- Email: [email protected]
Air Products launches two new environmentally friendly surfactants
F O C US laureth sulfate (SLES) surfactant based on ethylene oxide from sugarcane and lauryl alcohol from palm oil. Its performance matches conventional SLES but over its life cycle it reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 30% compared to petrochemical-based counterparts, the company claims. Rhodia also introduced vegetable-based Mackine 301 as an alternative to CTAC in hair conditioners. At the same event, Clariant unveiled its latest amino acid surfactant for sulfate-free rinse-off products. Hostapon SG is based on glycine, the amino acid of human collagen, and is said to be ‘significantly milder’ than other anionic surfactants. It creates rich, creamy, highly cleansing foams that rinse off skin and hair very easily, helping to reduce both product and water use during showering. Caroline Edser
RAW MATERIALS AkzoNobel completes MCA capacity expansion in China AkzoNobel has underlined its strategic commitment to investing in high-growth markets following the official opening of a plant expansion for the manufacture of monochloroacetic acid (MCA) in China. The company’s Taixing site, which now boasts MCA production capacity of 60,000 tonnes/y, is said to be the largest of its kind in China. It will help to meet steadily increasing demand for MCA in China, where the market is growing for the production of agrochemicals, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), amphoteric surfactants and a variety of other applications. According to AkzoNobel, growth of the Chinese MCA market exceeds 10%/y. ‘China is pivotal to our global business development, said Rob Frohn, the AkzoNobel Board member responsible for Specialty Chemicals. ‘As the world’s largest supplier of MCA it’s crucial that we make resources available to ensure we continue to grow with our customers in key markets.’ The Taixing plant, which now has more 2
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than double the original design capacity, incorporates state-of-the-art proprietary technologies and best-inclass HSE standards to deliver a superior cost position coupled with the lowest environmental footprint available in the market. Press release from: AkzoNobel, Strawinskylaan 2555, PO Box 75730, 1070 AS Amsterdam, the Netherlands, tel: +31 20 502 7555, fax: +31 20 502 7666, website: http://www.akzonobel.com (8 Apr 2010) & Chemical Week, 12 Apr 2010, (Website: http://www.chemweek.com)
Amyris, Sao Martinho create Brazilian jv to produce renewable chemicals US firm Amyris Biotechnologies has reached an agreement with Brazilian sugar and ethanol maker Grupo Sao Martinho to create a jv that will engage in the production of chemicals based on renewable sources. Named SMA Industria Quimica, the jv will initially operate a facility dedicated to the manufacture of Amyris’ products. The plant, which will be built at the Sao Martinho mill in the city of Pradopolis, Sao Paulo state, will make detergents, cosmetics, perfumes and industrial lubricants using farnesene, a molecule derived from a genetically engineered yeast developed by Amyris. BNAmericas Petrochemicals News, 19 Apr 2010, (Business News Americas Ltda, website: http://www.bnamericas.com)
SURFACTANTS Cognis Disponil NG: a new generation of renewable nonionic surfactants Today’s surfactants for emulsion polymerization need to be environmentally sound and at the same time deliver the high performance that latex manufacturers and their customers have come to expect. Speciality chemicals supplier Cognis is launching the new Disponil NG series of APEO-free, VOC-free and FDA-approved surfactants; the series comprises surfactants that are suitable for all types of latices as inprocess nonionic surfactants or as post-stabilization surfactants. In accordance with its Greenovating strategy, the Disponil NG series seeks to bring sustainability and performance together: based on modified, natural and renewable-
based fatty alcohols these surfactants combine state-of-the-art performance, handling and environmental soundness. The new family of products offers several benefits in the emulsion polymerization process as well as in end users’ applications, such as being gel-free, showing fast foam decay and having low pour points. These properties result in easier handling and reduced energy consumption during latex production compared to traditional surfactants. Moreover, the low foaming properties of Disponil NG are also reflected in the end users’ applications, eg, in paints for outdoor applications. Being FDA-approved, they can also be used in food packaging applications, which makes them very attractive for areas such as paper latex manufacturing. Press release from: Cognis GmbH, Postfach 130164, D-40551, Düsseldorf, Germany, website: http://www.cognis.com (27 Apr 2010)
Air Products launches two new environmentally friendly surfactants Air Products has introduced two new surfactants for the architectural coatings market that are free from alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) and specially targeted for zero VOC coating formulations. Carbowet 13-40 is a VOC- and APE-free alternative to 30-40 mole ethoxylate surfactants for use in waterborne coatings, inks and adhesives. It provides excellent handling properties due to its liquidity, the company claims. In addition, it offers substrate wetting, pigment wetting and stabilization, and emulsification in a variety of applications and polymer systems. EnviroGem 2010 is a solvent- and APE-free surfactant that contributes no VOCs to zero VOC coating formulations and provides exceptional handling properties, substrate wetting and pigment wetting in architectural coatings. Both Carbowet 13-40 and EnviroGem 2010 are environmentally friendly alternatives for APEcontaining surfactants and require little to no reformulation by customers while providing the same wetting properties and very low foam, according to Air Products. Press release from: Air Products, 7201 Hamilton Boulevard, Allentown, PA 18195-1501, USA, tel: +1 610 481 4911, fax: +1 610 481 5900, e-mail: [email protected], website: http://www.airproducts.com (13 Apr 2010)
