and implementation plan to improve crude quality, unit cost of production, energy intensity and other critical operating parameters, capitalizing on PI data analysis, data analytics, field visits and collaboration with plant operations.

Take a leading role in analyzing operational challenges and work with other entities to find solutions to address the challenge and work with proponent to fund and implement the solution.

Job Description: Provide technical support to the Quality Control and manufacturing team on the manufacture and testing of al products. Take leading role on behalf of manufacturing for the introduction of new products into the factory. Management of and / or participation in, small group improvement activities aimed at improving manufacturing performance whilst reducing TCOQ. Work to reduce the number of faulty batches through the development of preventative systems utilizing the batch abnormality reporting system.

Electrochemist Company: The Lubrizol Corporation Date Posted: 01-Feb-2022 Country: UNITED STATES City: Wickliffe, OH

Job Description: Manage, develop and participate in succession planning for the Industrial Oils technology team of professionals in direct (USA and UK) and matrixed (Asia) reporting lines. Lead and manage product development, product extensions and technology deployment. Work with R&D to define and drive success of medium to long-term Fundamental Knowledge and Component Development programs and IP activities. Drive improved safety among the team and among the groups that support us.

Senior Associate Scientist Company: Pfizer Inc Date Posted: 01-Feb-2022 Country: INDIA City: Chennai

Job Description: Contribute to achievement of immediate work group goals and may undertake collaborations with other team members. Prioritize and organize own work with minimal supervision to meet project task deadlines. Handle sophisticated analytical instruments to produce accurate data without any repetition. Apply technical skills to projects/ assignments within own work group/ project team. Follow established procedures to perform assignments, with general instructions on the process and desired outcome.

PE R&D Engineer

Job Description: Hands on lab work. Support Operations troubleshooting and improve production of high quality Porcelain Enamel products. Lab qualification and commercial implementation of low cost raw material substitutions. Survey literature and create laboratory procedures to recreate published work. Maintain effective two-way communication within the company and with external customers using e-mail, telephone, reports, and one-on-one discussions.

Product Development LAB Manager

Job Description: Develop laboratory activities required for lubricants in China, by internal lab development and establishing external collaborations. Perform product development activities (improvements, new applications, adaptations) according to the defined priorities. Perform technical assistance services in product analysis and conducting research projects. Develop product manufacturing instructions and support affiliates to execute the production processes that ensure the products specified as resulting.

Company: Ferro Corporation Date Posted: 31-Jan-2022 Country: MEXICO City: Villagran

Company: TotalEnergies SE Date Posted: 29-Jan-2022 Country: CHINA City: Tianjin

Chemical Analyst II

Company: Merck & Co Date Posted: 29-Jan-2022 Country: PUERTO RICO City: Las Piedras

Job Description: Responsible for testing Process Validation samples, Method Transfer and Finished Goods samples in accordance with internal procedures or compendia requirements. Interpret and document results in a clear, concise and accurate manner. Detect and report all testing problems to area Supervisor in a clear and concise manner. Perform troubleshooting to laboratory instruments.

PAD Engineer Company: LyondellBasell Industries Date Posted: 28-Jan-2022 Country: INDIA City: Vadodara

Job Description: Support the BU growth strategies by development of new or modified polymer masterbatch products, applications, or processes to meet market or customer objectives, lower overall cost, or improve application performance. Manage collaboration in the development and/or importation and of global technologies (formulations, performance, processing) to achieve commercialization and sales in domestic market. Work on next generation material innovation in the responsible technical fields. Find ideas and conduct proof-of-concept scouting and push for market implementation.

Organic Chemist Company: Glaxosmithkline Pharmaceuticals Date Posted: 28-Jan-2022 Country: UNITED KINGDOM City: Montrose

Job Description: Synthesis of active pharmaceuticals and their intermediates to support process development and atypical manufacturing investigations. Development of existing chemical manufacturing processes. Development and application of new synthetic chemistry technologies.

Support processing investigations with a focus on trouble-shooting issues encountered during routine manufacture in order to determine route cause and corrective actions.

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

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PRODUCTS

Silver Filled, Low Outgassing Epoxy for EMI/RFI Shielding M

aster Bond EP4S-80 is a one component silver filled epoxy which meets NASA low outgassing requirements. It has an unlimited working life at room temperature and a moderate heat cure requirement of 80°C. With a viscosity of 10,000-15,000 cps, EP4S-80 has a smooth flow and is easily brushable, making it ideal for EMI/RFI shielding and static dissipation. This formulation can also be used in a variety of applications where electrical conductivity is required: bonding, sealing, coating, as well as gap filling and encapsulating.

