· First rank in Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) Europe; second rank in DJSI World
· Upgrade in the ESG ratings of ISS and MSCI
LANXESS’ commitment to greater sustainability is again paying off in fiscal 2020: The specialty chemicals company is at the top of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) Europe in the “Chemicals” category, as it was last year, and improved to second place in the DJSI World. LANXESS is thus included in the DJSI Europe for the fourth consecutive year and in the DJSI World for the tenth consecutive year. The company achieved particularly good results in the areas climate strategy, human rights as well as management of water-related risks.
“Sustainability has long been firmly anchored in our corporate strategy and we are constantly working to sharpen our ESG profile.
We are therefore pleased that our efforts have been particularly recognized this year,” said Matthias Zachert, Chairman of the Board of Management of LANXESS AG. “Also on the capital market, sustainable criteria are now at the top of the priority list.”
For the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices financially relevant environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors are evaluated once a year. Only the best 10 percent of the global companies analyzed in each sector are included in the DJSI World, while the best 20 percent of companies headquartered in Europe are included in the DJSI Europe.
Sustainability rating agencies upgrade LANXESS
In addition, the rating agencies ISS and MSCI, which specialize in sustainability, have upgraded LANXESS in their renowned ESG ratings.
ISS-ESG has upgraded LANXESS this year by two notches from C to B-. The specialty chemicals company also received “prime” status for the first time, placing it among the top 8 percent of the 170 companies listed in the “Chemicals” sector. ISS-ESG evaluates more than 100 industry-specific indicators. LANXESS scored particularly well in the areas of environmental management, corporate governance and business ethics as well as eco-efficiency.
MSCI ESG Research has also upgraded the rating for LANXESS from BBB to A. The climate strategy, the well-formulated principles of corporate governance and the robust efforts in the area of chemical safety have led to the improvement. The MSCI rating shows how resilient a company is to long-term, financially relevant ESG risks.
LANXESS is a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of EUR 6.8 billion in 2019. The company currently has about 14,400 employees in 33 countries. The core business of LANXESS is the development, manufacturing and marketing of chemical intermediates, additives, specialty chemicals and plastics. LANXESS is listed in the leading sustainability indices Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI World and Europe) and FTSE4Good.
www.lanxess.in
LANXESS again achieves top positions in Dow Jones Sustainability Indices
Braskem and Haldor Topsoe achieve first production of bio-based MEG from sugar
Braskem, the largest petrochemical company in the Americas and a world leader in the production of biopolymers, and Haldor Topsoe, a global leader in supply of catalysts, technology, and services for the chemical and refining industries, have announced that they achieved their first-ever demo-scale production of bio-based monoethylene glycol (MEG). As a result of the collaboration between the two companies, the MOSAIK™ technology development has been progressing according to schedule at the demonstration unit located in Lyngby, Denmark.
The demonstration unit was started up in 2019 with the primary goal to demonstrate all key design features of the pioneering technology that transforms sugar into renewable MEG. Since then, the remaining process units of the plant have been built and put into operation, and the production process has been optimized.
MEG is a raw material for PET (polyethylene terephthalate), which has numerous applications and is an essential feedstock in sectors such as textiles and packaging, especially beverage bottles. Currently, MEG is predominantly made from fossil-based feedstocks, such as naphtha, gas, or coal. The global MEG market represents a value of approximately US$ 25 billion.
The technology will also co-produce, in a lower quantity, monopropylene glycol (MPG), which has a wide variety of applications ranging from unsaturated polyester resins (UPR), commonly used in construction materials, to cosmetic products.
The next phase will involve providing samples to strategic partners for testing and validation. The results of the demonstration plant operations and the validation of products will be essential for the decision to deploy the technology on a commercial scale.
The development of bio-MEG is strategic to Braskem. “This first-ever production of MOSAIK™-MEG is a major step forward in our project and underlines Braskem’s commitment to the Circular Economy through renewable chemicals. This technology has the potential to revolutionize the PET market. That’s why we are increasingly closer to start building this new value chain, so we can deliver the sustainable solution that society is looking for”, says Gustavo Sergi, executive officer of Renewable Chemicals and Specialties at Braskem.
“We are extremely pleased to have achieved the first production of bio-based MEG together with Braskem. Topsoe’s strategic vision is to deliver technologies to reduce or even eliminate carbon emissions from the production of fuels and chemicals. Advancing technologies to produce bio-based chemicals and making them a commercially attractive option is an essential step on the way to a more sustainable future,” says Kim Knudsen, Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer at Haldor Topsoe.
https://www.topsoe.com/
BENEO begins processing the first organic chicory harvest
BENEO has a long tradition of partnering with local farmers on the supply of chicory. Now the company’s plant in Oreye, Belgium is the first large-scale facility ever to process prebiotic fibre from organic chicory root.
