Solvay Launches New Biosurfactants for Carbon-Neutral and Circular Beauty Care Products

Mirasoft® SL L60 and Mirasoft® SL A60 are 100% biobased and biodegradable surfactants manufactured through a cost-efficient fermentation process, targeting a broad range of applications in hair and skin care.

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Brussels, June 14, 2022 – Solvay, a leading supplier of cosmetic ingredients, has introduced Mirasoft® SL L60 and Mirasoft® SL A60 – two new high-performance biosurfactants that enable the development of sustainable beauty care products. Based on rapeseed oil and sugar with low environmental and carbon footprint, these glycolipid biosurfactants are suitable for a broad range of applications in beauty care such as shampoos, conditioners, shower gels, face washes and creams.

The new Mirasoft® range aligns with Solvay’s most recent growth platform on “Renewable materials and biotechnology”, which aims to meet the growing demand for sustainable solutions by increasing the share of renewable carbon in Solvay’s product offering and developing new business opportunities enabled by biotechnology and product end-of-life management.

“This product launch underlines both our commitment to surfactants technology and our long-term vision for the future,” commented Jean-Guy Le Helloco, global vice president, home and personal care at Solvay. “We focus on future technology shifts to enable our customers to reach their sustainability goals.”

Mirasoft® SL L60 and Mirasoft® SL A60 are designed to provide the same performance as synthetic ingredients without harmful environmental effects. Readily biodegradable and 100% biobased, they follow green chemistry processes and fully reflect Solvay’s commitment to sustainability and the creation of a circular, regenerative economy.

“With the potential of a net neutral carbon footprint in the near future, biosurfactants represent a step-change technology in the eco-design of next-generation beauty care products. The eco-profile of Mirasoft® SL L60 and Mirasoft® SL A60 is truly a breakthrough compared to conventional, fossil fuel-based surfactants”, said Galder Cristobal, research & innovation director, Home & Personal Care at Solvay.

In line with Solvay One Planet roadmap, designed to preserve resources and contribute to safer, cleaner and more sustainable products, Solvay’s Beauty for the Planet initiative aims to accelerate the transformation of sustainable beauty ideas into concrete actions, provide beauty for consumers and maintain beauty for the planet.

OCSiAl expands its graphene nanotube production capacities to Europe

• OCSiAl is launching a graphene nanotube synthesis facility near Belgrade, Serbia, in the first half of 2023.
• The synthesis facility to become the core of the graphene nanotube industrial hub and will be accompanied by production lines of nanotube concentrates for various polymers and nanotube dispersions to boost energy density of electric vehicle batteries.  
• The new hub will further strengthen OCSiAl’s supply chain resilience and enhance the company’s leading position in the global graphene nanotube market.

The graphene nanotube synthesis facility in Serbia will leverage OCSiAl’s unique production technology. The company’s technology is protected by more than 80 patents and patent applications, and trade secrets. The facility is planned to have a 40 MT/y capacity and will be launched in the first half of 2023. The new synthesis plant will contribute to lowering supply chain costs, and will make it possible to deliver European-produced nanotubes and nanotube industrial solutions to customers in Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

The nanotube synthesis facility will be accompanied by the production lines of more than 40 nanotube-based concentrates and dispersions designed to simplify industrial handling of nanotubes and will be launched in sequence in 2022-2023. Nanotube-based solutions grant a unique combination of previously unachievable properties to most types of elastomers, thermoplastics, thermosets, and lithium-ion batteries, that have gained rapid adoption in aerospace, automotive, construction, electronics, packaging and consumer goods. Electric vehicle batteries drive nanotube technology development, as graphene nanotubes ultimately enable automotive industry transformation from internal combustion engines to batteries, by facilitating faster charge, longer range and lower cost of electric cars.

To meet the world’s constantly growing demand for graphene nanotubes, the Serbian facility will soon be complemented by a larger nanotube manufacturing facility in Differdange, Luxembourg, in 2025. New capacities and a diversified supply chain will cement OCSiAl’s leading global position as the supplier of 97% of all graphene nanotubes available in the market.  

