NEWS
IN BRIEF
HCl expansion done Wacker Chemie has finished a “ low double digit million euros ” expansion in production capacity for hyperpure hydrogen chloride at its main site in Burghausen , Germany . The main customer for the added volumes will be the semiconductor industry , which uses ultrapure hydrogen chloride as an etching and cleaning agent .
UPM buys SunCoal Finland ’ s UPM Biochemicals has acquired SunCoal Industries , a German-based company with a technology portfolio to produce performance products from lignin . SunCoal ’ s technology will be integrated into the production of UPM ’ s BioMotion Renewable Functional Fillers ( RFF ), one of the products to be produced at its biorefinery in Leuna , Germany .
Cell-programming deal Under a new cell-programming project within a broader onion collaboration between them , Sumitomo Chemical will use Ginkgo Bioworks ’ codebase and expertise in organism engineering to produce molecules for use across multiple industries sustainably . The first target molecule is for use in personal care , to improve or replace one currently gathered from animal sources .
Oleochemical advance Apical Oleochemical ( Taixing ), an RGE China operation , has completed the initial phase of its ‘ oleochemical industry integration project ’ at Taixing in Jiangsu province . Production started in June . This is claimed to be the largest of its kind in China , with 600,000 tonnes / year of capacity for fatty acids , hydrogenated oil , oleic acid , glycerine and related products from palm oil .
Evonik acquires Argentine firm
Subject only to official approval , Evonik has acquired Novachem , a maker of biotechnological , natural and sustainable actives for skin and hair care applications based in Buenos Aires . Novachem will be integrated into the Care Solutions business line within the Nutrition & Care division .
“ By leveraging Novachem ’ s innovation strategy , accessibility to biodiversity , and strong skin and hair care portfolio , Evonik will boost its Systems Solutions portfolio ,” the firm said . The division aims to increase its share of ‘ system solutions ’, multi-component offerings across products , technologies and services that are tailored to a unique customer need and often have proven sustainability benefits , from 20 % today to more than 50 % by 2030 .
This deals follows on from the acquisitions of Wilshire Technologies and biotech company innoHealth in 2020 , and sustainable botanicals pioneer Botanica and cosmetic delivery company Infinitec Activos in 2021 . Evonik said that it is “ leveraging the synergies between these strong and complementary technology platforms ” to enhance its product portfolio , open new markets and boost growth .
Separately but in the same field , Evonik and Chinese skin care firm Guangdong Marubi Biotechnology have entered into a cooperation agreement . This , Evonik said , will enable them to benefit from each other ’ s complementary capabilities in raw materials , R & D and production , while also exchanging information on topics including ingredient application and development , formulation and market trends .
Evonik and Marubi have been working together for nearly two decades . Over 20 products from Evonik , including a sustainable portfolio produced from natural sources and green chemistry processes , have featured in Marubi ’ s products in that time .
Novachem is a maker of natural actives for skin and hair care
16 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981