IN BRIEF
Umicore starts up Umicore is starting to industrialise its high lithium , manganese ( HLM ) cathode active materials technology , targeting commercial production and use in 2026 . The company said that HLM offers “ a better total cost of ownership than lithium iron phosphate , with longer driving ranges , equivalent safety , much more reliable state of charge monitoring and better recyclability ”.
Azelis buys in Israel Building on the acquisition of Orokia in 2020 , Azelis has agreed to buy Lidorr Elements , one of Israel ’ s largest speciality chemical distributors in crop protection , industrial materials , care and nutrition , from the founding family . The firm is based in Tel Aviv , has a logistics and laboratory facility in Beit Shemesh in the south , employs over 90 and has over 400 customers in Israel .
Purification partners Two firms are to work together to purify molecules by HPLC . Chromatography specialist Reach Separations will identify the most appropriate separation technology for chemical or chiral purification at laboratories in the UK and France . Where HPLC is chosen , Minakem will support process development with 50 , 110 and 300 mm columns that can operate to cGMP , including for HPAPIs .
Merck KGaA breaks ground in Taiwan
Merck KGaA has broken ground for a new production facility on a 150,000 m 2 in its Semiconductor Solutions business at Kaohsiung , Taiwan . This will produce speciality gases and semiconductor materials for thin film and patterning from 2025 onwards .
Semiconductor Solutions has been designated as one Merck ’ s ‘ Big 3 ’ growth drivers . It forms part of the Electronics business sector , which started its ‘ Level Up ’ growth programme in 2021 with the aim of investing “ significantly more than € 3 billion ” in innovations and capacity expansion projects by 2025 .
This programme has already seen the completion of a new facility for delivery equipment for the safe handling of gases and chemicals in the semiconductor industry at Kaohsiung in 2022 , plus other expansions at sites in Asia , the US and Germany . Merck has also recently acquired Mecaro , a Korean thin-film materials specialist in the field and opened a third OLED materials facility in China last year .
ACC challenges regulators on chemical management
Biosurfactant deal grows Sasol Chemicals and Holiferm have expanded their partnership in sophorolipid biosurfactants . They will also develop rhamnolipids and mannosylerythritol lipids using Holiferm ’ s technology , and then commercialise formulations and applications for them . All three types are glycolipids made through fermentation .
White - TSCA programmes need repair
The American Chemistry Council ( ACC ), the main trade body of the chemicals industry in the US , has issued a ‘ 9 in 9 Challenge ’ to Congress and the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ). These challenges arise from the revision of the Toxic Substances Control Act ( TSCA ) in 2016 .
The association is asking for action over the first nine months of 2023
12 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981