Chemical Today Magazine PDF May 2022

May 2022 | Volume VI | Issue XIV

Insights

Oil Pricing Oil & Gas India

IT In Chemicals Industry 4.0 Supply Chain

Event Coverage Sustainability Circularity

Green Chemistry Reports

AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY GREENSCAPING FARMS FOR BETTER YIELDS

Nations witness turbulence as Russia-Ukraine war continues

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he Russia-Ukraine war has caused major supply disruptions and led to historically higher prices for a number of commodities.

For most commodities, prices are expected to be significantly higher in 2022 than in 2021 and will remain at historically high levels through the end of 2024. The price of Brent crude oil is projected to average $100/bbl in 2022, a 42 percent increase from 2021. Nonenergy prices are expected to rise by about 20 percent in 2022, with the largest increases in commodities where Russia or Ukraine are key exporters, mentioned the World Bank’s Commodity Markets Outlook report in April.

Wheat prices, in particular, are forecast to increase by more than 40 percent this year, reaching an all-time high in nominal terms. While prices generally are expected to peak in 2022, they are to remain much higher than previous forecasts. The outlook for commodity markets depends heavily on the duration of the war in Ukraine and the severity of disruptions to commodity flows, with a key risk that commodity prices could be higher for longer. The report also finds that previous oil price hikes led to the emergence of new sources of supply and reduced demand through efficiency improvements and substitution of other commodities.

In the case of food price hikes, additional land came into use for production.

For policymakers, a short-term priority is to provide targeted support to poorer households facing higher food and energy prices. Over the longer term, they can encourage energy efficiency improvements, facilitate investment in new sources of zero-carbon energy, and promote more efficient food production.

The international wheat prices had risen sharply due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but had come down due to the shipment of wheat from India.

Despite huge demand in China and neighbouring countries, wheat prices had increased by only 2.3 per cent compared to March, stated the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report in May. In such a scenario, India has maintained that it will increase its exports of wheat to provide for global demands. The country has signed contracts for the export of four million tonnes of wheat in April and 1.1 tonnes of wheat have been exported, according to the government statistics.

The International wheat prices, strongly affected by continued blockage of ports in Ukraine and concerns over crop conditions in the US but tempered by larger shipments from India and higher-than-expected exports from the Russian Federation, increased by 0.2 per cent, mentioned a statement on the FAO site.

The Russia-Ukraine war has definitely made an impact on the energy and food markets, sending shock waves across the world. The situation does point towards potential for innovation and alternative solutions in the oil & gas and fertilizer markets in the coming years.

For suggestions or feedback write to editorial@worldofchemicals.com

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

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Chemical Today

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

CONTENTS SECTOR VIEW

QUOTES FERTILIZERS

40

NEWS

NATIONAL INTERNATIONAL NEWS MOVERS & SHAKERS NEWS RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR ANALYSIS

CHEMICAL SECTORS

INSIGHTS

OIL PRICING

77

21 23 24 25 27 28

GREEN CHEMISTRY

30

SECTOR VIEW FERTILIZERS

37

2-PHENYLETHANOL MARKET AGROCHEMICALS MARKET BUTYRIC ACID DERIVATIVES MARKET CRYOGENIC ETHYLENE MARKET OIL & GAS DOWNSTREAM MARKET PLASTICIZERS MARKET

41 44 48 50 52 55

EVENT COVERAGE

SUPPLY CHAIN OPPORTUNITY

83

SUSTAINABILITY AND CIRCULARITY SUMMIT 2022

58

ACADEMIC R & D

70

INSIGHTS

OIL PRICING OIL & GAS INVESTMENTS

IT IN CHEMICALS

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04 08 15 18

ELECTRIC MOBILITY EV BATTERY POLYMERS HEALTHCARE SKIN SOLUTIONS NATURAL INGREDIENTS SPECIALTY CHEMICALS GROWTH SEGMENTS TPES MEDICAL & HEALTHCARE COATINGS ARTIFICIAL SURFACES

REPORT

IT IN CHEMICALS

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Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

77 79

INDUSTRY 4.NOW SUPPLY CHAIN OPPORTUNITY

83 85

JOBS

89

PRODUCTS

90

EQUIPMENT

93

Published for May 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 ONGC WINS 18 OUT OF 21 OIL, GAS BLOCKS IN OALP-VI BID ROUND, OIL GETS 2 MUMBAI, INDIA: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) recently won 18 out of the 21 areas offered for finding and producing oil & gas in the sixth bid round under Open Acreage Licensing Policy, according to the upstream regulator DGH.Oil India Ltd (OIL) walked away with two blocks and Sun Petrochemicals Pvt Ltd got one block, the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons said announcing the winners of the OALP-VI round.

The 21 blocks or areas offered for exploration and production of oil & gas in Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) bid round-VI attracted just three bidders at the close of bidding on October 6, 2021.

Of the 21 blocks on offer, 18 got a single bid and the remaining 3 blocks had two bidders.

EVONIK CATALYSTS OPENS NEW ZLD PLANT AT DOMBIVLI, INDIA SITE

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SSEN, GERMANY/DOMBIVLI, INDIA: Evonik Catalysts said it has opened a new Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) plant at its facility in Dombivli, India. The new plant reduces the amount of fresh water required for production processes and turns material that was previously considered waste into saleable products.

ZLD purifies and recycles wastewater at the end of an industrial process, leaving little to no effluent remaining when it is completed. This means not only more efficient water use, but also a significant reduction in waste liquid.

“Environmental excellence has always been a top priority for Evonik in India, and the ZLD plant at our catalysts site is a centerpiece in Evonik’s efforts to minimize its production-associated ecological footprint,” said Sanjeev Taneja, senior vice president and general manager, catalysts business line, at the inauguration of the plant. “The efficient reuse of process water, and products extracted from it, is in line with our circular economy principles, and a key contribution to the sustainability targets of Evonik and our customers.”

Evonik is developing site-specific action plans as part of its global water management system. One focus is on sites in regions that could be affected by water scarcity. It also strives for the most efficient use of water.

The main ambition with the Dombivli ZLD plant is to improve the treatment of process water. It goes through a multi-stage process and

then the byproducts go through further processing. An estimated 600 m3 of wastewater – the equivalent of between 25 and 30 tankers – enters the ZLD plant every day and the plant is expected to recirculate around 55 percent of that – approximately 300-350 m3 – for process reuse and the balance water for re-use as cooling tower make up thus reducing Evonik water use requirements and thereby reducing Evonik’s dependence on municipal water supplies.

The requirement for fresh water will be reduced by 65 percent after stable operation of zero liquid discharge and the company is targeting further reductions through process optimization. In addition, processing leads to the production of 15-20 metric tons of sodium sulphate and certain mixed salts which can be resold as a commercial product.

“At Evonik, we see responsibility and long-term business success as two sides of the same coin,” said Vinod Paremal, regional president, Evonik India subcontinent. “Sustainability is a central element in our purpose ‘Leading Beyond Chemistry’, and we look to provide innovative solutions that help to make everyone’s lives more sustainable, healthier, and more comfortable. Sustainability is important to our customers and the end consumer and has long been a growth driver in many of our businesses. This new ZLD initiative carries forward that sustainable outlook.”

The ZLD plant is set-up on a ‘BOOT’ Model between Evonik and Remondis, with the latter responsible for building, owning, operating, maintaining and transferring the ZLD plant to Evonik.

(L to R) Vinod Paremal, President & MD, Evonik, India Subcontinent, Sothi Selvam, Director General, Indian Chemical Council, Marja-Sirkka Einig from Germany, Suresh Pillai, MD, Evonik Catalysts India Pvt Ltd, Sanjeev Taneja, Senior VP and GM, Catalysts Business Line.

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Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

UPL TO ACQUIRE NATURALLY DERIVED FUNGICIDE

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ONDON, UK: UPL Ltd announced that UPL Group has acquired OptiCHOS, a naturally derived fungicide for its Natural Plant Protection (NPP) business unit. The NPP portfolio houses natural and biologically derived agricultural inputs and technologies.

OptiCHOS offers farmers a new, low-risk, residue free, and biodegradable broad spectrum disease control solution, with low environmental and human impacts. The active ingredients of OptiCHOS were developed from the chitin-rich by-products of the shellfish industry

by BioCHOS, a spin-off of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences.

NPP’s acquisition of OptiCHOS includes the registration data package and patents enabling the product to be used in mixture of a wide range of fungicides, providing the agricultural industry a variety of options.

OptiCHOS has already been submitted for approval for use in the European Union and NPP expects to be able to launch OptiCHOS products across the bloc in the next few years. Outside the EU, UPL will identify other markets for OptiCHOS and launch registration and approval processes to make the product available to farmers.

“The addition of OptiCHOS to our comprehensive NPP biocontrol

portfolio will enable us to further solve key global farmer pain points in an environmentally sustainable way by matching the efficacy levels of conventional fungicides with naturally-derived biosolutions. This reflects our mission at UPL to Reimagine Sustainability by harnessing the power of agriculture as a climate-positive industry. We look forward to delivering OptiCHOS-based products into the hands of farmers,” said Mike Frank, president and COO at UPL. OptiCHOS will be integrated into UPL’s ProNutiva programme which integrates naturally based biosolutions with conventional crop protection products to offer farmers tailored and adaptable packages that directly tackles pain-points. Through this programme, farmers can ensure higher yields with lower environmental impact while also improvingtheir economic resilience and sustainability.

“NPP is the world’s largest biological platform, and UPL through its OpenAg approach continues to add new technologies to expand our range of biocontrol products. This acquisition strengthens further our entire biologicals portfolio as we continue to lead on innovation in sustainable agriculture,” said Jai Shroff, Global CEO, UPL.

ASAHI SONGWON TO ACQUIRE ATLAS LIFE SCIENCES, FORAYS INTO THE API BUSINESS

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sahi Songwon Colors Limited, a market leader in the Indian pigments industry, announced the acquisition of 78 per cent stakes of Atlas Life Sciences Private Limited, a manufacturer of bulk pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), for an all-cash consideration of Rs 48 crores. Asahi Songwon Colors said its board of directors unanimously approved the acquisition, which includes a fully operational WHO GMP certified manufacturing facility in Odhav, Ahmedabad, a 4,000 squarefoot state-of-the-art R&D facility, a 5,000 square-foot corporate office, and a 15,000-square-meter land parcel in Chhatral with EC permission for 32 products, for future expansion activities.

Asahi Songwon Colors will establish a new plant on the vacant land parcel in Chhatral to backwards integrate the existing products and introduce newer high-value products. The company intends to break ground on the greenfield project in Chhatral in July 2022. The greenfield project is estimated to cost Rs 44 crores and will be funded

through a combination of internal accrual and debt.

Atlas is a leading manufacturer of Anti-convulsant, Anti-psychotic and Anti-diabetic APIs with a strong focus on product and process research.

Key Highlights of the Transaction • The 78 per cent acquisition of Atlas Life Sciences Private Limited will be financed through a mix of Rs 28 crores of internal accruals and Rs 20 crores of debt.

• Asahi Songwon Colors will acquire an additional 11 per cent stake in Atlas Life Sciences Private Limited each year for the next two years based on performance metrics, bringing the company’s equity stake to 100 per cent by the end of FY25.

• Jagdish Sheth, the current promoter of Atlas Life Sciences Private Limited, will serve as a joint managing director until March 2025.

JUBILANT INGREVIA STARTS NEW ACETIC ACID PLANT IN UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA

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OIDA, INDIA: Jubilant Ingrevia Limited announced it has started a new green ethanol based food-grade acetic acid plant at its manufacturing facility in Gajraula, Uttar Pradesh. The plant will cater to the increasing demand in food preservative segment across the globe. The food-grade acetic acid plant has a rated capacity of 25,000 tons per annum.

The product will be manufactured from green ethanol which is produced from natural bio-based feedstock. This food-grade acetic acid is in high demand globally. It will provide a healthier option for food preservation requirements, as compared to the acetic acid produced through petroleum route.

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

“With the commissioning of this food-grade acetic acid plant, produced from renewable feed stock based green ethanol, we are pleased to share that we continue on our path of successfully executing our planned growth CAPEX. As per our growth plans we continue to make investments in niche products which are used for specialised usage globally. We are confident of achieving the superior growth path charted for the company,” said Rajesh Srivastava, chief executive officer and managing director, Jubilant Ingrevia Ltd. Further, the plant is designed to meet the highest standards of product certifications like FSSAI, ISO 22000, Kosher, Halal, FCC Codex etc.

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NEWS NATIONAL AKZONOBEL FORAYS INTO DO-IT-YOURSELF PAINTS SEGMENT IN INDIA

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URUGRAM, INDIA: AkzoNobel India announced its foray into the growing Do-It-Yourself (DIY) paints category. After success in Europe, India drives the DIY phenomena for AkzoNobel as the first country in South Asia to launch the ‘Dulux Simply Refresh’ range.

A Dulux survey shows that 85 percent of consumers in India say that they will do DIY jobs. Dulux Simply Refresh proposition celebrates what new-age consumers want from a DIY range – effortless fun experience of refreshing homes in their personal style with a one-stop solution of quality products to meet all their transformation needs from home makeover projects, upcycling wooden furniture, repainting metal artifacts to minor repair jobs.

“AkzoNobel India is delighted to announce its disruptive foray into the growing DIY segment of paints. Our new range ‘Dulux Simply Refresh’ merges the best of AkzoNobel’s global expertise with a complete range of quality Do-it-Yourself products. As consumers of today increasingly demand more from their homes, Dulux Simply Refresh is our invitation to Indian consumers to transform multiple surfaces (wood, metal or walls) at one go, with just one coat of paint, but without the hassles associated with a traditional paint or repair job,” said Rajiv Rajgopal, managing director, AkzoNobel India.

Easy to choose, the Dulux Simply Refresh offers a complete range for DIY solutions under three categories - decorative paints, repair & protection solutions and painting kits.

SI GROUP TO SELL INDIA MANUFACTURING SITE AND ASSETS TO ION CHEMICALS

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CHENECTADY, US: SI Group, a performance additives company, announced the closing of the agreement to sell its Navi Mumbai, India manufacturing site and associated assets to India-based Ion Chemicals, a Grammercy Trade Industrial Limited Company. The transaction includes the transfer of ownership, including most employees, to safely sustain manufacturing operations.

“While we are transitioning ownership of the Navi Mumbai site to Ion Chemicals, SI Group remains invested in the India market,” commented David Bradley, president and CEO of SI Group, adding “This is a strategic growth region for our plastics, rubber and adhesives and industrial solutions, and we look forward to the investments we are making and continuing to support all customers.”

Ion Chemicals will begin operating the site effective immediately.

“We’re thrilled to add the Navi Mumbai manufacturing facility and transitioning employees to our organization. The site’s history of talent and capabilities will add value to Ion Chemicals,” said Ion Chemicals CEO, Ashok Pol.

SI Group owns and operates two manufacturing sites in India, including Lote and Rasal, and will retain employees in Navi Mumbai with commercial responsibilities to support continued business needs throughout the region.

SI Group, a performance additives company, will sell its Navi Mumbai, India manufacturing site and associated assets to India-based Ion Chemicals. Shown here is SI Group’s regional headquarters’ in Asia Pacific.

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Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

UFLEX, ASEPTO TO BUILD INDIA’S FIRST U-SHAPE PAPER STRAW LINE IN GUJARAT

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OIDA, INDIA: UFlex Limited announced its initiative to bring a sustainable change to its fold by setting up India’s first U-shaped paper straw manufacturing line for its aseptic liquid packaging business. The manufacturing line is being set up at its existing aseptic liquid packaging plant in Sanand, Gujarat.

By becoming India’s first and world’s fastest-speed line U–shaped paper straw manufacturing company, UFlex through its aseptic liquid packaging brand Asepto continues its efforts to create a sustainable and clean environment. The paper straw manufacturing line will boast of fully automated Dutch technology, offering a production capacity of approximately 2.4 billion straws annually.

The sizes available in U-Shape paper straws will be 145mm and 165mm that will be attached to and utilized for portion packs for juices and other beverages. UFlex paper straws will be food grade, moistureresistant and made from sustainably sourced papers, which are 100 percent recyclable.

“In the wake of prohibitions on use of single use plastic coming into force across the world, including Indian government upholding its decision to not exempt some plastic straws from the impending ban, this move by UFlex is not just significant but also timely. We are constantly looking for strategic ways to improve the environmental performance of our products and create avenues for superior, convenient and sustainable packaging. The line’s installation for ready-to-drink aseptic liquid packaging at our Sanand facility is a great example of our company’s commitment toward creating better and safer products for our future generations,” said Ashwani Kumar Sharma, president & CEO, Aseptic Liquid Packaging Business, UFlex Ltd. “After the successful installation and commissioning, we aim to attain 100 million straw production in the first month and raise it to 200 million in the next couple of months. We aim to produce 2.4 billion

straws annually. The aesthetics and quality of the product are at par with global standards,” added Sharma.

UFlex-Asepto is importing the machinery and equipment from Tembo Paper BV, which is the leading European company with next generation Dutch Technology. “We are delighted to be partnering with UFlex Asepto to put up India’s first high-volume U-Shape paper straw line.

With global restrictions on single-use plastics changing, a long-term solution is urgently required. By combining our significant knowledge and strengths, we are enthusiastic to work together to promote and execute sustainable solutions. In the long run, this cooperation would carve out a significant position in the Indian market for mutual business success,” said Pierre Mousson, managing director, Tembo Paper BV. “Sustainability is one of the foundation pillars at UFlex, and we are witnessing that our aseptic liquid packaging industry is progressively moving towards more environment friendly initiatives. Therefore, our emphasis is strongly on ensuring long-term viability of the entire value chain. The paper straws have created a huge impact in the global markets, and we are expecting the Indian market to mirror similar sentiments.

As a responsible packaging solutions corporation, we are committed to support our beverage customers globally, and fulfil consumer and regulatory needs by increasing the environmental performance of their packaging while reducing their carbon footprint. This is another step toward achieving our mega goal to go green,” said Ashok Chaturvedi, chairman and managing director, UFlex Ltd. In FY2021, UFlex had earlier announced doubling of its aseptic liquid packaging capacity to 7 billion packs per annum in Sanand and the project which is near completion is undergoing trial runs currently. The latest paper-straw line initiative by UFlex will catapult aseptic liquid packaging industry into a different league altogether and will go on to add yet another sustainable edge to UFlex’ business approach.

UFlex Limited announced its initiative to bring a sustainable change to its fold by setting up India’s first U-shaped paper straw manufacturing line for its aseptic liquid packaging business. The manufacturing line is being set up at its existing aseptic liquid packaging plant in Sanand, Gujarat.

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

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NEWS INTERNATIONAL VOLKSWAGEN, BP PARTNER TO LAUNCH EV FAST CHARGING NETWORK IN EUROPE

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ONDON, UK: Volkswagen and bp said they will partner to boost adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) across Europe, unveiling the first charger in Dusseldorf, Germany. The partnership brings together two of the leading global players in e-mobility who aim to transform access to EV charging in key European markets by rapidly building a fast charging network across Europe by 2024 and delivering a seamless experience for EV drivers. The first phase of the roll-out will see up to an additional 4,000 charge points at bp’s Aral retail sites in Germany and bp retail sites in the UK over the next 24 months. By the end 2024, up to 8,000 charge points could be available across Germany, the UK and other European countries.

Volkswagen’s innovative Flexpole 150kW charging units, each of which feature two charge points, have an integrated battery storage system, overcoming one of the biggest obstacles to the rapid rollout of fast charging infrastructure in Europe – the need for highpowered grid connections. The Flexpole units can be directly connected to a low voltage grid which removes the requirement for a dedicated substation and costly construction work, significantly reducing installation times while still providing fast charging speeds of up to 150kW2, enough to deliver up to 160km of driving in as little as 10 minutes, depending on the model of electric vehicle.

“EV charging is one of the key engines driving bp’s transformation to an integrated energy company. That’s why we’re so excited by our partnership with Volkswagen. When you bring together one of the world’s leading car makers and one of the world’s leading energy companies – the opportunity is huge,” said Bernard Looney, chief executive officer, bp is rapidly expanding its EV charging network, including at its extensive and conveniently located network of retail sites.

“Volkswagen has been pioneering the transformation to e-mobility across Europe. Today we have the broadest offer of electric cars in the market and sold more EVs in the region than any other carmaker last year. Investing in everything from software to

batteries and charging is part of our strategy to make individual mobility safer, more convenient and fully climate-neutral. The decarbonization of Europe’s economy requires close collaboration across borders and sectors,” said Herbert Diess, Volkswagen’s chief executive officer.

The charger locations will be integrated into the navigation and other in-car apps of VW, Seat and Skoda vehicles as well as into Volkswagen’s charging application, Elli, making it easier for drivers to find available charging points. Any EV driver will be able to use the new chargers as part of the bp pulse and Aral pulse network enabling all EV drivers to sign up and collect rewards from bp/Aral loyalty programmes.

“With the transition to electric vehicles well underway in Europe, we want to provide fast, reliable charging and convenience to EV drivers on-the-go,” said Emma Delaney, bp’s executive vice president, customers & products. “We are delighted to announce this partnership with VW. The flexible battery-based chargers will accelerate bp’s fast charging network roll-out at our well-located sites in Europe. We are planning up to 4,000 additional charge points in Germany and the UK in the near term – a turbo-boost for our fast charging network in these countries.”

“As we promised at our Power Day, we are driving the expansion of charging infrastructure in Europe at high speed. Together with bp, we will bring thousands of fast-charging stations to life within a very short time. Rapid expansion of the charging network is crucial now. To make that happen, our pioneering flexible, fast chargers offer a perfect solution, since the time and costs required for installation are minimal,” said Thomas Schmall, member, board of management, Volkswagen Group and CEO, Volkswagen Group Components.

Under the terms of their agreement, VW and bp will also look to pursue further opportunities together to provide future solutions for lower carbon mobility.

Volkswagen and bp launch fast chargers network partnership in Germany, to boost adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) across Europe,

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Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

UMICORE, ACC TO PARTNER FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERY MATERIALS IN EUROPE

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RUSSELS, BELGIUM: Umicore and Automotive Cells

access to substantial demand for its cathode materials and further

Company (ACC – a joint company between Stellantis,

diversify its exposure to major and diverse players in the EV value

Mercedes-Benz and TotalEnergies together with its subsidiary

chain.

Saft) said they have signed a long-term strategic supply agreement

“We are very pleased to partner with ACC by enabling the fast

for EV (electric vehicle) cathode materials in Europe. Umicore

transition to electric driving. Our long-standing track-record in

will supply ACC’s future large-scale European battery plants with

developing high-performance battery materials with industry

next-generation high nickel cathode materials out of its greenfield

benchmark quality levels, together with our sustainability

production plant in Nysa, Poland.

leadership and closed-loop approach make us a preferred partner

The long-term agreement will start with an annual offtake

for our customers globally,” said Mathias Miedreich, CEO of

commitment of 13 GWh to a major platform of a European car

Umicore.

manufacturer with first commercial volumes expected in early

“With this important agreement, which secures the supply of a key

2024. Umicore and ACC share the ambition to further develop

component for the battery industry, ACC confirms its ambition to

their partnership with the potential to grow annually supplied

become a European leader for car batteries that allow clean and

volumes to reach at least 46 GWh by 2030, equivalent to powering

efficient mobility for all,” said Yann Vincent, CEO of ACC.

at least 500,000 EVs per year.

This long-term supply agreement is a major milestone for Umicore’s

The partnership supports ACC’s growth and sustainability

rechargeable battery materials business and complements

ambitions by providing ACC access to critical, high-performing

Umicore’s recent agreement with ACC on battery recycling,

and ethically sourced battery materials for the ramp-up of its

whereby Umicore will be recycling the battery production waste at

European cell production. In turn, it will provide Umicore secured

ACC’s testing facilities in France.

Umicore and Automotive Cells Company (a joint company between Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz and TotalEnergies together with its subsidiary Saft) signed a long-term supply agreement for electric vehicle (EV) cathode materials in Europe.

SHELL TO ACQUIRE RENEWABLE ENERGY FIRM SPRNG ENERGY FOR $1.55 BILLION

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ONDON, UK: Shell Overseas Investment BV, a wholly

which will help Shell to reach its target of becoming a profitable

owned subsidiary of Shell Plc (Shell), said it agreed with Actis

net-zero emissions energy business by 2050.

Solenergi Limited (Actis) to acquire 100 percent of Solenergi Power Private Limited for $1.55 billion and with it, the Sprng Energy group of companies. Sprng Energy supplies solar and wind power to electricity distribution companies in India. Its portfolio consists of 2.9 gigawatts-peak (GWp) of assets (2.1 GWp operating

“This deal positions Shell as one of the first movers in building a truly integrated energy transition business in India,” said Wael Sawan, Shell’s Integrated Gas, Renewables and Energy Solutions Director.

“I believe it will enable Shell to become a leader across the power

and 0.8 GWp contracted) with a further 7.5 GWp of renewable

value chain in a rapidly growing market where electrification on a

energy projects in the pipeline. The transaction is expected to close

massive scale and strong demand for renewables are driving the

later in 2022.

energy transition. Sprng Energy generates cash, has an excellent

The solar and wind assets Shell acquires through the deal will triple

team, strong and proven development track record and a healthy

Shell’s present renewable capacity in operation and help deliver

growth pipeline. Sprng Energy’s strengths can combine with Shell

its Powering Progress strategy. An important part of Powering

India’s thriving customer-facing gas and downstream businesses

Progress is to develop a best-in-class integrated power business,

to create even more opportunities for growth.”

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

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NEWS INTERNATIONAL TOTALENERGIES TO ACQUIRE US-BASED RENEWABLE ENERGY FIRM CORE SOLAR

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ARIS, FRANCE/AUSTIN, US: TotalEnergies said it is expanding its presence in the US renewable energy industry by acquiring Austin-based Core Solar LLC whose portfolio includes more than 4 GW of utility-scale solar and energy storage projects at various stages of development across several US states and power markets. Core Solar’s CEO Greg Nelson and his employees will join TotalEnergies’ teams.

