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Basell issues more licences
F O C U S Enantioselective hydrogenation comes of age The supplement contains contributions from 9 companies offering various products and services in the field of enantioselective reduction. A brief history of industrial asymmetric catalysis is given, together with the present state of the art. Major players are Chiral Quest, Degussa Homogeneous Catalysts, Dow Chirotech Technology, DSM Pharma Chemicals, IEP GmbH, Johnson Matthey Catalysts and Chiral Technologies, Jülich Fine Chemicals, Solvias AG, and Umicore AG. A table gives details of each of these companies. Chimica Oggi, May 2004, 22 (5 Supplement), 4-5
Chiral chemistry Relatively few catalytic enantioselective process are currently operated on a commercial scale. Until more bio- and chemo-catalytic chiral routes are developed that are robust and cost-effective for large-scale production, most optically active pure compounds will have to be prepared via traditional chemistry. It is estimated that, of the $7 bn in revenues worldwide from chiral products, 55% are generated by traditional technologies, 35% by chemocatalysis, and 10% by biocatalysis. By 2005, global revenues of $9.5 bn will come 49% from traditional technologies, 36% from chemocatalysis, and 15% from biocatalysis. These percentages are expected to change for the $15 bn market of 2009 to 41%, 36%, and 22% respectively. A table gives a list of the current chiral blockbusters. Chemical and Engineering News, 14 Jun 2004, 82 (24), 47-62 (Website: http://www.cen-online.org)
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C ATA LY S T S
future growth and success in producing commodity chemicals and consumer products using bioprocesses will depend on what happens to crude-oil supplies and prices and the quality and availability of feedstock crops. Industrial biotech is seen as separate from but complementary to pharmaceuticals and agricultural biotechnology. Industrial biotech accounts for around 5% of world chemical sales, mainly via ethanol, pharmaceuticals intermediates, citric acid, and amino acids. This figure is expected to rise to 10% by 2010, but could reach 20% depending on acceptance by consumers and cost. The rapid growth is due to the development of low-cost enzymes and new recombinant technologies to make the necessary microbes. The most important area of focus for sustainable development is transportation fuels. Chemical and Engineering News, 31 May 2004, 82 (22), 31-34
COMPANY NEWS Avecia agrees to Japanese tech deal An agreement has been signed by Avecia Pharmaceuticals with the NARD Institute of Amagasaki in Japan. NARD is to sublicense the technologies for small-scale manufacturing by third-party pharmaceuticals in Japan. Avecia’s CACHy and CATHy chiral catalyst, PdEnCat encapsulated palladium catalyst, and enzymatic biotransformation palladium catalyst technologies are included in the deal. Chemical Week, 26 May 2004, 166 (18), & Press release from: Avecia Pharmaceuticals, PO Box 42, Blackley, Manchester, M9 8ZS, UK. Tel: +44 0 161 721 2890 (11 May 2004)
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Plastics and Rubber Asia, Jun 2004, 19 (126), 6
BASF acquires enzyme data bank BASF Plant Science has acquired the Brenda enzyme data bank from Biobase GmbH. The electronic encyclopaedia contains entries on over 83,000 enzymes from 9800 organisms, as well as metabolic data from over 46,000 publications. Chemische Rundschau, 15 Jun 2004, (6), 86 (in German)
BASF adds dimethyl disulfide to its range BASF recently added dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) to its range of products. DMDS (which is also made by Atofina) is used as a hydrotreatment catalyst in chemical processes and in the synthesis of agrochemical intermediates. BASF opened its first DMDS unit in Ludwigshafen, Germany, in Summer 2003. Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 7 Jun 2004, (258), 9 (in French)
Basell issues more licences
Bayer and BASF complete technology licensing pact
Arak Petrochemical Co (APC), an affiliate of National Petrochemical Co, will expand its polyolefin capacity at its two plants that use Basell manufacturing process technologies. APC is Iran’s first company to license Basell’s technologies. The capacity of the two plants will expand by 50% and product range will also broaden to
Bayer and BASF have negotiated a licensing arrangement which will allow BASF to produce polyether polyols using Bayer’s Impact technology. The technology uses a double metal cyanide as a catalyst for polyoxyalkylation. The agreement covers a process to produce longchain polyether polyols used in the
Biomass or bust Advocates of industrial biotech believe that the technologies needed to make commodity chemicals, such as drugs, agricultural adjuvants, plastics, and transport fuels, are available, and that a bio-based world economy is in sight. Industry observers tend to be in agreement with this view and support industrial biotech. They say, however, that
include additional market needs. Capacity at the PE plant, which uses Basell’s Hostalen process, will rise by 40%. A Basell official states that total polyolefin capacity in Iran that uses its technology is above 2 M tonne/y. Basell has also made an agreement with PetroChina for the use of Hostalen technology in the latter’s new 300,000 tonne/y high-density polyethylene plant in Jilin, China. National Petrochemical Industrial Co will also employ Basell’s Spheripol technology at a new 400 kilotonne PP plant in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. The plant is slated to begin operations for the 1Q 2007.
