NEWS
IN BRIEF
Green formic acid Japanese petrochemicals firm Inpex has made an unspecified investment in OCOchem , a USbased start-up that has developed technology to produce green formic acid and potassium formate from
CO 2 and water “ cleanly and at low cost ”, by electrochemical means using renewable energy . Inpex will support OCOchem ’ s business development with the aim of linking its technologies to its own activities .
MoU for Circa Noway ’ s Circa Group has signed a memorandum of understanding with Vataset Teollisuus and Kemijarvi Biorefinery to evaluate building a Circa Furacell facility on the Kemijarvi Biopark in northern Finland , a former Stora Enso pulp mill . This would manufacture the platform chemical levoglucosenone , biochar and Circa ’ s biobased solvent Cyrene from sustainable biomass feedstocks .
Paraben ruling Based on data received , ECHA ’ s Scientific Committee on Cosmetics Safety ( SCCS ) has issued an opinion that the use of methylparaben , which has been linked with endocrine-disruption , is safe as a preservative in cosmetic products at concentrations of up to 0.4 % ( expressed as acid ). The SCCS ’ s mandate did not cover environmental safety aspects .
Ube to absorb APIC Japan ’ s Ube Chemical has decided to merge by absorption API Corporation ( APIC ), the CDMO operation it acquired from Mitsubishi Chemical in December 2022 . This will take effect on 1 December 2024 and should have a minimal impact on Ube ’ s consolidated earnings . Ube has already been integrating its own pharma operations with APIC .
EPA prioritises five chemicals
Following a public consultation , the US Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) is beginning a 12-month process to prioritise five toxic chemicals for risk evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control Act ( TSCA ). Should they be designated as high priority substances , as expected , risk evaluations will then begin .
All five are probable human carcinogens and have been linked to other health issues , such as irritation of the respiratory system . They were selected from the 2014 TSCA Work Plan based on their hazards and potential for exposure , considering such factors as how they used , known hazards and exposures , and the availability of information . They are :
• Acetaldehyde , used mainly in adhesives and petrochemicals , plus intermediates for packaging and construction materials
• Acrylonitrile , used mainly in plastic materials and paints
• Benzenamine , used mainly in dyes and pigments , petrochemicals , plastics and resins
• MBOCA , used mainly in rubbers , plastics and resins
• Vinyl chloride , the precursor to PVC
Going forward , EPA expects to initiate prioritisation on five chemicals every year , which , it said , “ will create a sustainable and effective pace for risk evaluations . The American Chemistry Council responded : “ Effective implementation of the TSCA programme has been plagued with challenges . With today ’ s announcement … EPA officials and the stakeholder community have an opportunity to put science first and take a positive step forward in TSCA implementation .”
Olon opens R & D centre
Italian CDMO Olon has opened its new R & D centre at its main site in Rodano , near Milan . This will be mainly dedicated to the development of APIs for the innovator and generic markets . It cost € 10 million and will create 50 new jobs , bringing the total there to 350 .
Key features will include a laboratory for process safety and the study of scale-up and process transfer , an analytical R & D area and a process development laboratory . All skills will be integrated , based on a model of continuous exchange internally and with the global research network , which has seven similar centres at sites in Italy , Spain , the US and India .
“ The goal we are pursuing is to create laboratories with teams focused on new technologies , or new technological applications ,” explained Giorgio Bertolini , VP of R & D . “ In particular , we are focusing on the introduction of continuous manufacturing , biocatalysis and photochemistry .”
Shortly before this , Olon had announced a € 10 million , multiyear expansion plan for its APIs and intermediates production site in Mahad , India . This will increase its chemical synthesis capacity for intermediates and APIs by 45 %, particularly for products in high demand where Olon is already the market leader
The new production line will include reactors and filter dryers , plus the necessary utilities . They will come into operation in Q2 2024 , allowing for gradual further capacity growth until 2026 . Olon also recently installed a new high-containment production line , upgraded fermentation capacity and renewable energy systems .
14 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981