BENEO, a world leader in healthy ingredients, has announced the completion of the first commercial organically grown chicory campaign. Following a successful harvest during the third week of September, the company will now begin processing organic chicory root fibre at its Oreye plant, in line with growing market demand for organic food ingredients.
BENEO has been producing prebiotic, natural chicory root fibres at Oreye since 1992, by using a gentle hot water extraction method. The plant has a proud tradition of being anchored in Oreye’s local agriculture for more than 130 years, and in having a long-lasting collaboration in place with local farmers. In fact, right now some 700 farmers in the region have chicory contracts in place with BENEO.
Jean Franc, Agro-Manager says: “At BENEO we want to provide the world with the best possible ingredients. Chicory is a very healthy and sustainable crop, allowing the production of the natural fibres inulin and oligofructose that support healthy nutrition. As a key player within that space, BENEO is maintaining its leading role by diversifying into organic products. With this we are answering a growing demand from our customers all around the world.”
BENEO has vast experience in offering sustainably sourced and fully traceable natural chicory root fibres. However, diversifying into organic products presents a number of new agronomical and production challenges. One of the requirements is that the production of conventional inulin needs to be clearly separated from the production run of organic inulin. Therefore the production times need to be in sequence and cannot be alternating.
BENEO purchases organically certified chicory root from organically certified local farmers in the area surrounding its Oreye. The final chicory root fibre is then certified in the plant by the certification body Certisys.
“At BENEO we decided to start this year’s campaign with the organic crops simply due to the volume of the organic variant. We will need more time for the conventional chicory root which may become too late for harvesting the organic. And interrupting the conventional campaign for the processing of a comparatively small organic product would be inefficient, considering the separation requirements at the factory level,” Jean Franc adds. “In addition, the organic crop requires later seedings as a result of the shorter growing time, harvests of organic chicory are estimated to be lower per hectare, compared to conventional crops. An accepted fact in this first year.”
Production of organic chicory requires intensive manual weeding. Going organic thus incurs higher operational costs for the farmer, both in terms of availability of workers and organisation. “Since organic chicory is grown without plant protection products, farmers must limit the impact of weeds as much as possible,” explains Franc.
With the company’s experience from growing organic sugar beet there is a close cooperation with the chicory farmers to take also this learning step together.
BENEO is supporting local farmers through the purchase of a mechanical weeding system to assist them throughout the growing season. All partner farmers also have a dedicated BENEO agronomist at their disposal throughout the seeding, growing, and harvesting stages. Moreover, farmers are fairly compensated and receive an early delivery premium for their crop. Clear fixed-price contracts are in place between BENEO and its suppliers for full harvests, to ensure the entire crop is purchased and waste avoided.
The harvesting and subsequent processing of conventionally sourced chicory root fibre at BENEO’s Oreye facility will proceed as normal from the third week of September through the remaining weeks of 2020.
The launch of organic inulin and oligofructose complements BENEO’s extensive portfolio of organic rice starches, which are produced at the company’s Wijgmaal facilities.
Stora Enso starts the production of new-generation formed fiber
Stora Enso has started the production of formed fiber food service products at Hylte Mill in Sweden. The production ramp-up follows the invesent announced in 2019 and enables the manufacture of products that are renewable, recyclable and biodegradable. The PureFiber by Stora Enso eco-product range is produced without plastic and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), enabling a safe and sustainable alternative for fresh food packaging. The Group is also investing in more formed fiber capacity in Sweden and China.
Through its partnership with HS Manufacturing Group and its patented technology, PROTĒAN, Stora Enso offers a plastic-free barrier technology for food contact packaging applications. The joint patent-pending technology offers a recyclable and biodegradable solution that gives fiber-based packaging water-, grease- and oil-resistant barrier properties, without plastic or PFAS. The solution can be applied for a range of products, such as single-use food service items. A Life Cycle Analysis study shows that the PureFiber product line has a CO2 footprint that is approximately 75% lower compared to competing packaging materials.
“Market demand for formed fiber products is accelerating, and these products offer a unique solution to meet that demand. Single-use plastics are already banned in many countries and PFAS in food applications are increasingly scrutinised by health authorities. This ramp-up marks our first step in putting a new generation of sustainable and safe formed fiber products on the market,” says David Ekberg, Executive Vice President, Packaging Solutions Division.
