Consistently strong demand for hydrogenation at Saltigo

Mumbai, December 3, 2021 – What do a highly effective disinfectant, an industrial lubricant, and the well-known insect repellent Saltidin (icaridin) have in common? Hydrogenation is a key step in the synthesis sequences of all of these substances. Saltigo GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of the specialty chemicals company LANXESS, produces hundreds of tons of these products and their precursors each year. “Our flexible campaign management enables us to fulfill a large number of customer requests even when demand is high,” explains Dr. Claus Dreisbach, Hydrogenation Plant Manager at Saltigo.

Hydrogenation with gaseous hydrogen that often takes place in a pressurized environment and sometimes at high temperatures is one of the core competencies of the Leverkusen-based specialist in exclusive synthesis. Saltigo has many decades of experience in this area and a modern, efficient production base in order to carry out
numerous variants of these reactions safely, also on a large scale.

Large campaigns preferred
The hydrogenation plant focuses on substances with an annual production volume of between 100 and 2,000 tons (t). “Campaigns of between 100 and 600 tons are the most fun,” says Dreisbach with a wink, before justifying this focus: “Our equipment is optimally designed for that volume, which makes for maximum productivity.” But smaller campaigns of between 20 and 100 t are regularly on the production schedule. In total, the plant produced well over 5,000 t of hydrogenated products last year. It also manufactures according to the “just in time” principle: always aligned with the individual requirements of customers as well as the availability of raw materials
and equipment. This enables high storage costs to be avoided throughout the supply chain.

The hydrogenation reactions that are generally catalyzed with transition metals or their complexes can be applied to a wide variety of feedstocks and create products with a high level of purity and a high yield for the most part. In this way, olefins and polyolefins are turned into saturated hydrocarbons, aromatic or heteroaromatic compounds are turned into cycloaliphates, and aldehydes or ketones and imines or nitriles, respectively, are turned into alcohols or amines, for example.

Pressure vessel is the centerpiece
At the heart of the hydrogenation plant are two pressure-resistant reaction vessels as well as a cascade of pressure vessels that enables continuous production. The reaction pressures can be as high as 180 bar at temperatures of up to 320 °C. A separate tank farm as well as numerous processing systems for isolating the target components are effectively integrated in the plant.

“Hydrogenation with hydrogen including the asymmetric reaction variants are part of the established technological portfolio of many a provider of exclusive synthesis. It is indispensable for manufacturing a wide variety of important chemical agents and intermediates. However, carrying out reactions like these safely and efficiently, especially on a large scale, is anything but trivial. That is where our many years of experience pay dividends,” says Dreisbach in summing up. Adherence to the quantities and delivery dates stipulated are other important arguments for choosing an experienced, reliable synthesis partner.

Detailed information on Saltigo’s products and services can be found online at https://saltigo.com.

Alternative to animal testing

R|ElanTM GreenGold Ecocean – A Sustainable fabric that cares for our Oceans

Growing crisis of ocean pollution and efforts to tackle this from Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) A large part of our global population directly depends on the oceans for their livelihood. Most of the waste that is collected near oceans, which eventually enters water bodies, is coming from land-based sources. Waste PET bottles are one of the most visible component of ocean pollution with millions of tons of plastic entering the seas and oceans every year severely affecting marine life.

Hence, it is imperative that measures are taken at every level to control this pollution since protecting the planet is a global concern and our collective responsibility.

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), India’s largest private sector company, is spearheading the adoption of circular economy concepts. As a part of its strategy to enhance sustainability,

Reliance, has built substantial capacities in recycling post-consumer PET bottles into high-quality branded polyester – R|ElanTM GreenGold. Reliance, the pioneer in India in making fibers out of post-consumer used PET bottles, recycles over 2 billion PET bottles every year and is committed to increase the recycling capacity year on year.

R|ElanTM GreenGold Ecocean – A key solution to deal with the menace of ocean pollution Reliance has secured supply chains for collection of post-consumer PET bottles through OBP (Ocean bound plastic) route and has introduced a new product – R|ElanTM GreenGold Ecocean.

Reliance Industries Limited – Barabanki Manufacturing Division has been awarded OBP – Ocean Bound Plastic Recycling Organization Standard V1.1 by the Control Union.

While commenting on certification award to RIL, Ms Marjorie Platero, Control Union said “We at Control Union believe in assisting textile brands meet their standard requirements with respect to sustainable products. With growing public awareness amongst consumers, the demand for fashion made from certified sustainable content has also increased. Control Union Certifications declares to have audited Reliance Industries Limited, Barabanki unit and its products which are in certified in accordance to the requirements of Recycling Organization Standard as referred in their scope certificate”.