With this acquisition, TotalEnergies further develops its presence in the US where it now has a portfolio of more than 10 GW gross capacity of renewable projects in operation, in construction and in development: - In large scale solar energy, TotalEnergies is already developing 2.2 GW of projects, initially carried by SunChase Power, and 1.6 GW of projects in partnership with Hanwha Energy, which will be completed by the 4 GW of projects acquired from Core Solar.

These portfolios also include energy storage projects.

- In offshore wind energy, TotalEnergies is starting the development of a 3 GW wind farm off the coast of New York and New Jersey, which was awarded last February during the New York Bight auction. The Company has also launched a joint venture with Simply Blue to unlock the vast potential for floating offshore

in the United States. Beyond, TotalEnergies is working on the preparation of the upcoming auction of offshore wind projects off the coast of California.

- In solar distributed generation, TotalEnergies acquired in the first quarter of 2022 the industrial and commercial solar activities of SunPower with the objective to develop more than 100 MW per year of additional capacity.

“We are delighted with this new addition to our portfolio of solar projects in the US, a key region for achieving our global target of 100 GW of renewable projects in operation by 2030. This attractive 4 GW pipeline of projects will strengthen and diversify our portfolio,” said Vincent Stoquart, senior vice president, renewables at TotalEnergies.

“We are thrilled to join TotalEnergies with its unparalleled financial capability, project execution, and operational excellence.

This will enable the business to accelerate its growth across the US solar market. The Core Solar team brings with it an exceptional ability that will contribute to TotalEnergies’ ambition to become a market leader in solar energy delivery in the US,” said Greg Nelson, president and CEO at Core Solar.

COVESTRO BREAKS GROUND AT THERMOPLASTIC POLYURETHANE FILMS UNIT IN GERMANY

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EVERKUSEN, GERMANY: Covestro said it is expanding its production capacities for thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) films in the Platilon® range, as well as the associated infrastructure and logistics. To this end, the company is investing a low doubledigit million euro amount in its German center of excellence for the aforementioned films in Bomlitz, Lower Saxony. This site of Epurex Films, a wholly owned subsidiary of Covestro, houses application development and production for the semi-finished products, among other things. The new facilities are scheduled for completion as early as the end of 2023.

The new capacity is intended to meet the growing global demand for multilayer TPU Films. They are used in automotive interiors and construction, among other applications. Breathable, waterimpermeable specialty films have also proven their worth in wound care and outdoor clothing.

“With this capacity expansion, we are strengthening our Bomlitz site and our position as a leading supplier of technical specialty films,” said Dr. Klaus Schafer, chief technology officer of Covestro.

“At the same time, we are investing in promising technologies and applications and creating new jobs.”

For Aleta Richards, global head of the Specialty Films segment, the expansion offers opportunities to respond even better to individual customer needs and offer more sustainable products.

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Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

“For some time now, we have also been developing customerspecific solutions with films made from alternative raw materials, as we are also seeing increasing demand in this area. The development and production of partially bio-based products is therefore to become a new focus at the Bomlitz site.”

Covestro is fully geared toward the circular economy and aims to become climate-neutral by 2035. To this end, the Bomlitz site plans to switch its energy supply completely to green electricity starting this year. Epurex Films is one of three Covestro competence centers for specialty films in Germany. The other two centers in Leverkusen and Dormagen are focused on research, production and application of polycarbonate films.

The groundbreaking ceremony for Covestro’s new TPU film capacity at the Bomlitz site in Germany was attended by the management of the companies (from left to right): Klaus Bammann (Site Manager and Operations Head, Bomlitz site), Dr. Klaus Schäfer (CTO), Aleta Richards (Global Head, Specialty Films business), Tobias Kordt (Managing Director, Epurex Films GmbH) and Michael Bodiger (Operations Head and Specialty Films Business Entity).

DSM LICENSES CATTLE FEED ADDITIVE RIGHTS TO ELANCO IN THE US

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REENFIELD, US/HEERLEN, NETHERLANDS: Elanco

Bovaer® production capacity globally. Already the state of Indiana,

Animal Health Incorporated and Royal DSM said they

for example, has indicated its support for expanded manufacturing

have created a strategic alliance to address the opportunity of

investment in the state as it continues to build public-private

mitigating climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions

partnerships supporting the state’s growing agriculture economy.

from farming. Elanco has secured the exclusive US licensing rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize Bovaer® for beef and dairy cattle.

“We are excited to partner with DSM to start the process of bringing this game-changing innovation to US livestock producers,” said Jeff Simmons, president and CEO of Elanco. “It will further strengthen

Bovaer® is a first-in-class methane-reducing product for beef and

Elanco’s efforts to create the livestock sustainability market and

dairy cattle approved in Europe, Brazil, Chile and Australia. As part

the next era of value for farmers by adding to our efforts to reduce,

of its authorization in those countries, more than 50 peer-reviewed

measure and monetize emission reductions, including Experior™,

studies and 48 on-farm trials in 14 countries show Bovaer®

Uplook™ and Athian. We are eager to work with regulators to

consistently reduces enteric methane emissions by approximately 30 percent for dairy cows and even higher percentages for beef cattle.

DSM and Elanco intend to seek US authorization for the product to provide farmers, dairy and beef companies, and retailers with a solution to substantially lower the carbon footprint of beef and dairy production, supporting the animal protein industry’s ESG efforts and helping secure a sustainable future for the planet.

Based on published research, the methane reduction from feeding a million cows Bovaer® is equivalent to planting 45 million trees or removing 300,000 cars from the road. With 9 million dairy cows and 14 million beef cattle on feed in the US alone, the product, if authorized in the US, would contribute to a significant and immediate reduction of the environmental footprint of meat and

bring a unique innovation like DSM’s Bovaer® to the US market as quickly as possible to support farmers and positively impact the climate crisis.”

“This agreement marks an important milestone for DSM, Elanco and the climate change mitigation efforts of the US. We believe Elanco, as a company that shares our determination to revolutionize the sustainability of the cattle industry, is the ideal partner to help us increase and accelerate the total impact of our game-changing feed additive by bringing us closer to customers across the US. This alliance will help us realize Bovaer®’s potential as a powerful solution with a significantly positive impact on the planet,” said Geraldine Matchett and Dimitri de Vreeze, Co-CEOs of Royal DSM.

dairy products, supporting the Global Methane Pledge to cut

With an estimated global market opportunity for livestock

emissions 30 percent by 2030.

methane reduction of $1 billion to $2 billion, Elanco expects

The strategic alliance is expected to enable both parties to

Bovaer® to have blockbuster annual revenue potential in excess of

maximize the opportunity for the product in the US market,

$200 million in the US market with initial contribution by mid-

once approved, while also nearly doubling previously announced

decade.

DSM gives Elanco exclusive licensing rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize feed additive Bovaer® in US for beef and dairy cattle. Bovaer® is a methane-reducing feed additive for cattle.

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

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NEWS INTERNATIONAL DOMO CHEMICALS TO EXPAND POLYAMIDE PRODUCTION IN CHINA

DOMO Chemicals will continue to expand production capacity of TECHNYL® high-performance polyamides in China. The company aims to meet growing demand in the automotive, electrical & electronics, and industrial consumer goods industries.

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HENT, BELGIUM: DOMO Chemicals announced a longterm investment plan in China to continue expanding its production capacity of TECHNYL® high-performance polyamides.

This plan aims to meet growing demand in the automotive, electrical & electronics, and industrial consumer goods industries, and help build a sustainable future. DOMO Chemicals acquired Solvay’s Performance Polyamides business in 2020 and has sold the TECHNYL® products globally since 1 February, including in China.

The global demand for polyamide materials is currently booming at a CAGR of up to 3 percent. The adoption of new energy vehicles (including pure electric, hybrid and fuel cell vehicles) is expected to reach 45 percent globally by 2030, and automakers are increasingly using sustainable materials to make components, which are key growth drivers of the polyamide market. In addition, the demand for miniaturized circuit breakers, contactors, plug switches, and other components in the electrical and electronics and industrial consumer goods industries further opens up the application potential for polyamide materials. Investing more in China to meet increasing market demand Asia is the fastest growing market for polyamides in the world, with the majority of that growth concentrated in China. As an integrated producer of PA 6/66, DOMO Chemicals is committed to improving and expanding its production facilities in China in order to increase capacity and establish a strong presence. This will help local manufacturers keep pace with emerging trends and create innovative, high-performance and sustainable products and applications.

To this end, DOMO Chemicals will continue to expand the capacity of its production site in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, which has been planned to be gradually introduced in three stages: - Since March 2022, an additional 6,000 tons of capacity has been made available, with the plant achieving the total capacity of 14,000 tons of PA6 from April onwards.

TECHNYL® has been committed to helping customers improve their low-carbon competitiveness since its very first year in China.

Since its birth in 1953, TECHNYL® has offered a full range of solutions based on PA 6/66. With its excellent flame retardancy, high temperature resistance, chemical resistance, impact resistance and environmental friendliness, TECHNYL® allows OEMs and component makers in the automotive, electrical & electronics, and industrial consumer goods segments to create lightweight, durable, aesthetically pleasing, smart and environmentallyfriendly products.

“TECHNYL® is also celebrating its first year of growth in China as DOMO Chemicals officially launches the brand’s global production and distribution network on 1 February. Achieving the global rollout of TECHNYL® is a key milestone in DOMO Chemicals’ sustainability strategy to help our local customers in China to achieve their low carbon goals and increase their competitive advantage in the face of accelerating sustainability trends,” said Fabrizio Cochi, vice president, Asian operations.

The DOMAMID®, ECONAMID® and THERMEC™ engineered material solution brands are gradually being combined under the TECHNYL® brand to form a new TECHNYL® high-performance polyamide family.

Meanwhile, what’s worth noting is the DOMO Chemicals Application Center in Europe. The technical center is currently developing a steady stream of new products, applications and technologies, helping customers worldwide to accelerate product development and meet innovation challenges, which will further benefit customers in China.

Going forward, DOMO Chemicals will further expand the plant, gradually increasing its capacity to 50,000 tons.

By 2030, DOMO Chemicals is commited to a neutral CO2 emissions growth versus 2019, a 15 percent reduction in the carbon content of DOMO’s energy mix and a 7% reduction of industrial waste. With the opening of the TECHNYL® global network and the orderly progress of the China expansion plan, DOMO Chemicals will rapidly cross the important milestone of achieving sustainability and contribute to DOMO’s competency in building a sustainable supply chain.

In addition to the expansion, the plant will also use renewable energy wherever possible, adopt advanced water and air treatment

Since February, the entire TECHNYL® portfolio has been exclusively produced and commercialized by DOMO worldwide.

- A 35,000-ton new plant in Haiyan is planned to be completed in the third quarter of 2023, in which DOMO Chemicals has invested more than 14 million euros (97 million yuan).

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technologies to reduce water consumption and CO2 emissions, and fully comply with Health, Safety and Environmental Management System (HSE) regulations.

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

CJ BIO INAUGURATES 5,000 MT POLYHYDROXYALKANOATE UNIT IN INDONESIA

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EOUL, SOUTH KOREA: CJ BIO, a division of South Korea-based CJ CheilJedang, announced that it has begun manufacturing polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) at a newly commissioned facility located in Pasuruan, Indonesia. CJ BIO, the global leader in fermentation capacity with world-scale businesses in both animal and human nutrition, is using this new facility to enter the biomaterials sector with the goal of creating opportunities to reduce the impact of manufactured plastics on global waste streams and the environment. The rated capacity of the new facility is 5,000 metric tons and will focus exclusively on manufacturing ‘amorphous’ PHAs (a-PHAs).

Amorphous PHA is a softer, more rubbery (low glass transition temperature (Tg)) version of PHA that offers fundamentally different performance opportunities than crystalline or semicrystalline forms of PHA. This material will see immediate use as a modifier to other polymers and biopolymers to improve functional characteristics and biodegradability, enabling ‘cradle-to-grave’ solutions for the broad range of markets that generate plastic waste. The technology also has the potential to develop building blocks for other performance materials made from non-fossil fuel sources.

CJ BIO shipped its first material from the facility in April of this year.

According to Seung Jin Lee, head of biomaterials business, one of the objectives of the new business is to build a world-class biomaterials platform based on PHA technology, capable of addressing what amounts to a global crisis in plastics pollution.

“Plastics are an essential material, improving people’s lives everywhere – but the impact of so much of this material on our environment has become unsustainable moving forward.

Increased bio-content and improved biodegradability have been improvements, but the issue of full biodegradability – particularly in marine and home environments – has yet to be addressed. We believe that PHAs – with the right properties and manufactured at scale – will allow us to address this issue globally,” said Lee. “At CJ BIO, we have world-scale fermentation capacity and a broad and flexible PHA technology portfolio to help everyone from plastics manufacturers to consumer products companies develop better solutions,” added Lee.

Polyesters produced in nature

Polyhydroxyalkanoates are linear polyesters produced in nature through bacterial fermentation of sugars or lipids. They occur naturally in living cells from a 5-10 percent rate, which gives PHAs their excellent biodegradability.

CJ BIO can increase PHA content up to 85 percent through bacterial strain and proprietary fermentation technology. The company employs advanced downstream technology for the extraction of PHA components and for the manufacture of specific products.

CJ BIO’s broad technology platform, which is covered by an extensive patent portfolio, can target specific monomer ratios and can produce crystalline, semi-crystalline and amorphous polymer structures. The new Pasuruan facility will focus solely on amorphous PHAs. In one of its most important applications, amorphous PHA complements the bio-content and biodegradability profile of polymers while at the same time improving functional and processing properties. It represents a solid opportunity to improve the performance of the biopolymer polylactic acid (PLA) by delivering significant improvements to this material’s mechanical properties, including increased toughness, better strength, and ductility. Also, amorphous PHA maintains the bio-content of PLA and can potentially improve its biodegradability profile.

The Market Leader in Amorphous PHAs According to Max Senechal, chief commercial officer, biomaterials business, the start-up of this new PHA manufacturing facility in Pasuruan is the culmination of decades of work that started at the company Metabolix in the early 2000s and which CJ Bio has been improving since it acquired Metabolix biopolymer assets in 2016.

“CJ BIO has been working toward bio-based chemicals and biopolymers as part of a long-term vision to expand into technologies that can help create a more sustainable future. This new facility represents a major step for CJ BIO along a journey that will see significantly more investment in this technology in the near future,” said Senechal.

“Today, we are the only company with the potential to produce amorphous PHA at scale, with the unique properties required to support the rapid growth of the bioplastics industry. Market response to our technology offering and our new PHA products has been significant,” added Senechal.

CJ BIO has inaugurated a 5,000 metric ton polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) unit in Pasuruan, Indonesia. The company looks to create biomaterials in the plastics industry, having full biodegradability, particularly in marine and home environments.

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

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Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

MOVERS & SHAKERS RAJ PETRO APPOINTS NEW SENIOR DIRECTOR, LUBRICANTS BUSINESS

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YDERABAD, INDIA: Raj Petro Specialities Pvt Ltd, a Brenntag Group company, said it has appointed Prasad Vaze as senior director, lubricants business. He will lead the comprehensive lubricants business units, including speciality, industrial and automotive lubricant businesses .

Vaze has served in numerous senior leadership roles, including leading retail operations, profit centre management, developing business strategy and channel development & management.

“I am very thrilled to take on this new role. My vision is to create a world class experience for our consumers and channel partners.

Our aim is to leverage Kyros, Onwo and Zoomol brands, explore humongous potential that India and international markets offer and grow the lubricant business profitability,” said Vaze.

“We are thrilled to have a seasoned industry leader join our team. With Prasad onboard, we are confident that he will accelerate the growth momentum. His unique domain expertise will further help strengthen Raj Petro’s market position and expand footprint across markets,” said Mehul Nanavati, managing director, Raj Petro Specialities Pvt Ltd.

Prasad Vaze

“We will be taking on the important hat of managing Raj Petro’s lubricants business, and we wish him all the best for his journey! With his knowledge and extensive experience, we are confident that Prasad will assist Raj Petro in reaching new heights,” said Archana Gharte, Head HR. Raj Petro Specialities Pvt Ltd.

FIMI APPOINTS HINDUSTAN ZINC CEO AS SUSTAINABLE MINING INITIATIVE CHAIRMAN the ground (agriculture) and below the ground (minerals). Minerals are not only vital inputs in our daily lives but also necessary for India’s growth have always believed that India is blessed with a plethora of mineral resources which will play an important role in realizing the dream of AatmaNirbhar Bharat. As a Chairman of Governing Council of the Sustainable Mining Initiative of FIMI, my focus will be on mineral conservation while creating a sustainable environment and enabling mines to become net zero,” said Misra.

The Indian mining sector is now at a crucial stage following the greenfield and brownfield mine auctions. Given that the country’s current mining ecosystem is dynamic, it is imperative that all stakeholders, including policymakers and the industry, adopt global best practices and collaborate in order to ensure long-term sustainability for the sector. The Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI), established in 1966, is a national apex body that seeks to promote the interests of all mining, mineral processing, metal making, and other mineral-based industries. FIMI has more than 400 direct members and 25 regional associations which represent local small mining units across the country.

Arun Misra

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DAIPUR, RAJASTHAN: The Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI), a leading mining body, has appointed Arun Misra, CEO and whole-time director, Hindustan Zinc, as its chairman of Sustainable Mining Initiative - A Sustainable Committee of FIMI during an event in Bhubaneshwar. Misra currently also serves as the chairman of the International Zinc Association.

“We must value the resources provided by mother earth both above

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

Following Misra’s appointment as Chairman of Sustainable Mining Initiative, FIMI has hosted the Sustainable Mining Summit 2022 in April in Bhubaneswar. The summit’s primary aim was to put together a roadmap for sustainable mining in India. They emphasised how our mines need to compete with global mines in terms of productivity, efficiency & safety as well as environmental management and development skilled workforce to handle imported sophisticated mining equipment. Various stakeholders, including government agencies, regulators, industry stalwarts, practising managers, NGOs, academicians, and strategists, came together during the summit to deliberate these issues afflicting the Indian mining industry as it inches closer to a new era in its history.

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NYNAS APPOINTS INTERIM CEO, CHANGES BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Stein Ivar

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TOCKHOLM, SWEDEN: Nynas AB president and CEO Bo Askvik has informed the board that he has decided to leave his position after 8 years in the company. The board has appointed Stein Ivar Bye as interim CEO. Following the recent reorganisation completed in January and the refinancing concluded in April, Askvik has decided to step down after successfully leading Nynas through sanctions, Covid19, the completed reorganization and refinancing.

for a new CEO. Bye, recently appointed as chairman of the Nynas board at the Annual General Meeting, will manage the CEO duties on an interim basis until a permanent CEO has been appointed.

Nynas said it has settled the payment in full to trade creditors with claims remaining, after receiving an initial payment of 100,000 SEK each following the completion of Nynas company reorganisation in January 2021. This is in accordance with the composition agreement between all creditors and as decided by the District Court of Sodertorn.

“It has been a privilege to be a part of the Nynas board since August 2021 and I feel honoured to be selected as chairman of the board and interim CEO. I am looking forward to work with the rest of the board and Nynas stakeholders in the next chapter of the company.

Nynas has proven its resilience in a changing environment close to 100 years,” said Bye.

A composition proposal as well as an administrators’ report had been distributed to the creditors, by Nynas AB and the administrators.

At the Nynas AB AGM, the following new directors of the board were appointed:

“We are grateful for the cooperation, patience and loyalty that our customers and suppliers have shown following a difficult time in the company’s history. Today we are pleased to announce that the payment of the remaining outstanding amounts has taken place,“ said Bo Askvik, Nynas president & CEO. As part of the composition agreement, the banks and the largest raw material supplier jointly declared that they agreed to have their claims converted into long-term senior loans with a maturity of 5 years at the earliest and a certain part converted into subordinated hybrid instruments.

“In the reorganisation process, we managed to find a solution for a very complex situation and came out as a stronger company with 5-year secured financing and a strengthened balance sheet. We will in 2022 keep our focus on continuing to strengthen Nynas to the benefit of all our stakeholders,” said Askvik.

Askvik remains chairman of the Nynas Foundation “Nynässtiftelsen”, a shareholder in Nynas and will thereby support the company´s continued development.

Following Askvik’s decision, the board has commenced the search

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Bye has experience from numerous executive positions in ExxonMobil, was previously the COO at Preem AB, CEO at Essar Oil UK and has been a member of the Nynas board.

Stein Ivar Bye - new chairman of the board: An independent director bringing thirty years of experience in the downstream industry.

Ewa Björling - new director of the Board: An experienced and

professional board member in different companies and industries.

Currently she serves as a board member in Essity AB, Biogaia AB (publ), chairman Xolaris AB and Min Doktor AB. Her background is as a minister for trade in the Swedish government 2007-2014.

Christopher Plummer - new director of the board: An

experienced investment professional and fundamental credit analyst from Davidson Kempner, with a career covering a broad range of strategies including distressed, performing corporates and real estate.

In the same meeting the following changes were made: Magnus Wittbom resigns as chairman of the board and Fredrik Lundstrom as director of the board.

Pia Ovrin resigns as employee representative and is replaced by Alireza Saberi.

BASF SE ELECTS NEW MEMBERS TO SUPERVISORY BOARD

Alessandra Genco

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UDWIGSHAFEN, GERMANY: BASF SE said that at the ordinary Annual Shareholders’ Meeting it elected Alessandra Genco (48), chief financial officer of Leonardo SpA, Rome, Italy, and professor Dr. Stefan Asenkerschbaumer (66), chairman of the supervisory board of Robert Bosch GmbH and managing partner of Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, Stuttgart, Germany, to the supervisory board of BASF SE as new shareholder representatives.

They succeed Anke Schaferkordt (59) and Franz Fehrenbach (72), who have stepped down from the supervisory board as of the end of the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting 2022 due to their many years of service on the Board.

The supervisory board of BASF SE now comprises the following shareholder representatives, whose mandates run until the end of the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting 2024:

Dr. Stefan Asenkerschbaumer SE, and Natalie Muhlenfeld (41), district manager of the Mining, Chemical and Energy Industries Union (IG BCE) for the Düsseldorf district, joined the supervisory board of BASF SE as new employee representatives. They succeed Denise Schellemans (60), Waldemar Helber (64) and Roland Strasser (46), who have resigned their mandates as of the end of the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting. The mandates of the employee representatives on the supervisory board of BASF SE also run until the end of the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting 2024.

The supervisory board of BASF SE now comprises the following employee representatives: - Tatjana Diether, Limburgerhof, Germany - Sinischa Horvat, Limburgerhof, Germany

- Dr. Kurt Bock, Heidelberg, Germany (Chairman)

- Andre Matta, Großkarlbach, Germany

- Professor Dr. Stefan Asenkerschbaumer, Stuttgart, Germany

- Natalie Muhlenfeld, Dusseldorf, Germany

- Professor Dr. Thomas Carell, Munich, Germany

- Michael Vassiliadis, Hanover, Germany

- Dame Alison Carnwath, Exeter, United Kingdom

- Peter Zaman, Antwerp, Belgium

- Liming Chen, Beijing, China

The supervisory board also resolved the necessary replacements in its committees. Professor Dr. Stefan Asenkerschbaumer was elected as a member of the Personnel Committee, the Nomination Committee and the Strategy Committee. Alessandra Genco was elected as a member of the Audit Committee and as a member of the Nomination Committee.

- Alessandra Genco, Rome, Italy In addition, Peter Zaman (53), deputy secretary of the works council of BASF Antwerpen NV, Andre Matta (51), member of the BASF Works Council Europe and the works council of BASF

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

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NEWS RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR ANALYSIS

AFTERMATH OF RUSSIAUKRAINE WAR: DISRUPTION OF CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

BY DEBARATI DAS

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he Russia- Ukraine conflict is intensifying with every passing day and the war doesn’t seem to be anywhere near its conclusion. However, the rift between the two countries have snowballed into major economic turmoil across the globe.

Several countries in the world are directly or indirectly dependent on Russia and Ukraine for various commodities and the war has had a direct economic impact on the prices of food, energy, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, etc and the prices will tend to rise until the conflict ends.

Ukraine is a major food grain producer and largely exports wheat and corn along with sunflower oil. Russia, on the other hand is a major supplier of natural gas to Europe, and is the third largest producer of crude oil and is the world’s largest exporter of oil and petroleum products. The Black Sea area is a major hub of fertilizer production and trade.

Hence, supplies of various products from these two countries have witnessed severe disruption. Furthermore, severe sanctions

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Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

imposed on Russia by various countries including the US, European Union, UK, Japan, Germany, Canada, and Australia has adversely impacted the trade conditions. More and more countries are freezing assets, banning trade, investments, banning the use of airspace, stock exchanges, and blacklisting of politicians and officials etc.

Many chemical companies have and are continuing to protest Russia’s stand by discontinuing their operations in the country.

On the other hand, as gas prices continue to rise major power and chemical producers are forced to shut down their operations.

TotalEnergies announced in its statement, “Given the uncertainty created by the technological and financial sanctions on the ability to carry out the Arctic LNG 2 project currently under construction and their probable tightening with the worsening conflict, the company will no longer book proved reserves for the Arctic LNG 2 project. TotalEnergies recorded a $4.1 billion impairment in its Q1 2022 accounts”.

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

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Akzo Nobel too announced the suspension of its coatings business. In a statement, the company said, “Our business in Russia represented about 2 percent of our revenue prior to the start of the conflict and we have 640 colleagues in the country. Our Aerospace Coatings activities and new investments and marketing activities have already been suspended in Russia.

As a result of the latest EU sanctions, the majority of our Coatings business in Russia is being suspended and the residual Russian business will be locally operated. We’re evaluating the situation daily and it might be that more of the remaining business in Russia could come to a halt in the next few months especially due to the practical difficulties around the supply of raw materials in Russia,” Akzo Nobel company statement noted.

