Evonik Elements 37

Transcription

Evonik Elements 37

elements37
Quarterly Science Newsletter
ANALYTICS
Analysis tool for the uppermost nanometers
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY
Small is beautiful
RESOURCE EFFICIENCY
Evonik knows how to treat acid gases
Issue 4|2011
2 Co ntent s
6
Cover Picture Steve Rienecker transfers a specimen from the loading chamber
to the spectrometer chamber of the new XPS measuring
system of AQura GmbH, Evonik’s analytics service provider.
NEWS
18
4 Construction begins on specialty chemical facility for electronic chips
4 New catalyst plant for biodiesel production in Argentina
5Joint venture to produce superabsorbents in Saudi Arabia established
5 Construction of a hydrogen peroxide plant in China
Nominated for the Evonik Innovation Award 2011
category New Products/System Solutions
24
6A fresh bar for the laundry:
The Bounce® Dryer Bar offers care for textiles in bar form
7High-precision PLEXIGLAS® lenses make photovoltaic technology
efficient and inexpensive: Exploiting the sun’s essence
8VESTAMID® for photovoltaics
category New or Improved Processes
9 Process optimization: More isophorone from less raw material
10 New technology platform for the manufacturing of pharmaceutical
polymers: Quality by design
11It’s the mixture that does it: A new process makes the manufacturing
of the TS-1 catalyst more environmentally friendly and economic
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY
12 Small is beautiful
ANALYTICS
18 Surface spectrometry: Analysis tool for the uppermost nanometers
Innovation management
24 Corporate Foresight: A strategic look into the next decade
25 Interview with Dr. Peter Nagler: “Research requires passion”
NEWS
27 Evonik lays foundation for two new innovation centers in Essen
27 Plant for products used in adhesives and sealants to be built
28 Appointment of Dr. Stefan Buchholz as honorary professor
28 International environmental award for the Wind Explorer
29 European Responsible Care Award for Evonik
29Expansion of R&D Center in Shanghai
Coating & Bonding Technologies
30 Thin but powerful
RESOURCE EFFICIENCY
34 Evonik knows how to treat acid gases
NEWS
39 Methyl methacrylate production capacities to be increased
39 Evonik to double its L-lysine capacities in the US
elements37 Issue 4|2011
39 Credits
E ditorial 3
Thinking ahead, thinking along the
same lines, thinking at length
According to a study, 28 percent of all Germans are “digitally deprived.” They
seldom, if ever, use a computer, and are completely at a loss when it comes to
home pages or e-mail. Initiative D21, a partnership between politics and industry
for the information society, reached this conclusion last year. The digitally deprived have missed out on a technology, without which access to information and
services is becoming increasingly difficult—either because it was too complicated
for them, they underestimated its importance, or because it was too expensive.
Companies face this same problem. Innovation cycles are becoming increasingly shorter, technologies are making giant strides—the danger of missing the boat
when it comes to important developments is increasing. If a company wants to
avoid being left on the dock, it will have to think ahead and monitor trends, evaluate
their future business potential, and if the time is right, step into the market. We
established the Corporate Foresight Team a little over a year ago with just this in
mind: to understand the varied challenges we face in the next ten to fifteen years,
and develop solution approaches with strong sales potential for Evonik. Currently,
the team is focused on the subject of megacities, because congested conurbations
not only manifest all the problems of the future in a confined space but are also
the economic growth centers of tomorrow.
Above all, this is a subject that forces us to think globally. And that is an urgent
necessity, because in the next few years, the chemical industry will grow not only
in Germany but in other regions with outstanding universities and equally outstand
ing scientists. For this reason, it is no longer enough to produce in the relevant
markets: we must also be able to think along the same lines as our customers on-site
so we can understand their individual needs and problems. A good example is our
technology center in Shanghai (China), where we maintain thriving partnerships
with customers and universities that would hardly be possible over a distance of
several thousand kilometers. We are now investing some € 18 million in the expansion of this center, because we need more laboratories and pilot plants—but more
than anything, because we need bright minds.