Contact: Master Bond 154 Hobart Street Hackensack, NJ 07601 USA Tel: +1-201-614-5870 Web: www.masterbond.com

Adhesive for high temperatures W

eicon has developed an adhesive with a very high temperature resistance, which is especially suitable for applications in the field of powder coating – Weicon EasyMix HT 250. The 2-component epoxy resin system has a high temperature resistance up to +200 °C and even withstands temperatures up to +250 °C for a short period of time. The system shows high thermal conductivity. The epoxy resin adhesive shows high resistance to aggressive substances, such as hot and cold water, engine oil and glycol. The new adhesive can be used in powder coating, metal construction, lightweight construction, mechanical engineering, shipbuilding, electrical engineering, and many other areas of industry.

Contact: WEICON GmbH & Co. KG Königsberger Str. 255, DE - 48157 Munster, Germany Tel: +49 (0) 251 9322-0 Email: info@weicon.de Web: www.weicon.de

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Guar-based, biodegradable polymers for eco-friendly beauty care formulations S

olvay introduced two new biodegradable grades (classified inherently ultimately biodegradable) to its Jaguar® range of guar-based polymers. Jaguar® C500 STD and Jaguar® HP-8 COS SGI will enable formulators to produce beauty care solutions with superior benefits and desirable biodegradability claims thereby responding to both stringent global regulations and the changing expectations of consumers searching for more responsible, sustainable products.

Contact: Solvay SA Rue De Ransbeek, 310 1120 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 2 2642111 Email: enrico.zanini@solvay.com Web: www.solvay.com

Low VOC, superior weathering performance topcoat for various markets A

xalta announced the launch of Imron® Industrial Ultra 2.8 VOC Topcoat, an enhanced urethane topcoat to support the agriculture, construction and earthmoving equipment (ACE) market segments. The new technology offers low VOC emissions and a faster cure when compared to other urethane topcoats. Imron Industrial Ultra can be applied over epoxy and urethane undercoats while providing double the pot life of other urethane topcoats minimizing material waste. In addition, it was developed to meet the industry’s most stringent ACE weathering and performance criteria.

Contact: Axalta Coating Systems 50 Applied Bank Blvd., Suite 300 Glen Mills, PA 19342 USA Tel: +1 855 547 1461 Email: Jessica.iben@axalta.com Web: www.axalta.com

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Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

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EQUIPMENT PUMPS & VALVES

UPGRADING TO FIT NEW AGE PROCESS INDUSTRY Simo Saaskilahti, Interim President and CEO, Neles Corporation points out that the progression of the pumps & valves industry is to achieve reliability, safety, and sustainability to meet the demands of modern process industries.

BY SHIVANI MODY

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lobal trends and development in the pumps & valves segments.

Today, reliability, safety, and sustainability are the key for all modern process industries.

Therefore, topics like technology renewal, better performing solutions and increasing use of analytics and data are very much in focus for chemical plants around the world. Meeting the tightening regulations and license requirements for flow control equipment call for continuous monitoring and development. These, and the ever-present need to improve cost-efficiency – doing more with less - guide also the R&D activities of valve and pump manufacturers.

As an example, we recently launched a new versatile butterfly valve range, that was designed based on these four most important customer trends – safe and sustainable operations that adhere to today’s strict standards and regulations, extended process uptime, performance that maximizes process efficiency and yield and simplicity that makes these valves an attractive option for a wide range of applications.

In chemicals and refining, there are new technologies emerging and creating exciting opportunities. Perhaps the most interesting ones are linked to industry decarbonization and developing more sustainable industrial processes. These technologies include for example Carbon Capture Utilization & Storage (CCUS), where harmful CO2 is eliminated from atmosphere and production of Green Hydrogen, where H2 is produced from water utilizing surplus renewable energy through electrolysis. Green hydrogen has many uses, most often it is applied to fertilizers production with Ammonia synthsesis or as feedstock for chemicals. Another important usage is seen with the green fueling of fuel gas turbine.

Simo Saaskilahti, Interim President and CEO, Neles Corporation

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While hydrogen and oxygen may sound like something new and exciting, Neles actually has a long history of supplying valves to both applications.

Hydrogen is a common process medium for Neles; we know the details that make the best valves for the hydrogen industry. Oxygen, in turn, is a very demanding, even dangerous, process medium and not all players are aware of the requirements for oxygen valves.