AUGUST 2004
Chiral chemistry Relatively few catalytic enantioselective process are currently operated on a commercial scale. Until more bio- and chemo-catalytic chiral routes are developed that are robust and cost-effective for large-scale production, most optically active pure compounds will have to be prepared via traditional chemistry. It is estimated that, of the $7 bn in revenues worldwide from chiral products, 55% are generated by traditional technologies, 35% by chemocatalysis, and 10% by biocatalysis. By 2005, global revenues of $9.5 bn will come 49% from traditional technologies, 36% from chemocatalysis, and 15% from biocatalysis. These percentages are expected to change for the $15 bn market of 2009 to 41%, 36%, and 22% respectively. A table gives a list of the current chiral blockbusters. Chemical and Engineering News, 14 Jun 2004, 82 (24), 47-62 (Website: http://www.cen-online.org)
O N
C ATA LY S T S
future growth and success in producing commodity chemicals and consumer products using bioprocesses will depend on what happens to crude-oil supplies and prices and the quality and availability of feedstock crops. Industrial biotech is seen as separate from but complementary to pharmaceuticals and agricultural biotechnology. Industrial biotech accounts for around 5% of world chemical sales, mainly via ethanol, pharmaceuticals intermediates, citric acid, and amino acids. This figure is expected to rise to 10% by 2010, but could reach 20% depending on acceptance by consumers and cost. The rapid growth is due to the development of low-cost enzymes and new recombinant technologies to make the necessary microbes. The most important area of focus for sustainable development is transportation fuels. Chemical and Engineering News, 31 May 2004, 82 (22), 31-34
COMPANY NEWS Avecia agrees to Japanese tech deal An agreement has been signed by Avecia Pharmaceuticals with the NARD Institute of Amagasaki in Japan. NARD is to sublicense the technologies for small-scale manufacturing by third-party pharmaceuticals in Japan. Avecia’s CACHy and CATHy chiral catalyst, PdEnCat encapsulated palladium catalyst, and enzymatic biotransformation palladium catalyst technologies are included in the deal. Chemical Week, 26 May 2004, 166 (18), & Press release from: Avecia Pharmaceuticals, PO Box 42, Blackley, Manchester, M9 8ZS, UK. Tel: +44 0 161 721 2890 (11 May 2004)
2
Plastics and Rubber Asia, Jun 2004, 19 (126), 6
BASF acquires enzyme data bank BASF Plant Science has acquired the Brenda enzyme data bank from Biobase GmbH. The electronic encyclopaedia contains entries on over 83,000 enzymes from 9800 organisms, as well as metabolic data from over 46,000 publications. Chemische Rundschau, 15 Jun 2004, (6), 86 (in German)
BASF adds dimethyl disulfide to its range BASF recently added dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) to its range of products. DMDS (which is also made by Atofina) is used as a hydrotreatment catalyst in chemical processes and in the synthesis of agrochemical intermediates. BASF opened its first DMDS unit in Ludwigshafen, Germany, in Summer 2003. Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 7 Jun 2004, (258), 9 (in French)
Basell issues more licences
Bayer and BASF complete technology licensing pact
Arak Petrochemical Co (APC), an affiliate of National Petrochemical Co, will expand its polyolefin capacity at its two plants that use Basell manufacturing process technologies. APC is Iran’s first company to license Basell’s technologies. The capacity of the two plants will expand by 50% and product range will also broaden to
Bayer and BASF have negotiated a licensing arrangement which will allow BASF to produce polyether polyols using Bayer’s Impact technology. The technology uses a double metal cyanide as a catalyst for polyoxyalkylation. The agreement covers a process to produce longchain polyether polyols used in the
Biomass or bust Advocates of industrial biotech believe that the technologies needed to make commodity chemicals, such as drugs, agricultural adjuvants, plastics, and transport fuels, are available, and that a bio-based world economy is in sight. Industry observers tend to be in agreement with this view and support industrial biotech. They say, however, that
include additional market needs. Capacity at the PE plant, which uses Basell’s Hostalen process, will rise by 40%. A Basell official states that total polyolefin capacity in Iran that uses its technology is above 2 M tonne/y. Basell has also made an agreement with PetroChina for the use of Hostalen technology in the latter’s new 300,000 tonne/y high-density polyethylene plant in Jilin, China. National Petrochemical Industrial Co will also employ Basell’s Spheripol technology at a new 400 kilotonne PP plant in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. The plant is slated to begin operations for the 1Q 2007.
AUGUST 2004