Marching towards global food crisis In the agrochemical sector, Russia is the second largest producer of ammonia (23 percent of global export), urea (14 percent of global export) and potash (21 percent of global export). It is also the fifthlargest producer of complex phosphates (10 percent of global export).

Several countries including Brazil, Estonia, India, China and United States heavily import fertilizers from Russia. Due to the sudden dearth in supplies and sky-high prices, many countries are scaling back its use and applying less fertilizer to their crops, others are opening protected indigenous lands for the mining of potash while many are reverting to using manure to nourish their crops.

India is a leading importer of fertilisers to meet the demands of its agriculture sector which accounts for 15 percent of the $2.7 trillion economy. The country annually imports 4 million to 5 million tonnes of potash, out if this, a third of it comes from Belarus and Russia, reported Reuters. The country is now turning to Canada and Israel to replace its Russian supplies.

According to the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) clinical trials database, 251 drugs and devices were being tested in clinical trials that have at least one site in Ukraine prior to Russia’s invasion of the country. This has severely interrupted research studies of various pharmaceutical companies. For more than 30 years, companies and labs from around the world have increasingly relied on Ukrainian firms to develop new drugs.

When the invasions began, Merck, AbbVie, Sanofi, AstraZeneca, GSK, Eli Lilly and Roche were among the large pharma firms carrying out research studies in Ukraine. Merck alone had nearly 60 ongoing trials in Ukraine.

Karuna Therapeutics, a Boston-based company focusing on neurological conditions and psychiatric conditions, was conducting its second Phase 3 study in schizophrenia in 10 trial sites in Ukraine. “In light of the continuously evolving and worsening conditions in the region, Karuna Therapeutics, Inc. is withdrawing its prior guidance for the timing of topline data for its ongoing Phase 3 EMERGENT-3 trial evaluating KarXT in schizophrenia. At this time, the escalating conflict in Ukraine has created uncertainty around the company’s ability to project the timing of topline data from this trial,” a statement issued by Karuna.

Roche became the latest company to report clinical trial delays due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. The company announced that the conflict is hampering development of multiple sclerosis (MS) drugs, including the experimental BTK inhibitor fenebrutinib, and trials of launched drug Ocrevus. According to the Swiss firm, about 20 to 30 percent of patients in the global fenebrutinib MS trial programme have been from Ukraine and Russia.

Head of Roche’s pharmaceutical division, Bill Anderson, said: ‘Both Ukraine and Russia historically have been very important contributors to clinical trials for patients with neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis.”

Several companies are severing their ties with Russia and are wrapping up their business activities in the country. BASF recently announced that it will wind down activities in Russia and Belarus except for business that supports food production as the war risks triggering a global food crisis. “This decision is driven by the recent developments of the war and in international law, including the fifth EU sanctions package. Currently, 684 employees work for BASF in Russia and in Belarus. The company has decided to continue to support its employees in both countries until end of 2022,” BASF said in its statement.

Several biotech companies including BioMarin, Rubius, Atai Life Sciences and Blueprint Medicines, are urging global businesses to “cease investment in Russian companies.” Many Pharma companies are severing its ties with Russia, some of them are:

If this continues, it will lead to major disruptions in global food supply and make food crisis a huge challenge for the countries to address.

- Merck said they will not make further investments in Russia.

Unending Hiatus on Clinical Trials The conflict is also taking a huge toll on global drug development.

The pharmaceutical industry in Ukraine is among the 10 biggest pharmaceutical industries in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region. According to reports, Ukraine has approximately 2,500 sites with the capacity to run international clinical trials, with around 500 trials taking place each year.

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- Novartis have decided to suspend any investments in Russia and stop all commercial marketing activities.

- AbbVie has temporarily suspended operations for all its aesthetics products in Russia.

- Bristol Myers Squibb said it suspended new patient recruitments and clinical trial site activations in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia As a long term repercussion of the war, the country might no longer be a preferred location for clinical trials, thereby seriously effecting the nation’s pharmaceutical sector.

The truth is that even after the war is over, it will take decades to build the businesses back in these countries and the global economy will remain paralysed for many more years.

ELECTRIC MOBILITY EV BATTERY

SAFER, LIGHTER, MORE SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY

BY TAMIM SIDIKI

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t looks like the beginning of the end for internal combustion engine vehicles. Now is the time for an electric vehicle revolution – and DSM Engineering Materials is helping to shift the transition up a gear (or two).

The wheels of change Internal combustion engine vehicles (ICE) are the perfect example of an industrial success story – but their popularity has proven too much for our planet to handle. Road transport accounts for around threequarters of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from all transport worldwide, and these emissions have a significant and severe impact on our environment and our collective future. As society faces up to the challenge of tackling climate change, the automotive industry is undergoing a monumental transformation.

The pressure to change is being felt on all sides: from consumers, who are demanding more sustainable alternatives to ICEs that nonetheless provide an equal or better driving experience, to governments and regulators, whose environmental policies and targets require manufacturers to prioritize zero-emission mobility. The solution?

Electric vehicles (EVs), with pure battery or fuel cell driven powertrains that cut out tailpipe emissions and reduce road transport’s carbon tireprint.

A promising trend – and how to materialize it The good news is that as electric mobility technologies advance, so too does the uptake of EVs, which is growing year on year. In 2021, global EV sales hit 6.6 million (more than doubling the figure for 2020), and estimates suggest that there are now around 16 million EVs on the roads. However, this is still a tiny fraction of the world’s 1.4 billion cars.

Given the urgency of the climate crisis, EVs must become the norm, and not the exception, as soon as possible.

DSM Engineering Materials is committed to driving electric mobility forward. Our well-established approach focuses on making EVs

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

safer, lighter, and more sustainable. We therefore develop innovative materials to meet a range of technological challenges, all combined with a reduced carbon footprint. In this way, we enable manufacturers to build high-performance EVs that appeal to consumers – thereby helping to accelerate the shift to zero-emission mobility.

Our industry-leading test lab: Just the latest step In 2022, the company took the next important step along this road by expanding our comparative tracking index (CTI) laboratory with equipment to support the very latest in EV battery developments. This is a crucial frontier for the progress of EV adoption: long charging times have historically been a concern for potential EV buyers. Manufacturers are therefore working to remove this barrier by increasing the voltage of EV batteries and enabling ultra-fast charging. But this next generation of batteries brings heightened safety risks, meaning customers need insulation plastics with better resistance to high voltages.

Enter DSM’s upgraded CTI lab, which can now validate tracking resistance up to 1,500 V for alternating (AC) as well as direct current (DC). Makers of high-voltage components have already shown significant interest in collaborating with DSM on testing all the way up to 1,500 V. By installing the industry’s most advanced CTI test capabilities, we are setting new standards to support manufacturers in increasing the voltage of EV batteries safely and reliably.

Safer, lighter, and more sustainable: Our solutions in action This key milestone has led to the development of high-performance EV charging plugs made of DSM’s Akulon® PA6 and PA66 materials. These plastics deliver the optimal balance of mechanical strength, aesthetics, easy processability and total cost reduction, together with enhanced fireand electrical-safety properties needed for ultra-fast battery charging.

Our safer solution therefore unlocks a game-changing feature for EVs, and will encourage drivers to make their next car a more practical and sustainable electric model.

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But this is just one of the ways in which our portfolio of innovative materials is helping customers rethink mobility. DSM’s Akulon® and ForTii® can both replace metal to create more lightweight structural parts that offer best-in-class strength and thermal performance. For example, Akulon® composites made of unidirectional tapes play a key role in the JEC Innovation Award-winning lightweight center tunnel for Porsche’s 718 Boxster/Cayman, enabling lighter – and therefore more energy- and material-efficient – vehicles.

has committed to a bold ambition: reducing its total GHG emissions

In addition, as a leader in sustainability, DSM Engineering Materials

proven to be as strong and durable as their fossil-based counterparts.

Three examples of DSM materials making Electric Vehicles Safer (left;

our high-performing plastic solutions, technologies, and expertise – including our new testing lab – we can bring next-generation EVs to the roads sooner. From high-speed battery charging to sustainably sourced materials, we enable the changes that consumers are increasingly demanding from manufacturers.

EV charging plug with enhanced electrical safety properties required for fast-charging), Lighter (middle; JEC 2020 innovation award-winning lightweight FRP center tunnel for Porsche 718 Boxster/Cayman) and more Sustainable (right; SPE Automotive 2021 innovation awardwinning wire-harness clips for Ford Bronco Sport made of ocean plastics).

An electrifying transformation Piece by piece, DSM Engineering Materials is helping customers build a safer, lighter and more sustainable future for mobility. Thanks to

and the carbon footprint of its products by 50 percent (versus 2016) by 2030, and rolling out bio- and/or recycled-based alternatives for its entire portfolio by the same year. This target is already having an impact on the automotive sector: we recently worked with Ford to develop wireharness clips for its Bronco Sport that are made of Akulon® RePurposed.

This material is produced from recycled ocean plastics, and the clips – which were awarded a 2021 innovation award by SPE Automotive – are

But the journey to zero-emission mobility is a long one, and as with any road trip, it is best to have company. We know collaboration is essential if we are to successfully make the transition from ICEVs to EVs, and we look forward to working together with likeminded partners in the years to come. Future generations are relying on us – so let’s step on the accelerator!

Author: Tamim Sidiki is Marketing Manager Mobility at. DSM Engineering Materials

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Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

POLYMERS HEALTHCARE

NEW LOW FRICTION, WEAR MEDICAL GRADE FOR SINGLE-USE HEALTHCARE APPLICATIONS

A

global supplier of specialty polymers, Solvay has introduced

instruments such as stent crimpers or components of single-use

a new medical grade of Ixef® PARA for single-use surgical

instruments functioning at high rotational speeds.”

instruments and biopharma processing components with

Ixef® GS-5022 is an ideal solution to replace metal due to its

rotating parts. Ixef® GS-5022 brings increased lubrication to the

unique combination of tensile and flexural strength with an

well-known combination of mechanical properties and ultra-

aesthetic, ultra-smooth finish. It is also compatible with hospital disinfectants and resistant to high energy gamma radiation without significant changes to its original appearance or physical properties. Therefore, parts made from Ixef® GS-5022 can be gamma sterilized in bulk leading to reduced costs, enabling the production of affordable disposable surgical instruments or components for biopharma processing.

smooth finish associated with Ixef® GS-1022, already widely used in healthcare applications.

“Ixef® GS-5022 has been developed to meet customer needs for single-use instruments with moving parts that require smooth, minimum force movement and reduced noise,” said Guruprasad Sivakumar, head of healthcare marketing at Solvay. “The increased level of lubrication makes Ixef® GS-5022 the ideal solution wherever you expect to have high friction in surgical

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

The resin demonstrates no evidence of cytotoxicity, sensitization, intracutaneous reactivity, pyrogenicity, or acute systemic toxicity, based on biocompatibility testing as defined by ISO 10993-1.

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SKIN SOLUTIONS NATURAL INGREDIENTS

ADVANCING THE BIOMIMETIC BOOSTER OF SKIN RESILIENCE

P

repare skin to face up to increasing environmental stress

Galactinol Advanced offers formulators a unique solution for

with new bio-inspired active Galactinol Advanced. Clariant

boosting skin defense systems and strengthening skin resilience

Natural Ingredients takes inspiration from the hardiness of

in the context of diverse care serums and creams. It activates

resurrection plants in its new, responsibly-obtained active which

antioxidant mechanisms and helps repair DNA damage,

is proven to innovatively enhance skin resilience and improve

protein quality and functionality are optimized, and hydration

elasticity, firmness and wrinkles.

is improved through enhanced hyaluronic acid production. The

To endure and revive from harsh conditions such as prolonged

external aggressions. Furthermore, the active keeps the normal

dehydration, a “resurrection plant” produces a protective sugar

proportions of skin microbiota at the right balance, allowing

called galactinol. This compound is essential to several intrinsic

them to maintain their vital contribution to keeping skin strong

defense mechanisms to reduce damage and contribute to recovery

and healthy.

when conditions improve.

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matrix is reinforced and cells are also better able to cope with

All this translates into powerful abilities to restore elasticity and

“These comeback stars of nature inspired us to bring similar

firmness and reduce wrinkles. Clinical tests on photo-exposed

properties to the skin, to mitigate the accelerated damage that

women demonstrate that within 28 days, crows-feet area wrinkle

can come from rising UV exposure and weather extremes,”

volumes decreased by -19 percent, elasticity improved by +18.2

commented Alexandre Lapeyre, head of marketing & business

percent and firmness by +5.5 percent. In addition to the benefits

development Clariant Natural Ingredients. “Our new active

it brings to skin, the new active also addresses a further key

successfully delivers on key resilience targets, triggered by

industry priority - environmentally compatible process.

boosting the beneficial properties of skin microbiota and

The compounds for Galactinol Advanced are obtained from

human skin cells. Its unique way of working on contemporary

common agricultural byproducts via biocatalysis, which is a clean

stress impacts and its eco-compatible process combine to make

synthesis process that avoids toxic reagents and organic solvents.

Galactinol Advanced a highly-relevant product contributing to

Using white biotechnology eliminates any need to harvest wild

sustainable beauty.”

plants in order to obtain rare galactinol.

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

SPECIALTY CHEMICALS GROWTH SEGMENTS

INDIAN CHEMICAL INDUSTRY SEES OPPORTUNITY IN IMPORT SUBSTITUTION SEGMENT

BY RAJIV RAO

T

he Indian as well as global chemical sector had the most

supply chains. The prevalent uncertainty presents a significant

tumultuous past 2 years on account of the pandemic which

opportunity for Indian companies both in the short and long

caught all businesses off guard. Businesses which had enabled themselves with digitisation and flexible business models were quick to adapt to the sudden disruptions. While the pandemic boosted disinfectant production, it was a disaster for companies that were dependent on automotive, construction sectors. A postlockdown surge in spending boosted the demand for chemicals and other goods and materials through a major part of 2021.

The Indian chemical industry is expected to grow to

$304 billion by 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.3 percent. It is expected to attract investments of Rs 8 lakh crore by 2025 on the back of robust growth as well as favourable investment climate and expected to play a major role to make India a US $5 trillion economy by 2025.

The current geo-political scenario poses a few immediate

term.

Increased focus on chemicals and petrochemicals manufacturing

by Global Majors are likely to ease feedstock challenges for Indian chemical players. The price hike of essential drugs like paracetamol, antibiotics allowed by Government from April 2022 can offer better realization for raw materials like API , solvents.

The growth in global chemical industry is driven primarily by new products and innovative technologies in leading pharmaceutical markets, such as the US, China, India. The trend is expected to continue for the next 2-3 years.

There are a few more visible trends in the chemical industry, which can potentially contribute to uncertainty or might also

challenges like disruption in feedstock supply, crude price

open new opportunities, thereby shaping the business dynamics

volatility, volatility in foreign exchange and risk of a global

going ahead.

economic slowdown.

Increasing domestic demand – Demographic dividend

The structure of China’s chemical industry is rapidly evolving on

and disposable income, rapid urbanization, low per capita

account of stricter environmental norms, financial prudence &

chemical consumption, higher consumption-led growth due

consolidation. These changes are primarily responsible for the

to rising nuclearization of families and improved consumption

widely touted ‘China+1’ narrative, as global chemical majors

standards, a shift in consumer preference leading to new product

look for alternatives to China given the disruption in their

development etc.

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

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Import substitution – Around 30 percent of domestic

‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ campaign, introduction of PLI to

chemical requirements are met by imports, So Indian

boost India’s manufacturing capabilities and exports, providing

manufacturers have ample scope to invest in the manufacturing of

research and development support and reduction in customs

chemicals that are being imported today and reduce dependency

duty for various products will provide the necessary boost to the

on imports.

sector.

India emerging as a new export hub - India’s specialty chemicals export business is growing faster than domestic business with the export of India’s top 10 manufacturers growing at a CAGR 20.8 percent between FY15 to FY20 vs revenue growth of 17.1 percent. The trend is likely to continue in the coming period on account of low cost manufacturing, strong process engineering skills and abundant availability of manpower that

Digitisation – The adoption of Industry 4.0 will help chemical sector to achieve higher productivity, efficiency, and self-managed production processes. It will create an integrated value chain that is proactive, flexible and customer response through digitalisation of supply chains, demand planning and pricing strategies.

have made it a preferred manufacturing destination for players

Electric Mobility - The shift to electrical vehicles (EVs) has

across the globe.

begun with lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) at the forefront of their

Government Support - Government has implemented

development. Potential opportunities will arise for manufacturing

initiatives that will work to strengthen the Indian chemical

chemicals and materials such as electrolytes, anode and cathode

sector, enabling it to grow exponentially. Consent for 100

separators such as ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene and

percent FDI in the chemical sector, ‘Make in India’ and

PVDF resins.

Author: Rajiv Rao is President, Industrial Chemicals at Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd.

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26

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

TPES MEDICAL & HEALTHCARE

NEXT GENERATION MEDICAL RESEALING COMPOUND FOR ASIA PACIFIC

S

eals have a significant impact on the functionality of medical

lead times. Coupled with application and technical support, and

devices, as well as the condition of the substance delivered

product customization, customers will be able to rely on us for

by the device, and the success of the treatment for which it is

their needs,” commented Aditya Purandare, project manager,

employed. Seals for medical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and

market launch of THERMOLAST® H Asia Pacific.

other life sciences applications are used to prevent contamination,

Material solutions with seal of approval

leakages, and spillages. They must also exhibit good mechanical performance, chemical resistance, biocompatibility, and other

The company’s THERMOLAST® H HC/RS/AP family of

capabilities.

compounds boasts good adhesion to PP and PE, making it ideal

To this effect, KRAIBURG TPE introduced the HC/RS/ AP resealing series, under the THERMOLAST® H range of thermoplastic elastomer compounds for healthcare and medical resealing applications.

Finding the right material to fit the requirements of innovative designs, especially for medical device components such as resealing systems, is vital for optimizing functionality and performance.

Hence, thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), which offer many material advantages over traditional medical rubbers or plastics, are becoming increasingly popular in the medical and healthcare sectors.

for medical and healthcare resealing applications such caps, closures, membranes, and plugs. Furthermore, the series has a low density and can be sterilized by autoclave at 121°C and EtO, making it ideal for use on resealing caps for sample and test tubes, medical vial closures, as well as the membranes in disposable insulin syringes.

Available in translucent color and various color options, the compounds are able to cater to the flexibility of innovative designs.

The compounds are safe for use, complying with ISO109935 and GB/T 16886.5 (cytotoxicity) standards, as well as many worldwide food contact and medical standards, including China GB 4806 – 2016, US FDA CFR 21, Regulation (EU) No 10/2011,

As the global competence leader in thermoplastic elastomer

REACH, and RoHS, and resealing performance is tested

compounds, the company offers high-quality, custom-engineered

according to the DIN ISO 15759.

TPE compounds that match the challenges of medical device designs, such as sealing applications.

“Customers are assured of the THERMOLAST® H product value. We are confident of delivering material solutions that meet

“By manufacturing the THERMOLAST® H compounds in

the medical standards in Asia Pacific, all thanks to our dedicated

Malaysia, at our facility in Seri Kembangan, we will be able to

market support and expert knowledge in TPE products,” said Lee

provide our Asian customers a high-quality product with quick

Jia Yin, product specialist, KRAIBURG TPE.

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

27

COATINGS ARTIFICIAL SURFACES

WATER-BASED, COMPREHENSIVE PROTECTION FOR COATINGS

M

icroorganisms like bacteria, mold, algae, and fungi lead

terms of skin tolerance. This is an important aspect for gloves in

to staining, hygiene problems and material fatigue on

professional environments, such as in construction and trades,

artificial surfaces. Here Sanitized AG is expanding its BroadtecTM

but also in households. Moreover, it is also significant when it

product range with a new, water-based product: Sanitized® PL

comes to coatings for seating, such as those with artificial leather.

19-30. The new product offers comprehensive protection against

BPR-compliant: Prepared for future European regulations

bacteria, mold, algae and fungi. The water-based product is created exclusively with BPR-compliant active ingredients. The

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innovative product combines a variety of active ingredients to

The new product exclusively uses BPR-compliant active

ensure broad, anti-microbial-comprehensive protection through

ingredients in order to comply with future regulations. This

a singular additive.

new product is therefore ideal for the antimicrobial treatment of

Hygiene and material protection for gloves and various plastic products

products for the European market.

This new product offers a water-based form that is ideal for many

The Sanitized® Broadtec™ product range offers innovative

applications, including natural and nitrile rubber, latex, and

additives in various dosage forms. The additives equip polymer

various PU applications. For example, one ideal application is for

products with comprehensive protection against microbes. Tried

polymer gloves manufactured using a dip process. The company

and tested active ingredients are combined in a single additive.

has already applied for an OEKO-TEX® 100 listing for its newest

Together, they ensure a long-lasting and broad spectrum of

product in the Broadtec™ product portfolio. Its compatibility

efficacy against bacteria, mold, yeasts, algae, and fungi that

with the OEKO-TEX® label offers additional peace of mind in

damage materials and cause odors and stains.

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

Broadtec™ product family

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

29

GREEN CHEMISTRY

CHEMICAL REACTIONS FOR THE ENERGY TRANSITION

Electrochemistry techniques provides new insights into ways to design catalysts and speed them up.

O

ne challenge in decarbonizing the energy system is knowing how to deal with new types of fuels. Traditional fuels such as natural gas and oil can be combined with other materials and then heated to high temperatures so they chemically react to produce other useful fuels or substances, or even energy to do work. But new materials such as biofuels can’t take as much heat without breaking down.

A key ingredient in such chemical reactions is a specially designed solid catalyst that is added to encourage the reaction to happen but isn’t itself consumed in the process. With traditional materials, the solid catalyst typically interacts with a gas; but with fuels derived from biomass, for example, the catalyst must work with a liquid — a special challenge for those who design catalysts.

For nearly a decade, Yogesh Surendranath, an associate professor of chemistry at MIT, has been focusing on chemical reactions between solid catalysts and liquids, but in a different situation: rather than using heat to drive reactions, he and his team input electricity from a battery or a renewable source such as wind or solar to give chemically inactive molecules more energy so they react. And key to their research is designing and fabricating solid catalysts that work well for reactions involving liquids.

Recognizing the need to use biomass to develop sustainable liquid fuels, Surendranath wondered whether he and his team could take the principles they have learned about designing catalysts to drive liquidsolid reactions with electricity and apply them to reactions that occur at liquid-solid interfaces without any input of electricity.

Drawing on electrochemistry Surendranath and his colleagues turned to electrochemistry techniques to identify a good catalyst for each half-reaction that would also pair up to work well together. Their analytical framework for guiding catalyst development for systems that combine two half-reactions is based on a theory that has been used to understand corrosion for almost 100 years, but has rarely been applied to understand or design catalysts for

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Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

reactions involving small molecules important for the energy transition.

Key to their work is a potentiostat, a type of voltmeter that can either passively measure the voltage of a system or actively change the voltage to cause a reaction to occur. In their experiments, Surendranath and his team use the potentiostat to measure the voltage of the catalyst in real time, monitoring how it changes millisecond to millisecond. They then correlate those voltage measurements with simultaneous but separate measurements of the overall rate of catalysis to understand the reaction pathway.

To test promising pairs, the researchers used the potentiostat to measure the voltage of the catalyst composite during net catalysis — not changing the voltage as before, but now just measuring it from tiny samples. In each test, the voltage will naturally settle at a certain level, and the goal is for that to happen when the rate of both reactions is high.

Validating their hypothesis and looking ahead By testing the two half-reactions, the researchers could measure how the reaction rate for each one varied with changes in the applied voltage.

From those measurements, they could predict the voltage at which the full reaction would proceed fastest. Measurements of the full reaction matched their predictions, supporting their hypothesis.

The team’s novel approach of using electrochemistry techniques to examine reactions thought to be strictly thermal in nature provides new insights into the detailed steps by which those reactions occur and therefore into how to design catalysts to speed them up. “We can now use a divide-and-conquer strategy,” says Ryu. “We know that the net thermal reaction in our study happens through two ‘hidden’ but coupled half-reactions, so we can aim to optimize one half-reaction at a time” — possibly using low-cost catalyst materials for one or both.

This research was supported primarily by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. Jaeyune Ryu PhD ’21 was supported by a Samsung Scholarship. Additional support was provided by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

AMMONIA PRODUCED THROUGH ELECTROCHEMICAL PROCESSES CAN REDUCE CO2 EMISSIONS

Dr. Abdoulaye Djire (left) and Denis Johnson (right) analyze a coloring solution after an experimental run. A coloring solution is created after each nitrogen reduction reaction experiment, and the level of ammonia produced is indicated by how green the solution turns after a waiting period.

A

mmonia is commonly used in fertilizer because it has the highest nitrogen content of commercial fertilizers, making it essential for crop production. However, two carbon dioxide molecules are made for every molecule of ammonia produced, contributing to excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

A team from the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University consisting of Dr. Abdoulaye Djire, assistant professor, and graduate student Denis Johnson, has furthered a method to produce ammonia through electrochemical processes, helping to reduce carbon emissions. This research aims to replace the HaberBosch thermochemical process with an electrochemical process that is more sustainable and safer for the environment.

Since the early 1900s, the Haber-Bosch process has been used to produce ammonia. This process works by reacting atmospheric nitrogen with hydrogen gas. A downside of the Haber-Bosch process is that it requires high pressure and high temperature, leaving a large energy footprint. The method also requires hydrogen feedstock, which is derived from nonrenewable resources. It is not sustainable and has negative implications on the environment, expediting the need for new and environmentally friendly processes.

The researchers have proposed using the electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) to produce ammonia from atmospheric nitrogen and water. The benefits of using an electrochemical method include using water to provide protons and the ability to produce ammonia at ambient temperature and pressure. This process would potentially require lower amounts of energy and would be less costly and more environmentally friendly than the Haber-Bosch process.