In some cases, even special materials are needed. Like hydrogen, we have in-depth knowledge of oxygen applications and also specialized facilities to provide oxygen cleaning for the valves.

calls to factory acceptance tests had to be carried out digitally, using video and streaming solutions.

Another interesting area to follow is Crude oil-to-chemicals (COTC) technology that allows the direct conversion of crude oil to high-value chemical products instead of traditional transportation fuels.

As IIOT allows to combine the technical and analytical information with the economical information from current situation as well as historically, its applications help ensuring prioritizing and focusing on the right things. This means a lot also when perfecting flow control in industrial processes.

In base chemicals, the long-term growth is linked largely to population growth and in pharmaceuticals, the same is driven by demographic and medical trends due to population aging both in developed and emerging economies.

Growth potential for pumps & valves segments in Asia Pacific.

China market plays a big role in driving growth in APAC. In recent years, more and more flow control solution suppliers from home and abroad enter the Chinese market. China’s strong demand provides a huge market for them, but at the same time fierce competition. Neles’ business in China has been strong, and the growth potential is quite positive. Despite different challenges arising e.g. from Covid, we’ve been able to support our customers and secure numerous big projects for example in petrochemicals as well as and pulp & paper in China, which keeps our factories very busy.

In India, the chemicals industry segment is poised for a large, compounded growth. Both the pump and valve products being an integral part of flow control space, will benefit in a big way of this expected growth.

Customers in India face pretty much the same challenges as everywhere else. However, there are quite some differences as regards legislations and standards. Moreover, in the current production climate, demands are high. Besides the economic parameters, there is also a heightened regulatory, environmental and safety pressure, for example, on fugitive emissions. Neles offers a range of high technology control and automation products and services for Indian markets, to meet our customer and process licensor needs. Our remote asset management and predictive diagnostic solutions for critical applications, gives us a distinct leverage in the digital flow control space and are widely accepted in the industry.

Impact of the pandemic on pumps & valves manufacturers.

The Covid as a truly global phenomenon has forced both companies as well as societies at large to rethink their operations.

The flexibility of a footprint and sourcing was put to the test as moving people and goods became more and more challenging.

Flow control business is a reliability and availability game even in normal conditions. Having a balanced network of manufacturing locations as well as service and sourcing partners proved essential for Neles when managing the pandemic-related challenges. Despite the situation, we have been able to ramp up our new technology center in Jiaxing, China and facilities in Saudi Arabia and India to better support customers in regional and global level. We also introduced a new logistics concept for certain frequently ordered standard products in Europe to improve availability.

Restrictions have also changed the interaction between customers and suppliers. As visiting was banned in many customer sites, various types of interaction had from service and maintenance

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

In addition to day-to-day service and support, sharing knowledge and training our own personnel but also our customers’ and partners’ is an important part of Neles’ expertise.

Incorporating digitization in pumps & valves segments.

The benefits come from how the users choose to use the information.

For example, if your target is to increase the production rate at your facility, you may choose to use the information to find the constraints and bottlenecks. If your focus is on energy efficiency, you can look at things like oscillating temperature controls and fuel efficiency that come from the same data but are used in a different way and analyzed in a different context. If the fundamental equipment is not performing properly – if the sensors are not measuring properly, the valves are not opening properly – there is a loss of efficiency. Fixing those anomalies improves the performance of the whole plant.

To have a clear understanding how the critical product’s performance should be improved, you need to have accurate, upto-date knowledge of the plant’s installed base. We’ve combined decades of cumulative experience from designing and servicing valves with diagnostic, performance and historical maintenance data to determine which valves should be prioritized for maintenance at each opportunity.

Potential for intelligent devices and software products in the segment.

Tighter regulations and increasing environmental consciousness are adding to the demand for more reliable, better performing equipment and more intelligent solutions. Asset data has become vital information for any process industry, both strategically and operationally. In addition to operational efficiency and safety, intelligent devices play key role in developing more sustainable processes.

In a typical process plant, many controls and processes are not operating optimally; this can result in less stable production, higher raw material usage, increased energy consumption and lower yield.

Generally, about 20–30 percent of controls are in manual mode, and up to 85 percent of control loops have sub-optimal settings.

Identifying unperforming controllers and returning them to automatic operation reduces process variability, leading to more stable operations.

Company’s business strategies for Asia Pacific & India markets.