Ocean Bound Plastic is abandoned plastic waste located within the range of 50km from the shore in communities or areas where waste management is non-existent or very inefficient. This is important, since the probability of plastic waste reaching oceans increases with the proximity of rivers or shores.

To make R|ElanTM GreenGold Ecocean fabric, 100% used PET bottles are rescued before they reach and pollute the oceans. These are cleaned, crushed and converted into flakes. The flakes are then washed and converted into high quality fibers, yarns, and fabrics.

The making of R|ElanTM GreenGold Ecocean fabric helps in diverting and recycling waste. This not only helps in keeping the water bodies cleaner but also keeps the marine life safer.

Many leading global brands have started preferring PET collected from beaches and shores that would otherwise end up in oceans, rivers, or lakes and have started using these to manufacture apparels and footwear from Ocean Bound plastics. Consumers are increasingly becoming more aware and sensitive to using eco-friendly products including in their apparels and accessories.

These factors are making R|ElanTM GreenGold Ecocean as one of the most sought-after fabric among leading brands, retailers, fashion designers and style enthusiasts.

Reliance has developed a wide range of GreenGold product portfolio that includes possibilities to combine sustainability with various functional benefits like moisture management (R|ElanTM Kooltex), thermal management (R|ElanTM AirTherm), all weather comfort (R|ElanTM AllClima) and fibres that bio-mimic bio-degradation process (R|ElanTM EcoGold with CiClO®).

Superior Features of GreenGold Ecocean that adds immense value to its customers

Value Proposition for Brands and Retailers
• Assured 100% post-consumer used PET bottles from OBP route
• One of the most eco-friendly fibers
• Best-in-class quality and performance in fabric comparable to virgin products
• Product and bottle traceability options available, along with digital traceability against specific orders
• Consistent dyeing performance
• Superior whiteness index and strength parameters
• Extensive supply chain support from yarns to garments, through Hub Excellence Program (HEP) partners which includes spinners, knitters, weavers and processors

Value Proposition for Yarn and Fabric Mills
• Diversified product range for varied apparel and home textile categories
• CV % for GreenGold Ecocean fiber properties is quite low, giving supreme yarn quality
• Availability of large lots for uniformity and consistency
• Comprehensive product basket of pre-coloured, dope-dyed fibers
• Extensive technical support at all stages of manufacturing throughout the value chain

Versatile product applications across fashion apparel and home textile

R|ElanTM GreenGold Ecocean fabric can be used in manufacturing casual wear, denims, formals and womenswear. This fabric is also available for home textile segment under the brand name Recron® GreenGold Ecocean.

Enabling high quality eco-friendly fashion

R|ElanTM GreenGold Ecocean exemplifies circular economy concepts and is strongly enabling textile and fashion industry with such high-quality sustainable fabric. Taking forward our efforts in enabling eco-friendly fashion, R|ElanTM GreenGold Ecocean will support brand and retailers achieve their style goals and sustainability commitments at the same time.

Industry sustainability leader: GF Piping Systems introduces bio-attributed PVC to its portfolio to reduce CO2 footprint

As a pioneer of pressure piping, GF Piping Systems (GF) announced today the introduction of bio- attributed materials to all of its market-leading polyvinyl chloride (PVC-U) metric pressure pipes, fittings and valves produced in Europe. The sustainable PVC resin, made using tall oil, a waste product from paper production will see up to 90% reduction in the CO2 emission during production versus conventional PVC while still maintaining the highest quality, durability, and recyclability.

The PVC piping systems from GF, first produced in 1955, have been tried and tested for more than 65 years. Today, they include pipes, fittings, valves, actuators, and measurement and control technology used across industries in over 100 countries for the most demanding applications.

To achieve the biggest impact, the PVC resin used for pipes, fittings and valves is successively adjusted to use up to 20% bio-attributed PVC. The sustainable PVC resins meet the same stringent performance criteria as GF’s conventionally produced PVC grades. To verify the correct use, an independent certification body is appointed to audit the production plants and supply chain which processes the bio-attributed PVC-U.

“With the introduction of bio-attributed PVC into our material mix, we are transitioning toward more sustainably sourced products,” announces Jens Frisenborg, Head of Business Unit Industry/Utility at GF Piping Systems. “By adding renewable raw material, with identical chemical and mechanical properties, to our valves, fittings and pipes, we provide our customers with unrivaled quality, while also supporting them in achieving their own sustainability goals.”