In all, we drive innovation at 35 sites around the world, and maintain a close
proximity to our customers in the key regions. International R&D does not mean,
however, neglecting Germany as an industrial location. With its close networking
between academia and industry, Germany continues to offer an outstanding in
novative environment. This is why we are now investing about € 31 million in two
new R&D centers in Essen (Germany) for developing innovative additives and
specialty binders for paints and coatings, and sustainable products for the cosmetics
industry. A successful investment, and it didn’t take us long to decide to make it.
It was more difficult, I should say, to decide whom we would nominate for this
year’s Innovation Award. We had to think at length, because our researchers
and their consistently good projects ran a close race. To find out which six teams
and projects ultimately made it to the final round, turn to page 6.
Patrik Wohlhauser
Member of the Executive Board of
Evonik Industries AG
4
N e ws
Construction begins on specialty chemical facility for electronic chips
Evonik Industries has begun building a sec
ond hexachlorodisilane (HCDS) production
facility in Rheinfelden, a city in Germany’s
Baden region. Production is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2012. Hexachloro
disilane, a raw material containing silicon, is
used by the semiconductor industry to man
ufacture inexpensively and efficiently, among
other things, memory chips with extremely
high storage densities. Known as “flash mem
ory,” these chips can be found in devices such
as smartphones, digital cameras, MP3 players, or USB sticks. Solid-state drives consisting of flash memory chips instead of the
standard hard drives are also increasingly
used in computers.
“By building this new production facility,
we’re striving to further bolster our already
strong position as a provider of key raw materials for the electronics industry,” commented
Dr. Thomas Haeberle, Evonik’s Executive
Board member with responsibility for the
Resource Efficiency segment. Evonik markets
hexachlorodisilane under the Siridion® HCDS
brand. “We believe that hexachlorodisilane
has promising market prospects and are plan-
ning to supply it in particular to Asia’s
semiconductor industry,” added Thomas
Hermann, head of the Inorganic Materials
Business Unit.
Production methods for silicon compounds are one of Evonik’s most important
technology platforms as a specialty chemicals
producer. The company itself developed the
hexachlorodisilane production process and
successfully implemented it in Rheinfelden in
September 2010 as the first plant put into
operation. The second, new production facil
ity is much larger and has a capacity of sev
eral tens of thousands of kilograms.
For the manufacture of flash memory
chips, the semiconductor industry, even
today, works with structure sizes of 25 nanometers in mass production. However, new
generations with even finer structures are
already in the pipeline at major memory chip
manufacturers. The wafer-thin, functional
layers needed for such fine structures can
be created through chemical vapor deposition of hexachlorodisilane. The advantages of
Siridion® HCDS are that it can be deposited
in chip production at relatively low tempera-
tures, and that it generates highly homogenous, functional films. Because ultrapure raw
materials are used in the production of
Siridion® HCDS, the concentration of critical
metal trace elements in the products is exceptionally low. Siridion® HCDS fits seamlessly
into the Siridion product family, in which
Evonik offers key raw materials for the manufacture of solar silicon, optical fibers, semiconductors, and flat screens.
New catalyst plant for biodiesel production in Argentina
Evonik Industries is building a new plant for manufacturing catalysts
for biodiesel production in Argentina. The plant, which is expected
to be operational by the end of 2012 at the latest, will supply readyto-use alcoholates as catalysts for the production of biodiesel from
renewable resources. It will primarily serve markets in Argentina and
Brazil, with an annual capacity of over 60,000 metric tons.
The facility is located in the center of the Argentine biodiesel
industry in Puerto General San Martin in the greater Rosario metropolitan area. Evonik will be part of a site where Terminal 6 S.A. oper
ates a major biodiesel facility.
In 2009, Evonik started up a production facility in Mobile (Alabama,
USA) with an annual capacity of 60,000 metric tons. Evonik uses this
plant, which was built in just nine months, to meet a part of the
demand on the growing North American biodiesel market. Based on
the successful use of the new production technology in the US, the
plant in Argentina will follow the same design type. The technology
involves generating alcoholates in a direct reaction of alcohol and lye.
Evonik already holds a leading global position in biodiesel catalysts, including in South America. “The new facility in Argentina will
strengthen our business around the world and in the region,” noted
Jan Van den Bergh, head of the Evonik Advanced Intermediates
Business Unit. “This will allow us to participate in the significant market growth for biodiesel, which is projected to expand strongly in the
intermediate term.” As a global market leader for specialty catalysts
for the production of biodiesel, Evonik also operates a catalyst manufacturing facility at its German Niederkassel-Lülsdorf site near Cologne.