JUNE 2010
RAW MATERIALS AkzoNobel completes MCA capacity expansion in China AkzoNobel has underlined its strategic commitment to investing in high-growth markets following the official opening of a plant expansion for the manufacture of monochloroacetic acid (MCA) in China. The company’s Taixing site, which now boasts MCA production capacity of 60,000 tonnes/y, is said to be the largest of its kind in China. It will help to meet steadily increasing demand for MCA in China, where the market is growing for the production of agrochemicals, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), amphoteric surfactants and a variety of other applications. According to AkzoNobel, growth of the Chinese MCA market exceeds 10%/y. ‘China is pivotal to our global business development, said Rob Frohn, the AkzoNobel Board member responsible for Specialty Chemicals. ‘As the world’s largest supplier of MCA it’s crucial that we make resources available to ensure we continue to grow with our customers in key markets.’ The Taixing plant, which now has more 2
O N
S U R FAC TA N T S
than double the original design capacity, incorporates state-of-the-art proprietary technologies and best-inclass HSE standards to deliver a superior cost position coupled with the lowest environmental footprint available in the market. Press release from: AkzoNobel, Strawinskylaan 2555, PO Box 75730, 1070 AS Amsterdam, the Netherlands, tel: +31 20 502 7555, fax: +31 20 502 7666, website: http://www.akzonobel.com (8 Apr 2010) & Chemical Week, 12 Apr 2010, (Website: http://www.chemweek.com)
Amyris, Sao Martinho create Brazilian jv to produce renewable chemicals US firm Amyris Biotechnologies has reached an agreement with Brazilian sugar and ethanol maker Grupo Sao Martinho to create a jv that will engage in the production of chemicals based on renewable sources. Named SMA Industria Quimica, the jv will initially operate a facility dedicated to the manufacture of Amyris’ products. The plant, which will be built at the Sao Martinho mill in the city of Pradopolis, Sao Paulo state, will make detergents, cosmetics, perfumes and industrial lubricants using farnesene, a molecule derived from a genetically engineered yeast developed by Amyris. BNAmericas Petrochemicals News, 19 Apr 2010, (Business News Americas Ltda, website: http://www.bnamericas.com)
SURFACTANTS Cognis Disponil NG: a new generation of renewable nonionic surfactants Today’s surfactants for emulsion polymerization need to be environmentally sound and at the same time deliver the high performance that latex manufacturers and their customers have come to expect. Speciality chemicals supplier Cognis is launching the new Disponil NG series of APEO-free, VOC-free and FDA-approved surfactants; the series comprises surfactants that are suitable for all types of latices as inprocess nonionic surfactants or as post-stabilization surfactants. In accordance with its Greenovating strategy, the Disponil NG series seeks to bring sustainability and performance together: based on modified, natural and renewable-
based fatty alcohols these surfactants combine state-of-the-art performance, handling and environmental soundness. The new family of products offers several benefits in the emulsion polymerization process as well as in end users’ applications, such as being gel-free, showing fast foam decay and having low pour points. These properties result in easier handling and reduced energy consumption during latex production compared to traditional surfactants. Moreover, the low foaming properties of Disponil NG are also reflected in the end users’ applications, eg, in paints for outdoor applications. Being FDA-approved, they can also be used in food packaging applications, which makes them very attractive for areas such as paper latex manufacturing. Press release from: Cognis GmbH, Postfach 130164, D-40551, Düsseldorf, Germany, website: http://www.cognis.com (27 Apr 2010)
Air Products launches two new environmentally friendly surfactants Air Products has introduced two new surfactants for the architectural coatings market that are free from alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) and specially targeted for zero VOC coating formulations. Carbowet 13-40 is a VOC- and APE-free alternative to 30-40 mole ethoxylate surfactants for use in waterborne coatings, inks and adhesives. It provides excellent handling properties due to its liquidity, the company claims. In addition, it offers substrate wetting, pigment wetting and stabilization, and emulsification in a variety of applications and polymer systems. EnviroGem 2010 is a solvent- and APE-free surfactant that contributes no VOCs to zero VOC coating formulations and provides exceptional handling properties, substrate wetting and pigment wetting in architectural coatings. Both Carbowet 13-40 and EnviroGem 2010 are environmentally friendly alternatives for APEcontaining surfactants and require little to no reformulation by customers while providing the same wetting properties and very low foam, according to Air Products. Press release from: Air Products, 7201 Hamilton Boulevard, Allentown, PA 18195-1501, USA, tel: +1 610 481 4911, fax: +1 610 481 5900, e-mail: [email protected], website: http://www.airproducts.com (13 Apr 2010)
JUNE 2010