The NRR works by using an electrocatalyst. For this process to succeed, nitrogen must bond to the surface and break apart to produce ammonia.

In this study, the researchers used MXene, a titanium nitride, as the electrocatalyst. What differentiates this catalyst from others is that

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

nitrogen is already in its structure, allowing for more efficient ammonia formulation.

“It’s easier for ammonia to form because the protons can attach to the nitrogen in the structure, form the ammonia and then the ammonia will leave out of the structure,” said Johnson. “A hole is made in the structure that can pull the nitrogen gas in and separate the triple bond.”

The researchers found that using titanium nitride induces a Mars-van Krevelen mechanism, a popular mechanism for hydrocarbon oxidation.

This mechanism follows a lower energy pathway that would allow for higher ammonia production rates and selectivity because of the nitrogen from the titanium nitride catalyst.

Without modifications to the materials, the researchers reached a selectivity of 20 percent, which is the ratio of the desired product formed compared to the undesired product formed. Their method could potentially reach a higher selectivity percentage with modifications, forging a new pathway to ammonia production through electrochemical processes.

“The Department of Energy has set a goal of a selectivity of 60 percent, which is a challenging number to reach,” said Johnson. “We were able to reach 20 percent using our material, showcasing a method that we might be able to take advantage of moving forward. If we upgrade our material, can we reach 60% soon? That is the question we will continue to work to answer.”

This research could potentially reduce the carbon footprint and global energy usage on a larger scale.

“In the future, this could be a major scientific reform,” said Djire. “About 2 percent of the world’s total energy is used for ammonia production.

Reducing that huge number would drastically reduce our carbon footprint and energy consumption.”

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GREEN CHEMISTRY

REUSABLE TO-GO MUGS FOR A SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE

Yiwu Midi Technology has selected Ultrason® P 3010 from BASF to produce reusable to-go mugs. Because of its durability, high-temperature resistance and design versatility the polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) offers a unique combination of lifestyle attributes and sustainability for high-quality to-go cups.

B

ottle manufacturer Yiwu Midi Technology, Zhejiang has selected Ultrason® P 3010 from BASF to produce reusable to-go mugs for the market launch of its new business segment. Because of its durability, high-temperature resistance and design versatility the BASF polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) offers a unique combination of lifestyle attributes and sustainability for high-quality to-go cups that are lightweight, shatter-proof and fashionable: Ultrason® P 3010 maintains the flavor of eg. coffee without any impact on taste or odor. It does not show any discoloration by contact with hot or cold liquids like coffee, juices, soft drinks or tea.

At the same time, the BASF thermoplastic polymer contributes to less packaging waste as the mugs can be reused many times and thus support a circular economy: The chemically resistant Ultrason® P 3010 easily withstands cleaning agents as well as the high temperatures in dishwashers and is even sterilization-proof without losing its excellent mechanical properties or visual appearance. Thus, reusable to-go mugs made of Ultrason® can be part of a reuse and multiple-cycle system that saves valuable resources and avoids packaging waste as targeted in the Single-use Plastics EU Directive 2019/904.

More design freedom sustainable way of life

and

contribution

to

a

Ultrason® P 3010 is a medium-viscosity injection-molding and extrusion grade with temperature-independent properties spanning a wide temperature range from -30 to +180°C. It is food contact compliant in the US, the EU and China. “Many to-go mugs on the market are either made of single-use materials, are not resistant to hot liquids or are made of easily breakable glass, or of steel which lacks design freedom,” said

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Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

Georg Graessel from global business development Ultrason® at BASF. “Our PPSU with superior toughness and chemical resistance is a highperformance and sustainable alternative to such materials. It gives our customers more freedom in design and provides consumers with longterm usage so that people can enjoy their daily cup of take-out coffee with pleasure and a quiet conscience.”

The slightly honey-colored tint of Ultrason® and its good processability allow the mugs to stand apart from those available in the market today.

The mugs by Yiwu Midi Technology have two air vents, an additional straw opening and a hand grip ring made of silicone, making them practical in use and elegant in appearance at the same time. Ultrason® P 3010 can be easily manufactured in combination with other materials like silicone.

“The take-out coffee culture in China is increasing but especially younger people are more and more aware of the influence of their lifestyle on the environment,” said Xiong Han, general manager at Yiwu Midi Technology. “When we decided to expand our bottle business to the manufacturing of to-go mugs, our search for a partner was easy: We have been working with BASF for a long time and know that Ultrason® is an excellent material for baby bottles. It offers us the perfect combination of performance, safety and design. And because of its long-term resistance and multifunctionality, we were able to develop reusable to-go mugs that can contribute to a more sustainable way of life with less packaging waste.” BASF supported Yiwu Midi Technology along the whole process from product development to manufacturing via injection stretch blow molding.

NOVEL ELECTROCATALYST DEVELOPED FOR BIOMASS UPGRADING, HYDROGEN GENERATION

The photovoltaic electrocatalysis for biomass upgrading and hydrogen generation.

P

rof. Zhang Jian’s team at the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has developed a highly effective cobaltosic oxide (Co3O4) electrocatalyst for furan upgrading coupled with hydrogen generation.

The study was published in Applied Catalysis B: Environmental.

Biomass is one of the most abundant renewable resources on earth.

Through catalytic conversion, biomass can be upgraded to a range of fuels and chemicals that can replace traditional fossil resources, thus playing a crucial role in achieving the goal of “carbon peak and carbon neutrality”.

As the ultimate source of most energy on earth, solar energy can shorten the energy utilization path and improve the sustainability of the reaction process dramatically when introduced into catalytic reactions.

By virtue of sulfuration and in-situ electrochemical oxidation, researchers at NIMTE developed a hydrangea-like Co3O4 on cobalt foam as an efficient electrocatalyst.

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

A commercial solar cell was used to provide a roughly stable voltage of 1.60±0.02 V by adjusting brightness. Under natural sunlight, the developed Co3O4 catalyst can completely convert biomass 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) into 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) with a yield of 93.2 percent, faradaic efficiency (FE) of 92.9 percent and hydrogen yield of 99.8 percent.

Compared with the traditional thermally driven method to convert HMF to FDCA, which usually requires high temperature, high pressure, harsh reaction conditions, and even expensive precious metal catalysts, the photovoltaic electrocatalytic technology proposed in this study based on earth-abundant biomass shows many advantages, such as mild reaction conditions, low production cost, high energy efficiency and superior operating safety.

In addition, the researchers have applied for eight invention patents on related technologies and one patent has been issued. This study provides a sustainable development path for bio-based high-value chemical production and hydrogen production.

33

GREEN CHEMISTRY

DESIGNING SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE CHEMICALS

Method presented by the researchers. As a case study they generated over six million alternatives to a popular flame retardant and evaluated their properties.

W

ith many human-made chemicals, problems regarding public health and the environment become apparent only years after their widespread use. A team of researchers from the University of Amsterdam and Utrecht University now propose a way to change that.

In an article in the journal ‘Chemosphere’ they present a method for (re) designing safe and sustainable chemicals. Their paper is part of a special issue on hazardous substances in the circular economy, to be published in June.

“The problem with new chemicals is that their influx into the market far outpaces the speed with which hazard assessments can be performed,” said Joanke van Dijk, a PhD candidate at the Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development at Utrecht University. In her research she aims to obtain insight into the future risks of chemicals, for which she cooperates with PhD candidates Hannah Flerlage and Steven Beijer and Dr Chris Slootweg at the Van’t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences at the University of Amsterdam (UvA). Van Dijk also investigates possible mitigation options in order to prevent chemical pollution of surface water, under the supervision of prof. Annemarie van Wezel from the UvA Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics.

Looking beyond a chemical’s function According to Van Dijk, for many chemicals there is no adequate information on environmental hazards such as persistency and longterm effects. As a result, problems are often identified long after a chemical has been approved on the market. “To tackle this, the European Commission promotes the development of safe and sustainable

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Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

chemicals as part of the European Green Deal,” Van Dijk said. “In our study, we have put these objectives into practice and developed a framework to design safe and sustainable chemicals. We assess whether a chemical can provide a certain function, but we look beyond that and provide an outlook on sustainability and hazards.”

Systematic redesign for safe chemicals Van Dijk and Flerlage adapted a computer program to systematically generate over 6.3 million chemical structures similar to the original TiBP compound. Subsequently, they employed Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship (QSAR) modelling to predict the chemical properties relevant to the environmental fate and toxicity. All possible structures where then ranked, not only based on the environmental hazard properties but also on their ease of synthesis. This led to a ‘top 500’ of most benign structures that the researchers evaluated manually.

They ultimately selected di-n-butyl (2-hydroxyethyl) phosphate as a target molecule, and synthesized this in the lab to confirm and complement the model predicted properties by experimental testing.

“The first results indicate the flame-retardant function is preserved and possibly even enhanced,” Flerlage said. Although further testing is required to elucidate biodegradation mechanisms, the researchers are confident about their approach. “Experimental results such as this will help to expand and further verify our method, so that it can reach its full potential in the mitigation of chemical pollution and help enable a safe circular economy,” Van Dijk concluded.

NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR MORE SUSTAINABLE, FLEXIBLE POLYETHYLENE PACKAGING

Recycling materials allows plastic waste to be converted into brand new products which are equal in quality and performance as those made with virgin raw materials.

A

mcor announced it is the first company to purchase certified circular polyethylene material using ExxonMobil’s Exxtend™ technology for advanced recycling. Amcor will leverage this new material across its global portfolio, providing customers in healthcare and food industries with circular content in a variety of solutions and applications.

“Using advanced recycled materials is yet another step forward in Amcor meeting the challenges of our industry and offering our customers more sustainable packaging solutions,” said Amcor chief commercial officer Peter Konieczny. “By leveraging ExxonMobil’s Exxtend technology across our global product portfolio, Amcor is providing a true differentiator for our customers and the environment.”

Increasing the use of advanced recycling materials, such as circular polymers, is one way Amcor is meeting its sustainability pledge to develop all of its packaging to be recyclable or reusable by 2025 and increase the use of recycled content. The use of these materials will significantly add to the 113,000 metric tons of recycled material Amcor used in its packaging in fiscal year 2021. The technology behind advanced recycling materials allows plastic waste to be converted into brand new products that are no different in quality and performance from ones made with virgin raw materials, providing customers peace of mind and the benefit of increasing the use of circular content in their packaging.

“We are proud to see our relationship with Amcor expand with our Exxtend technology to help address their sustainability goals, as well as those of their customers,” said David Hergenrether, vice president, polyethylene, ExxonMobil. “We look forward to working closely with Amcor to develop products that meet customer expectations for highperformance PE products, while helping to recycle plastic waste.”

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

Using its Exxtend technology, ExxonMobil offers certified circular polymers with the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification Plus (ISCC PLUS) certification, which is widely recognized as an effective standard for certifying the circularity of chemical products that result from advanced recycling operations via mass balance attribution.

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Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

SECTOR VIEW FERTILIZERS

AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY GREENSCAPING FARMS FOR BETTER YIELDS

Agrochemicals have been a significant contributor for addressing the food crisis and increasing the crop yield to meet the global food demand by maintaining the soil health and increasing land productivity.

BY DEBARATI DAS

F

ood shortage crisis is real. Growing population, spreading urbanization, depleting farming land, degrading soil quality are just some of the reasons why agriculture all across the globe is on a downhill and millions are going hungry.

The world’s human population is expected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050. On the other hand, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) noted that while there is a parallel rise in population growth and grain demand, there is no significant increase in the amount of cultivated area in the world, with no expected rapid increase in the future. Therefore, cultivated area per person will continue to decline worldwide.

Agrochemicals have been a significant contributor for addressing the crisis and increasing the crop yield to meet the global food demand by maintaining the soil health and increasing land productivity.

According to Marketsandmarkets research, the global agrochemicals market size is estimated to grow from $208.6 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach $246.1 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 3.4 percent during the forecast.

Although agrochemicals have been addressing the food demands

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

globally, there are also growing concern over the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture which is considered to have an adverse effect on the soil and all living beings feeding on it. Hence, there is a huge impetus towards the use of bio-based agrochemicals, such as bio-fungicides and bio-fertilizers, to protect crops and the environment.

The agrochemical industry is constantly changing developing products and technologies that are more environmentally friendly and less polluting to the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

Major agrochemical segments Nitrogen fertilizer: Nitrogen fertilizer is one of the biggest segment in the agrochemicals market. It is essential to add nitrogen fertilizers to farms and gardens to enrich the soil with precise nutrients for plants’ growth. The nitrogenous fertilizer includes synthetic ammonia, nitric acid, ammonium nitrate, and urea.

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Although nitrogen fertilizer contributes substantially to yield enhancement, excessive use can also posed serious threats to the environment and human health due to nitrate accumulation in the surrounding environment, groundwater, and leafy and root vegetables.

Several companies are working on making nitrogen fixation technology better and less harmful.

Recently, Bayer announced that Ginkgo Bioworks will acquire its West Sacramento Biologics Research & Development (R&D) bringing nitrogen-fixing technologies to Bayer. “Bayer’s work in the rapidly growing biologics space is an essential part of our commitment to sustainability and providing effective climate-smart products like nitrogen fixing and optimization technologies,” said Bob Reiter, Head of R&D for Bayer’s Crop Science Division. “Our work with Ginkgo will accelerate our biologicals pipeline by leveraging Bayer’s expertise in bringing reliable and effective biological products to market against Ginkgo’s synthetic biology research engine – now enhanced by an expanded Ag Biologics research and development platform – and help Bayer continue to expand our biologics product range to create tailored solutions for additional crops.”

Herbicide: Herbicide is being increasingly adopted in many countries including India, China, Bangladesh to balance the shortage of workers to hand weed fields. Herbicides are cheaper and readily available than farm labours for hand weeding. Countries including the US, Germany, Japan, and South Korea, had seen similar phenomenon in the past and occurred- as workers left agriculture, herbicides were adopted. In the future, the herbicide use will increase in sub-Saharan Africa, due shortages of hand weeders and to increase crop yields.

UPL has a range of herbicides which provides sustained weed-control at all stages of the crop growth. The company in its statement said, “In the interest of the environment, our products also offer the right alternative solutions to crop burndown. Our newer formulations have been developed to tackle the increasing problem of glyphosateresistance and to kill weeds with real-time data from the field.”

Pesticides: Even with modern pesticides, farmers can lose a significant portion of their crops because of pests and disease. Without pesticides, the losses would be catastrophic. As per reports as much as 50 percent of wheat, 70 percent of corn and nearly 80 percent of rice is lost due to pest invasion. With continued innovation in agriculture we can meet environmental and food-security challenges and improve the sustainability of farming activities.

Key Market Drivers:

Technology growth: Farming practices have drastically changed

Agricultural land: Amidst growing urban jungle with increasing

over the last two decades. Advanced farming technology has made it

concrete structures, the sizes of farm lands are constantly shrinking to

possible to increase the yield. However, technological advancements

make space for the rising human population. Hence, the need of the

have to be supported by scientific advancements in agrochemicals to

hour is to maximize the crop yield from the limited land available. This

strike a balance.

can only happen when the health of the soil is optimally improved, the crops are not destroyed by pests or fungi and the harvest reaches the market at prime quality. Agrochemicals are the only solutions to achieve all these parameters.

Martin Clough, Head CP R&D Technology & Digital Integration, Syngenta, “Pests and diseases are a constantly evolving threat, and the changing environment makes it even harder for farmers to grow their crops. So, we’re accelerating the pace of our innovation to meet constantly changing natural threats and society’s increasing expectations. Whether we design a breakthrough ‘blockbuster’ molecule or develop an active ingredient for a specific purpose, our

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UPL Ltd collaborated with Chr. Hansen to develop microbial-based biosolutions (including biostimulants and biopesticides) that will help growers around the world fight pests and diseases, and improve crop quality and yields. Through this collaboration, UPL will undertake research and identify opportunities and product concepts to address farmers’ pain points. From these insights, Chr. Hansen will design biological products based on their microbial capabilities and UPL will commercialize these products. Vicente Gongora, Chief Marketing Officer at UPL Ltd. said: “Biosolutions are a core pillar of our global purpose and work to reimagine sustainability – for food systems, for

product development is driven by scientific insights gained by working

farmers, and for our environment. We have a powerful opportunity to

closely with farmers in the field.”

change the game for farmers and for sustainable agriculture globally.”

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

In technological advancements, smart faming is making its way

towards organic products, the industry needs to make its product safer

into the agricultural sector where in technology plays an important

for the environment. Many agrochemical companies are using different

role in making faming sustainable. “Agriculture is living a digital

ways to make their products safe.

transformation, where sensors, algorithms and artificial intelligence are becoming part of daily routine of farmers. Companies that focus solely on crop protection products will find it difficult to survive in the near future.” Roberson Marczakm ADAMA’s Innovation Manager for Brazil and Latin America. ADAMA recently launched Adama Air, an aerial spraying system which avoids the drift of agrochemicals and increases the product penetration in the crop, enhancing the agronomic efficacy of the aerial spraying which has a huge impact in terms of environment preservation and best agronomic practices.

Quality parameters: We live in a globalized world where the goodness of native fruits and vegetables can be enjoyed in any corner of the world. The export and import of various crops by almost all countries demand meeting homogenous quality standards while keeping the transition of germs and infections at bay. This can be achieved by the use of agrochemicals to safeguard the crops and keep them fresh for a longer period of time.

Soil Health: Harvesting cereals and grains puts a major strain on the health of the soil. Hence, agrochemicals is increasingly used in the cereals and grains segment to revive soil nutrient which can decrease the yield of crops. According to the FAO of the United Nations, the production of cereal crops will increase by 60 percent from 2000 to

Bayer, Bushel and Amazon Web Services (AWS) unveiled Project Carbonview which is a first-of-its-kind technology solution that will help farmers in the United States drive more sustainable supply chains and mitigate the impact agriculture has on the environment by aggregating the carbon footprint of end products. Project Carbonview will connect the farmer more deeply into the value chain to better capture their carbon contribution and drive the entire value chain to net-zero carbon emissions.

“We stand at the dawn of a new age of innovation in the Life Sciences,” said Werner Baumann, Chairman of the Board of Management of Bayer AG. “Our ability to tackle some of the greatest challenges is increasing rapidly. From providing answers for incurable diseases, equipping people with preventive tools to live healthier, better and longer lives, to producing more agricultural output whilst significantly reducing inputs and respecting the planetary boundaries. This ability is particularly driven by the accelerating confluence of biology, chemistry, advanced computing, data analytics and artificial intelligence. As a leader in health and nutrition, Bayer is further stepping up its efforts to be a driver of this new era of innovation. Ultimately, better innovation is the engine that drives superior business results and outperformance.”

2050. To keep up with the global demand, the use of nitrogenous

The Way Forward

fertilizers becomes extremely important to increase soil fertility so as to

Agrochemical industry is undergoing many changes to transform

promote higher crop yield.

agrochemicals completely and make them more sustainable,

Sustainability: Being circular and sustainable at the same time is

economical and safe. Hence growth opportunities for this industry is

one of the biggest challenges that the agro chemical industry is facing

promising and agrochemicals will continue to improve the quality and

currently. As the industry is seeing an outflow of consumers moving

quantity of crops to fight food crisis and feed billions across the world.

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

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Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

REPORTS 2-PHENYLETHANOL MARKET

GROWING COSMETICS DEMAND WORLDWIDE TO FUEL 2-PHENYLETHANOL MARKET

2-Phenylethanol market fromMagazine cosmetic| and Chemical Today May personal 2022 care application is anticipated to reach over $120 million by 2028. Essential oils contain 2-phenylethanol, which has a pleasant floral odor and is used in various applications. (Image © Pixabay GmbH)

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2

-Phenylethanol market size surpassed $255 million in 2021 and is estimated to grow at over 5.5 percent CAGR between 2022 and 2028. 2-Phenylethanol is aromatic alcohol which occurs naturally in several plants and can also be manufactured synthetically from benzene.

It has a floral odor with a rose character and is used as an antimicrobial preservative in cosmetic products. Therefore, the growing demand for cosmetics products worldwide is anticipated to fuel the overall market growth.

Additionally, 2-phenylethanol is used in laundry and home care products as a preservatives ingredient as well as for creating floral-rose fragrances.

Also, it offers antimicrobial and disinfecting properties which makes them suitable for laundry and home care products. Therefore, these wide benefits of 2 - phenylethanol led to increasing product penetration in multiple industries across the globe and drive the market demand over the coming timeframe.

Market Coverage The Covid-19 outbreak has impacted the price, production and demand of 2-phenylethanol for a certain period. The global pandemic of COVID-19 majorly hit different raw material markets. Likewise, the pandemic also affected the demand and supply for the 2-phenylethanol market, owing to decreased demand from application industries, the shutdown of manufacturing facilities, disruptions in raw material supply chains, restrictions on imports from China, decreased production capacity of 2-phenylethanol manufacturers which has further impacted 2-phenylethanol prices.

Development of alternate products, with similar or better functional values, is a major factor restraining the 2-phenylethanol market expansion.

For instance, salicylic acid, a beta hydroxyl acid, is a key substitute to 2-phenylethanol in skin care product formulations. Salicylic acid is more effective in terms of skin exfoliation compared to 2-phenylethanol.

Linalool is another alternative for 2-phenylethanol historically used in rose-based products. Therefore, this availability of multiple substitutes in the industry could hinder the market demand over the upcoming years.

Rising natural ingredients cosmetics to boost growth

demand

from

food,

Natural 2-phenylethanol market share exceeded $130 million in 2021 and is anticipated to register more than 7% CAGR over the forecast period.

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Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

Increasing demand for natural ingredients from various industries including fragrance, food, and cosmetics is expected to drive 2-phenylethanol demand, owing to increasing health concerns among the population, especially the millennial generation.

Natural production of 2-phenylethanol offers benefits of high yield and a natural, simple & eco-friendly method, which is anticipated to stimulate the overall market forecasts. The product is naturally obtained through essential oil extracted from plant extracts. Essential oils contain 2-phenylethanol, which has a pleasant floral odor and is used in various applications. These factors are anticipated to fuel segment growth over the forecast period.

2-Phenylethanol market from cosmetic and personal care application is anticipated to reach over $120 million by 2028. The increasing use of 2-phenylethanol in the cosmetic industry owing to its multifunctional properties, such as aroma and preservative agent.

Additionally, increasing demand for personal care products owing to rising inclination toward self-care and hygiene is anticipated to foster product demand from the personal care industry.

Multifunctional properties such as aroma and preservative agent of 2-phenylethanols will stimulate its demand in the cosmetic and personal care industry.

Moreover, growing consumer awareness towards the benefits of natural ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products represents significant growth opportunities for 2-phenylethanol market.

Therefore, cosmetic and personal care manufacturers are inclining toward the replacement of synthetic ingredients with natural variants.

As cosmetic and personal care products with natural ingredients are allergy-free and don’t cause any side effects, they have emerged as major factors accelerating the product demand.

Growing industrialization in Asia Pacific to propel market

presence of several medium & large number multinational industry players operating across the globe.

Asia Pacific 2-phenylethanol market is poised to surpass $140 million by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 6.5 percent over the estimated period. Increasing demand for functional drinks including energy and health drinks from the millennial population is expected to drive 2-phenylethanol demand from the food & beverage industry.

Market players are adopting several strategies such as new products launch, capacity expansion, mergers, acquisitions, and collaborations to gain a competitive advantage and expand their foothold in the industry.

Additionally, busy lifestyles and lack of nutrients & energy in an individual’s diet will drive the demand for functional drinks, in turn, boosting 2-phenylethanol demand as a flavoring agent. Also, the increasing demand for processed food & beverage along with the presence of the largest working population and fast-paced lifestyle is driving demand in the food & beverage industry.

Strategic mergers & acquisitions among the industry to accelerate competitiveness Global 2-phenylethanol market share is fragmented owing to the

In February 2021, Eternis Fine Chemicals acquired a UK-based Tennants Fine Chemicals company and its wholly owned subsidiaries in Singapore and China. This acquisition is expected to enhance the company’s product offerings, distribution network, and better serve customers around the globe with the increase in revenue.

In February 2021, Symrise AG company has upgraded its online platform. That includes ingredient Finder for flavor & fragrance raw materials. This upgradation in the online platform will enable customers to access the detailed information on fragrances, flavors, and pharmaceutical raw materials available on Ingredient Finder.

Source: Global Market Insights Inc

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

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REPORTS AGROCHEMICALS MARKET

AGROCHEMICALS ARE USED IN AGRICULTURE TO ADDRESS GROWING FOOD DEMAND

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Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

T

he global agrochemicals market size is estimated to grow from $208.6 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach $246.1 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 3.4 percent during the forecast. Increasing demand for food supply due to the rapid growth in the human population has triggered agricultural intensification during the last few decades. For addressing the growing food demands, agrochemicals (fertilizers and diverse pesticides) are rigorously used in agriculture, which accomplishes the gap between food production and consumption. However, concurrently unbalanced use of agrochemicals also causes environmental deterioration and poses severe challenges to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

Various research studies have indicated that fertilizers and pesticides used in agriculture have been substantially increased in developed and developing countries in recent years for attaining maximum yields of crops.

COVID-19 impact on the market The crop protection sector is in huge demand in recent years, with its increasing importance on the growth. This is because it has a lot to do with the well-being of the plants and the consumers.

The components that are used in the production of agrochemicals are sometimes chemicals and sometimes biological species, which ultimately help in controlling the pests from damaging the crops or helps improve soil fertility. This results in healthy crop production with no health issues. With these concerns, farmers have started the usage of various agrochemicals to prevent damage and hence, increase productivity.

Due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a supply chain disruption because of which the agricultural sector had to face problems such as labor unavailability, transportation barriers, restriction for market access, and lack of inventories in some regions. Many fertilizer and pesticide manufacturers were facing issues due to lack of raw material availability, which has led to the reduction of various agrochemical product manufacturing.