Ne ws
Joint venture to
produce superabsorb
ents in Saudi Arabia
established
Evonik Industries and Saudi Acrylic Acid
Company (SAAC) have established a joint
venture called Saudi Acrylic Polymers Com
pany (SAPCo) for the production of superabsorbents. SAAC is a joint venture of the
Saudi companies National Industrialization
Company (Tasnee) and Sahara Petrochem
icals. The production facility with an annual
capacity of 80,000 metric tons is scheduled
to begin production in late 2013. The total
investment will be in the triple-digit million
euro range.
The SAPCo superabsorbent production is
part of a new acrylic acid and derivative complex on the Tasnee premises of the Al Jubail
chemical park in Saudi Arabia and will benefit from favorably priced propylene from the
adjacent cracking facility operated jointly by
Tasnee, Sahara, and Lyondell Basell. The EPC
contract will be assigned to Fluor.
Patrik Wohlhauser, the Evonik Executive
Board member responsible for the Consumer,
Health & Nutrition reporting segment, and
Dr. Moayyed I. Al-Qurtas, Deputy Chairman
of the Supervisory Board and CEO of Tasnee,
signed the corresponding joint venture agreement in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). “This is an
important step for our Group in the Middle
East growth market and will significantly
boost our leading position for superabsorbents,” said Wohlhauser. Evonik is a leading
global producer of superabsorbents, a key
basic material for the manufacture of diapers
and feminine hygiene products.
The joint venture will be equipped with
state-of-the-art Evonik superabsorbent technology and will benefit from the advanta
geous local source materials supply. The
5
acrylic acid for the production of superabsorbents will come from an adjoining SAMCO
facility. SAMCO is a joint venture of SAAC
and Dow Chemicals.
“This is the first superabsorbent production plant in the region. We will provide our
customers with our usual high-quality, up-todate technology to serve the growing market
of the Middle East. Together with our Saudi
partners, we are closing the supply chain
from oil to diaper production in Saudi Arabia,”
noted Claus Rettig, head of the Evonik Con
sumer Specialties Business Unit.
Superabsorbents are a
key base material for
the manufacture of
hygiene products such
as diapers. The photo
shows an appliedtechnology laboratory
at Evonik’s Krefeld
(Germany) site
Construction of a hydrogen peroxide plant in China
Evonik Industries will build a new production
plant for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in Jilin
Province in northeastern China. An investment of more than E100 million in the
project sees Evonik moving another step
forward in its endeavor to access new sales
markets for this environmentally friendly
oxidant.
Scheduled to be completed by the end of
2013, the plant will boast an annual production capacity of 230,000 metric tons, thus
increasing Evonik’s current overall annual
capacity of around 600,000 tons for H2O2
production by nearly 40 percent. The Group
believes it is the world’s second-largest
manufacturer of hydrogen peroxide.
Evonik will supply its H2O2 from Jilin
directly to the adjacent propylene oxide plant
run by Jishen Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. via
a pipeline that will link the two facilities. A
long-term supply agreement has already been
concluded between the companies. Jishen
will use innovative technology, the so-called
HPPO process, to make propylene oxide from
the hydrogen peroxide. Evonik and Thyssen
Krupp Uhde GmbH, an engineering firm
based in Dortmund (Germany), this summer
entered a licensing agreement with Jishen
Chemical Industry Co. Ltd. for its use of the
HPPO process. Propylene oxide is mainly
used in manufacturing polyurethane intermediates. The polyurethanes then go into
making things like upholstery for car seats or
furniture. The HPPO process was developed
by Evonik in collaboration with Uhde.
In the past, hydrogen peroxide was used
mostly as a bleaching agent in the textile and
pulp industry. The innovative HPPO process
now makes it possible for this environmentally friendly oxidant to be used in the chem
ical direct synthesis of propylene oxide, too.
The advantages of the HPPO process are
that it requires significantly less investment
and allows a high degree of production effi
ciency. It is also an extremely eco-friendly
process.The HPPO plant in China to use the
Evonik-Uhde process will be the second of
its kind. The first-ever, large-scale HPPO
operation anywhere in the world was jointly
established by Evonik, Uhde, and a Korean
chemicals company (the licensee) in Ulsan
(Korea) in 2008.