Insensitive, flexible to plan, easy to install, and very reliable: these properties of piping systems are in demand in numerous industrial areas: in drinking water treatment, microelectronics production, in sewage treatment plants, in shipbuilding, and the food industry. PVC piping systems are suitable for use in almost every branch of industry. It is not only their durability that makes them so versatile but also their easy installation. Now with bio-attributed PVC, GF Piping Systems is ensuring they are more sustainably sourced.

NORMA Group starts production cooperation with Italian water management company 

Maintal, Germany/Sant’ Angelo in Vado, Italy, November 23, 2021 – NORMA Group has entered into a strategic partnership with SAB S.p.A (“SAB”), an Italian specialist in joining technology for drinking water, irrigation and drainage. From November 2021, SAB will produce high-quality NORMA PN 16 compression fittings certified for drinking water applications for NORMA Group. Further products are to follow. In addition, the agreement reached stipulates that NORMA Group and SAB will jointly develop new products. With this cooperation, NORMA Group is strengthening its water management business in Europe and, in particular, further expanding its position in the field of drinking water applications.

“SAB has a proven record of outstanding product expertise,” says Dr. Michael Schneider, CEO of NORMA Group. “With this cooperation, we gain additional production resources and can serve our customers in Europe better and faster with water management solutions. Efficient use of the scarce resource of water is becoming increasingly important, which is why we are consistently expanding our water management business in all regions.”

NORMA Group generated around 23 percent of group turnover in 2020 in the field of water management. Business is particularly strong in the USA, Malaysia and India, where NORMA Group each has its own plants for water management products. In Europe, the business is to be further expanded in the coming years. Thanks to the cooperation with SAB, NORMA Group will in future offer products in Europe that meet the high EU requirements for drinking water applications, thus opening up new market potential. NORMA Group’s European customers benefit from short transport routes and optimized delivery times, as the products are manufactured directly in Europe.

“The cooperation allows us to make optimal use of our know-how in the production of certified irrigation and drainage solutions for the advantage of both companies,” says Renato Mancini Cilla, General Manager of SAB. “We are looking forward to working with NORMA Group.”

SAB, based in Sant’ Angelo in Vado in Italy, specializes in the production of water management solutions by extrusion and thermoforming. The company’s product portfolio includes irrigation pipes, compression fittings, valves and drainage channels. SAB is part of the System Group, headquartered in Lunano (PU), Italy.

Additional information on the company is available at www.normagroup.com. More press photos are available from our platform on www.normagroup.com/images.

Okke Ottenlinger new General Manager of Evosys Suzhou Laser System in China

Since 1 November, Okke Ottenlinger has been the new Managing Director of the Chinese subsidiary Evosys Suzhou Laser System Co. Ltd. This is another planned step to serve customers in China even better.

Erlangen, November 2021: Okke Ottenlinger has been working in mechanical and plant engineering for almost a decade and brings with him a high level of technological competence and internationalism. Since 1 November, he has been responsible as Managing Director for the further development of the Chinese subsidiary, which is currently responsible for sales and service in the Asian region. In addition, a laser welding system is available for sampling in an in-house technical centre.

With his high level of customer orientation, Ottenlinger fits perfectly into the corporate concept of the EVOSYS Group. Holger Aldebert, Managing Director of the parent company Evosys Laser GmbH is pleased: “We want our subsidiary to continue to be as successful as it has been in recent years. We see Mr. Ottenlinger as an experienced specialist in the market and, thanks to his strong commitment, as an ideal manager.”

Okke Ottenlinger succeeds Frank Sun, who had most recently managed and built up the subsidiary and is now moving to the joint venture partner as planned. In particular, Ottenlinger is to further expand the sales network in China and further increase the level of awareness of the EVOSYS Group in Asia.

About EVOSYS:
Evosys Laser GmbH develops and manufactures tailor-made systems for laser welding of plastics. With many years of market and process experience of its employees, the company offers creative and innovative solutions for integration into automation solutions worldwide. A service package ranging from design consulting and sample production in the company’s own Technical Center rounds off the product range.

The company has already received several awards: In 2018, EVOSYS won the IHK Gründerpreis Mittelfranken and was nominated for the Bavarian Gründerpreis in 2019. In June 2020, it was named TOP 100 Innovation Champion, and in December 2020 it was nominated for the Mittelstand Award. There are intensive contacts with the university location Erlangen-Nuremberg and the Bayerisches Laserzentrum.