Post COVID-19, the agricultural activities have normalized, which has helped the companies to deliver products to target locations. Agrochemicals, such as pesticides and fertilizers, play an important role, as they have been able to serve as an important solution for farmers across the globe.

Market Dynamics Drivers: Increasing adoption of agrochemicals in developing countries Continuous advancements in the technology used in agriculture have led to a shift in farming practices.

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

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With the increased export and import of agricultural commodities across different geographies, especially in developing regions, new types of harmful organisms have emerged, leading to an increase in the demand for novel active ingredient products to safeguard crops.

Globalization of the agrochemical industry has a huge impact on the Asian crop protection markets. With the highest rate of population growth, increasing the need for food production, and economic growth, the demand for various agrochemicals such as herbicides and pesticides are increasing. While the demand for food products is increasing in the developing countries of Asia Pacific, the available landmass for agriculture is shrinking due to the increased effect of urbanization that propels farmers to use various agrochemicals to maintain soil health and increase land productivity.

Restriants: industry

Growth

of

the

organic

fertilizer

The organic food industry witnessed high growth across the emerging countries, with increasing awareness regarding health, environment protection, food safety, and animal welfare reforms. The demand for organic food products is increasing, and according to the estimates of the Organic Trade Association, nearly 81 percent of American families reported to be purchasing organic food products at least once. The growing market demand for safe and healthy food products and improving per capita income are factors that are estimated to continue driving the organic food industry and increase the usage of biofertilizers, which, in turn, affects the consumption of chemical fertilizers.

Opportunities: Production of sustainable bio-based agricultural products Due to the toxic ingredients contained in the chemicals agricultural products, their pollution levels are so high that they cause serious and, most of the time, fatal effects to the environment. These negative effects can be experienced from the production of the product to the consumption of the plants that these products have been applied on. Most biological products occur naturally, which reduces the cost of production, resulting in relatively cheaper prices compared to chemical pesticides, whose manufacturing cost is high. This results in the consumer footing the bill at a relatively costlier price.

Farmers occasionally need to add nitrogen fertilizers to their farms and gardens to make available just the precise nutrients for their plants’ growth. The nitrogenous fertilizer industry includes the production of synthetic ammonia, nitric acid, ammonium nitrate, and urea. Synthetic ammonia and nitric acid are used primarily as intermediates in the production of ammonium nitrate and urea fertilizers. The applications of inorganic nitrogen fertilizers to various crops have been continuously increasing since the last many decades globally. Although nitrogen fertilizer contributes substantially to yield enhancement, but excessive use of this manure has posed serious threats to the environment and human health. The rate of nitrogen fertilizers application has a close relationship with nitrate accumulation in the surrounding environment, groundwater, and leafy and root vegetables..

The market for herbicides in the pesticide type segment is projected to account for the largest share Herbicide use is increasingly being adopted around the world. Many developing countries (India, China, Bangladesh) are facing shortages of workers to hand weed fields as millions of people move from rural to urban areas. In these countries, herbicides are far cheaper and more readily available than labor for hand weeding. History shows that in industrializing countries in the past, including the US, Germany, Japan, and South Korea, the same phenomenon occurred- as workers left agriculture, herbicides were adopted. It is inevitable that herbicide use will increase in sub-Saharan Africa, not only because millions of people are leaving rural areas, creating shortages of hand weeders, but also because of the need to increase crop yields. Companies such as Bayer (Germany), UPL (India), Syngenta (Switzerland), and Adama (Israel) manufacture a wide variety of herbicides.

The use of agrochemicals is the highest for the cereals and grains segment due to its vast area of cultivaltion across the globe which is driving the growth of agrochemicals market

Challenges: Intense competition between players in the market

The use of agrochemicals is the highest for the cereals and grains segment as soil nutrient deficiencies can cause decreased yield and less bioavailable nutrients in crops such as rice. Various essential mineral supplementation through fertilizers increases rice crop yield and nutrient content in harvested grains. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the production of cereal crops will increase by 60 percent from 2000 to 2050. Corn (Zea mays L.) is the third-most important cereal crop in the world, after wheat and rice. Every part of the corn crop has economic value; the grain, leaves, stalk, tassel, and cob can all be used to manufacture many food and non-food products. Hence, it is a challenging task to increase corn production by implementing innovative biotechnology techniques. The usage of nitrogenous fertilizers increases soil fertility, resulting in higher crop yield.

The market for agrochemicals is highly fragmented, comprising of a large number of big and small players. The majority of players in the market are located in the European region and offer a variety of products. With the growing demand for various agrochemical products, the major players in the market are focusing on R&D investments to launch products, which would cater to the requirements of the consumers. For instance, Compass minerals (US), Bayer (Germany), and Syngenta (Switzerland) launched a range of products to cater to the demand for new and effective pesticides to protect crops from various pests. The huge demand has also aided the growth of the distributors in the market who cater to the demand from niche markets.

Agrochemicals play a vital role in crop growth, showing improved performance and noticeable results. Pesticides enable farmers to produce safe, quality foods at affordable prices. They also help farmers provide an abundance of nutritious, all-year-round foods, which are necessary for human health. Fruits and vegetables, which provide essential nutrients, are more abundant and affordable. Grains, milk, and proteins, which are vital to childhood development, are more widely available because of lower costs to produce food and animal feed.

Records have shown that pests tend to become resistant to conventional pesticides, thus proving that it is not a long-term solution, something that never happens with the use of organic pesticides and fertilizers. Hence, the agrochemical manufacturing companies are constantly adapting to the changing demands by developing novel products and technologies. Bio-based products are one of the focus areas of agrochemical companies. With the increasing awareness of eco-friendly and sustainable products, biobased agrochemicals are being increasingly developed as potential alternatives for synthetic chemicals in a variety of applications.

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In nitrogen fertilizer segment of the agrochemicals market is projected to account for the largest share, by fertilizer type

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

Increase in population and the consequent rise in demand for food materials to increase the demand for agrochemicals.

The kind of fertilizer needed depends on the crop grown and the nutrient deficits in each specific soil. Different crops remove different amounts of nutrients from the soil. Many farmers use NPK compound fertilizers that provide a combination of several nutrients at the same time. Nitrogen, phosphate, and potash are essential for the production of crops used for food, feed, fiber, and fuel. Hence, the growth in the agrochemical market is fueled by an increase in population and food requirements across the globe.

Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing market Being the largest as well as the most populous region in the world, Asia Pacific is one of the key markets for agrochemicals. However, it continues to remain untapped by major market players. The region accounted for almost 30 percent of the land available on Earth and nearly 60 percent of the human population, according to the World

Bank. To meet the food requirement of this huge population, the use of pesticides has increased significantly in the region. India, Japan, Australia, and Thailand are the highest pesticide- consuming countries in the world. In addition to this, a decrease in arable land per person in India, China, and Southeast Asia countries is a very serious concern.

The increasing need for food crops in the region has fueled the use of pesticides to enhance crop yield. The use of pesticides is becoming a common practice in India, China, and other less-developed countries in the region, leading to growth in areas where there had previously been very little or no pesticide usage. However, the lack of awareness and advanced technology, adverse socio-economic conditions, and fragmented landholdings are the main hurdles for developing the crop protection chemicals market in the Asia Pacific region.

Source: MarketsandMarkets Inc

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

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REPORTS BUTYRIC ACID DERIVATIVES MARKET

RISE IN ANIMAL FEED DEMAND TO PROPEL BUTYRIC ACID DERIVATIVES MARKET

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

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I

n terms of revenue, the global butyric acid derivatives market is estimated to expand at a CAGR of 7.2 percent during the forecast period, owing to numerous factors, exceeding valuation of $1.4 billion by 2031. The global butyric acid derivatives market is broadly affected by several factors, including rise in usage of butyric acid derivatives in animal feed, which is used for swine, poultry, aquaculture, and others. Rise in global demand for nutritious animal feed has led to significant growth in usage of butyric acid derivatives as additives. Increase in production and demand for various animal feed is expected to be the primary driver for the expansion of the butyric acid derivatives market.

Market Dynamics Butyric acid derivatives are primarily used in the production of animal feed. The global demand for nutritious animal feed has been increasing at a significant pace. This is boosting the production of butyric acid derivatives in several countries. Thus, increase in production of animal feed containing butyric acid derivatives is propelling the global butyric acid derivatives market.

Butyric acid derivatives, such as butyric acid salts and esters, are used as feed additives in the poultry industry. Chicken is the second-most consumed meat type across the world. Thus, poultry is a prominent segment of the butyric acid derivatives market. Average consumption of butyrate salts for poultry across the globe ranged from 0.3 to 0.45 kg/ton of the feed in 2020.

Pigs or swine are primary consumers of butyric acid derivatives in the animal feed application. Studies have shown extraordinary benefits of butyric acid for the health of pigs across all the stages of their life. The usage of butyric acid derivatives, such as sodium and calcium butyrate, results in substantial increase in animal weight, thus raising the yield of pork meat. The recommended dosage of butyric acid salts/butyrate is about 1 to 1.25 kg/ton of the feed.

Feeding has a direct impact on the growth rate, production capacity, and health status of the animal. It has a direct impact on the growth rate and health status of the animal as well as on the animal’s product quality.

Thus, demand for animal feed with additives has considerably increased since the last few years. This is augmenting the demand for butyric acid derivatives.

Prominent Regions Asia Pacific dominates the global butyric acid derivatives market. The market in the region is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of more than 8.0 percent during the forecast period. Increase in demand for tributyrin as an additive in animal feed is driving the butyric acid derivatives market in Asia Pacific. China is a key country of the butyric acid derivatives market in Asia Pacific. It held major share of the butyric acid derivatives market in Asia Pacific in 2020. The country is estimated to maintain its dominant position in the region during the forecast period.

Europe is also a key region of the global butyric acid derivatives market.

Rest of Europe led the butyric acid derivatives market in Europe in 2020.

The presence of a large number of animal feed manufacturers is driving the demand for butyric acid derivatives in rest of Europe.

Key Players The global butyric acid derivatives market is consolidated with the presence of key players. Prominent players operating in the global butyric acid derivatives market include Perstorp Holding AB, Nutreco, DSM, The Eastman Chemical Company, OQ Chemicals Corporation, Kemin Industries Inc, Palital Feed Additives BV, Innovad, Alfa Aesar, Balchem Inc and Kunshan Odowell Co Ltd.

Source: Transparency Market Research

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

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REPORTS CRYOGENIC ETHYLENE MARKET

LNG LIQUEFACTION, POLYMER PRODUCTION TO DOMINATE CRYOGENIC ETHYLENE MARKET

W

orldwide consumption of cryogenic ethylene is estimated at $4.78 billion in 2022, forecasted to reach $11.53 billion by 2032, expanding at a CAGR of 9.2 percent during the period. The cryogenic ethylene consumption is set to account for nearly 8 percent of the global ethylene market value in 2022. Over the past half-decade, cryogenic ethylene demand has observed bubbles and busts on the back of supply chain disruptions and force majeure across the world.

Moreover, a decline in the price points of more than 30 percent has been observed in 2020, post constant strengthening of the price points over 2017-2019. In 2021, price points danced in accordance with the demand surge, which pushed the ceiling price up by 50 percent as compared to 2020.

Polymer production dominates demand with more than 70 pc market share The market value for cryogenic ethylene over the past half-decade plunged at a CAGR of around -3.7 percent, on the back of huge ethylene price slumps across regions of the world. Apart from the

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price points, decline in demand in 2020 due to the COVID impact also affected overall market growth across the world. In Q2 2021, rise in demand for LNG and polymer production opened the gateway for cryogenic distillation ethylene market growth. LNG liquefaction and polymer production accounted for more than 83 percent market share, providing an image of strong market governing factors over the longrun forecast period.

Over the forecast period, cryogenic ethylene demand could be comprehended in three phases - short-run, medium-run and long-run.

Short Term (2022 Q2 to 2025): Over this period, cryogenic ethylene demand is anticipated to move northwards on the back of rising LNG exports, cascading the effect to cryogenic ethylene for LNG liquefaction. The United States is anticipated to dominate the demand and supply of cryogenic distillation ethylene on the back of gaining an upper hand in LNG exports and the strengthening of supply contracts of LNG with Europe, over this time period.

Medium Term (2025-2028): Over the medium term, cryogenic ethylene demand is anticipated to slow down across the globe, except in the United States, owing to the siphoning of gas supply contracts with strong sanctions imposed on Russia.

Long Term (2028-2032): Slow to moderate market growth is anticipated to be observed over this period of time.

The United States is the world’s prominent exporter of LNG with 21 MMT as of Q4 2021. Domination in LNG exports is due to the shale oil revolution in 2016. From the lower ranks in terms of LNG supply in 2016, the country is now self-sufficient in LNG as well as a global leader of LNG supply.

LNG supply is filled with hurdles owing to its transportation; therefore, before feeding LNG to the carriers, manufacturers liquefy the LNG using C3 cryogenic propylene or cryogenic ethylene. Utilization of cryogen for liquefaction is a multi-stage process and significant amounts of cryogen is circulated for a stipulated time period. This provides optimum temperature for LNG for liquefaction. Post liquefaction, LNG has to be constantly placed under the cryogen (ethylene or propylene) for the maintenance of temperature of the LNG. Owing to the aforementioned factors, rise in the production and exports of LNG will propel demand for cryogenic ethylene at a CAGR of 9.5 percent in the United States over the long-term forecast period.

Integration of Petrochemical Units in China to Act as Market Driver Rapid integration of petrochemical units in the country coupled with dynamic changes in the polymer industry is anticipated to propel demand growth of cryogenic ethylene at 10 percent CAGR in China over the forecast period.

In 2020, demand declined by 3 percent points, which is better than the demand decline observed across the globe. This provides an image of strong trade foundation, coupled with strong floor and ceiling price points in the country.

Furthermore, rising demand for LNG in the country and expansion of existing LNG terminals will bolster demand for cryogenic ethylene for liquefaction application.

Rapidly Rising Inclination towards Environmentallyfriendly Non-halogenated Hydrocarbon-based Refrigerants EPA under section 608 of the US Clean Air Act forbids individuals from using HCFC-22, HFCs, and R-410A, which are ozone depleting.

Moreover, the United States is anticipated to ban R134a, R410A, and R407C from utilization in chillers from 2024 onwards. This is set to open the doors for environmental-friendly non-halogenated hydrocarbon-based refrigerants. Moreover, pressure from international conventions such as Kyoto protocols have bolstered the usage of nonhalogenated hydrocarbon-based refrigerants. This factor is anticipated provide 2.5X growth to cryogenic ethylene refrigerant application over the time period.

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

Polyethylene to account for high market share going forward Polymer production, especially polyethylene, will hold a strong market share over the forecast period and is set to grow 2X by 2032 as compared to 2022. Strong market penetration can be observed on the back of rising refinery petrochemical projects that will proportionately reduce inorganic sales and induce organic sales of cryogenic ethylene, which shall further boost the profit margins across the supply chain for cryogenic ethylene suppliers.

Competition Landscape Key manufacturers of cryogenic ethylene are Dow Chemicals, ExxonMobil, Chevron Philips, Sasol, Axiall Lotte, Shintech, Shell, LyondellBasell, Indorama, and Eastman, among a few others.

Prominent manufacturers of cryogenic ethylene are forward integrated, but they sell a part of cryogenic ethylene to stabilize the price points of the downstream products across regions.

Source: Fact.MR

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REPORTS OIL & GAS DOWNSTREAM MARKET

OIL & GAS DOWNSTREAM MARKET TO GROW AS REFINING CAPACITY RISES IN APAC, MIDDLE-EAST

Market Overview As of 2018, the global oil refining capacity was approximately 100.05 million barrels per day. The global oil & gas downstream market is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 4 percent during the forecast period 2022 to 2027. Factors such as increasing refining capacity across Asia-Pacific and the Middle-East, and rising industrialization in developing countries, are expected to drive the oil & gas downstream market during the forecast period. However, the growing share of fuelefficient vehicles and increasing penetration of electric vehicles in both developed and emerging economies are expected to hinder the market growth during the forecast period.

Refinery segment is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period.

Digitalization and modernization of the refining and petrochemical sector is expected to reduce the refining costs and process losses. This, in turn, is expected to create an opportunity for the market during the forecast period.

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Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

Asia-pacific has dominated the oil & gas downstream market, with the majority of the demand coming from China, Southeast Asia, and India.

Key Market Trends Refineries to dominate the market The global energy demand is anticipated to grow by 50-60 percent, in the next two decades. This growth in demand can be attributed to the growing world population and an improvement in living standards in the developing countries. Even though new and renewable energy sources are gaining popularity around the world, the petroleum fuel remains a major energy source, globally. This trend is expected to continue for the next few decades and benefit all the sectors of the petroleum industry.

The refinery is being planned to have a processing capacity of 230,000 barrels per day. The plant will feature two refining trains with a capacity of 115,000 b/d each.

Hence, the refining industry is anticipated to recover over the next five years as fuel prices rise and consumption increases. Thus, the refinery industry is expected to be major factor for the growth of the downstream market during the forecast period.

Further, increasing industrial activity and economic growth are likely to support the refining industry. In the developed countries, such as the United States, Brazil, the demand for diesel and other distillate is expected to be robust in the coming years. This demand growth can be attributed to the strong refinery industry in these countries.

For instance, in 2019, Brazil’s semi-public oil company Petrobras is planing to increase the refinery capacity of Abreu e Lima Refinery (RNEST).

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

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Asia-Pacific to dominate the market Asia-Pacific has dominated the oil & gas downstream market in 2018 and is expected to continue its dominance in the coming years as well.

In 2018, Asia-Pacific accounted for almost 35 percent of the global refining capacity.

As of 2018, India accounted for almost 5 percent of global oil refinery capacity. The growing demand for refined petroleum products has driven the downstream companies to invest in new projects and expansion of existing facilities.

Indian Oil Corp. and Hindustan Petroleum have allocated CAPEX for refinery expansion projects in Gujarat and Mumbai, respectively, in their FY18-19 budgets. Both the projects are expected to come online in 2021 and 2022.

Further, the Indian petrochemicals industry is expected to witness increasing emphasis on investment in petrochemical hubs. The

government is planning to set up petrochemical complexes all around the 22 refineries in the country. Clustering is expected to reduce operational costs and involve brownfield and greenfield development.

As of 2018, China accounted for 15.6 percent of global oil refining capacity. The country’s petrochemical and refinery sector is expected to be on the positive side during the forecast period.

In October 2019, China National Chemical Engineering Group Corporation has signed an agreement worth around EUR 12 billion with Russia’s RusGasDobycha in Chengdu, Southwest China’s Sichuan province. This project is expected to be the biggest ethylene integration project in the world.

Hence, the region is expected to dominate the oil & gas downstream market during the forecast period owing to the increasing investment in refining and petrochemical sector coupled with the expansion of existing downstream infrastructure in respective countries.

Source: Mordor Intelligence

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Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

REPORTS PLASTICIZERS MARKET

GROWTH OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN APAC, LAMEA TO BOOST PLASTICIZERS MARKET

The wires & cables segment dominated the global plasticizers market in 2020, and is expected to maintain its dominance, owing to rise in trend of electronic devices in several developing countries of Asia-Pacific & LAMEA. (Image © Pixabay GmbH)

T

he global plasticizers market was valued at $14.7 billion in 2020, and is projected to reach $22.0 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 4.1 percent from 2021 to 2030. Further, the COVID-19 lockdown measures enforced by various governments globally had led to temporary disruptions in the construction and consumer goods industry, thus negatively impacting the market. The ongoing health crisis has increased the supply-demand gap, hampering the global plasticizers supply chain.

Plasticizers are polymer additives meant for improving flexibility, softness, workability, and volatility of the plasticized materials.

They may be internal or external based on the kind of modifications done to the materials to which they are added. Furthermore, external plasticizers can be grouped into primary and secondary.

Primary plasticizers cause elongation & increased softness of the materials, while secondary plasticizers have limited compatibility with polymers and are used in combination with other plasticizers.

Moreover, the market is expected to be fueled by increased adoption

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

of non-phthalate and high molecular weight phthalate plasticizers, as well as an increase in demand for bio-based materials throughout the estimated period. Plasticizers are available as different types in market among which phthalates, terephthalates, epoxies, and aliphatics are highly adopted.

The global plasticizers market is driven by rise in demand for flexible PVC in different applications, increase in adoption of non-phthalate & high molecular weight phthalate plasticizers, and growth in packaging industries. Asia-Pacific dominates the market, in terms of volume & growth, due to massive demand and production in China as well as high developing rate of the market in India & other countries. Strict regulatory bans on some of the phthalates and toxicity of PVC limit the market growth. Continuous innovation in plasticizers resulting in generation of its bio-derived type and R&D activities for producing new applications by different market players are projected to provide numerous opportunities for development of the plasticizer market.

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solvent, low transition temperature, low volatility, low diffusion, stability and flame retardance.

The plasticizers market is segmented on the basis of type, application, and region. By type, the market is segmented into phthalates, terephthalates, trimellitates, epoxides, phosphates, sebacates, extenders, aliphatic dibasic esters, and others. Phthalates is further segmented into DINP, DIDP, DPHP, and DOP.Byapplication, the market segmentation includes flooring & wall, film & sheet coverings, wires & cables, coated fabrics, consumer goods, and others. Region-wise, the market is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and LAMEA.

Market by Application The wires & cables segment dominated the global plasticizers market in 2020, and is expected to maintain its dominance during the forecast period, owing to rise in trend of electronic devices in several developing countries of Asia-Pacific & LAMEA, which is expected to be a key driver for the market.

Some of the major market players are Arkema SA, BASF SE, Daelim Industrial Co Ltd, Dow Chemical Company, LG Chem Ltd, Evonik Industries AG, ExxonMobil Chemical, Eastman Chemical Company, Ineos Group and UPC Group.

Market by Region

Market by Type

to grow at the highest CAGR, in terms of both volume and value.

The phthalates segment dominated the global plasticizers market in 2020, and is expected to maintain its dominance during the forecast period, owing to their high-performance properties such as strong

An expansion of Asia-Pacific plasticizers business is growing as

Covid-19 impact on the global plasticizers market

stoppage and not only the companies lost money however they also

Owing to COVID-19 pandemic, transport limitations were implemented, resulting in reduced industrial production and disrupted supply chains, which affected global economic growth by a substantial proportion, severely impacting market growth.

The companies have not earned any profit as a result of the work

Asia-Pacific accounted for the largest share of the plasticizers market in 2020. The Asia-Pacific market for plasticizers is expected

electrical & electronic industries is growing. China is the leading country in terms of demand and commercialization of plasticizers.

lost suppliers who are providing the required materials to various companies to be used in construction sector, all those suppliers are also facing huge losses. Furthermore, due to social distancing norms during COVID-19, the manufacturing companies worked with limited workforce; thus, negatively impacted the production and construction processes.

Source: Allied Market Research 56

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

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EVENT COVERAGE SUSTAINABILITY AND CIRCULARITY SUMMIT 2022

CHEMICAL INDUSTRY DECODES SUSTAINABILITY AND CIRCULARITY COMPLEXITIES

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Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

BY DEBARATI DAS

T

oday, every company, big or small, is now becoming more aware

wastewater treatment in chemical industry.

of the impact that it has on the planet. This has been further

Henkel Adhesives Technologies opened up the Sustainability for

amplified by consumer’s demand for sustainable and green solutions.

And hence, globally and in India, sustainability and circularity is becoming the norm.

Most chemical and plastic companies today are setting goals to be carbon neutral and be more environment friendly in their approach

Good of Generations with a Focus on Products, Planet and People.

Alkali Manufacturers Association of India (AMAI) focused on the idea of a Circular Economy - How to use, re-use and dispose chemicals.

towards manufacturing. However, one of the biggest roadblock is the

SABIC spoke on the Importance and Implementation of ESG in

question “How?”.

Chemical Industry - an area which is globally gaining more and more

Majority of the companies are struggling to find an efficient, yet cost

importance.

effective approach to attain sustainability. For this, the chemical

DuPont elaborated on the successful ways of implementing Circular

industry is rethinking ways for optimized use of the limited resources by

Economy in the Chemical sector.

changing its attitude and method towards its operations. The two major challenges that the chemical industry faces in its road to sustainability is how to reduce resource consumption and how to eliminate the harm to the environment.

Understanding this dilemma, the worldofchemicals.com com and Chemical Today Magazine successfully organized the Sustainability and Circularity Summit 2022 - virtual conference on April 8th. The event

In the second segment of the virtual conference, our speakers focused on ‘Sustainability in Plastics Industry’- a burning topic which needs immediate attention from every quarter of the society.

International Council for Circular Economy (ICCE) spoke about the desperate need for end to-end solution of plastics waste management.

had industry leaders from major companies unfolding the roadmap to

Debunking the myth that plastics are bad, BASF and Evonik

incorporate sustainability in chemicals and attain circularity in plastics.

brought in international perspectives on making good plastics. While

In this insightful event, the speakers divulged tried and tested methods, busted myths about sustainability and circularity, discussed case studies, solved on ground problems and answered queries of attendees.

SCS 2022 - An Insight Although ‘Sustainability’ and ‘Circularity’ are terms which most companies desperately want to incorporate in their company portfolio, most are unsure as to what all can these terms entail.

BASF spoke on ways in which plastic additives can be used to achieve a plastic circular, economy, Evonik delved into various specialties to enable sustainable plastic applications.

Borouge further stressed on the fact that plastics are a boon to the packaging industry despite the negativities around it. However, plastic packaging can be make circular by using sustainable plastic solutions.

Among various national and international perspective, Shakti Plastic Industries presented a very Indian example of how circularity in

To bring in more clarity on these concepts and opening up the horizons

plastics can be a reality and presented the various ways in which they

of incorporating them with ease, our panel of experts from various

make plastics circular.

national and international organizations shed light on the various aspects of sustainability and circularity and delved into the tried and tested methods of implementing them in any organization.