“The global demand for HPPO technology is enormous,” said Jan Van den Bergh,
head of Evonik’s Advanced Intermediates
Business Unit, adding that “more and more
chemicals manufacturers are using hydrogen
peroxide as an environmentally friendly
oxidant. We’re holding talks all over the
world in an effort to further drive forward
our growth strategy for hydrogen peroxide
by promoting the use of this new technol
ogy.” Market forecasts anticipate continual
growth of the worldwide market for propyl
ene oxide. Evonik is investing in Jilin with
the aim of participating in that growth.
6 N ominated for the E vonik I nn ovation Awar d 2011
c ategory Ne w Produc t s/ S ys tem Solutions
The Bounce® Dryer Bar offers care for
textiles in bar form
A fresh bar for
the laundry
David Del Guercio
Dr. Georg Schick
Saji Meledathu
Lee Harrison
Dr. Joachim Venzmer
Consumer Specialties
Business Unit
Contact
Dr. Hans Henning Wenk
Consumer Specialties
Business Unit
+49 6181 59-2673
henning.wenk@evonik.com
Laundry should be pleasantly soft and aromatically fresh –
which is why many consumers use fabric conditioner. However,
while Europeans can easily pour this into the special compartment
intended for this in their washing machine, things are more com
plicated for Americans: washing machines in the USA have historically been the top-loader variety, which do not have a separate
fabric conditioner compartment. Once the wash cycle has finished,
the fabric conditioner must be added and a new rinse cycle started.
As a result, the North American market’s pursuit of convenience
has resulted in the development over the last 30 years of clothesdryer-applied fabric softener products. Thanks to a joint new
development from Procter & Gamble and Evonik, this type of
fabric care will now become much easier: the Bounce® Dryer Bar
is a new fabric enhancer product in the form of a thin flat bar
which can be simply attached to the drum of a tumble dryer, giving
clothing a pleasant freshness, softness, and reducing electrostatic
loading on the garments. One bar lasts for up to four months in
the dryer, and can easily be replaced with a new bar once fully
depleted. It has now been nominated in the New Products/System
Solutions category and has made it into the final stage with two
other developments.
The idea of applying the fabric softener in the dryer is not new.
Fragranced and care conditioner “dryer sheets” already exist, and
can be used instead of a fabric softener, but they have their drawbacks: very often they get caught in individual items of clothing
and no longer move freely in the drum. This means that the soften
ing agents are unevenly distributed on the fabric – and the consumer
is dissatisfied. Fabric conditioner products in solid form are also not
a new idea, however they have only been designed for industrial
applications to date.
Procter & Gamble – one of the leading manufacturer’s for consumer goods with well-known brands such as Lenor/Downy, Ariel/
Tide, and Pampers – and Evonik therefore joined forces. Their goal:
to create a new product for the North American market which
would significantly simplify the fabric softening process, and would
repeatedly survive high temperatures without any damage and be
biodegradable. The result is the Bounce® Dryer Bar, a fresh bar
form product which in principle consists of three components: a
laundry fabric conditioner that repeatedly remains stable at high
temperatures, an ingredient which assures the bar form even in
dryer conditions, and a fragrance. Evonik is supplying the entire
product mixture as flakes to the American company which it can
then convert into the desired color and form.
The Bounce® Dryer Bar has been on the market since July 2009
and “is consistently exceeding expectations at Procter & Gamble,”
says Bob McDonald, Chief Executive Officer of Procter & Gamble.
In 2010 the Bounce® Dryer Bar was honored with the Silver Edison
Award, an inventor’s prize, in the household products category.
