NEWS
IN BRIEF
Biosurfactant boost Evonik has officially inaugurated the sustainable biosurfactant plant at its Evonik Fermas site in Slovakia . The triple-digit millioneuro facility is the first worldwide to manufacture industrialscale quantities of rhamnolipid biosurfactants , which are derived from renewable corn feedstocks using a biotechnological process .
Rebrand for Aurorium Inspired by the Old English word ‘ hælan ’, which means to cure , save or make whole , Haelium Pharmaceutical Solutions is the new brand identity of Aurorium . The product range covers highpurity buffers , reagents , solvents , extended-release coatings and immunostimulants for therapeutic areas including peptide and oligonucleotide production , large molecule biologics , vaccines and oral solid dosage forms .
AI-enabled route scouting Lonza has launched an AI-enabled route scouting service offer , which combines AI-enabled computer-aided synthesis planning technology from Elsevier operation Reaxys with its own process R & D expertise and supply chain databases . This aims to streamline synthetic route identification to address the growing complexity of small molecule APIs .
Syensqo completes buy Syensqo has completed the acquisition of JinYoung Bio , a speciality cosmetic ingredients supplier based in South Korea . JinYoung offers the Ceramides line of biomimetic ceramides for skin and hair care applications , which are produced via a fermentation process , plus other biobased functional ingredients for skin care and colour cosmetics .
OCSiAl completes SWCNT site in Serbia
Luxembourg-based OCSiAl has completed construction of a 3,000 tonnes / year facility for water-based single-wall carbon nanotube ( SWCNT ) dispersions in Serbia to support the manufacture of high-performance batteries . It is due to begin production in Q3 .
Featuring cleanroom-operated production lines , this facility is an optimised version of the previous facility , with 15 times higher output . Much of the output is contracted with global electric vehicle producers and collaborations with the world ’ s largest lithium-ion battery cell manufacturers , the company said .
SWCNTs are described “ an irreplicable ingredient ” for silicon-rich anodes and single-crystal nickel-cobalt-manganese cathodes . They are also being introduced as a performance enabler for emerging battery technologies such as dry battery electrodes and solid-state batteries . According to OCSiAl , they outperform other carbon-based additives used in batteries , such as multiwall carbon CNTs or carbon black .
CHT adds container cleaning and recycling
CHT has held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new container cleaning and recycling plant at its site in Dusslingen costing about € 5 million . The company describes itself as a medium-sized global player for speciality chemicals that focuses on “ sustainable chemical products and process solutions ”, mainly in textile and general industrial applications .
“ CHT is saving on raw materials by building a resource-efficient new container washing system and recycling the residual materials and waste that still accumulates ,” the company said . “ With the new system , we are increasing the reuse of existing containers and can significantly reduce the procurement of new packaging ( drums and IBCs ). By cleaning on site , we save on transportation and thus further resources .”
The new plant will use heat from the renewable local heating network and water from recirculated rainwater . A photovoltaic system on the roof will generate more renewable electricity than the container washing system below it needs , the company added .
14 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981