BOREALIS PARTNERS WITH NUPI FOR HIGH-PERFORMANCE PIPES BASED ON THE BORNEWABLES™

ISCC PLUS-Certified renewable feedstock Bornewables™ helps NUPI to reduce its eco footprint and to stay ahead of more stringent pipe production regulations
First pipe supplier in Italy to use Bornewables in high-performance polypropylene random copolymer pipes for plumbing and heating systems under the ISCC PLUS certification scheme
Partnership is embodiment of the Borealis EverMinds™ spirit of taking action to accelerate the move towards plastics circularity
Borealis, one of the world’s leading providers of advanced and circular polyolefin solutions and a European market leader in base chemicals and fertilizers, has announced that Nupi Industrie Italiane (NUPI) has selected the Bornewables™ polypropylene (PP) for the next generation of their NIRON BETA PP-RCT (Polypropylene Random Crystalline Structure Temperature) piping solutions for domestic plumbing, heating as well as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems designed to perform under higher stress conditions and temperatures. Manufactured with renewable feedstock, Bornewables PP offer the same material performance as virgin PP yet decoupled from fossil-based feedstock.

The partnership positions NUPI as a front-runner in the market, getting ready for the time when legislation will require the use of renewable materials in pipe production, and makes the company the first pipe supplier in Italy relying on mass balanced Bornewables PP accredited under the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification Plus (ISCC PLUS) scheme. It also aligns with Borealis’ EverMinds™ activities and initiatives to advance the circularity of plastics through partnerships across the value chain and connects with Borealis Pipe’s commitment for ‘Enabling life’s essentials.

Going renewable with advanced material technology
PP-RCT, as defined by ASTM F2389 and EN ISO 15874, refers to a chemistry of ‘Polypropylene Random Copolymers with modified Crystallinity and Temperature’ resistance. Since the material formulation uses Bornewables PP as a drop-in replacement of fossil-based virgin PP, it eliminates the need for NUPI and end-users to seek renewed approval from water regulation authorities.

“By adopting the Bornewables PP from Borealis for our new PP-RCT pipes, we are taking a major step forward in our efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of our products and stay ahead of more stringent regulations by which the use of renewable feedstock may soon become mandatory for plastic pipes,” says Roberta Brusi, Quality Director at NUPI Group. “The ISCC PLUS certification of the material also helps us document the renewable content in our PP-RCT formulation and pipes in a clearly traceable way.”

Reach ambitious sustainability targets faster
The ISCC PLUS accreditation is based on a mass balance accounting process that allows Borealis and NUPI to prove and quantify the effective renewable content at each manufacturing step from the Bornewables material to the final pipe. The Bornewables feedstock is derived from second-generation natural resources, such as waste from pulp production or residues from food processing oils.

“The use of certified renewable polymers is considered an instrumental lever to accelerate the transition from a linear to a circular plastics economy,” adds John Webster, Global Commercial Director Infrastructure for Borealis. “It mitigates fossil depletion, helps all pipes & fittings value chain players reach their sustainability targets faster and supports the industry’s aims to become carbon-neutral. Together with our pipe industry partners, we are committed to reinventing the plastics system for more sustainable living.”

With the goal of making recycling of lightweight, high-volume fiber andflake recyclate much more economical and, in some cases even possible, Coperion has developed a new version of its ZS-B side feeder. Using the innovative ZS-B MEGAfeed, plastic recyclate with a bulk density under 200 kg/m³, long considered intake-limited and thus not worth recycling, can be reliably fed in large quantities into Coperion’s ZSK twin screw extruder and be concurrently recycled and compounded.

The ZS-B side feeder’s novel design makes it possible to feed very high rates of fiber and flakes, such as PA, PE, PET, and PP. As a result, the ZSK twin screw extruder’s high capacity can be fully exploited when the ZS-B MEGAfeed is used. Very high throughputs in both mechanical and chemical recycling of post-industrial and post-consumer waste are achieved.

Increased Throughput in Numbers
With a ZSK 58 Mc 18 twin screw extruder, the throughput increase and thus the potential of the new ZS-B MEGAfeed becomes very clear. When recycling PA fibers with a bulk density of ~40- 50 kg/m 3 , throughputs of 70 kg/h were previously achieved using conventional equipment. When the PA fibers were fed into the ZSK extruder using the ZS-B MEGAfeed, throughputs increased about fourteenfold to 1,000 kg/h. Similar results were achieved recycling carbon fibers with a bulk density of ~50-70 kg/m 3 ; in this case, throughputs increased from 50 kg/h to 2,500 kg/h using the ZS-B MEGAfeed. When recycling PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled) flakes, throughputs increased from 50 kg/h to 700 kg/h, and from 80 kg/h to 1,300 kg/h with multilayer film flakes.