N ominated for the E vonik Inn ovation Awar d 2011 7
c ategory Ne w Produ c t s/ S ys tem Solutions
High-precision PLEXIGLAS® lenses make photovoltaic
technology efficient and inexpensive
Exploiting the sun’s
essence
Dr. Jochen Ackermann
Andrew Baumler
Bradley Brech
Peter Colburn
Dave DiBona
Grant LaFontaine
Uwe Löffler
Peter Marks
Volker Mende
Mike Pasierb
Steffen Richter
Dieter Rothermel
Wolfgang Scharnke
Dr. Jann Schmidt
Performance Polymers
Business Unit
Dr. Andreas Hoff
Hans Rausch
Process Technology &
Engineering Service Unit
Dr. Thomas Arndt
Analytical Services Service
Unit, Material Testing
Dr. Ralf Düssel
Dr. Sandra Reemers
Coatings & Additives
Business Unit
Contact
Peter Marks
Business Unit
+1 207 490-4371
peter.a.marks@evonik.com
Photovoltaic systems have become an important pillar in climate-friendly and ecologically tolerable
energy generation on a global scale. In collaboration
with 10X Technology LLC (Libertyville, Illinois, USA)
and Amonix Inc. (Seal Beach, California, USA), the
world’s leader in concentrating photovoltaics (CPV),
Evonik has developed a product that serves the increas
ing application of CPV: high-precision Fresnel lenses
made of PLEXIGLAS® Solar. These lenses bundle the
sun’s rays, concentrate that light on a small surface,
and thus boost the efficiency of solar modules. The
cross-divisional, international team of Evonik develop
ers responsible for this innovation has now been
nominated for the Evonik Innovation Award 2011 in
the New Products/System Solutions category.
In the pursuit to make photovoltaic technology more
efficient, we can direct our focus on two things: on
reducing the manufacturing costs for solar modules or
on increasing their yield. One particularly promising
area of development is concentrating photovoltaics.
This budding new technology holds the prospect of
exceptional effectiveness, since it bundles sunlight
through so-called primary and secondary lenses and
focuses it on the highly efficient solar cells used in CPV.
Primary lenses are mounted in front of the solar cells,
from where they concentrate light onto the secondary
lenses placed directly onto the cell. CPV not only concentrates sunlight, but it also reduces the requirements
for the extremely expensive semiconductor material.
The product now nominated for the Evonik Inno
vation Award serves as a primary lens. The researchers
had to overcome a number of obstacles to develop it.
For one thing they had to find a way to transfer the micro
structure precisely and faultlessly onto a PLEXIGLAS®
film to be able to ensure efficient optical performance.
They also had to develop a highly automated process
with which to laminate this structured film onto the
carrier sheets and thus enable the production of perfect,
self-supporting concentrator optics. They were, moreover, faced with the task of developing a 25-year guarantee to further enhance product marketability.
The team surmounted all these obstacles. After initial
product trials at a pilot facility in Weiterstadt (Germany),
greater test quantities were produced at 10X Technol
ogy LLC in Chicago (Illinois, USA) and at Evonik Cyro
LLC in Sanford (Maine, USA).
These PLEXIGLAS® Solar concentrator lenses have
helped CPV technology take great strides towards
achieving the generally applied market benchmark for
electricity generation: the levelized cost of electricity
(LCOE). From a commercial perspective, the project is
already a success, with initial profit contributions re
corded in 2011. This development has helped catapult
Evonik to the forefront of CPV technology.
8
N ominated for the E vonik I nn ovation Awar d 2011
c ategory Ne w Produc t s/ S ys tem Solutions
VESTAMID® for
photovoltaics
Dr. Franz-Erich Baumann
Bernd Beckmann
Claudia Behrens
Michael Beyer
Dr. Harald Häger
Martin Himmelmann
Reinhold Steiner
Dr. Andreas Pawlik
Dr. Martin Wielpütz
Business Unit
Contact
Dr. Martin Wielpütz
Business Unit
+49 2365 49-86725
martin.wielpuetz@evonik.com
You will find it in offshore oil pipelines and under the hood
of a car, in toothbrushes and sports shoes, in impellers and silent
gears—and now even in solar modules. Yet again, Evonik has
demonstrated the versatility of its VESTAMID® high-performance
polyamide and developed the raw materials for a new and innovative backsheet for solar modules. This application has so far used
exclusively a composite film of polyvinyl fluoride and polyester.
In VESTAMID® Evonik now offers the solar industry a fluoride-free
solution. As it is more easily recycled, this product at last provides
an eco-friendly alternative on the path to more ecologically responsible energy management. It also has superior properties—a
development that has aroused keen interest among solar module
manufacturers and has now won it a nomination for the Evonik
Innovation Award 2011 in the New Products/System Solutions
category.
