from natural oils that is targeted todisplace solvents. According to thecompany, the new product fulfils therole of both a low HLB surfactant anda strong solvent. This powerful newcleaning solution is the firstcommercial product launched byStepan as part of its joint developmentagreement with Elevance RenewableSciences [Focus on Surfactants, Jan2011]. The development agreementwas established to develop andcommercialize new surfactants andother products by combiningElevance’s novel Inherent buildingblocks [ibid, Jan 2014] with Stepan’sderivatization and applicationcapabilities. This innovative solutionutilizes a naturally derived, metathe-sized feedstock to form a next-generation bio-based surfactant thatachieves sustainability goals whileimproving cleaning performance. Theapplications for Steposol MET-10Uare broad, including adhesiveremoval, paint and coating removalsystems, kitchen degreasers and all-purpose cleaners for both consumerand industrial uses. Stepan claimsthat, used in household cleaners, thenew surfactant delivers better andfaster cleaning performance at halfthe solvent loading with neutral pH incomparison to alkaline degreasers(pH 11-13).

Original Source: Stepan Co, 22, West Frontage Road,Northfield, IL 60093, USA, tel: +1 847 446 7500, fax:+1 847 501 2100, website: http://www.stepan.com(24 Mar 2014) © Stepan Company 2014

Solvay opens innovation centre inSingapore to serve personal caremarket in Asia Pacific

Belgium-based chemical firm Solvayhas announced the opening of a newResearch & Innovation Centre inSingapore, which will be the group’score innovation ground for itsconsumer chemicals growth engine inthe Asia-Pacific region. Located inSingapore’s Biopolis research hub,the 1100 sq m laboratory will leadworldwide innovation projectsprimarily for Solvay’s specialitysurfactants business unit Novecare,as well as its Aroma Performance andCoatis business units. The centre willdevelop new formulations for thehygiene, beauty, detergents, coatings,gas and oil extraction, andagrochemicals sectors. It will alsoprovide technical support to Solvay’s

regional customers as well as thecompany’s production plants in theregion. Solvay, which received strongsupport from the Singapore EconomicDevelopment Board (EDB), hasinvested close to €2 M in thelaboratory and expects to investanother €5 M in the next five years toboost the laboratory’s capabilities,including the hiring of an extra 30researchers. The laboratory isSolvay’s latest investment inSingapore after Novecare announcedin Apr 2013 the construction of alarge-scale alkoxylation facility [Focuson Surfactants, Jun 2013]. More than250 of Solvay’s 2000 currentresearchers are based in Asia. Thefigure is expected to double by 2016.

Original Source: Solvay SA, website:http://www.solvay.com (11 Feb 2014) © Solvay 2014.Original Source: Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 17 Feb 2014,(665), (Website: http://www.industrie.com/chimie) (inFrench) © ETAI Information 2014

BASF launches ingredients based oncertified sustainable palm and palmkernel oils

A new range of ingredients based oncertified sustainable palm (kernel) oilhas been introduced by BASF intothe European home and personalcare market. This is part of the firm’seffort to reach its goal of procuring allpalm oil and palm kernel oil (PKO)from certified sustainable sources by2015. Either the Segregation (SG) orthe Mass Balance (MB) supply chainsystem of the Roundtable onSustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is usedto source the oils. The SG supplychain system guarantees that thepalm (kernel) oils and their derivativesare free from uncertified oil in everystep of the production process. Incontrast, the MB supply chain systemallows for mixing of RSPO-certified oilwith oil from uncertified sources atany point in the supply chain, but amatch between the purchasedvolumes of RSPO-certified palm(kernel) oil and processed derivativesneeds to be guaranteed. Theingredients derived from thesecertified systems may be used byhome and personal caremanufacturers to develop value-added formulations that satisfy theexpanding market demand forcertified, sustainable sourcing of rawmaterials. BASF has invested insetting up separate tanks, production

and transportation measures toestablish a RSPO-SG supply chainsystem. Its certified offering includesthe main surfactants to formulateproducts for personal care orhousehold cleaners as well asemollients for skin care formulations.BASF has been an active member ofRSPO since its foundation in 2004.

Original Source: Chemical Weekly, 4 Mar 2014,(Website: http://www.chemicalweekly.com) © SevakPublications & Chemical Weekly Database P Ltd2014. Original Source: ChemistryViews, 17 Feb 2014,(Website: http://www.chemistryviews.org) © WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co KGaA 2014

Surfychem acquires 75% share ofACME

In China, Surfychem has acquired a75% share in ACME Tech Co Ltd for$13 M. Both companies are involvedin the manufacture of water-basedadditives, primarily acetylenic diolderivatives. The company to beformed through the merging of thesetwo firms will be the largest in Chinato manufacture, sell and serviceacetylenic diol derivatives. Theintegration will bring Surfychem’sproduction of acetylenic diol-basedsurfactants (TMDD, TMDOD) to 4000tonnes/y and of ethoxylatedacetylenic diol to 3000 tonnes/y.Surfychem’s Toynol and Surfadolbrands will be offered worldwide.Surfychem says it will also discontinuesome uncompetitive and olderproducts, and will introduce productswith more functional advantages andmore eco-friendly applications.