The Evosys Group currently consists of four companies, the parent company Evosys Laser GmbH, the subsidiary Evosys Laser Services GmbH and the subsidiaries Evosys (Suzhou) Laser System Co., Ltd. in China and Evosys North America Corp. in USA.

ALS User Meeting 2021: Host computer experts exchange ideas in Lossburg

• Successful: In-person event with 60 participants
• Continuous: Arburg continues to develop its ALS host computer system with customers in mind
• Digital: “Paperless production” and numerous new features increase production efficiency

Lossburg, 11:56
On 18 November 2021, Arburg hosted an ALS User Meeting again. The in-person event met with a very positive response. A total of around 60 participants came to Lossburg to find out about new features and receive valuable tips and suggestions. One highlight was a presentation by medical technology company Röchling Medical, which was able to hugely increase production efficiency with the help of ALS.

“The overwhelming interest far exceeded our expectations and reflects the enormous innovation push that our industry is experiencing,” said Axel Kinting, ALS expert and Head of the new Digital Industrial Solutions division at Arburg. “At the User Meeting, our customers have the opportunity to exchange ideas and information intensively – and we get valuable suggestions that we can use to further develop ALS in a very targeted and needs-oriented manner.”

Productivity increase and current ALS version Peter Kowalewski, Team Manager Digital Industrial Solutions
Support, first presented numerous innovations of ALS up to the current version. Among these is the conversion of the server modules to 64 bit, meaning practically unlimited storage capacity. In addition to many detailed improvements, another important feature is the capacity to anonymise personal data and “digital fingerprints” of former employees in compliance with the GDPR.

Getting started with paperless production and Smart Factory ALS expert Patrick Wahl demonstrated the advantages of paperless production live on a cup-producing Allrounder 370 A and used a tablet to provide insights into the machine terminal with mobile ALS modules. These can be used to view the process status and production progress, for example, and to visualise current indicators regarding OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) and quality. Additional resources can be added easily, jobs can be loaded directly onto the machine without typing, maintenance can be carried out paperlessly and hidden capacities can be revealed. This saves an enormous amount of time, creates transparency, and reduces paper consumption by several thousand kilograms per year when extrapolated to the companies participating in the User Meeting.

ALS team colleague Markus Widmaier gave valuable tips and advice on all aspects of the Smart Factory and transparent production. These included the integration of non-injection moulding machines via the OPC UA communication protocol and new machine widgets for the ALS info terminal, which is now also available as a licence model on a coin basis.

User Röchling Medical reports from practice One user that is already putting many of the points mentioned into
practice is Röchling Medical from Waldachtal. Daniel Tobien, Head of Production, explained in his fascinating presentation how the medical technology company has hugely increased productivity and patient safety. Since 2018, a total of 14 assembly machines and lines and 1,400 active moulds have been connected to ALS, in addition to around 65 injection moulding machines, 43 of which are in the clean room. “As a result, we have increased
part quality, improved sequences, and can optimally document and analyse our processes,” stated Daniel Tobien. “OEE is now the indicator that shows us how well or badly production is running. After introducing ALS, we have already increased OEE from 40 to 67 per cent and want to improve even further.” Especially in the clean room, paperless production is a clear advantage. Röchling Medical says that it is also planning to integrate all peripheral devices into ALS in future and to additionally visualise the energy costs for the injection moulding machines.

Overview of new developments
Finally, Arburg experts Frank Hammann, Timo Weisser, Markus Friese and Christoph Klein provided an overview of the integration of ALS into the arburgXworld customer portal and new software developments. According to the experts, ALS version 7.5 with new features will be available in the first quarter of 2022. They also reported that work is being done on a new interface technology called “REST API”, which will enable other systems to communicate with ALS in future using a standardised protocol. The new “ALS Track & Trace” module for tracing parts in the production process and the expansion of the machine terminal with new functionalities were also presented.

arburgXvision: Ten episodes of exquisite infotainment! – Internet TV format to continue in 2022

• Tenth live broadcast: “Sustainable production – conserving resources in the plastics industry”
• Exciting mix: Informative specialist presentations, practical live links and valuable expert discussions
• Lighthouse project: Popular and informative “arburgXvision” series to be continued in 2022

Lossburg, 29 November 2021
The tenth live broadcast of “arburgXvision” was also incredibly gripping, with fantastic contributions from Bertram Stern and Dr Philipp Kloke that shed light on the complex topic of sustainability. The Arburg experts gave the audience of around 450 deep insights into the company’s strategic goals and practical activities involving “arburgGREENworld”, as well as valuable tips for the reliable and efficient processing of recyclates and bioplastics. In addition, there were two very practical links to the roof of the assembly hall in Lossburg and to the Training Center. Thanks to the great response, we can look forward to more “arburgXvision” episodes in the coming year.