In the first segment of the virtual conference – our speakers focused on ‘Sustainability in Chemicals’- a highly complicated area that every chemical industry faces.

Aarti Industries delved into the much complicated domain of

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

Over all, for the plastics and chemical industry to be circular and sustainable, these industries need to adopt the golden Rs of Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle and Recover- in every aspect of operation.

The virtual conference was attended by over 200 plus chemical industry stalwarts and professionals and from across India and few audience members from South East Asia & Asia Pacific regions, who went back with ideas to make their organizations more sustainable and circular.

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EVENT COVERAGE SUSTAINABILITY AND CIRCULARITY SUMMIT 2022

SHANKAR KARHALE, AARTI INDUSTRIES SUSTAINABILITY AND CIRCULARITY SUMMIT 2022

Shankar Karhale, Head, Corporate Environment (Sustainability), Aarti Industries, speaks about Solving the Wastewater Treatment problems, at the Sustainability and Circularity Summit 2022 virtual conference.

Sustainability in Chemicals Looking at issues faced by companies in the Indian chemical environment, the concerns related to water treatment are the most prominent. As part of our sustainability strategy we focussed on solving the wastewater issue with the utmost

the set government policies and local authority regulations.

Proper wastewater treatment plans can help organisations to avoid any undue sanctions and adhere to the legislative standards.

priority. Some of our solutions and data can be good reference

One

points for the chemical companies. We did a complete study on

implementation can be in terms of approvals and future

the type of effluents and the various treatment methodologies.

expansion plans. It does help to get easy clearances for all

Before implementing any effluent treatment solution, it is

operations and upgradation strategies.

important to understand the specific company effluent and what can be the treatability method. It is also recommended to do pilot trials to see what is feasible as a longer term solution.

And finally the cost evaluation and contribution will prove

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Further, all companies are required to be compliant-ready with

more

benefit

of

proper

wastewater

treatment

Note: Worldofchemicals and Chemical

Today Magazine organized the Sustainability and Circularity Summit 2022 virtual conference on 8th

to be an advantage for taking the final decision. From the

April. The conference gave a national and international

organisation standpoint, it is important to implement the most

perspective regarding actionable strategies for sustainability in

beneficial water treatment solution as the environmental risks

the chemical industry and practical circular economy concepts

are critical for operations.

for the plastics industry.

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

SUNIL KUMAR SATHYANARAYANAN, HENKEL ADHESIVES - SUSTAINABILITY AND CIRCULARITY SUMMIT 2022

Sunil Kumar Sathyanarayanan, Country President India and Regional Director Packaging IMEA, Henkel Adhesives Technologies India Pvt Ltd, speaks about Sustainability for Good of Generations (Focus on Products, Planet and People), at the Sustainability and Circularity Summit 2022 virtual conference.

Sustainability in Chemicals The United Nations (UN) has clearly stated 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the chemical industry too

remaining fossil fuels used in production to climate-neutral alternatives and supply surplus carbon-neutral energy to third parties.

has taken note of it. These are really important for the good of

It is good to know that India too is playing its part at a

generations with a focus on products, people and planet.

country level and taking strides towards the SDGs. The

For this, as a company, we are convinced that there is a need

country is rigorously taking action on developing polices and

to collaboratively work and progress towards sustainability.

infrastructure for electric vehicles and the green hydrogen

Sustainable consumption, packaging and plastics, combating

ecosystem. One example of the action plan is that recently,

climate change, water, human rights, equal opportunities and

the Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari drove into the

education are important topics for our work. By continuously

parliament in a first-of-its-kind green hydrogen-powered car.

reviewing our companyʼs goals and initiatives, we ensure that these are aligned with the SDG priorities that are relevant for us. As we work intensively on a broad product portfolio and a

This is definitely a promising indication of the way India is planning its strategies moving forward.

Henkel aims to source 100 percent renewable electricity for

Today Magazine organized the Sustainability and Circularity Summit 2022 virtual conference on 8th

its production sites by 2030. To achieve this the company

April. The conference gave a national and international

follows a combination of on-site production of green energy,

perspective regarding actionable strategies for sustainability in

direct purchase and virtual coverage. We also plan to achieve.

the chemical industry and practical circular economy concepts

Moreover, by 2040, the company aims to have converted all

for the plastics industry.

presence across diverse markets, our activities can support the SDGs.

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

Note: Worldofchemicals and Chemical

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ASHOK MENON, SABIC - SUSTAINABILITY AND CIRCULARITY SUMMIT 2022

Ashok Menon, Global Technology Leader, Life Cycle Assessment, Corporate Sustainability Division, SABIC, speaks about Importance and Implementation of ESG in Chemical Industry, at the Sustainability and Circularity Summit 2022 virtual conference.

Sustainability in Chemicals Chemical industry today is at a very interesting crossroad.

The industry has navigated through a lot of attributes like product commoditization, shifting consumer attributes, regional preferences, regulatory changes, etc. However, the dynamics today are potentially more disruptive than before due to climate change. The chemical industry needs to start responding to this. Companies are making major investments towards mitigating climate related risks. Companies are

environment, health and safety, safer chemistry, innovation and sustainable solutions, circular economy, governance and integrity.

At SABIC, we are looking at two attributes in circular economy i)

Mixed plastic waste which are collected from Europe and

Asia Pacific region, are converted into pyrolysis oil and fed back into the cracker to make virgin polymers.

no longer just focusing on financial profits but are shifting

ii) Renewable feedstock like biomass, used cooking oil, waste

towards stakeholder value creation. This is where ESG-

from paper and pulp industry which can be fed into the crackers

Environmental, Social and Corporate governance, plays an

to make renewable polymers.

important role. For Environment goals, chemical industry needs to look into emissions, sustainability solutions, risks and opportunity assessment. In Social goals– workplace safety, labour relations, human rights and community development should be concentrated. While in Governance, areas of ethics,

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linked SGDs in the areas of resource efficiency, climate change,

Note: Worldofchemicals and Chemical

Today Magazine organized the Sustainability and Circularity Summit 2022 virtual conference on 8th April. The conference gave a national and international

anti-corruption, data privacy, discloser practices etc should be

perspective regarding actionable strategies for sustainability in

focused on for investors to have long term confidence in the

the chemical industry and practical circular economy concepts

organization. SABIC’s priorities are derived from materiality

for the plastics industry.

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

KAPIL MALHOTRA, AMAI & GUJARAT FLUOROCHEMICALS - SUSTAINABILITY AND CIRCULARITY SUMMIT 2022

Kapil Malhotra, President, Alkali Manufacturers Association of India (AMAI) & Global Business Unit Head, Fluoropolymers, Gujarat Fluorochemicals Ltd, speaks about Circular Economy - How we Use, Re-use and Dispose Chemicals, at the Sustainability and Circularity Summit 2022 virtual conference.

Sustainability in Chemicals One important fact that we should be aware of is that we cannot do away with chemicals. But as an industry we need to see how we can play a role in addressing the industrial waste concerns and make it more suitable for the environment. Definitely the circular economy concept is gaining momentum and

associations such as Alkali Manufacturers Association of India (AMAI), there is need to find newer, renewable chemicals and even greener solutions. One cannot ignore the importance of research & development and innovation to be conducted collaboratively among the industry and at the organisation level.

In terms of R&D, the industry and academic partnership can

safety systems too are improving in the overall manufacturing

be a fruitful method to make the research efforts quicker and

operations.

overall reduce the time-to-market. Lastly, the other important

At the company level Gujarat Fluorochemicals Limited (GFL) is surely playing its part by addressing the green house gas emissions issues. We are committed to social, environmental and economic sustainability through responsible processes, practices and greener initiatives not only in our products but also in our thought leadership. As a responsible member of the industry GFL works on the principle of 3-R (Reduce, Recycle

concern while thinking of sustainability and circularity is the water crisis. Concerning the issues of water scarcity, it is important that the chemical industry in India collectively put up a strong strategy and action plan to save this crucial natural resource. On the other hand, organisations too can implement appropriate water reuse and wastewater treatment systems and make their contribution to solve the problem at an individual

& Reuse) throughout our processes to contribute towards

level.

circular economy. We were one of the earlier companies to

Note: Worldofchemicals and Chemical

address the fluorine-based surfactants issues. All our products are perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) free and we are dedicated to developing manufacturing technologies based on short chain and non-fluorinated surfactants with limited to zero health and environmental hazards.

On the industry-front and as a game plan on the part of

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

Today Magazine organized the Sustainability and Circularity Summit 2022 virtual conference on 8th April. The conference gave a national and international perspective regarding actionable strategies for sustainability in the chemical industry and practical circular economy concepts for the plastics industry.

63

DR. DEEPALI SINHA KHETRIWAL, DUPONT SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS - SUSTAINABILITY AND CIRCULARITY SUMMIT 2022

Dr. Deepali Sinha Khetriwal, Director, Sustainability Services, DuPont Sustainable Solutions (DSS+), speaks about Circular Economy opportunities in the Chemical Sector, at the Sustainability and Circularity Summit 2022 virtual conference.

Sustainability in Chemicals Circular Economy is a critical component of Environmental,

driven by Circular Economy. Many companies are using new

Social and Corporate governance (ESG) which is driven by

technologies for recycling and recovery of industrial waste,

several factors like resource scarcity, resilience in a fast changing

plastic recycling etc. New partnerships and business models are

market, climate change, pollution and waste accumulation,

central to identifying these opportunities as circular economy

purpose driven business and regulation. A circular economy

cannot be achieved in a linear system. Companies need to

keeps products, components and materials at their highest level

partner across the value chain. Chemical leasing is another

of use for as long as possible. In a circular economy, materials are retained within the economy through i)

Value retention processes: eg: rethink, refuse, reuse, repair,

refurbish, remanufacture, repurpose, recycle, etc. ii) Innovative business models- circular supplies, product life time extension, product-as-service, sharing platforms, etc.

In an organization, circular economy is at the intersection of creating a sustainable business, managing risks and improving operational efficiencies. In the chemical sector, opportunities in circular economy lies in replacing toxic substances, single use products and non-renewable inputs in the supply chain with sustainable option and respond to the consumer demand.

Green financing linked to plastic waste reduction targets is becoming popular in several companies. Private Equity firms are also focusing on ESG risk mitigation through circular economy strategies.

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This space also encourages new products and technologies

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

concept which is picking pace where companies are moving from volume oriented business model to performance oriented business model which can improve efficiency, reduce cost and enhance the operation efficiency.

Circular economy is a clear business opportunity to drive innovation and market competitiveness whilst being resilient in the long term. It can increase revenue, reduce cost, minimize risk and create a brand equity.

Note: Worldofchemicals and Chemical

Today Magazine organized the Sustainability and Circularity Summit 2022 virtual conference on 8th April. The conference gave a national and international perspective regarding actionable strategies for sustainability in the chemical industry and practical circular economy concepts

EVENT COVERAGE SUSTAINABILITY AND CIRCULARITY SUMMIT 2022

SHALINI GOYAL BHALLA, INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR CIRCULAR ECONOMY (ICCE) - SUSTAINABILITY AND CIRCULARITY SUMMIT 2022

Shalini Goyal Bhalla, Managing Director, International Council for Circular Economy (ICCE), speaks about End to End solution of Plastics Waste Management, at the Sustainability and Circularity Summit 2022 virtual conference.

Circular Economy in Plastics Managing plastic waste is one of the biggest concern globally.

Circular economy promises the reuse of the existing resources in such a way that the entire ecosystem is regenerative. As per

Extension of product life can also be encouraged by making durable products which are easily reparable or recyclable.

Material choices is also an important aspect because a complex material or a combination of various materials is difficult to

CPCB report, India generates over 3.36 million metric tonnes

recycle at the end of their life cycle. Here, mono materials is

of plastic waste per annum. Most of the plastic either reaches

finding more significance in circularity.

the landfill or are discarded without proper elimination. We

We also need to focus on reducing the resource requirement

need a circular approach where the focus should be to reduce the dependence on the virgin stock and reuse the existing stock.

Designing for circularity is the key to achieve circular economy.

Most things today are still designed for the linear model which means that almost everything needs to be redesigned in accordance with the principal of circular economy. Products

and this can be done if the products at the end of their life cycle are brought back unto the system leading to resource recovery, minimal material loss. This can be done by efficient tracking and traceability of products, data analytics for waste management etc.

understand how the material used can be reused, recycled or

Today Magazine organized the Sustainability and Circularity Summit 2022 virtual conference on 8th

remanufactured before it goes out of the material loops. Closer

April. The conference gave a national and international

loops ensures stronger circularity and value proposition.

perspective regarding actionable strategies for sustainability in

The business models too should be such that existing products

the chemical industry and practical circular economy concepts

are reused rather than pushing more products into the market.

for the plastics industry.

need to be in a closed loop system by the manufactures who need to shift the focus to the beginning of the cycle and

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

Note: Worldofchemicals and Chemical

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DR. MICHAEL ISHAQUE, BASF SUSTAINABILITY AND CIRCULARITY SUMMIT 2022

Dr. Michael Ishaque, Regional Head Asia Pacific, Innovation and Technology Center, Plastic Additives, BASF, speaks about Contribution of Plastic Additives to achieve a plastic circular economy, at the Sustainability and Circularity Summit 2022 virtual conference.

Circular Economy in Plastics Despite lot of negative news and condemnation, plastics contribute to a sustainable and resource-efficient economy

virgin plastic a second life. This would reduce the amount of plastic that reaches the landfill.

compared to alternatives such as metal, paper etc. It has

BASF’s additive solution for recycled rigid packaging enhances

contributed to making automotive lightweight thereby

processing and long term stability of recycled plastics. They are

lowering emissions, lowered infections in medical applications

tailored for stabilization of post-consumer and post-industrial

and hospitals, making energy efficient and durable buildings,

rigid polyolefin. Our additive solution for strongly degraded,

water saving, increased yield and longer livestock, food storage,

rigid recyclates enhances re-processing and long term stability

less food wastage and easier transport of perishable food

of strongly degraded and contaminated items including crates,

items. However, proper waste management which includes

waste bins and battery cases.

waste collection, separation, cleaning and recycling much be

Note: Worldofchemicals and Chemical

BASF provides solutions for mechanical recycling which is key

Today Magazine organized the Sustainability and Circularity Summit 2022 virtual conference on 8th

to close the loop and allow circular plastic economy. It comprises

April. The conference gave a national and international

of collection, separation and cleaning. Reprocessing of plastic

perspective regarding actionable strategies for sustainability in

waste material. Preventing the degradation of processes

the chemical industry and practical circular economy concepts

triggered during the production process. Use of plastic can be

for the plastics industry.

improved and implemented.

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the key to plastic recycling, optimize product quality and give

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

DR. ADRIAN BLUM, EVONIK SUSTAINABILITY AND CIRCULARITY SUMMIT 2022

Dr. Adrian Blum, Head, Market Segment, Circular Materials, Business Line Functional Solutions, Evonik, speaks about Specialties to enable Sustainable Plastic Applications, at the Sustainability and Circularity Summit 2022 virtual conference.

Circular Economy in Plastics With our specialties, we help reduce the consumption of resources by making them more fuel efficient and highly

i)

Mechanical recycling enables high quality and pure waste

streams suitable to avoid down cycling. We use re-melting and re-formulating to produce new plastic products.

durable, with less wastage and design them for recycling. At

ii)

Evonik, we have a circular economy action plan in place with a

broken down to chemicals like monomers and converted back

comprehensive approach to decoupling economic growth from resource use with a maximum focus on reduce, reuse, repair,

In Chemical recycling, polymer chains are chemically

to virgin polymers.

recycle, recover and dramatically reduce the disposition of

At Evonik, we believe that partnering along the value chain is

waste.

a key to closing the loop. Circular plastics economy never ends.

In the future, plastics will grow significantly, however, circular

Note: Worldofchemicals and Chemical

feedstock will replace fossil feedstock. We need a lot of technology and invent in R&D to provide solutions along the entire circular plastics value chain and help keep plastics in the loop. Successful circularization should look in all circles of the currently linear process.

Recycling of plastics can be done in two major ways:

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

Today Magazine organized the Sustainability and Circularity Summit 2022 virtual conference on 8th April. The conference gave a national and international perspective regarding actionable strategies for sustainability in the chemical industry and practical circular economy concepts for the plastics industry.

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RAHUL PODAAR, SHAKTI PLASTIC SUSTAINABILITY AND CIRCULARITY SUMMIT 2022

Rahul Podaar, Managing Director, Shakti Plastic Industries, speaks about Plastic Waste collection - Recycling to Circular Economy products, at the Sustainability and Circularity Summit 2022 virtual conference.

Circular Economy in Plastics Shakti Plastic Industries is one of the earliest recyclers in India.

The company has diverted 5 lakh metric tonne plastic waste from landfills till date. Our company recycles all grades of plastics.

Apart from recycling the waste, we hold over 365 awareness campaigns in a year, which includes training programmes in schools and colleges, railway stations, corporate offices, residents etc to strengthen the segregation and collection at the ground level. And taking care about traceability we provide end to end tractability of all EPR activities we are doing across the country.

As our company policy and activities, we not only collect and recycle plastic waste but we also create new products from the final material. We manufacture new products such as floor

are supplied to various brands and government bodies for

Note: Worldofchemicals and Chemical Today Magazine organized the Sustainability and Circularity Summit 2022 virtual conference on 8th April. The conference gave a national and international perspective regarding actionable strategies for sustainability in the chemical industry and practical circular economy concepts

consumption.

for the plastics industry.

tiles, garbage bins, pots, benches, pallets which is similar to the original plastic product in terms of its usability, strength and quality. We also make stationary items like pens, pencils to name a few. The recycled materials and also the final products

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Other than the residential set up, the company also provides end-to end solutions for industrial waste while managing hazardous waste from the plants. Our industry activity also includes providing solutions to various brands and companies for waste management in their premises. A major factor for our expanding reach is our awareness programs. A regular feature of the consumer reach-out activity is the information, education and communication (IEC) programs we conduct for NGOs, schools, hospitals across the country on proper plastic waste management. As a vision we believe it is our social responsibility to spread the awareness among consumers and even citizens to add to a cleaner environment in the country.

A part of our weekly activity is to conduct cleanliness drives on Sundays on the beaches and other public places to make the cities cleaner and suitable for consumer use.

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

SATYA BHUSHAN, BOROUGE SUSTAINABILITY AND CIRCULARITY SUMMIT 2022

Satya Bhushan, Senior Manager, Market Development, Asia South Packaging, Borouge, speaks about Sustainable Packaging, at the Sustainability and Circularity Summit 2022 virtual conference.

Circular Economy in Plastics There are a lot of misconceptions about sustainable packaging.

for greater recyclability. The packaging should be efficient and it should have more recyclable and renewable content.

Plastic is usually considered as the worst material and should

At Borouge, we further improve it with polymerization and

not be used at all. People are moving towards glass, metal and

nucleation technology to make rigid packaging that reduces

paper as packaging itself is considered environmentally harmful

energy consumption, cycle time, etc.

and wasteful. On the other hand, in reality plastic is one of the

Apart from various sustainable packaging solutions, Borouge

best materials for packaging as compared to other materials.

also has renewable packaging solutions which are made of

However, the concern is that, once it serves its purpose, it itself

circular polyolefin products made with second generation

goes to waste.

renewable feedstock which gives sustainability, quality and

The key elements of sustainable packaging is that it should protect the content from any damage during transport and storage, minimize leakage of the content into the environment, assess greenhouse gas emissions and should be recyclable so as to save energy and reduce pressure on natural resources.

Overall a sustainable packaging should improve the overall performance of packaging.

performance. They can be used for all kinds of rigid, flexible packaging. Plastic packaging is an efficient packaging, we need to manufacture it with more circular approach.

Note: Worldofchemicals and Chemical Today Magazine organized the Sustainability and Circularity Summit 2022 virtual conference on 8th April. The conference gave a national and international perspective regarding actionable strategies for sustainability in

To make packaging more sustainable, we should first reduce

the chemical industry and practical circular economy concepts

unnecessary use of packaging. Packaging should be designed

for the plastics industry.

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

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ACADEMIC R&D

BIOTECHNOLOGY: ENZYMES IN A CAGE

3D model of a MOF in front of the enzyme-MOF flow reactor at the laboratory of KIT’s Institute of Functional Interfaces.

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esearchers from KIT’s Institute of Functional Interfaces (IFG), Institute of Nanotechnology, and Institute for Biological Interfaces 1 – Biomolecular Micro- and Nanostructures have now succeeded in stabilizing enzymes such that they can be used in both aqueous and organic solvents. For the first time, they demonstrated a continuous enzyme reactor system of high productivity and stability. This is reported in the journal Angewandte Chemie.

When used as biocatalysts, enzymes accelerate many chemical reactions. At Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), researchers have now embedded enzymes in metal-organic cages (MOFs). For the first time, they then demonstrated that stabilization by these frameworks is sufficient for use of the enzymes in a continuous reactor. Moreover, the enzymes embedded in the MOFs cannot only be used in aqueous, but also in organic solvents.

Enzymes are considered true multifunctional talents. They accelerate many chemical reactions as catalysts.

In organisms, they are involved in vital processes. In technology and industry, they

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Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

can be used as tools of white biotechnology and help save energy and resources.

Enzymes in detergents, for instance, detach dirt at low temperatures already.

Enzymes are also applied in environmental technology, food processing, medicine production, medical diagnostics, and many other branches.

Enzymes mostly represent proteins. To use the potential of these huge molecules in so-called cell-free biotechnology, they have to be stabilized and integrated in efficient reactor systems.

MOFs Facilitate Separation of Catalysts and Products The innovative reactor system is based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). These consist of metallic nodes and organic connecting rods and have crystalline structures with defined pore sizes.

Using different combinations of metal building blocks and organic ligands as well as various pore sizes, MOFs can be customized for various applications. In the case of cell-free use, enzymes act like cages.

“We make the enzymes diffuse individually into the pores of the MOFs, that is they enter the cage voluntarily,” said professor Christof Wöll, Head of IFG. “The MOFs

act as an armor and protect the sensitive biomolecules from denaturation.”

Thanks to the porosity of the MOFs, transport of reactants, ie. of the substances consumed and products resulting during the reactions, can be controlled better.

Moreover, MOFs facilitate complex separation of catalyst and products, said professor Matthias Franzreb, deputy head of IFG and co-author of the study.

KIT researchers demonstrated timeand cost-efficient manufacture of an enzyme-MOF flow reactor. Stability of the immobilized enzyme was about 30 times that of the free enzyme. Catalytic activity reached about 30 percent of that of a free enzmye – a rather high value in view of the deformation of the enzyme embedded in the MOF pores. The study was made in connection with the Cluster of Excellence “3D Matter Made to Order” of KIT and Heidelberg University as well as under the Helmholtz Program “Materials Systems Engineering.” In future, MOFs will be modified with the help of computerbased methods such that deformation by the pores increases activity rather than reducing it.

NEW CATALYST DRIVES REACTION FOR ORGANIC MOLECULES BUILT FROM PYRUVATE

PhD student and first author, Santanu Mondal, sketches out a reaction of pyruvate, using a model of his newly designed organic catalyst system as a reference.

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hemists at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) have developed an organic catalyst that can drive reactions using pyruvate – a key biomolecule in many metabolic pathways – that are difficult and complicated to achieve using conventional industrial techniques.

The research, recently published in Organic Letters, is an important step towards simplifying the production process and increasing the range of molecules that can be built from pyruvate, like amino acids or glycolic acids, which are used in drug discovery efforts and medications.

“Catalysts, substances which control and accelerate chemical reactions without being included into the final products, are crucial tools for chemists,” said Santanu Mondal, a PhD candidate in Chemistry and Chemical Bioengineering Unit at OIST and first author of the study. “And organic catalysts, in particular, are set to revolutionize the industry and make chemistry more sustainable.”

Currently, metal catalysts are used in industry, which are often expensive to obtain and produce hazardous waste.

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

Metal catalysts also react easily with air and water, making them difficult to store and handle. But organic catalysts are formed from common elements, like carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, so they are much cheaper, safer and more environmentally friendly.

“On top of these advantages, our newly developed organic catalyst system also promotes reactions using pyruvate that aren’t easily achievable using metal catalysts,” added Mondal.

In all chemical reactions, he went on to explain, molecules can react by either giving away electrons, or receiving them. Pyruvate is much better at receiving electrons when it reacts and is typically used this way in industry, to produce organic alcohols and solvents. But within our bodies, protein catalysts called enzymes can drive reactions in which pyruvate donates electrons to produce molecules like fatty acids and amino acids.

By taking inspiration from these enzymes, the researchers designed a catalyst system made of two small organic molecules, an acid and an amine, that forces pyruvate to act as an electron donor.

In the reaction, the amine binds to pyruvate,

making

an

intermediate

molecule. The acid then covers up part of the intermediate molecule, while leaving another part, which can donate electrons, free to react and form a new product.

“Organic catalysts can be designed in a way that at the end of the reaction, only one of these mirror-image forms is made,” said Mondal. “This is particularly beneficial in the pharmaceutical industry, where one of the forms may be an effective treatment, but the other form may be toxic.”

For the pyruvate reactions, the researchers were able to selectively choose which of the two mirror-image forms of the final product to make, by changing which mirror-image form of the amine was used to catalyze the reaction.

“With a universal catalyst, chemists would be able to easily make an array of various products from pyruvate, in both mirrorimage forms,” said Mondal. “This would have many meaningful impacts on society, such as speeding up the development of new drugs.”