Neles has 50 years of flow control experience in APAC region. Over the years, Neles has developed a strong customer base and market position in various process industries in the region. Together with our channel partners, we serve customers in throughout APAC, including Greater China, SEA countries, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.

During the past years, we have invested in developing both our R&D and manufacturing footprint in APAC. As mentioned, we launched our second Technology Center in Jiaxing, China in July 2020. It’ll further improve our service and delivery capabilities globally but also allow us to be closer to our customers and installed base in China.

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Looking into India more specifically, Neles has been delivering and manufacturing valves for both local and global needs for more than 45 years and has an impressive local installed base with customers in various industries.

Since the acquisition of an India based valve automation division in 2018, Neles has developed capabilities and introduced new products to India and global markets, covering majority actuators, limit switches, valves, and pneumatics products. We have now thousands of product types available from Mumbai factories fulfilling key standards such as API 6, CE etc. used in chemical, pharmaceutical as well as oil and gas industries allowing us to increase our presence in these industries.

We’ve also added more channel partners to better serve customers in industries such as power, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, or water. This allows us to improve availability for new territories, applications, and customers. In January 2022, we also opened a new facility in Ambernath. All and all, there’s big potential and capability available in India to ramp up local development as planned.

Segments which witnessed increased demand in the chemical industry.

The chemical industry uses a wide range of valves, including automated control valves, on/off valves and ESD valves. Typical control valves are linear globe valves and quarter turn control ball and butterfly valves. The main type of shutdown and emergency valves are ball and butterfly valves.

In refinery processes, the reliability of the valve solutions is everything. The valves must meet all safety requirements while

also withstanding extremely demanding process conditions, such as high pressure and temperature, toxic and corrosive fluid, vibration, and pressure shocks.

Another fast-growing application area are battery chemicals. The demand for battery chemicals is dramatically increasing e.g. due to electrification of transport. This, in turn, increases the demand for solutions used in mining and metals applications but also in recycling. Our Flowrox™ pumps are used in many battery metals processing plants, e.g. in slurry recycling (in which the old lithium batteries are crushed and different metals are separated and collected, our pumps are excellent e.g. in feeding the filters).

Globally, a merger between Neles and Valmet, a global supplier of process technologies, automation and services, is planned to take place on or before 1 April, 2022.

Challenges faced manufacturers.

by

the

pumps

&

valves

Chemical industry has very wide range of different applications which means also wide range of different solutions needed. There are applications with corrosion, erosion and other technical challenges to be solved.

Process runtime is perhaps one item to highlight. As process runtime is becoming longer, there is not that often service breaks.

For equipment this means that the solution critical solution such as valve must be selected correctly at the beginning to be able to match the runtime.

E-mail : sales@worldofchemicals.com www.worldofchemicals.com Tel : 08119350001

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EQUIPMENT Differential pressure transmitter with SIL 2 certification

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hether measuring flow and level or monitoring filters and pumps: The new model DPT-20 differential pressure transmitter from WIKA is suitable for many industrial processes. As a SIL-2 certified instrument, it meets the highest safety requirements. The transmitter, with its compact design, operates with an accuracy of < ±0.065 percent of span. Due to a three-dimensional temperature compensation on adjustment, it provides a reliable measuring result, even under unfavourable ambient conditions. The DPT-20 is designed for a static pressure of up to 400 bar. Its turndown function enables very flexible use and thus economical stock-holding.

Contact: WIKA Alexander Wiegand SE & Co. KG Alexander-Wiegand-Str. 30 63911 Klingenberg, Germany Tel: +49 9372 132-0 Email: info@wika.de Web: www.wika.com

Filling valve with regulating cone

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he GEMU filling valves, also with regulating cone, are available now for even more precise dosing in filling processes. Due to the constantly increasing varieties of beverages, liquid foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals, the filling process in the foodstuffs and pharmaceutical industry requires a huge variety of customized solutions. For this reason, GEMU is now offering the GEMU F40 and F60 servoDrive filling valves with a regulating cone too. This means that the batch quantities of liquid, viscous and gaseous media can be batched more precisely, particularly for small volumes. The GEMU filling valves are equipped with an innovative PD design and are impressive with their speed, flexibility, resistance and precision.

