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Sandia develops thermally cleavable surfactants
FOCUS Kokyo Alcohol Kogyo Sales of fatty alcohols by Japan’s Kokyo Alcohol Kogyo are to be increased by 50% to $29 M. The company is collaborating with a Germany plant extracts company. For the past 50 years it has sold cosmetic grade fatty alcohols in Japan. Oils and Fats International, May 2005, 21 (3), 11
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pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, detergents (amphoteric surfactants) and plastics. CABB has 2 production plants, at Knapsack and Gersthofen in Germany, both making MCAA and other related products. The sale is part of Clariant’s Transformation Programme, aimed at improving profitability. Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 27 Jun 2005, (303), 9-10 (in French)
Taiyo Kagaku markets new surfactant for alkaline detergents The main sales of Taiyo Kagaku are 500 tonne/y of polyglycerol fatty acid ester for use as a surfactant in shampoos, skincare products and household detergents. The company is now to begin sales of a new surfactant, polyglycerol alkyl ether, for use in soaps and other alkaline detergents. Demand is expected to be high.
Lurgi builds plant for Sawit Mas Japan Chemical Week, 26 May 2005, 46 (2319), 4
A second fatty alcohols plant is to be built by Lurgi for Sawit Mas in Sumatra, Indonesia. The plant will use Lurgi’s proprietary process for esterification to wax. Palm oil or copra oil will be the raw materials. It is due on line towards the end of 2006. Products will be sold to Procter & Gamble, mostly for use in the manufacture of detergents [Focus on Surfactants, Mar 2005]. Oils and Fats International, May 2005, 21 (3), 11
Ethoxylates/other Firm lets contract for Al Jubail complex Project Management & Development Co Ltd (PMD) of Saudi Arabia has awarded a design and engineering contract for the $3.5 bn petrochemicals complex at Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia [Focus on Surfactants, Jun 2005] to Fluor Corp. In related news, Westlake Chemical is to become a major equity partner in the complex, alongside PMD. The complex will include a 530,000 tonnes/y ethylene oxide plant and derivative plants for ethanolamine and ethoxylates. The complex is scheduled to be completed in 2008. Oil and Gas Journal, 13 Jun 2005, 103 (22), 9 & Chemical Week, 8 Jun 2005, 167 (19) (Website: http://www.chemweek.com)
Clariant sells acetylated intermediates division to Gilde The Dutch investment company Gilde is to buy the Clariant acetyl building blocks (CABB) division for €48 M. The sale is to include all 300 employees. Based in Sulzbach, Germany, CABB had €114 M turnover in 2004. Among CABB’s leading products is monochloracetic acid (MCAA), which is an intermediate for AUGUST 2005
SURFACTANTS Sandia develops thermally cleavable surfactants Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, CA, USA, have developed a family of cleavable surface active agents (SAAs) based on Diels-Alder chemistry. They are claimed to be the first known examples of a surfactant that can be thermally degraded in a benign manner. Traditional surfactants are difficult to remove from processes in which they are employed. Some systems require the invasive addition of an acid or base to separate the surfactant into fragments in order to eliminate surface activity, which usually necessitates costly posttreatment to achieve acceptable downstream processing conditions. Five anionic surfactants are available from Sandia, all incorporating hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments that covalently degrade at elevated temperatures. They behave like classic SAAs, and form micelles in water. After cleaving, they lose all surface activity. Sandia said commercially available thermally cleavable surfactants would enable industrial practices where it is desirable to diminish foaming or surface active properties over time, in drug delivery, and where biodegradability is a primary concern. They could prove useful in such diverse fields as textile processing, electronics fabrication, sample management, wastewater processing, biomedical diagnostics, cleavable phase transfer reagents and other applications, said spokesman Scott Vaupen. Press release from: Sandia National Laboratories, PO Box 969, Livermore, CA 94551, USA. Tel: +1 505 844 8066. Website: http://www.sandia.gov/news-center (7 Jun 2005)
Ajinomoto’s cleansing agent Ajinomoto has featured Amilite GCS-11 (sodium cocoyl glycinate), a cleansing agent obtained from the amino acid glycine and coconut fatty acid that is mild, hypoallergenic and suitable for use in facial washes. Amilite GCS-11 has high foaming power with creamy foam and is synergistic with fatty acid soaps to create high-volume foam and high quality. HAPPI, Household & Personal Products Industry, Jun 2005, 42 (6), 39
Uniqema price increase for alkoxylates in Europe Uniqema has implemented further price increases for alkoxylates products in Europe by between 10% and 20% depending on individual product grade and sales volumes, as existing contracts allow. The increases are driven by further recent and sustained cost increases for raw materials, freight, energy and packaging. The on-going high cost of basic petrochemicals, intermediates (particularly for ethylene and propylene oxides) and strong demand for natural and synthetic alcohols have all had a major impact on alkoxylates. Uniqema manufactures over 300 alkoxylates products in Europe under trade names including Arlatone, Atlas, Atpol, Brij, Kemelix, Myrj, Synperonic and Tween. Press release from: Uniqema, Buurtje 1, 2802 BE, Gouda, The Netherlands. Tel: + 31 182 542 187. Fax: + 31 182 542 286. Website: http://www.uniqema.com (1 Jun 2005)
No bar to growth of soap noodles Asia currently accounts for 50% of the global soap noodle market. The global soaps and detergents market 3
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pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, detergents (amphoteric surfactants) and plastics. CABB has 2 production plants, at Knapsack and Gersthofen in Germany, both making MCAA and other related products. The sale is part of Clariant’s Transformation Programme, aimed at improving profitability. Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 27 Jun 2005, (303), 9-10 (in French)
Taiyo Kagaku markets new surfactant for alkaline detergents The main sales of Taiyo Kagaku are 500 tonne/y of polyglycerol fatty acid ester for use as a surfactant in shampoos, skincare products and household detergents. The company is now to begin sales of a new surfactant, polyglycerol alkyl ether, for use in soaps and other alkaline detergents. Demand is expected to be high.