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ACADEMIC R&D

NOVEL PICKET-SPENGLER REACTION WITH A-KETOESTERS AS CARBONYL SOURCE Organic compounds, especially pharmaceuticals that contain a chiral carbon atom can form enantiomers, which are a pair of molecular structures that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other. To obtain a favorable enantiomer with a high yield, the researchers initially studied the reaction between tryptamine and α-ketoesters in the presence of various chiral catalysts. Using alkyl 2-oxopentanoates as α-ketoesters, the highest yield (99 percent) and enantioselectivity (78 percent) was obtained when tryptamine was combined with alkyl 2-oxopentanoates containing an ethyl group in the presence of a chiral phosphoric acid catalyst with imidazoline groups (chiral bis-(imidazoline)-phosphoric acid catalysts).

Chiral catalysts for enantioselective synthesis of Pictet-Spengler products with acyclic α-ketoesters as carbonyl source.

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hiral tetrahydro-β-carbolines or tryptolines that contain a tetrasubstituted carbon center provides a framework for a variety of biologically active compounds. This basic structure is found in naturally occurring compounds and is a necessary component for pharmaceutical products. The synthesis of the bioactive structure and its derivatives begins with the asymmetric Pictet-Spengler reaction, an acid-catalyzed reaction between a carbonyl group and an amine (tryptamine).

However, the range of compounds that can be synthesized by this method is limited as the carbonyl groups have mainly been derived from aldehydes. Given the importance of the Pictet-Spengler reaction in pharmaceutical product development, expanding the scope of the reaction by substituting in other carbonyl-containing compounds remains an active research area.

Now in a study published online on January 2022 and in February 2022 issue of Organic Letters, professor Shuichi Nakamura and his team from Nagoya Institute of Technology and Osaka University, Japan, have successfully demonstrated the PictetSpengler reaction with acyclic α-ketoesters as the carbonyl source.

“We succeeded in demonstrating the first enantioselective PictetSpengler reaction of acyclic α-ketoesters with tryptamines, and have recorded excellent yields and enantioselectivity for the reaction using chiral imidazoline-phosphoric acid catalysts, which was developed by our group,” said Nakamura.

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After determining the optimal catalyst and the α-ketoester reactant, the researchers proceeded to synthesize a variety of tryptolines using tryptamines containing electron-donating or withdrawing groups. The reactions they carried out resulted in high yields and enantioselectivity, proving the validity of their method. “These results are the first examples of the enantioselective Pictet−Spengler reaction of acyclic α-ketoesters with tryptamines,” commented Nakamura.

The imidazoline group in the chiral catalyst was found to play a key role in the reaction, especially with the selection of the enantiomer and the activation of the tryptamine reactant. According to the researchers, the reaction occurs through the formation of two intermediates as a result of the interaction between the catalyst and the reactants. The initial reaction is proposed to occur between the catalyst and tryptamine to form an ammonium salt of tryptamine (the first intermediate). In turn, this compound is thought to react with the carbonyl group of the α-ketoester and produce a second ketimine intermediate, which ultimately results in the Pictet-Spengler product. Using density functional theory to study the transition states, the researchers found that the stereoselectivity or enantioselectivity of the final product resulted due to the formation of a sterically less-hindered (R)-isomer from the ketimine intermediate.

The results of the study could lead to the development of new pharmaceutical products with potentially significant impacts on improving human health. “We will be able to synthesize medicines that have been difficult to synthesize, which may improve the quality of our lives. It may also be possible to synthesize inexpensive agricultural chemicals, which may increase production of safe and secure food,” observed Nakamura.

FUTURE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS TO BE EFFECTIVE FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME

Catalytic converters turn harmful gases from a car’s exhaust, including carbon monoxide and other pollutants, into steam and other safer byproducts.

The next generation of catalytic converters could have longer lifetimes and need fewer rare materials to operate. (Representative Image © Pixabay GmbH)

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researchers investigated how their performance changes over time in the presence of high heat.

Catalytic converters turn harmful gases from a car’s exhaust, including carbon monoxide and other pollutants, into steam and other safer byproducts, like carbon dioxide and nitrogen.

To do this, Li’s team performed several tests on the converters, including having them endure temperatures higher than 1600 degrees Fahrenheit. While real catalysts rarely exceed such conditions in a moving car, they may experience those temperatures at least occasionally over their lifetimes, especially as the converters get older.

he next generation of catalytic converters could have longer lifetimes and need fewer rare materials to operate, a new study suggests.

A good catalytic converter can last for more than a decade, but according to Cheng-Han Li, lead author of the study, future catalytic technologies could be designed to effectively scrub pollutants for a longer period of time.

Li noted that rhodium catalysts are supported by oxides like alumina and ceria-zirconia, which help stabilize them.

“We want to have a better lifetime for catalytic converters.

Otherwise, they will have to be replaced or won’t pass the government’s emission tests,” said Li, a doctoral student in materials science and engineering at The Ohio State University.

At high heat with oxygen, rhodium dissolves into the alumina and degrades into the stable solution rhodium aluminate. This solution, however, is chemically inactive, meaning that it can’t scrub away harmful pollutants and gases, making the device effectively useless.

The study was published recently in the journal Chemistry of Materials.

But it is reversible.

Modern catalytic converters use a combination of three precious metals: palladium, platinum and rhodium. These three-way catalysts can reduce nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions – two substances which if put together, can create NOx, a chemical compound that has both direct and indirect harmful effects on human health.

“The cost of rhodium has risen dramatically over the past years due to increasing demand coupled with a fundamental supply deficit,” says Li. That means catalytic converters can be expensive to make, and doubly expensive to replace.

And since rhodium-based catalysts are in short supply, it’s imperative that they be utilized as effectively as possible. Because the catalysts have been known to deactivate at high temperatures,

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

When exposed to hydrogen some of the rhodium becomes active again, but not nearly enough to return the catalyst converter to its former efficiency.

The study’s findings concluded that in the long run, establishing a new design that prevents the formation of rhodium aluminate could help get the most out of these devices. This in-depth understanding of the device’s structure could also help inform better designs for future catalytic converters.

“Our results give car manufacturers a specific direction to follow to optimize the use of rhodium-based catalysts,” said Li. Co-authors were Jason Wu, Andrew Bean Getsoian and Giovanni Cavataio of the Ford Motor Company, and Joerg Jinschek, an associate professor of materials science and engineering at Ohio State.

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ACADEMIC R&D

METAL-FREE ORGANIC LITHIUM-ION BATTERY GETS CLOSER TO REALITY

An illustration of croconic acid and an image of a high-voltage environmentally friendly organic lithium-ion batteries.

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joint research team from Tohoku University and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has made a significant advancement towards high-voltage metal-free lithiumion batteries that use a small organic molecule, croconic acid. The breakthrough moves us closer to realizing metal-free, high-energy and inexpensive lithium-ion batteries.

Unlike conventional lithium-ion batteries, which depend on rareearth materials such as cobalt and lithium, organic batteries exploit naturally abundant elements such as carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. In addition, organic batteries have greater theoretical capacities than conventional lithium-ion batteries because their use of organic materials renders them lightweight. Most reported organic batteries to date, however, possess a relatively low (1-3V) working voltage. Increasing organic batteries’ voltage will lead to higher energy density batteries.

Itaru Honma, a professor of chemistry at Tohoku University’s Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Hiroaki Kobayashi, an assistant professor of chemistry at Tohoku University, and Yuto Katsuyama, a graduate student at UCLA, found that croconic acid, when used as a lithium-ion battery cathode material, maintains a strong working voltage of around 4 V.

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Croconic acid has five carbon atoms bonded to each other in a pentagonal form, and each of the carbons is bonded to oxygen. It also has a high theoretical capacity of 638.6 mAh/g, which is much higher than the conventional lithium-ion battery cathode materials (LiCoO2 ~ 140 mAh/g). “We investigated the electrochemical behavior of croconic acid in the high-voltage range above 3 V using theoretical calculations and electrochemical experiments,” said Kobayashi. “We discovered that croconic acid stores lithium ions at roughly 4 V, giving a very high theoretical energy density of 1949 Wh/kg, which is larger than most inorganic and organic lithium-ion batteries.”

Although the theoretical capacity was not achieved in this study, the researchers are optimistic this can be enhanced by the development of stable electrolytes at high-voltage and chemical modifications to croconic acid. Since most electrolytes cannot stand for such a strong working voltage of croconic acid, developing new electrolytes is vital. Additionally, the structures of small organic molecules, including croconic acid, can be easily modified. Appropriate structural modification can stabilize the molecule, leading to greater capacity and reversibility.

NEW POLYMER MEMBRANE TECH IMPROVES EFFICIENCY OF CO2 CAPTURE

Researchers have developed a new membrane technology that allows for more efficient removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from mixed gases, such as emissions from power plants.

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esearchers have developed a new membrane technology that allows for more efficient removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from mixed gases, such as emissions from power plants.

“In short, with little change in permeability, we’ve demonstrated

“To demonstrate the capability of our new membranes, we looked at mixtures of CO2 and nitrogen, because CO2/nitrogen dioxide mixtures are particularly relevant in the context of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants,” said Rich Spontak, co-corresponding author of a paper on the work. “And we’ve demonstrated that we can vastly improve the selectivity of membranes to remove CO2 while retaining relatively high CO2 permeability.”

senior research scientist at SINTEF Industry, an independent

“We also looked at mixtures of CO2 and methane, which is important to the natural gas industry,” said Spontak, who is a distinguished professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and professor of Materials Science & Engineering at North Carolina State University. “In addition, these CO2-filtering membranes can be used in any situation in which one needs to remove CO2 from mixed gases – whether it’s a biomedical application or scrubbing CO2 from the air in a submarine.”

Membranes are an attractive technology for removing CO2 from mixed gases because they do not take up much physical space, they can be made in a wide variety of sizes, and they can be easily replaced.

These membrane filters work by allowing CO2 to pass through the membrane more quickly than the other constituents in the mixed gas. As a result, the gas passing out the other side of the membrane has a higher proportion of CO2 than the gas entering the membrane. By capturing the gas passing out of the membrane, you capture more of the CO2 than you do of the other constituent gases.

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

that we can increase selectivity by as much as about 150 times,” said Marius Sandru, co-corresponding author of the paper and research organization in Norway. “So we’re capturing much more CO2, relative to the other species in gas mixtures.”

Another challenge facing membrane CO2 filters has been cost.

The more effective previous membrane technologies were, the more expensive they tended to be.

“Because we wanted to create a technology that is commercially viable, our technology started with membranes that are already in widespread use,” said Spontak. “We then engineered the surface of these membranes to improve selectivity. And while this does increase the cost, we think the modified membranes will still be cost effective.”

The researchers are also interested in exploring other applications, such as whether the new membrane technology could be used in biomedical ventilator devices or filtration devices in the aquaculture sector.

The researchers said they are open to working with industry partners in exploring any of these questions or opportunities to help mitigate global climate change and improve device function.

The paper, “An Integrated Materials Approach to Ultrapermeable and Ultraselective CO2 Polymer Membranes,” is published in the journal Science. The paper was co-authored by Wade Ingram, a former PhD student at NC State; Eugenia Sandru and Per Stenstad of SINTEF Industry; and Jing Deng and Liyuan Deng of the Norwegian University of Science & Technology.

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ACADEMIC R&D

MICROPLASTICS FOUND IN HUMAN BLOODSTREAM

Blood examination showed the presence of five different polymers in human bloodstream.

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research team led by ecotoxicologist Heather Leslie and analytical chemist Marja Lamoree have become the first to demonstrate that plastic particles from our living environment end up in the human bloodstream.

The results of the research project, called Immunoplast, were published in the scientific journal Environment International.

The research shows that miniscule pieces of plastic from our living environment are absorbed into the human bloodstream.

Blood screened for five polymers The research team consists of researchers from VU Amsterdam, Deltares and Amsterdam UMC, VUmc location. They developed an analytic method for establishing the trace level of micro- and nanoplastic particles in human blood. The method was applied to the blood of 22 anonymous donors. The blood was examined for the presence of five different polymers, the building blocks of plastic. The extent to which the individual polymers were present in the blood was also determined.

Three-quarters of the test subjects appeared to have plastics in their blood. The research was the first to prove that plastic particles can end up in the human bloodstream. Earlier indicators for this came from laboratory experiments. The current research shows that people absorb microplastics from their environment in

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their everyday lives and that the amounts are measurable in their blood.

PET detected most The overall concentration of plastic particles in the blood of the 22 donors amounted to an average of 1.6 µg/ml, which is comparable to a teaspoon of plastic in 1,000 litres of water (ten large bath tubs). A quarter of the tested donors had no detectable quantities of plastic particles of any type in their blood. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene, and polymers of styrene were the most common types of plastic found in the blood samples, followed by poly(methyl methacrylate). Polypropylene was also analysed but the concentrations were too low for an accurate measurement.

The next question is how easy it is for these particles to move from the bloodstream into tissues such as in organs like the brain.

Heather Leslie, working at VU during the research, explains: “We have now proven that our bloodstream, our river of life as it were, has plastic in it.” Marja Lamoree added: “This dataset is the first of its kind and must be expanded to gain insight into how widespread plastic pollution is in the bodies of humans, and how harmful that may be. With this insight we can determine whether exposure to plastic particles poses a threat to public health.”

INSIGHTS OIL PRICING

CORONAVIRUS DRILLS OIL INDUSTRY

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he COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the world in yet another

is likely related to hedging and represents a small volume. Oil

unexpected direction. The price of a barrel of oil went

analysts said those negative May prices were not representative

negative (below -$35 per barrel) for the first time ever. Oil prices

of the true value of a barrel of oil. Instead, they said to look at

are often used as a rough gauge of total economic output since

the June prices, which were then trading between $21 and $22

energy drives the global economy. But even the worst recessions

per barrel. A couple of days later, the price had fallen to $14 per

didn’t create a crash this severe. A negative price should indicate

barrel. Brent crude, the world’s other benchmark oil price, also

that demand is historically low, however, there is a less obvious

saw a modest decline after Monday but was still trading near $20

explanation.

per barrel (Figure 1).

The negative price in April was the result of several factors colliding at the worst possible moment. First, Saudi Arabia and

Figure 1. Oil prices have been declining since January.

Russia both increased oil production while feuding over planned

Source: www.marcotrends.net

cuts for OPEC and its allies. That led to overproduction just as the coronavirus pandemic was escalating. Second, production continued to be high even as countries started severely restricting travel. This combination led to a shortage in storage space for oil.

Finally, as May contracts came due for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude, futures traders realized they had nowhere to store their oil. As a result, the price of the US benchmark plummeted as they tried to sell — and eventually dump —their contracts.

It is important to note that this was a single benchmark price for just one month’s contract on the second-to-last day of trading.

Also, due to the nature of commodity trading, the negative price

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

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Although the negative prices were a fluke and there have been

Figure 2. Oil prices are not expected to rise

some production cuts, oil producers are still in a grim spot. The

above breakeven prices for at least 3 years.

coronavirus lockdowns have strangled demand for many crude oil-based products, and supply has not fallen nearly enough to

Source: CME Group

relieve the surplus. Global demand for oil last year was roughly 100 million barrels per day. Some analysts expect that demand is now just 70 million barrels. The agreement between Saudi Arabia and most of the world’s other major oil producers was to reduce supply by only 10 percent, which still leaves a massive glut for a long time.

Low oil prices have global consequences. Most directly, there are job losses at companies that extract and refine the oil. Also, governments that rely on oil revenue often produce more to keep the same level of funding. In turn, this drives down oil prices and creates a vicious cycle. Eventually, these governments find it difficult to provide their citizens with basic needs, and that economic suffering ripples outward to the rest of the world.

We know all of this from previous economic crashes. And in a normal recession, economists could look at oil prices now and make educated guesses about a recovery.

What can oil prices today tell us? In the short term, not much.

The low price reflects a lack of demand. But this current shock is unlike those in other recessions because it is self-imposed and ultimately linked to infection and mortality rates. In the long run,

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It is not all bad news in the oil and gas industry. In some places, such as in India, the demand for liquefied petroleum gas (propane or butane) has increased by almost 20 percent from this same period last year. The increase is due to so many people using these gases for cooking at home during the lockdowns. Also, the supply of liquid petroleum gas and natural gas is expected to decrease when producers finally cut back on crude oil drilling, according to Tom Hunt, senior consultant at oil and gas consulting firm capSpire.

Demand for these crude oil byproducts has been relatively unchanged by the decrease in travel worldwide. In two years, the price of natural gas may reach $4, and liquid petroleum gas

the best that we can say is that oil traders seem to think that a

prices may also double due to falling supply. And in that time

modest recovery of oil consumption is likely two years away, or

transportation may recover. In the meantime, oil traders will

more (Figure 2). This coincides with a medical study that found

continue making bets short term and long term on the true

social distancing may need to be in effect until 2022. That trader

value of a barrel. Unfortunately, this involves making guesses

sentiment could change as we learn more about the coronavirus

far outside their realms of expertise, like when governments will

and its impact on society.

reopen or when and where future lockdowns will happen.

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

INSIGHTS OIL & GAS INVESTMENTS

OIL & GAS INDUSTRY SHOWS POSITIVE OPPORTUNITY IN INDIA

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il and gas sector is among the eight core industries in India and

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), India’s medium-

plays a major role in influencing decision making for all the other

term outlook for natural gas consumption remains solid due to

important sections of the economy. India’s economic growth is closely

rising infrastructure and supportive environment policies. Industrial

related to its energy demand, therefore, the need for oil and gas is

consumers are expected to account for ~40 percent of India’s net

projected to grow more, thereby making the sector quite conducive for

demand growth. The demand is also expected to be driven by sectors

investment.

such as residential, transport and energy.

The Government has adopted several policies to fulfil the increasing

India’s consumption of petroleum products grew 4.5 percent to 213.69

demand. It has allowed 100 percent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in

MMT during FY20 from 213.22 MMT in FY19. The total value of

many segments of the sector, including natural gas, petroleum products

petroleum products exported from the country increased to $35.8

and refineries among others. Today, it attracts both domestic and

billion in FY20 from $34.9 billion in FY19. Export of petroleum

foreign investment as attested by the presence of Reliance Industries

products from India increased from 60.54 MMT in FY16 to 65.7 MMT

Ltd (RIL) and Cairn India.

in FY20. Exports of petroleum products from India reached 56.8 MMT

According to IEA (India Energy Outlook 2021), primary energy

in FY21 from 60.5 MMT in FY16.

demand is expected to nearly double to 1,123 million tonnes of oil

As of June 31, 2021, Gas Authority of India Ltd. (GAIL) had the largest

equivalent, as the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected

share (57.56 percent or 18,834 kms) of the country’s natural gas pipeline

to increase to $8.6 trillion by 2040.

network (32,718 kms).

Market Size

Investments

India is expected to be one of the largest contributors to non-OECD

According to the data released by Department for Promotion of

petroleum consumption growth globally. Crude Oil import rose sharply

Industry and Internal Trade Policy (DPIIT), FDI inflows in India’s

to $101.4 billion in 2019-20 from $70.72 billion in 2016-17. As of

petroleum and natural gas sector stood at $7.96 billion between April

September 01, 2021, the sector’s total installed provisional refinery

2000 and June 2021.

capacity stood at 246.90 MMT and IOC emerged as the largest domestic refiner, with a capacity of 69.7 MMT. In FY20, crude oil production in India stood at 32.2 MMT. Crude oil production stood at 4.9 MMT in

Following are some of the major investments and developments in the oil and gas sector:

FY22 (April-May 2021) and was 30.5 MMT for FY21. In FY20, crude

•

oil import increased to 4.54 mbpd from 4.53 mbpd in FY19. Natural

announced that it invested up to Rs. 6,000 crore ($ ~800 million) in

Gas consumption is forecast to reach 143.08 million tonnes (MT) by

the petrochemicals arm—ONGC Petro Additions Ltd (OPaL)—to meet

2040. India’s LNG import stood at 33.68 bcm during FY20.

its equity requirements.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), consumption

•

of natural gas in India is expected to grow by 25 billion cubic metres

Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited have

(bcm), registering an average annual growth of 9 percent until 2024.

announced the launch of Model Retail Outlet Scheme and a Digital

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

In November 2021, Oil and Natural Gas Corp. Ltd (ONGC)

In November 2021, Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum Corporation

79

Customer Feedback Programme called Darpan@petrolpump. Three

plan to expand the offshore wind energy development in India and

oil PSUs have joined hands to launch Model Retail Outlets to enhance

accelerate presence in the renewable energy space.

service standards and amenities across their networks, which serve over 6 crore consumers every day.

•

In September 2021, Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) signed

a memorandum of understanding with South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to build waste to energy plant in Delhi to fuel vehicles.

•

India aims to commercialise 50 percent of its SPR (strategic

petroleum reserves) to raise funds and build additional storage tanks to offset high oil prices.

•

In July 2021, IndianOil Petronas Pvt Ltd announced its plan to

establish a new brand for auto fuels retailing in India to further expand

• In June 2021, ONGC Videsh is in the process to raise $525 million in overseas foreign money loans from a mixture of home and overseas lenders to repay bonds maturing in the subsequent months.

•

According to government data, India’s natural gas production

increased by 22.7 percent YoY in April 2021, as Reliance Industries Ltd and its partner, BP Plc, increased production in the KG-D6 block on the east coast.

• In February 2021, Petronet LNG announced its plans to increase in its Dahej terminal’s capacity by 29 percent to 22.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) to meet the rising demand.

its business operations in the country.

•

• In July 2021, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) announced to establish

outlets in rural areas in 2021.

India’s first green hydrogen plant at Mathura refinery to introduce green

Key Indian oil retailers such as Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan

Petroleum have announced plans to increase the capacity of their

hydrogen activities and projects in oil and gas sector in the country.

•

• In July 2021, Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) announced

standard cubic meters per day.

to spend Rs. 300 billion ($4.03 billion) in FY22 to boost the oil & gas output.

•

In February 2021, ONGC announced that by May 2021, it would

increase natural gas output from a KG basin block to 2.5-3 million

• In February 2021, the government launched key oil & gas projects in Assam, such as INDMAX Unit at Indian Oil’s Bongaigaon Refinery,

To expand beyond the natural gas business, in July 2021, GAIL

Oil India Limited’s secondary tank farm at Madhuban, Dibrugarh and

(India) Ltd. announced to invest ~Rs. 5,000 crore ($670.18 million) to

a ‘Gas Compressor Station’ at Hebeda Village, Makum and Tinsukia

establish a portfolio of renewable energy targeting a capacity of at least

remotely from Dhemaji in Assam.

1 gigawatts and build plants for both compressed biogas and ethanol.

• In February 2021, the government launched key oil and gas projects

• In July 2021, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL) announced

such as the Ramanathapuram – Thoothukudi natural gas pipeline and

plan to establish its first-generation ethanol production plant in

Gasoline Desulphurisation Unit at Chennai Petroleum Corporation

Telangana at an estimated investment of Rs. 1,000 crore ($134.04

Limited, Manali.

million).

•

• In July 2021, ONGC, an upstream oil company, and NTPC announced

intent’ with Greenstat Hydrogen India Pvt Ltd to establish a centre of

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Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

In February 2021, IndianOil Corp Ltd signed a ‘statement of

excellence for Hydrogen value chain and other related technologies

petroleum gas) and Rs. 1,078 crore ($147.31 million) to feedstock

such as hydrogen storage, fuel cells etc.

subsidy to BCPL/Assam Gas Cracker Complex.

• Foreign investors will have opportunities to invest in projects worth

•

$300 billion in India as the country looks to cut reliance on oil import

1 crore more LPG connections under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

by 10 percent by 2022 according to Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of

(PMUY) scheme.

Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India.

Government Initiatives Some of the major initiatives taken by the Government of India to promote oil and gas sector are: •

In November 2021, India announced that it will release 5 million

barrels of crude oil from its strategic petroleum reserves in a concerted effort to bring down global crude oil prices. This is roughly equivalent to a day’s consumption in the country.

• In November 2021, the government has set up a committee to work out measures needed to make natural gas available to power plants at

•

In Union Budget 2021, the Finance Minister announced to provide

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas released a draft LNG

policy that aims to increase the country’s LNG re-gasification capacity from 42.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) to 70 mtpa by 2030 and 100 mtpa by 2040.

•

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas released an ‘Ethanol

Procurement Policy’ on a long-term basis under the ‘Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme’ (October 11, 2019), which covers modalities for long-term ethanol procurement, proposed mechanisms for longterm procurement contracts, pricing methodology and other topics.

•

As per Union Budget 2019-20, Indian Scheme ‘Kayakave

reasonably stable prices.

Kailasa’, the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has enabled SC/

•

energy firms, Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum and Indian Oil

In October 2021, the Union Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas

approved a revised project cost of Rs. 28,026 crore ($3.8 billion) to increase refining capacity–for the ongoing Numaligarh Refinery Expansion Project–from 3 mmtpa to 9 mmtpa •

In September 2021, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL)

announced its plan to invest over Rs. 1 lakh crore ($13.66 billion), over a period of five years, to enhance petrochemical capacity and improve refining efficiency, gas proliferation, upstream oil & gas exploration

ST entrepreneurs in providing bulk LPG transportation. State run Corporation, plan to spend $20 billion on refinery expansions to add units by 2022.

•

The Government is planning to set up around 5,000 compressed

biogas (CBG) plants by 2023.

•

The Government is planning to invest $2.86 billion in the upstream

oil and gas production to double natural gas production to 60 bcm and

and production and augment the (fuel) marketing infrastructure

drill more than 120 exploration wells by 2022.

•

Road Ahead

In September 2021, Indian government approved oil and gas

projects worth Rs. 1 lakh crore ($13.46 billion) in Northeast India.

Energy demand of India is anticipated to grow faster than energy

These projects are expected to be completed by 2025.

demand of all major economies on the back of continuous robust

•

In September 2021, India and the US agreed to expand their

economic growth. India’s energy demand is expected to double to 1,516

energy collaboration by focusing on emerging fuels. This was followed

Mtoe by 2035 from 753.7 Mtoe in 2017. Moreover, the country’s share

by a ministerial conference of the US-India Strategic Clean Energy

in global primary energy consumption is projected to increase by two-

Partnership (SCEP).

fold by 2035.