To meet the demand for formed fiber solutions, Stora Enso is investing in additional production capacity in Hylte Mill in Sweden and Qian’an Mill in China. The annual capacity at both mills will be approximately 115 million units of products.
“Expanding our formed fiber production in China will support the Chinese efforts to replace single-use food packaging with sustainable and safe alternatives,” says David Ekberg.
A formed fiber product is manufactured by pressing various wood-based pulps into a three-dimensional shape in a moulding machine. The raw material used in PureFiber products is pulp made from wood from sustainably managed forests.
NatureWorks announces additional lactide monomer purification technology
THE MANUFACTURING UPGRADES INCREASE NATUREWORKS’ RESPONSIVENESS TO RAPIDLY EVOLVING MARKET DYNAMICS AND HIGH DEMAND FOR INGEO (PLA) BIOMATERIALS.
NatureWorks, the world’s leading manufacturer of low-carbon PLA biomaterials, today announced a slate of manufacturing technology projects, including lactide monomer purification efficiency, that will increase the availability of the full Ingeo (PLA) biomaterials portfolio by 10 percent. Installation is currently underway at its facility in Blair, Nebraska, the world’s first and largest commercial-scale PLA manufacturing plant. The projects will be completed by the end of 2021.
The expanded
availability will support growth in markets that demand sustainable, low-carbon
materials and require the high-performance attributes that Ingeo is uniquely
suited to deliver. These markets include 3D printing and nonwoven hygiene masks
as well as compostable coffee capsules, teabags, and coated-paper food
serviceware.
“The market continues to rapidly evolve due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as
the undiminished demand for sustainable, bio-based alternatives to
petrochemical-based plastics,” said Rich Altice, President & CEO. “For
NatureWorks to satisfy this unprecedented demand, this purification technology
is one of many additional capital improvements we are actively working on at
our facility in Blair. At the same time, we continue to pursue a potential
future second manufacturing site outside the U.S. to serve our growing
international markets.”
Ingeo polylactic acid is made in a multi-step process that begins with using
annually renewable plants to turn greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into
long-chain sugar molecules. Dextrose, derived from the plant sugar
molecules, is fermented into lactic acid that then undergoes a proprietary
two-step process to transform it into lactide, the monomer for Ingeo polylactic
acid polymer.
Commitment to Sustainable Agriculture
The additional annually
renewable feedstock sourced to supply the new manufacturing projects will
become certified by the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification
System (ISCC) to the ISCC PLUS standard of best practices in agricultural
production by 2025.
As part of NatureWorks’ participation in the New Plastics
Economy Global Commitment and commitment to sustainable
agriculture, they announced a new initiative in 2019 to ensure that by 2020 100
percent of the agricultural feedstock used for Ingeo made at their Blair,
Nebraska production site will be certified as environmentally and socially
sustainable by the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification
System (ISCC). By 2025, it also committed that 100 percent of new feedstocks
for additional manufacturing capacity will be certified as sustainably and
responsibly managed via an independent third-party administered program.
NatureWorks was the first biopolymer manufacturer to become certified to the
new ISCC PLUS standard in 2012, and currently has more than 60 percent of its
agricultural feedstock certified.
INEOS Styrolution’s composite StyLight selected by CASCO
- Performance meets lifestyle
- Superior stiffness and rigidity meet aesthetic surface quality
- Innovative styrenics based composite helps to protect lives
INEOS Styrolution, the global leader in styrenics, announced the selection of its StyLight composite by CASCO for the production of safety helmets for bicyclists and skiers.
The German company CASCO is a leading designer and manufacturer of quality safety helmets and glasses. The company offers a broad portfolio of solutions for bicyclists, skiers, skaters, riders and rescue teams like fire brigade, police and others.
The company decided to base their latest designs for bicyclists and skiers on INEOS Styrolution’s innovative StyLight composite. StyLight became popular as the first styrenics based thermoplastic composite delivering an amazing surface quality in combination with superior stiffness and rigidity.
CASCO selected the carbon composite StyLight Hybrid S as the material of choice for their new designs offering customers not only protection in most demanding environments, but also giving them a product that addresses their lifestyle.
Manfred Krauter, CEO at CASCO International GmbH, comments: “Our company tries to stay at the forefront of innovation. The performance of this new material fits exactly our needs and we appreciate the support from INEOS Styrolution. We are confident that our customers will like the new StyLight helmets.”
Pierre Juan, VP Future Business and Innovation at INEOS Styrolution, adds: “I very much like the entrepreneurial spirit of CASCO and I look forward to a long collaboration with the company.”