Key to Economical Recycling of A Wide Variety of Plastics

Plastics previously considered not recyclable are becoming a valuable raw material using the new Coperion ZS-B MEGAfeed. For example, PCR flakes or recyclate from carbon fiber-reinforced plastics can now be fed into the ZSK extruder at high feed rates and recycled economically.

In the case of mechanical upcycling, upstream processes necessary for compounding, such as compacting, melting and agglomeration, are completely eliminated using the ZS-B MEGAfeed technology. In this recycling process, flakes and fibers can be fed directly into the ZSK extruder, where they are melted, compounded, devolatilized, and filtered in a single step. In so doing, both investment costs and energy consumption drop. The production process becomes significantly more efficient. Moreover, the thermal product stress is reduced and recyclate quality increases.

Even when recycling PET, the feed rate is no longer a limiting factor. With the ZS-B MEGAfeed, PET flakes and fibers can be fed into the ZSK twin screw extruder in large quantities with no pre-drying or crystallizing, where they can be processed with the highest degree of profitability.

The ZS-B MEGAfeed can also feed large quantities of post-consumer waste, adding appreciable value to the chemical recycling process with the ZSKs. ZSK throughput rates are very high with the ZS-B MEGAfeed. Preheating of the recyclate via mechanical energy input of the twin screws thus becomes even more economical for further processing in the reactor.

Existing Coperion extruders can be retrofitted with ZS-B MEGAfeed technology to greatly expand their spectrum of applications and increase their throughput rates.

Marina Matta, Team Leader of Process Technology Engineering Plastics at Coperion, is enthusiastic about the latest Coperion development: “We’re convinced that the new ZS-BMEGAfeed will play a pioneering role in plastics recycling. In particular, plastic fibers, which will be available in ever increasing quantities from textiles, had always been considered hardly recyclable until now. With the ZS-B MEGAfeed, this is now possible. Far more plastic waste can be recycled – and much more efficiently. For the plastics industry, the ZS-B MEGAfeed is another step forward on the path to a circular economy, and we are very proud of that.”

Fresh impulses for wind energy

• Investment in innovation: Covestro researches material solutions for sustainable energy generation at its new wind technology center
• Optimization and new development of PUR resins in cooperation with customers
• Simulation of manufacturing processes for optimal results

On the road to alternative energy generation: Covestro is developing innovative PUR resins for use in wind turbine rotor blades at its new Wind Technology Center. A win-win-win situation for Covestro, customers and the environment.

“The development of these resins is very important to us. After all, it contributes to the expansion of alternative energies and strengthens our strategic orientation to sustainably reduce the CO2 footprint and take even more steps towards climate neutrality,” explains Klaus Franken, Head of Application Development Wind and Pultrusion at Covestro. “To be competitive, the wind industry faces the constant challenge of reducing the Levelized Cost of Electricity. We can help here by enabling our customers to produce rotor blades faster and thus more cost-effectively. At the same time, higher energy yield through optimized blade properties and longer service life also play a role.”

Close cooperation with customers
One goal of the Wind Technology Center is to develop robust materials that combine the properties important for rotor blades, such as strength, stiffness and temperature resistance. Existing products are continuously optimized and completely new formulations are developed and tested. Another goal: application technology development in close cooperation with customers. Klaus Franken explains: “Here we can simulate our customers’ manufacturing processes and show how our PUR resins help them to realize both their rotor blade designs and the manufacturing process in the best possible way.”

Covestro attaches great importance to optimally tailoring its products to the needs of its customers. That is why a number of cooperative ventures with European and Asian wind turbine manufacturers are already in place. The focus here is on constructing and testing prototypes.

The high-tech center is located in Leverkusen and was completed and put into operation at the beginning of this year. It comprises two interconnected units: a laboratory area for chemical development and an Upscaling Plant. The latter is home to processing technology and application development.

Development and application go hand in hand
The center offers clear advantages: “Chemical development and application technology can work hand in hand here. On top of that, the physical proximity makes it easier to exchange information directly and quickly. We use identical resources and the same infrastructure and quickly obtain a comprehensive depiction of the process. This helps us to pursue our goals in a results-oriented manner and without losing knowledge, and enables us to offer new, innovative solutions to our customers,” explains Technical Center Manager Frank Grimberg. “Process and plant safety, explosion protection, machine safety and, of course, occupational safety are always in the spotlight here,” explains Tobias Wollersheim, who as Project Management was responsible for planning and implementing the investment.