Contact: GEMU Gebruder Müller Apparatebau GmbH & Co. KG Fritz-Muller-Strasse 6-8 74653 Ingelfingen-Criesbach, Germany Tel: +49-79 40 - 123 0 Email: info@gemue.de Web: www.gemu-group.com

Scanning electron microscope with automation, live elemental & 3D analysis

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EOL introduced its latest SEM, the JSM-IT510. This new Scanning Electron Microscope features productivity enhancing automation, including “Simple SEM” automated imaging, automated montaging (both image and EDS map) and live EDS analysis (spectrum and map). The IT510 is the successor to the popular JEOL IT500 InTouchScope SEM, with its large sample chamber and tungsten or LaB6 filament. The IT510 features JEOL Intelligent Technology that enables seamless navigation from optical to SEM imaging, Live EDS and 3D analysis, and auto functions from alignment to focus for fast, clear, and sharp images.

Contact: JEOL USA, Inc. 11 Dearborn Road Peabody, MA 01960, USA Tel: (978) 535-5900 Email: salesinfo@jeol.com Web: www.jeolusa.com

Thermal-mass gas meter modules: certified for the future

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N 17526 is the new European standard dedicated to thermalmass gas metering. It can now be used to certify new thermalmass gas meters deployed in the field. EN 17526 is the first standard for a static technology to cover not only residential but also commercial and industrial gas meters. EN 17526 is the first gas meter norm to be updated to include renewable gases such as hydrogen and biomethane. This confirms that thermal-mass technology is suitable to work with green gases. Moreover, thermalmass technology is the best solution on the market for measuring hydrogen in terms of accuracy, safety, cost and the variety of parameters that can be extracted from the gas composition.

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022

Contact: Sensirion AG Laubisruetistrasse 50 8712 Staefa ZH, Switzerland Tel. +41 44 306 40 00 Email: info@sensirion.com Web: www.sensirion.com

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Position sensors with protection against flames, corrosive substances

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emposonics announced that the Temposonics® T-Series TH position sensors now feature Ingress Protection IP68, IP69 as well as NEMA 4 and 4X. The magnetostrictive linear position sensors of the T-Series have been specially developed for use in areas where they are exposed to flames or corrosive substances, for example. The demand for sensor solutions that meet the requirements for explosion protection is growing, especially for applications in power generation and chemical plants as well as on oil platforms.

Contact: Temposonics, LLC 3001 Sheldon Drive Cary, North Carolina 27513, USA Tel: +1 (919) 677-0100 Email: info.us@temposonics.com Web: www.mtssensors.com

CPE process pump for varied industrial applications

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ulzer introduced CPE process pump which is designed for a variety of industrial applications, such as clean or slightly contaminated liquids, viscous liquids, and fibrous slurries. It meets the requirements of ASME B73.1 (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) applied to chemical processes. A heating jacket option is available for applications that require a specific temperature to enable smooth pumping operation. For the customers, this means substantial savings in the total cost of ownership (TCO) and a reduced environmental footprint.

Contact: Sulzer Management Ltd Neuwiesenstrasse 15 8401 Winterthur, Switzerland Tel: +41 52 262 30 00 Email: saku.vanhala@sulzer.com Web: www.sulzer.com

Analytical balance with automatic doors, touchless sensors functionality

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he new AP-AD series models not only offer excellent basic performance, such as fast weighing times of about two seconds and high measurement stability that minimizes errors, but also include new functionality that improves convenience, such as automatic doors and touchless sensors. New automatic door functionality makes weighing operations even more convenient.

The W-AD series features automatic doors. That means operators can continue working without setting down samples or spatulas, which can help shorten overall measurement times.

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

New industrial magnetic stirrer with compact design

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KA expands its magnetic stirrer product group: The powerful I-MAG mixes volumes up to 300 litres. Key features include: a powerful drive unit with a high IP protection class, a separate, cable-connected operating unit and a wide range of interfaces.

IKA’s new industrial magnetic stirrer is suitable in the production environment for large volumes with low viscosity; on a pilot scale, it also mixes higher viscosity media. I-MAG has a strikingly compact design and thanks to numerous digital and analog interfaces, integration into process engineering systems or networks is simple.

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Contact: IKA Werke GmbH & Co. KG Janke & Kunkel-Str. 10 D-79219 Staufen, Germany Tel: +49 7633 831-0 Email: sales@ika.de Web: www.ika.net

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CHEMICAL TODAY English Monthly RNI: KARENG/2016/71454 Registered/KRNA/BGE -1148/2022-2025 Licensed to Post without prepayment License No. PMG BG/WPP-362/2017-19 Posted at Bangalore PSO 560026 on 7th or 11th or 13th of every month. Total No of pages 78 Date of Publication: 7th of every month.

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Chemical Today Magazine | February 2022