Lurgi builds plant for Sawit Mas Japan Chemical Week, 26 May 2005, 46 (2319), 4
A second fatty alcohols plant is to be built by Lurgi for Sawit Mas in Sumatra, Indonesia. The plant will use Lurgi’s proprietary process for esterification to wax. Palm oil or copra oil will be the raw materials. It is due on line towards the end of 2006. Products will be sold to Procter & Gamble, mostly for use in the manufacture of detergents [Focus on Surfactants, Mar 2005]. Oils and Fats International, May 2005, 21 (3), 11
Ethoxylates/other Firm lets contract for Al Jubail complex Project Management & Development Co Ltd (PMD) of Saudi Arabia has awarded a design and engineering contract for the $3.5 bn petrochemicals complex at Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia [Focus on Surfactants, Jun 2005] to Fluor Corp. In related news, Westlake Chemical is to become a major equity partner in the complex, alongside PMD. The complex will include a 530,000 tonnes/y ethylene oxide plant and derivative plants for ethanolamine and ethoxylates. The complex is scheduled to be completed in 2008. Oil and Gas Journal, 13 Jun 2005, 103 (22), 9 & Chemical Week, 8 Jun 2005, 167 (19) (Website: http://www.chemweek.com)
Clariant sells acetylated intermediates division to Gilde The Dutch investment company Gilde is to buy the Clariant acetyl building blocks (CABB) division for €48 M. The sale is to include all 300 employees. Based in Sulzbach, Germany, CABB had €114 M turnover in 2004. Among CABB’s leading products is monochloracetic acid (MCAA), which is an intermediate for AUGUST 2005
SURFACTANTS Sandia develops thermally cleavable surfactants Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, CA, USA, have developed a family of cleavable surface active agents (SAAs) based on Diels-Alder chemistry. They are claimed to be the first known examples of a surfactant that can be thermally degraded in a benign manner. Traditional surfactants are difficult to remove from processes in which they are employed. Some systems require the invasive addition of an acid or base to separate the surfactant into fragments in order to eliminate surface activity, which usually necessitates costly posttreatment to achieve acceptable downstream processing conditions. Five anionic surfactants are available from Sandia, all incorporating hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments that covalently degrade at elevated temperatures. They behave like classic SAAs, and form micelles in water. After cleaving, they lose all surface activity. Sandia said commercially available thermally cleavable surfactants would enable industrial practices where it is desirable to diminish foaming or surface active properties over time, in drug delivery, and where biodegradability is a primary concern. They could prove useful in such diverse fields as textile processing, electronics fabrication, sample management, wastewater processing, biomedical diagnostics, cleavable phase transfer reagents and other applications, said spokesman Scott Vaupen. Press release from: Sandia National Laboratories, PO Box 969, Livermore, CA 94551, USA. Tel: +1 505 844 8066. Website: http://www.sandia.gov/news-center (7 Jun 2005)
Ajinomoto’s cleansing agent Ajinomoto has featured Amilite GCS-11 (sodium cocoyl glycinate), a cleansing agent obtained from the amino acid glycine and coconut fatty acid that is mild, hypoallergenic and suitable for use in facial washes. Amilite GCS-11 has high foaming power with creamy foam and is synergistic with fatty acid soaps to create high-volume foam and high quality. HAPPI, Household & Personal Products Industry, Jun 2005, 42 (6), 39
Uniqema price increase for alkoxylates in Europe Uniqema has implemented further price increases for alkoxylates products in Europe by between 10% and 20% depending on individual product grade and sales volumes, as existing contracts allow. The increases are driven by further recent and sustained cost increases for raw materials, freight, energy and packaging. The on-going high cost of basic petrochemicals, intermediates (particularly for ethylene and propylene oxides) and strong demand for natural and synthetic alcohols have all had a major impact on alkoxylates. Uniqema manufactures over 300 alkoxylates products in Europe under trade names including Arlatone, Atlas, Atpol, Brij, Kemelix, Myrj, Synperonic and Tween. Press release from: Uniqema, Buurtje 1, 2802 BE, Gouda, The Netherlands. Tel: + 31 182 542 187. Fax: + 31 182 542 286. Website: http://www.uniqema.com (1 Jun 2005)
No bar to growth of soap noodles Asia currently accounts for 50% of the global soap noodle market. The global soaps and detergents market 3