DOMO Chemicals launches sintered carbon replacement
- THERMEC S can replace sintered carbon in submersible pump thrust bearings applications
- The enhanced polymer offers outstanding abrasion and wear resistance properties to improve tool life
- The solution delivers on high compressive strength and temperature resistance
DOMO Chemicals has expanded its THERMEC range of enhanced polymers, with the introduction of a new solution for the replacement of sintered carbon in submersible pump thrust bearings applications. THERMEC S is a glass and mineral filled, lubricated polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) based material that offers outstanding abrasion and wear resistance properties to improve tool life. The product is not only cost-effective, but also offers excellent performance benefits, when compared to sintered carbon. Due to its excellent processability, it is suitable for both injection moulding and extrusion applications.
“Sintered carbon thrust bearings have a long tradition of use within submersible pumps, but there is a risk of easy breakage during handling,” says Tushar Parida, Country manager. “THERMEC S overcomes these issues by delivering on high compressive strength and temperature resistance, while also offering excellent mechanical performance, and low creep. It’s an excellent addition to the THERMEC portfolio.”
Submersible pumps, which are predominantly used for agricultural irrigation purposes, are typically placed at several meters below the earth’s surface for water extraction. Thrust bearings are highly critical to the life and performance of these pumps. Since these bearings undergo continuous rotation, they will rub against sand, mud, and the metal stationary surface of the bearing housing. This causes a rise in temperature during operations. Furthermore, due to the very high underground pressure (1 bar per meter), these parts are also subjected to high temperature and pressure conditions while in operation.
Sintered carbon thrust bearings are one of the best available non-metal products for submersible pumps, due to their outstanding wear performance at elevated temperatures, and cost performance ratio. However, the drawback of this material is its brittleness, which means that parts containing it are often fragile. The processing of these solutions is also not easy, which can mean longer dwell times, cooling temperatures, and resultantly low productivity.
DOMO’s THERMEC S is designed to replace sintered carbons in submersible pumps that are exposed to continuous application temperatures of up to 200°C. Combining PPS, glass, mineral fillers and lubricating additives, results in a synergistic effect that brings excellent abrasion resistance. This delivers a final product with higher mechanical properties than sintered carbon samples.
DOMO plays a strong role in the higher performance polymers market. The extensive THERMEC product range has been developed to meet the demands of specific application requirements. The enhanced polymers solution range features new solutions based on polyphthalamide (PPA): THERMEC N; polyphenylene sulfide (PPS): THERMEC S; and polyether ether ketone (PEEK): THERMEC K).
Advanced Laser Materials Offers Higher Elongation of Break, Better Purity
PP 400 requires no additives and offers a 50% elongation of break
Developed in conjunction with Braskem, a market leader in polypropylene production
Polypropylene powder sets the stage for a line of custom materials for specific client use cases
Advanced Laser Materials (ALM), an EOS company and leader in materials development for industrial 3D printing and additive manufacturing (AM), has released its new polypropylene powder for use in selective laser sintering (SLS) AM: PP 400.
PP 400 offers superior mechanical properties in comparison to other options currently available on the market. Particularly, this material offers a 50% elongation of break, providing better impact resistance for use in dynamic environments. In addition, no additives, such as absorbers, are required for use, allowing the material to retain the pure chemical component of the polymer as well as its performance. The powder also has high recyclability enabling low cost-per-part manufacturing.
Additional benefits of PP 400 include strong chemical resistance against acids, bases, salts, and more, enhanced processing stability, good recyclability, and excellent performance in objects requiring living hinges. Ideal applications include fluid systems, tanks and containers, piping, interior components on automobiles, and anything that comes in contact with corrosive fluids.
“Developing our own polypropylene was less about just getting to market and more about getting to market with the right product that meets the demands of our customers and partners,” said Cary Baur, Manager, R&D and Applications Development – Polymers for EOS. “We wanted to create the best base material possible that would be successful on its own, but could also serve as a jumping off point for producing customized composites based on customer applications and needs – and we accomplished that with this material.”
According to Baur, ALM has a strong track record working directly with clients to understand their desired outcomes and then create custom composite materials based on their needs.
ALM’s polypropylene powder was developed in partnership with Braskem, the largest polyolefins producer in the Americas and the leading producer of biopolymers in the world. This is the first commercial product launched under that partnership, which began in 2018.