Another positive aspect: with the innovative technology center, Covestro is increasing its attractiveness as an employer. Indeed, wind technology offers a wide range of new, interesting fields of work that arouse curiosity and offer diversity. Covestro has taken on a newly qualified chemical technician from its own training program to operate the machines. He is being intensively trained in the processes and machine technology.

This much is clear: Things are moving in the area of wind energy.

“We have to reduce our carbon footprint sustainably”

Interview with Dr. Christoph Schumacher, Director Marketing at Arburg GmbH + Co KG

Dr. Schumacher, how can you reconcile plastics and the environment?
From our point of view, plastic is not the main problem for our environment, it is the way it is handled. One of the ways to ensure proper handling is the recycling economy, however the sensible recycling of plastics alone is not enough. It is also necessary to be particularly careful with all our resources. For us as machine builders, this means that we are responsible for using as few resources as possible in the manufacture of our machines, but it also means that our customers can run processes with our machines that preserve resources. The complex problem is always having to look at the entire value chain. At the end of the day, it is about sustainably reducing the carbon footprint in plastics processing.

What role does technology play here?
Technology undeniably plays a central role. It is necessary on all levels. We as machine builders are the enablers for climate protection and sustainability so to speak. Without our machines and processes, this cannot succeed. For example, we develop the technologies to sensibly design or support cycles. Sensibly means both in an ecological and economical sense simultaneously. Because sustainability will become a well-functioning business model.

How can digitalisation help in that regard?
From our perspective, digitalisation currently supports mainly in two ways: the first is recycling. If we want to transform the chain of recyclable materials in the plastics industry into a recyclable material cycle, it is necessary, for example, for products to be collected after use and properly separated according to the type of plastic, so the materials can then be appropriately reprocessed, recycled and reused. To do this, the products must be labelled, and this can be done with the help of digitalisation, for example via watermarks or QR codes. Of course, this digital labelling must be integrated into the production process.
The second way concerns us in particular as a machine manufacturer. At present, we equip our injection moulding machines with many digital assistance systems in order to make the lingering major problem of fluctuating material quality manageable for our customers. Today, we are still in a situation where the quality of recycled materials is not yet standardised. Anyone who orders recyclates these days does not know exactly what they will get, in terms of composition and properties. We have to help our customers in this regard, and that can also be done through digitalised processes. Our systems and application technologies help customers to manufacture products that are as low-CO2 and cycle-oriented as possible.

At K 2019, the circular economy was already a sustainability topic on the agenda. What has changed since then?
The German-speaking mechanical and plant engineering sector already displayed a lot of technology in that period and presented itself as an enabler for sustainability. Already at K 2019 we stated that we have solutions for the environmental and climate problems, which just have to be used. We are not the problem, we are part of the solution. That is still true, of course. We as machine builders have always faced up to social tasks and therefore see it as our task today, also in this context, to recognise pressing global problems and to contribute towards solving them. This consists of showing technological possibilities and the resulting business models.

Awareness is poor in many parts of the world.
In many non-Western and not very highly developed countries, the problem is quite different from ours. If you don’t know about waste collection, you don’t know about the material cycle. And those who have been throwing their waste into the river in the village for generations cannot be reached with an appeal not to do so. Our contribution as an industry is to present technological solutions to turn materials into recyclable materials. That is our considerable task. We have to create and support the awareness that it makes absolutely no sense to manufacture products from fossil raw materials, use them once and then throw them away. We have to show how the processing of such raw materials becomes easier and that a material cycle also yields profits. This is a huge task for German-speaking mechanical and plant engineering, but it is also a great opportunity. Thanks to our good reputation all over the world, we can succeed.

What is Arburg doing as a company in the northern Black Forest in terms of sustainability?
We have been practising environmental protection and the careful use of resources for decades, it’s in our DNA, so to speak. This is also based on the idea of “traditional Swabian thriftiness”, which means that nothing is wasted as a matter of principle. We operate using a global one-location production strategy. We can thus guarantee sustainable high-tech production. We are convinced that this production policy currently makes much more sense in terms of CO2 than producing at many locations worldwide. We are also triple certified, for environmental protection, quality and energy. For us, environmental protection and sustainability are therefore demonstrably in the nature of things.

Video statement Dr. Christoph Schumacher: https://vimeo.com/704102218