NEWS
IN BRIEF
Enzymaster buys new facility
Enzymaster has acquired Fujian Sanming Minhe Pharmaceutical Technology in China in order to meet demand growing demand for biocatalysts in multiple industries . 40 % of Sanming Minhe ’ s capacity will be dedicated to manufacturing products using Enzymaster technology , increasing Enzymaster ’ s global capacity by 50 % to 600 tonnes / year of enzymes .
Stockmeier buys in Spain
Germany ’ s Stockmeier Group has acquired New Química of Casarrubios del Monte near Toledo , Spain , which distributes organic and inorganic products , surfactants , resins and speciality chemicals , with a particular focus on detergents , water treatment and polyester resins . It also has its own fleet of trucks . Stockmeier itself already has sites at Barcelona and Valencia .
New owner for ChemSolv
OpenGate Capital has acquired the majority of Chemsolv , a regional US chemical distributor and service provider , from the founding Austin family , who will retain a minority stake and an ongoing role . ChemSolv has distributions centres in South Carolina , Tennessee and Virginia , and around 2.3 million litres of bulk storage capacity for the over 1,000 chemical products it sells , including solvents , plasticisers , coolants , lubricants , surfactants and additives .
Added micronisation
Catalent has completed a $ 10 million expansion in large-scale isolator units at its sites in Malvern , Pennsylvania , and Dartford , UK . These provide advanced containment capabilities for the micronisation of highly potent drug compounds . Both sites feature hard-wall isolator systems allowing clinical- to commercial-scale jet milling operations to be carried out at OEL down to 0.5 μg / m 3 .
25 years of ChemCon
On 29 January , ChemCon celebrated the 25th anniversary of its foundation by Drs Peter Gockel and Raphael Vogler ( pictured ). Both men carried out PhD theses at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry at the University at Freiburg on inorganic complex compounds with potential drug applications . In cooperation with a US company , they develop syntheses that laid the foundation for the company , which began life in a basement . ChemCon became a GmbH ( limited liability company ) in 1999 . Now employing 130 , it is still based in Freiburg at the Innovation Centre BioTechpark . The firm ’ s focus remains the synthesis of small molecule APIs , organic chemical molecules , inorganic salts and complexes , and medical polymers , plus optimising production processes . It also offers analytical services .
Albemarle to invest in 6K
Albemarle has signed a joint development agreement with 6K , a specialist in microwave-controlled plasma technology , to explore the use of 6K ’ s UniMelt materials production platform to develop novel lithium battery materials . It has also made an undisclosed investment in 6K through Volta Energy Technologies , a venture capital firm active in the energy storage sector that is already an investor . UniMelt is said to offer important benefits for sustainable manufacturing . If a conventional 16 GWh battery cathode production plant were to be converted to using this platform , 6K claims , it would reduce CO 2 emissions , water and wastewater production by 90 %, 70 % and 100 % respectively , while requiring a 50 % smaller factory footprint . “ 6K technology creates the opportunity for modular manufacturing , allowing for a smaller footprint , faster construction and new models for localisation . The collaboration sets a strong foundation not only for advanced material development but also for future commercialisation ,” said Dr Glen Merfeld , CTO of Albemarle Lithium . Subsequently , Albemarle revealed it has signed a non-binding letter agreement with Mineral Resources of Australia to explore a potential expansion of their MARBL joint venture . Among other things , this would involve :
• MRL taking an additional 10 % stake in the Wodgina mine to make it a 50-50 split
• Albemarle supplying spodumene for use at the Kemerton mine
• A potential new 50 / 50 joint venture to own additional lithium conversion asset ( s ) outside Australia to be jointly funded 50-50 by MRL and Albemarle and operated by Albemarle
14 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981