The material is now available for third-party industrial 3D printers and will soon be available for EOS machines as well.
www.alm-llc.com
Development of Near-Infrared Sortable Black Masterbatch
New technology enables the sorting of black plastic packaging for recycling
Toyo Ink Europe Specialty Chemicals S.A.S. (TIESC), a member of the Toyo Ink Group, has developed a whole new range of Lioplax black plastic masterbatch for near-infrared (NIR) sorting and subsequent material recovery. The new packaging masterbatch supports the recyclability of black plastic waste that is currently destined for landfill, thus helping our customers in closing the loop on the circular economy.
Presently, plastic waste sorting is based on automatic optical sorting methods with the majority of sorting equipment relying on the reflectance of NIR wavelengths. Standard black masterbatches are typically produced with carbon black pigments. Since carbon black absorbs infrared light, identification by optical sensors is impossible. This results in undetected black or dark-coloured packaging waste being sent to landfill or incineration. Addressing the recycling issue, TIESC developed a new alternative to standard carbon black masterbatch.
“Toyo Ink Europe Specialty Chemicals has successfully brought to market a sustainable alternative enabling your packaging to integrate the recycling loop,” commented Dr. Xavier André, Technical & Research Manager of Toyo Ink Europe Specialty Chemicals. “Packaging using a new Lioplax black masterbatch can be detected by NIR sensors during the sorting stage at material recovery centres. This allows dark-colour packaging to be sorted and integrated back into the value chain as a reusable raw material through recycling. Our NIR black colorants have been certified according to the Cotrep recyclability test protocol and have received positive results at both Pellenc and Tomra testing centers.”
The Lioplax series of NIR-sorting black masterbatches are specially formulated for use in PP trays, PET preforms, films, bottles and other packaging applications. Different grades are available in varying black color shades, grades of resins (polyolefin, PET) and processing compatibility such as injection, extrusion and blow moulding. The advantage for brand owners is that they can keep their black packaging market product codes whilst becoming more sustainable.
https://www.toyoink-europe.com/en/ / https://schd.toyoinkgroup.com/en/
SABIC partners to introduce its polycarbonate based on certified renewable feedstock
SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, announced its partnership with Elkamet Kunststofftechnik GmbH, an industry leader in the plastics processing industry. Elkamet will be using SABIC’s LEXAN polycarbonate (PC) resin based on certified renewable feedstock in several end applications for the lighting industry.
In October 2019, SABIC launched its polycarbonate based on certified renewable feedstock – an engineering thermoplastic resin that is part of the company’s TRUCIRCLE solutions for certified renewable products. The polycarbonate provides them and its direct and ultimate customers with more sustainable solutions and associated benefits. Based on our cradle-to-gate peer-reviewed LCA study, use of its LEXAN polycarbonate resin can potentially result in reductions in carbon footprint of up to 61% and fossil depletion reduction of up to 35%.
“Our polycarbonate (PC) based on certified renewable feedstock solution supports the pursuit of a more circular economy, one that prioritizes resource conservation and environmental sustainability, recycling and recovery technologies, allowing us to capture the greatest value from materials that have traditionally been discarded”, said Mark Vester, Circular Economy Leader at SABIC. “We are delighted to be partnering with Elkamet, part of our ongoing commitment to our customers who are increasingly looking for more sustainable solutions in response to consumer requirements,” Vester continued.
“Elkamet is the first in the lighting industry to offer an alternative for our customers in order to keep up with the trend towards more sustainability in the development of plastic components,” said Lukas Platt, Sales, at Elkamet. “Diffusors/covers are one of the biggest parts of a luminaire that are made of plastic. By producing them using renewable resources, lighting manufacturers can make a huge sustainability impact. We are very happy to partner with SABIC, whose polycarbonate based on certified renewable feedstock ensures that the customer does not have to make a compromise between sustainability and material properties. In addition, a huge benefit of this solution is that design and application requirements for Elkamet profiles made of SABIC’s material remain the same,” concluded Platt.
Elkamet has also been ISCC certified, in order to give SABIC and Elkamet’s common customers a consistent proof of a sustainable supply chain.
“Since the launch of our renewable PC at K2019 trade show in Dusseldorf last year we have had a lot of interest shown in the solution from a broad range of industries. We are delighted to have Elkamet onboard. A further step towards transforming the value chain together – to realize a more responsible value chain, creating positive impact on environmental challenges,” said Lennard Markestein, Director Engineering Thermoplastics at SABIC.
SABIC’s TRUCIRCLE portfolio and services for circular solutions span; design for recyclability, mechanically recycled products, certified circular products from feedstock recycling of used plastics and certified renewables products from bio-based feedstock.