“The ten ‘arburgXvision’ internet TV programmes this year were extremely well received by the community, in some cases even enthusiastically,” sums up Dr Christoph Schumacher, Head of Marketing at Arburg. “With our exciting mix of topics and entertaining combination of informative expert presentations, practical links to our company headquarters in Lossburg, and in-depth panel discussions, we have obviously struck a chord with the audience. We will therefore continue this lighthouse project in 2022”.

Wide range of topics: from 0-ppm production to photovoltaics The previous “arburgXvision” episodes gave viewers valuable insights and inspiration. At the premiere in January, Arburg Managing Directors, Gerhard Böhm and Guido Frohnhaus, spoke on the topic of 0-ppm production of plastic parts. The shows continued to cover a broad spectrum of topics, from additive manufacturing and the Gestica control system to Mould Strategy 2.0 and digitally networked injection moulding machines.

LyondellBasell and Sinopec Sign MoU to form joint venture to manufacture propylene glycol ether in China

Shanghai, Nov 30, 2021 — LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB) today announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sinopec to expand on the existing 50:50 joint venture (JV) called Ningbo ZRCC LyondellBasell New Material Co., Ltd.. Under the non-binding MoU, the JV will construct a new propylene glycol ether (PGE) unit in Zhenhai, Ningbo, China to serve the growing Asian market. The new PGE unit will be built close to the existing propylene oxide / styrene monomer (PO/SM) plant, allowing for integration with PO, the key raw material for PGE. PGE is widely used in coating and electronics applications.

“Asia is a strategic region for our company, and we see increasing demand for our products with the growth of the economy. In particular, PGE is a key component in the supply chain for semiconductor manufacturing, and this world-scale facility will support the growth of semiconductor manufacturing in China and the rest of Asia, ” said Torkel Rhenman, Executive Vice President, Intermediates and Derivatives, and Refining, LyondellBasell. “We are very delighted to continue to expand our partnership with Sinopec through this joint venture and produce PGE locally to serve the market more efficiently.” The new facility is expected to produce 125 kilotons per annum (KTA) by using LyondellBasell’s leading PGE process technology, with start-up expected in the second half of 2023.

Airnov continues to expand and invest in productivity and product innovation to mitigate rising costs and support growth in existing, new and emerging markets

December 02, 2021 – Airnov Healthcare Packaging, a global leader in shelf-life preservation solutions to protect pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and diagnostic products from moisture and oxygen, reports that its site expansions in Changshu, China, and Cuddalore, India, are nearing completion, ready to serve a growing customer base in the region. In addition, the company’s manufacturing plant in Belen, New Mexico, USA, is being modernized with state-of-the-art equipment and a new production line expected to go on stream in 2022.

“The demand for safe pharma and healthcare packaging keeps rising,” says Dr. Matthias Brommer, President & Managing Director at Airnov. “In fact, the global desiccants and modified atmosphere packaging industry is expected to grow at annual rates of five percent. We are investing heavily to seize these opportunities, as we continue our four-pillar strategy designed to enhance productivity, drive product innovation, open attractive new and emerging market segments, and support further growth.”

While these investments will help the company offset some of the recent cost increases in energy and transportation, the global supply chains have come under significant pressure, resulting in steeply rising raw material prices. Another cost driver is seen in ever more severe safety and environmental regulations. At the same time, customers need to address the growing sustainability awareness of consumers, which permits no faltering in the development and implementation of innovative new product technology. “Despite all efforts to mitigate the cost increases a price adaptation by at least 5% and up to 11% if exposed to certain raw materials had therefore become inevitable to stay ahead and meet these challenges without compromising the competitive benefits of our superior products for customers,” explains Dr. Brommer.

Airnov Healthcare Packaging has established itself in the global market as a trusted supplier with key added value propositions across a diversified range of desiccant, oxygen barrier, equilibrium stabilizer and odor control products. Determined to maintain the highest standards of product quality, consistency and supply security, along with industry leading R&D and customer support, the company is extending its market reach and technology scope. In Asia, it has expanded its manufacturing sites in Changshu, China, with added capacity e.g. for bottles and vials, and in Cuddalore, India, with added capacity e.g. for canister products. At Belen in the United States, Airnov is in the process of modernizing its plant to boost productivity and develop new technologies in 2022, such as laser marking. Upcoming innovations will also include a new line of products for the diagnostics market.