•

Crude oil consumption is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.60 percent

In July 2021, the Department for Promotion of Industry and

Internal Trade (DPIIT) approved an order allowing 100 percent

to 500 million tonnes by 2040 from 221.56 million tonnes in 2017.

foreign direct investments (FDIs) under automatic route for oil and

India’s oil demand is projected to rise at the fastest pace in the world

gas PSUs.

to reach 10 million barrels per day by 2030, from 5.05 million barrel

• In July 2021, the Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin

per day in 2020.

Gadkari inaugurated India’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility

Natural Gas consumption is forecast to increase at a CAGR of 4.18

plant in Nagpur, Maharashtra.

•

In July 2021, India diversified procurement for crude by

announcing its first shipment from Guyana scheduled next month.

This move also indicates a future roadmap for extended alliance with Guyana in the oil & gas sector.

•

In June 2021, the government announced that it will auction

unmonetised large oil and gas fields of state-owned ONGC and OIL to boost hydrocarbon production.

•

In February 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced

that the Government of India plans to invest ~Rs. 7.5 trillion ($102.49 billion) on oil and gas infrastructure in the next five years.

•

In Union Budget 2021, the government allocated funds worth Rs.

12,480 crore ($1.71 billion) for direct benefit transfer of LPG (liquefied

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

percent to 143.08 million tonnes by 2040 from 58.10 million tonnes in 2018.

Diesel demand in India is expected to double to 163 MT by 2029-30, with diesel and gasoline covering 58 percent of India’s oil demand by 2045 As per preliminary data of gasoline sales, fuel consumption in India registered growth in June 2021 and is expected to further recover by end-2021. Gasoline sales by state refiners stood at 2.12 million tonnes in June 2021, registering an increase of 5.7 percent YoY. India is set to expand India’s natural gas grid to 34,500 kms by adding another 17,000 km gas pipeline. The regasification capacity of the existing 42 MMT per annum will be expanded to 61 MMT per year by the year 2022.

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IT IN CHEMICALS INDUSTRY 4.NOW

HOW INDUSTRY 4.NOW WILL IMPACT THE CHEMICAL SECTOR As the chemical industry continues to evolve, companies are trying to visualize how the digital economy will create opportunities and risks.

Chemical companies need to use their digital plans to be able to make quicker decisions and adapt to changing customer expectations.

BY JENNA O’TOOLE

A

s the chemical industry continues to evolve, companies are trying to visualize how the digital economy will create opportunities and risks. To do this, chemical companies must rely on their digital plans to be able to make decisions quickly and adapt to changing customer expectations.

Industry 4.Now focuses on using digital technology to gather and analyze data across machines and business systems by enabling faster, more efficient processes. This brings together manufacturing, logistics, sales, and services to achieve value in a short period of time. Now is the time for chemical companies to start refining their Industry 4.0 strategies. A study by the World Economic Forum found that 87 percent percent of chemical executives say companies that do not embrace digital will lose their competitive edge and may face extinction.

SAP has been engaged in the Industry 4.0 discussion and its strategy since 2011, when it first became an academic discussion. During this time, SAP was an integral part of the definition of Industry 4.0 as the future high-tech strategy for 2020.

Earlier this year, SAP announced the company initiative Industry 4.Now to provide applications and advanced technologies that bring to life Industry 4.0 and the Intelligent Enterprise.

Two industry trends show how Industry 4.0 will play a part in the future of chemicals:

• Improving sustainability: Resource scarcity, government

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regulations and changing consumer expectations call for innovative business models and platforms in support of more sustainable practices. With governments and other organizations starting to enforce sustainability measures, such as bans on single-use plastics, as well as emissions regulations, chemical companies will need to adapt to these new regulations and lead the way to a sustainable future.

• Delivering new customer experiences: With ongoing commoditization and margin erosion, chemical companies are required to focus on co-innovation and the selling of business value and outcomes instead of just products. The ultimate goal is to deliver entirely new customer and consumer experiences by putting data at the core of everything companies do.

ALBIS Plastic GmbH, for example, is a leading global operating company of thermoplastics. The company wanted to introduce predictive quality analytics across its compounding operations. However, silos of locally stored information meant that conducting predictive quality analysis across all manufacturing locations would be a challenge.

By using SAP Cloud Platform and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, ALBIS now uses advanced analytics to review historical production and process data. Based on this, the solution analyzes patterns associated with previous quality issues and uses these to identify key quality risk areas within the processes. These results are then communicated to quality management teams using reports and dashboards.

Since implementing this solution, ALBIS has seen improved visibility and analysis of production line performance. The company now had an architecture blueprint that can be used for Big Data analytics use cases and has minimal system maintenance required thanks to the cloudbased software as a service.

For chemical companies, the SAP strategy around Industry 4.Now can be broken into four different areas.

Intelligent Products Intelligent products for the chemical industry are not necessarily focused on making the existing products more intelligent, but instead on offering new products or offering new value adding services business models. This is done by leveraging data and new intelligent technologies from across the entire product life cycle. Companies can then streamline the research and development process or rely on digital services to deliver outcome-based business models to their customers.

This requires an environment that welcomes collaboration and open co-innovation.

Intelligent Factories Intelligent factories — or, from a chemical perspective, intelligent plants — focus on a company’s need to make efficient use of materials and energy while still producing at a high quality. They are also forced to react quickly to changing demands and unforeseen events.

COVID-19 is an example of this; many chemical companies quickly adapted their factories to produce more products such as hand sanitizers or PPE gear.

Chemical companies are doing this by using intelligent data analytics for optimizing their production and horizontally integrating production with supply and demand chains.

Intelligent Assets Companies are looking for ways to avoid downtime of equipment and increase their asset performance. They are doing this by shifting from a reactive asset management plan to predictive and proactive datadriven plans.

Empowered People The Industry 4.0 strategy takes the people component a step further by not just making the people working in plants more intelligent, but offering resources and training to empower employees to do their job more efficiently and safely. Companies are always looking for ways to reduce risk of manual errors while increasing people performance.

Providing real-time data-driven decision support helps to ensure safety, increase performance, and further drive innovation.

Now more than ever, chemical companies need to be able to rely on their digital strategies to help companies evolve and adapt to changing customer expectations.

Author: Jenna O’Toole is solution specialist at SAP 84

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

IT IN CHEMICALS SUPPLY CHAIN OPPORTUNITY

FUTURE OF FULFILLMENT FOR CHEMICAL COMPANIES

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BY PIERRE MAWET AND CLAY COLVIN

I

ndividual consumers are accustomed to having many personalized choices in the materials and services they buy. Options abound for everything from color, size and quantity to payment method and delivery channel.

We see the chemical industry heading in this same direction.

However, chemical companies face a major challenge with global supply chain complexity.

For the last three decades, we have seen a steady expansion of the global chemicals supply chain. Spurred by a number of factors—e-commerce, liberalization of trade agreements, investments in transportation infrastructure, improved methods of international communication, and advances in transportation technology, among others—supply chain globalization has opened new market opportunities and broader avenues for partnership and collaboration. But this growth has also brought increased complications.

To address complexity while delivering on customer demands more effectively and efficiently, chemical companies are now looking to enhance their supply chain capabilities. This means going well beyond achieving functional excellence in traditional models—plan, source, make, deliver and return—to adopting advanced data-driven and cloud-based capabilities that enable faster, more flexible and personalized customer experiences.

With the industry undergoing significant change, chemical companies should make investments today to prepare for the supply chain of tomorrow. We’ve identified three prime areas where chemical companies are innovating:

1. Living segmentation – adapting the supply chain dynamically to changing customer needs

2. Asset-light network – building a more agile business model leveraging an ecosystem of partners

3. Data and applied intelligence – gaining deeper supply chain visibility for real-time decision-making By enhancing capabilities in these key areas, companies could be in a stronger position to adapt to an ever-changing, complex landscape. Let’s explore each of these areas in more detail.

Chemical companies can better serve customers and meet their expectations by using living segmentation to individualize crucial supply chain capabilities. This means connecting more precisely to each customer’s unique requirements and tailoring supply chain capabilities to those desired needs.

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In pursuing this strategy, a key question can be addressed: Is living segmentation on the front end flowing through sales and operations planning to ensure the supply chain is keeping up with customer expectations?

As end products become more advanced and differentiated, so will the required chemical inputs. Incorporating living segmentation into the chemical supply chain will help companies adopt a “batch size of 1” production mentality. For example, a global coatings company may have one base product that can balloon into thousands of SKUs for its customers based on attributes such as color, viscosity and finish. Through living segmentation, coatings companies can create micro-segments to better align their offerings to the diverse market segments with which they interact—automotive, aeronautics, marine, transportation infrastructure, interior and exterior building applications, etc.—and provide more value.

Moreover, chemical companies will need to enable service-oriented operating models that address customers’ specific priorities (ie, availability vs. flexibility vs. cost). Once these priorities are accounted for, customer experiences could be significantly improved.

Asset-light network An asset-light network is about building an ecosystem of partners that can bring additional capabilities and value to your supply chain— beyond traditional co-manufacturing, co-packing and third-party or last-mile logistics providers. It should also include technology partners that enable chemical companies to be more innovative and flexible.

There are many advanced information technologies that can provide chemical companies with greater flexibility to adapt quickly to changing customer needs and introduce efficiencies that improve market responsiveness and reduce costs. According to the World Economic Forum, “The mobility of whole plants and technology platforms has enabled companies to make and reverse investment decisions much more flexibly.”1 For example, cloud technologies and distributed networks are foundational for accelerating an organization’s ability to adopt new business models and create new products, services and experiences for customers. If a company has controlled shared access to data in the cloud between co-manufacturers and co-packers, its ability to pivot and use third parties is significantly improved.

With the industry undergoing significant change, chemical companies should make investments today to prepare for the supply chain of tomorrow.

Data and applied intelligence Improving speed, agility and efficiency in complex global supply chains requires deep visibility and the right insights with which to make quick,

effective decisions. Data is central to providing both visibility and insights.

Gathering the right data and using it strategically to gain valuable intelligence is at the heart of consistently serving customers well.

The good news is the industry produces a lot of data. How this data is selectively applied is key, which is where advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) play a vital role.

Accenture has assessed tasks across 30 typical job families in the chemical industry and found that not only operational tasks (i.e., production or sales), but also administrative, managerial and scientific tasks will be impacted by data and AI.2 The same study found that AI is expected to reduce human effort in these jobs by up to 45 percent in the future. Technologies, like IoT, additive manufacturing, industrial robots, big data, AI and simulation modeling are driving new opportunities in supply chains. With AI-driven smart data, companies can gain granular visibility into the supply chain and create tailored views of order status that can be shared with customers to support planning and enable real-time decision-making.

To bring the value of data and AI to life, consider a manufacturing plant whose raw materials shipment got stuck in the Suez Canal delay in March 2021. The barge blocking the canal caused extreme shipping and delivery delays that had impacts very far downstream. The blockage held up an estimated $9.6 billion worth of trade each day—equivalent to $400 million of cargo per hour—according to Lloyd’s List.3 The Suez Canal blockage caused business leaders to quickly realize the importance of visibility into every end of their supply chains to ensure transparency and enable greater agility to react to disruptions.

Additionally, companies are now creating supply chains with geographically dispersed shipping/supplier options that use data and technology to enhance agility as another response to last year’s supply chain delays. Real-time visibility and advanced analytics can be leveraged to track delays by providing revised ETAs and analyzing downstream impacts of late materials shipments. Having access to these data-driven insights can alert companies of a delay almost immediately and provide the information necessary to quickly pivot and source raw materials from another supplier to minimize the domino effect downstream.

Questions to ask Pursuing these initiatives—living segmentation, asset-light network, data and applied intelligence—requires chemical companies to think about their supply chains differently. They need to ask probing questions: How do we restructure our supply chain? How can we harness more of the data in our organization to drive innovation and accelerate decision-making? What new roles can our partners play in enabling greater supply chain agility and efficiency?

Authors: Pierre Mawet is Managing Director, Supply Chain and Operations, Planning and Fulfilment, North America and Clay Colvin is Director, Supply Chain and Operations, North America, both at Accenture.

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Tel : 08119350001

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E-mail : sales@worldofchemicals.com

JOBS

Process Engineer

Job Description: Responsible for daily monitoring of process unit/equipment, troubleshooting and set up operating targets to ensure that the units are operated safety, efficiently, well optimized, and meet environmental regulation. Provide process engineering studies, analyses and design for improving plant efficiency, safety, yield target with optimum energy consumption and in compliance with the government environmental regulation.

Analytical Chemist

Job Description: Conform with all site and laboratory safety requirements and policies. Perform both standard and novel laboratory tests using appropriate analytical instruments and methods. This work includes pre and post-experiment calculations, sample preparation, as well as preparing detailed reports. Interface with the Hempel technical community (chemists, formulators, engineers) and R&D managers.

Company: Exxon Mobil Corporation Date Posted: 10-May-2022 Country: THAILAND City: Chon Buri

Company: Hempel A/S Date Posted: 10-May-2022 Country: UNITED STATES City: Dallas, TX

Senior Scientist, Analytical Chemistry Company: Pfizer Inc Date Posted: 10-May-2022 Country: UNITED STATES City: Groton, CT

Job Description: Responsible for developing analytical strategies in support of pharmaceutical drug products during all development phases, including supporting manufacturing process development, developing, validating and transferring analytical methods, designing stability studies for shelf life assignments, and developing impurity control strategies. Collaborate with colleagues and subject matter experts to assess the most appropriate analytical approach to support project activities, including use of computational predictive tools, modelling software and data visualization tools where appropriate.

Polymer Scientist -Coatings Technology Centre Company: BASF SE Date Posted: 18-Apr-2022 Country: INDIA City: Mangaluru

Job Description: Proactively identify business opportunities, plan, and execute laboratory research for the development of resins/ polymers for automotive coatings. Collaborate with Global and Internal Product Development and Color Groups, synthesizing resins, generating Intellectual Property as well as serve as the intellectual property expert for the Resin group. Perform advanced analysis of polymers and running proof of concept experiments.

Associate Research Scientist

Company: Dow Inc. Date Posted: 09-May-2022 Country: UNITED STATES City: Midland, MI

Job Description: Define and conduct research on projects using knowledge and consistent application of scientific principles, theory, and experimental design within a scientific discipline. Formulate hypotheses and develop experimental plans to test hypothesis. Develop and implement technical solutions through hands-on experimentation/problem-solving for research problems that are well defined within a project area.

Senior Manager, Chemical Development Company: Glaxosmithkline Pharmaceuticals Date Posted: 09-May-2022 Country: UNITED STATES City: Collegeville, PA

Job Description: Provide support of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) development programs.

Identify opportunities and activities that can enable the scale up of drug candidates for pre-clinical and clinical studies as well as supporting validation activities when progressing to late stage. Collaborate and coordinate in cross-functional teams, both internally and at CROs (contract research organizations) to develop robust, scalable, cost effective and safe chemical processes.

Senior Chemist

Company: Air Liquide S.A. Date Posted: 07-May-2022 Country: UNITED STATES City: Branchburg, NJ

Job Description: Lead the project to synthesize and analyze novel deposition precursor molecules from gram to kilogram scale. Interface with product management and develop the new product through stage gate process. Interface with various function groups such as Sales, Marketing, Safety, Quality, Engineering and Manufacturing. Complete the product development data package and transfer the new molecule synthesis to Engineering and Production Group for high volume production.

Research Engineer (m/f/d) Company: BASF SE Date Posted: 07-May-2022 Country: GERMANY City: Ludwigshafen

Job Description: Work in interdisciplinary teams on innovative research topics in the field of synthesis gas, olefins, acrylic acid and other basic chemicals. Develop scenarios and strategies for the sustainable production of basic chemicals: CO2-free processes, hydrogen technology, bio-based production, or circular economy. In existing plants, involve in concrete process optimizations that can be implemented quickly, such as new concepts for heat integration or capacity expansions.

Research Scientist, Process Development Company: Gilead Sciences, Inc. Date Posted: 07-May-2022 Country: UNITED STATES City: Foster City, CA

Job Description: Responsible for developing chemical processes for the manufacture of drug substances. Demonstrate technical proficiency, scientific creativity, collaboration with others and independent thought in suggesting experimental design and strategy. Propose alternative chemistry including new route selection and step optimization.

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

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PRODUCTS

Launching eco-friendly wetting agents for textile industry

C

osmo Speciality Chemicals launched the Wetofast range, a completely eco-friendly solution to maintain high quality of fabrics. The range introduces three new products - Wetofast GN, a pretreatment of all fibers, Wetofast LOR which helps to remove oils, waxes and greasy impurities effectively, and Wetofast LD which confirms high absorbency to textile goods after bleaching process. These products are APEO and NPEO free, and will be available across Indian/global market. From Pre-wash to wash and conditioning post-wash, the products are specially equipped with properties to maintain good quality and ensure extended span of usage for all kinds of textiles.

Contact: Cosmo Speciality Chemicals 301 & 302, Gokul Arcade, A Wing, 3rd Floor, Subhash Road, Vile Parle East, Mumbai 400057 Phone: +912228261195/97 Email: enquiry@cosmochem.in Web: https://www.cosmochem.in/products/pre-treatment/ wetofast_ld

New cellulose ether, a natural alternative to associative synthetic paint thickeners

N

ouryon launched Bermocoll® FLOW cellulose ether, an innovative and sustainable new product that combines the

flow and leveling properties of an associative synthetic thickener with the stability properties of a cellulose thickener. Bermocoll® FLOW delivers an optimal balance of sag resistance and leveling along with improved spatter resistance and hiding compared to paint systems made with standard thickeners. Moreover, the product is soluble in water, well suited for low volatile organic compound (VOC) paint formulations and airless spray applications, making it a natural, more sustainable alternative for both interior and exterior decorative paints.

Contact: Nouryon Haaksbergweg 88, De Oliphant Building, Floor 14 and 15 1101 BZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Tel: +31 88 984 1000 Email: media_relations@nouryon.com Web: www.nouryon.com

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Catalyst features superior butylene selectivity, maintains high catalytic activity

B

ASF has launched Fourtitude™, a new Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) catalyst designed to maximize butylenes from resid feedstocks. Fourtitude, the latest product based on BASF’s award-winning multiple framework topology (MFT) technology, is optimized to deliver superior selectivity to butylenes while maintaining catalyst activity. MFT technology enhances performance through the use of more than one framework topology working together to tailor the catalyst selectivity profile. The superior butylenes selectivity is achieved by employing a specialty zeolite framework that is more effective at cracking small olefins to butylene. Fourtitude refinery trials have validated its ability to deliver improved performance for refiners through increased butylenes and propylene yields, increased gasoline octane, and improved coke selectivity.

Contact: BASF SE 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany Tel: +49 621 60-0 Email: kerstin.hoffmann@basf.com Web: www.basf.com

New metal-free, halogen-free navy, black colors’ acid dyes for sportswear

A

rchroma launched two new metal-free and halogen-free acid dyes in its Nylosan® S range. Dark shades represent approximately 80 percent of the outdoor and sportswear textile market, which is also under pressure to offer more sustainable articles. In this context, the new Nylosan® Navy S-3R and Black S-3N, especially developed by Archroma for polyamides and blends, meet four long-standing market demands for blacks and navies. First, the Nylosan® S range offers metal-free* alternatives to dyestuff generally used to dye polyamide and nylon and which usually contain metals. Second, the Nylosan® S range now comprises a wide gamut of colors. Third, the new navy and black dyes display the same color constancy as the dyes used in many leading color standards. And fourth, the introduction of the new Nylosan® Black S-3N makes dyeing a metal-free* black on polyamide finally possible.

Contact: Archroma Hardstrasse 1, 4133 Pratteln Basel-Land, Switzerland Tel: +41 61 716 3401 Email: media@archroma.com Web: www.archroma.com

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E-mail : sales@worldofchemicals.com www.worldofchemicals.com Tel : 08119350001

EQUIPMENT New pump models to handle higher flow rates

W

ith the Ecosmart diaphragm metering pump, the German LEWA GmbH has provided a cost-attractive and safe model that can handle flow rates of up to 300 l/h for many years.

For use in applications with higher flow rates, the company is now expanding its product range with two new sizes. In addition to the LCA version, the Ecosmart will also be available in the more powerful LCC and LCD versions in the future. While the LCC model can meter up to 1,000 l/h, LEWA designed the LCD for a flow rate of up to 2,000 l/h.

Contact: LEWA GmbH Ulmer Str. 10, 71229 Leonberg, Germany Tel: +49 7152-14-0 Web: www.lewa.com

Improved slab gate valve with enhanced features for oil & gas industry

C

eleros Flow Technology brand M&J Valve has introduced an improved version of its Model M-303 slab gate valve. The advanced design M-303 offers a host of features that will help our customers in the oil & gas sector to simplify installation and

Contact:

upgrades, improve safety and minimize environmental impacts – reducing total cost of ownership (TCO). Manufactured and tested for API 6D, the improved M-303 is ideally suited for high pressure differential applications. Its floating slab gate uses the natural force of line pressure to obtain a reliable, dynamically tight downstream seal.

Place,

Celeros Flow Technology 14045 Ballantyne Corporate

Suite 300, Charlotte, NC 28277, USA Web: www.celerosft.com

Compact, configurable three-way valve solutions for gas control in oxygen therapy

E

merson has expanded its ASCO™ Series 090 line of miniature solenoid valves, adding a new three-way Series 090 valve configuration to enable lighter, more space-efficient solutions for gas control in oxygen therapy, compression therapy and gas analyzer devices. Originally developed as a two-way valve for air and inert gases in portable medical devices, the Series 090 valve features a compact architecture, small footprint and 50 millioncycle life for maximum reliability. It further simplifies the design of small, high-precision gas delivery systems for oxygen and other home-care devices. The valve body is molded from polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) plastic, with seals made of durable fluorocarbon (FKM) elastomer.

Contact: Emerson Electric Co. 8000 West Florissant Avenue, P.O. Box 4100, St. Louis , MO 63136, USA Tel: +1 314 553 2000 Web: www.emerson.com

Parallel photoreactor with easy interchangeable wavelength excitation

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synt has introduced a new modular version of its popular LightSyn Illumin8 photoreactor. This innovative system provides researchers with the flexibility to change quickly and safely between easily interchangeable wavelength modules choosing from a selection of high-power light emitting diodes (LEDs) operating at wavelengths including UV (365 nm) and blue (450 nm). The LightSyn Illumin8 allows chemists to run up to 8 photochemical reactions in parallel using low-cost 8 mL tubes. Compact in size, this affordable yet high performance photoreactor offers up to eight interchangeable modules of eight UV or coloured LEDs with safety interlocks to ensure light-tight photochemical reactions.

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

Contact: Asynt Unit 29 Hall Barn Road Industrial Estate Isleham, Cambridgeshire, CB7 5RJ, UK Tel: +44 (0)1638 781 709 Email: enquiries@asynt.com Web: www.asynt.com

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New Rotary Lobe Industrial Pumps for demanding applications

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ogelsang GmbH & Co. KG launched two new industrial pump series. The highly efficient rotary lobe pumps of the EP series and VY series are made from a single-piece housing designed for optimal flow. The pumps can be equipped with a variety of sealing systems, making them flexibly deployable in such demanding areas as the oil, gas and chemical industries. The EP series from Vogelsang is designed for extreme conditions and constant high pressures. A heavy-duty gearbox allows for a uniform pressure output of up to 18 bar, making it a one of a kind on the market today. The VY series’ versatility makes it suitable for use in the chemical industry, as well as in the paper and textile sectors.

Contact: Vogelsang GmbH & Co. KG Holthoege 10-14 49632 Essen/Oldb., Germany Tel: +49 5434 83 0 Email: germany@vogelsang.info Web: www.vogelsang.info

New liquid filling machine for sterile ophthalmic products

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omaco Macofar’s Oftalmica was specially developed for aseptic filling of sterile eye drops, nasal sprays and injectables. Meeting all GMP requirements for safe processing of highly viscous, oily and foaming liquids, the machine additionally offers fast format changes and short cleaning times.

This newly launched liquid filling machine is the pharmaceutical machinery manufacturer’s answer to the growing demand for ophthalmic products with no added preservatives. Much stricter GMP regulations apply when these modern pharmaceutical formulations have to be filled under sterile conditions, especially where the sterility assurance level is concerned.

Contact: Romaco Holding GmbH Am Heegwald 11 76227 Karlsruhe, Germany Tel: +49 (0)721 4804 0 Web: www.romaco.com

New “smart” dome pressure regulator models available for easy monitoring

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ith the 747 and 767 LE/S SMART, Witt has now launched two more dome-loaded pressure regulators with integrated sensors. This makes the monitoring of pressures, temperatures and flows easier than ever before. Following the successful market launch of the 757 LE/S SMART, with which Witt opened the door to Industry 4.0 for pressure regulators, the specialist is now presenting two new models of “smart” dome pressure regulators, which ensure even more transparency and process reliability in gas supply systems. The new devices can easily be retrofitted into existing gas supply systems.

Contact: WITT-Gasetechnik GmbH & Co KG Salinger Feld 4-8, 58454 Witten Germany Tel: +49 (0)2302 8901-0 Web: www.wittgas.com

Introducing reactor system for organic or aqueous synthesis

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asySyn is the new reactor system from IKA for organic or aqueous synthesis. It is the only reactor system on the market for which all components are available from a single source. EasySyn is a medium-sized and very flexible upscaling system. It ensures safe and reproducible chemical reactions when transferring from laboratory to process scale. A unique feature of EasySyn is that the reactor, stirrers, thermostats, vacuum pumps and laboratory software were developed by the same manufacturer.

This means that everything is perfectly coordinated.

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Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

Contact: IKA®-Werke GmbH & CO. KG Janke & Kunkel-Str. 10 79219 Staufen / Germany Tel: +49 7633 831-0 E-mail: info@ika.de Web: www.ika.com

Chemical Today Magazine | May 2022

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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 | May 2022