Original Source: APCJ, Asia Pacific Coatings Journal,Feb 2014, 27 (1), 7 (Website:http://www.asiapacificcoatingsjournal.com/) © dmgevents 2014

ASSOCIATEDPRODUCTS

Solvay battles for soda ash

Belgium-based Solvay has developedan improvement plan for its sodiumcarbonate (also known as soda ash)business and created a new globalbusiness unit (GBU) structure, whichwas launched in Jan 2014. Thecompany has decided to divide itsessential chemicals business unit intotwo GBUs, since soda ash andperoxide have different success

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factors, strategies and markets.Despite the projected overcapacity inthe European soda ash market in2017 because of the anticipatedlaunching of the world’s largest facilityby Ciner in Turkey, Solvay still hasgrowth plans for its soda ashbusiness, consisting of threeelements. The first part of the plan isstrengthening the competitiveness ofits synthetic soda ash through a €100M cost-improvement plan, which willtake effect in full year 2016. In linewith this, the company ceasedproduction at its 200,000 tonne/yplant in Povoa, Portugal, on 31 Jan2014. The company plans to adaptproduction capacity to marketdemands at its facility in Rosignano,Italy, to meet the €100 M plan with60% variable and 40% fixed costs inthe savings. Measures have alsobeen introduced at Solvay’s otherEuropean sites in order to improvetheir operational efficiency(particularly in Torralavega, Spain andDevnya, Bulgaria). The companyaims to expand its natural soda ashbusiness in North America by 12% by2016 [Focus on Surfactants, Aug2013], as the second element of itssoda ash growth plan. Capacity atSolvay’s 2.54 M tonnes/y plant in theGreen River basin of southwesternWyoming, USA, will increase by 6%(150,000 tonnes/y) in early 2015. Thissite is Solvay’s largest in the USA andemploys 400 people. The complexprimarily supplies the glass industrybut also sells to the detergents andchemical products sectors. Theexpansion will be realized throughdebottlenecking work (which requiresminimal investment). The mainadvantage of the sodium carbonateproduced in Green River is that it isnatural and made from trona. Thethird part of Solvay’s plan is the globalexpansion of its bicarbonatebusiness, which includes a 100,000tonne/y project in Thailand, which isscheduled for completion in 2015.Solvay’s plans for its second GBU,the peroxide business, include theconstruction of plants for thehydrogen peroxide to propylene oxide(HPPO) business.

Original Source: ICIS Chemical Business, 10-16 Mar2014, 285 (10), (Website: http://www.icis.com) © Reed Business Information Limited 2014. OriginalSource: Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 10 Feb 2014, (664),(Website: http://www.industrie.com/chimie/) (inFrench) © ETAI Information 2014

Performance, environmental claimsand move to low temperature wash todrive sales of enzymes

Enzymes are posing as theeconomical, efficient and sustainablealternative to costly surfactants andbuilders used in detergents. Found indetergents in amounts of less than1%, enzymes are biodegradable,made from renewable materials(sugars), save chemical and energycosts and reduce water pollution,unlike petroleum-derived chemicals.In a workshop, organized byNovozymes [see also Focus onSurfactants, Apr 2014], a speakerstated that nearly 50% of linearalkylbenzene sulfonic acid (LABSA)could be replaced with enzymes.Enzyme prices have also beensteadier compared with those ofsurfactants. Despite possessingsimilar washing habits, China stillleads India in using enzymes indetergents due to more establishedindustry standards. Enzymes alsohave strong potential in otherhomecare segments, such as the 8 Mtonnes hand wash, soap bars andfine fabric wash market, 5 M tonneshand dishwashing market and 1 Mtonnes automatic dishwashingmarket. The development of newtypes of enzymes capable of highperformance in low temperatures isnow growing due to the shift in theNorth American and Europeanlaundry wash to cold washing. Doneat the less aggressive temperature of30 degC, cold washing is said to poseenvironmental advantages such aschemicals-use reduction. Compactionof detergents, growth of concentratedliquids and the potential of industrialand institutional cleaners are otherbusiness opportunities for enzymes inthe homecare segment.

Original Source: Chemical Weekly, 7 Jan 2014, 210-212 (Website: http://www.chemicalweekly.com) © Sevak Publications & Chemical Weekly Database PLtd 2014

Novozymes to expand scope ofenzymes in India

Novozymes intends to expand itsoperations in the Indian food anddetergent sectors. The $2 bn Danishbiotech firm has enhanced itsinnovation centre in Bangalore [Focuson Surfactants, May 2007] to keep astrong presence in the Indian market.

Novozymes acquired the enzymesbusiness of Biocon in 2007 and isnow providing enzymes for use in thedetergents, food, beverages, textiles,alcohol and biofuel sectors.Novozymes’ growth in India has beenat 20%/y.

Original Source: Chemical Business (India), Dec2013, 27 (12), 72 (Website:http://www.magazinecommunications.com/) © Magazine Communications Pvt Ltd 2013

Air Products introduces Tomakleen G-12 additive for I&I cleaning

Air Products has introduced theTomakleen G-12 additive to itsproduct portfolio for industrial andinstitutional (I&I) cleaning. The newadditive delivers improved cleaningperformance and can reduce oreliminate the need for oxygenatedsolvents historically used in I&Icleaning products. Tomakleen G-12additive is a detergency booster thatis used with a surfactant to improvecleaning performance. The uniquestructure of the product provides fastmonomer migration and bettersurface exchange to deliver acleaning ‘boost’ to products such ashard surface cleaners, heavy dutydegreasers and vehicle careproducts. The solvency of TomakleenG-12 additive, along with its cleaningperformance, can effectively reduceor eliminate the need for oxygenatedsolvents.

Original Source: Air Products, website:http://www.airproducts.com/ (12 Feb 2014) © AirProducts and Chemicals Inc 2014

APPLICATIONS

Household &personal care

BASF to build speciality aminesproduction plant in China

BASF is to build a world-scale unit forthe production of speciality amines atits existing, wholly owned site inNanjing, China. This will mainlyproduce dimethylaminopropylamine(DMAPA) and polyetheramines(PEAs). It will be BASF’s first unit inAsia to produce these products.BASF already has similar units inLudwigshafen, Germany and Geismar

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