Most of the solar modules currently installed on rooftops use
solar cells made from silicon that convert sunlight into power. To
create a module from the solar cells, these are soldered together,
embedded for mechanical protection and encapsulated. While the
front of the capsule is usually made of glass to allow penetration
of light, the rear of the module is insulated by a plastic film. The
film serves to protect against weathering effects and to prevent the
electric voltage from impacting the rear of the module.
The rear cover must resist wind, weather, and UV light, be electrically insulating, and, even in warm, humid weather, protect
against condensed water, which could corrode the cells; in addi
tion, it must reflect sunlight to increase the efficiency of the
module. And these properties must be retained over a period of
more than 20 years. Due to these extremely demanding requirements, virtually the only suitable material so far (for decades)
has been a plastic film composite of polyester and polyvinyl fluo
ride. Module producers have so far accepted the high price of
this established film composite as well as the fact that its fluorine
content considerably complicates recycling and should in fact be
an exclusion criterion for an environmentally friendly technology.
Evonik’s Performance Polymers Business Unit has now devel
oped the raw materials for an alternative film composite of
VESTAMID® with superior heat and light resistance to the estab
lished composite and also better light reflection. Close collabora
tion with customers was a crucial factor in this success: Isovoltaic
AG (Lebring, Austria), a market leader in backsheets for solar mod
ules, and Isosport Verbundbauteile GmbH (Eisenstadt, Austria),
the largest processor of polyamide 12 films for the sports industry,
translated this development into a new and revolutionary film composite. “The new film composite was launched in 2009 and the
response was unbelievable,” says Dr. Martin Wielpütz, spokesman
of the team nominated for the Innovation Award. “The solar industry had been downright waiting for an alternative to the established
system. In VESTAMID® we are offering a high-performance system
that has better properties and can be recycled easily. It is also less
expensive and therefore counteracts increasing cost pressure in this
industry.”
N ominated for the E vonik Inn ovation Awar d 2011 9
c ategory Ne w or Improv ed Pro ce s se s
Process optimization
More isophorone from
less raw material
Dr. Gerda Grund
Robert Jansen
Dr. Stephan Kohlstruk
Martin Maier
Dr. Jörg-Joachim Nitz
Dr. Matthias Orschel
Dr. Markus Schwarz
Business Unit
Dr. Axel Hengstermann
Dr. Rolf Hirsch
Dr. Norbert Richter
Dr. Armin Rix
Dr. Horst-Werner Zanthoff
Process Technology &
Engineering Service Unit
Contact
Dr. Jörg-Joachim Nitz
Business Unit
+49 2365 49-4882
joerg-joachim.nitz@evonik.com
In early 2014, Evonik will start up new production
plants for isophorone and isophorone diamine in Shang
hai (China). These plants will be the most advanced
of their kind. As part of a large-scale project, an interdisciplinary team from the Coatings & Additives Busi
ness Unit and the Process Technology & Engineering
Service Unit has carefully examined and optimized the
entire process chain. The results are highly impressive:
in the new isophorone plant in China, the selectivity of
the process, which has already been optimized over
several years, will achieve record levels. For this achieve
ment, the team has now been nominated for the Evonik
Innovation Award 2011 in the New or Improved Proces
ses category.
Isophorone, isophorone diamine, isophorone diisocyanate, and other derivatives are used to manufacture
industrial flooring, synthetic leather, and eco-friendly
paints and coatings, and also in composite materials and
chemical synthesis. In its own estimate, Evonik is a
market and technology leader in isophorone chemistry
and its derivatives, with current production sites in
Herne (Germany) and Mobile (Alabama, USA). The raw
material is acetone, which reacts at high pressures and
temperatures to yield isophorone. This is a complex
reaction and can easily lead to unwanted secondary and
subsequent reactions. These latter reactions can be suppressed if only part of the acetone used undergoes
conversion.
The prices of raw materials, which have in general
risen considerably and continuously over the last few
years, are a significant cost driver in isophorone production. To counter the growing cost pressure, the
selectivity of the isophorone production process had to
be considerably improved without significantly increas
ing energy requirements in the plants.
This was a daunting task, which the team achieved
in a combination of different steps carried out at the
same time. First, new chemical analysis methods had to
be developed to clarify the mechanisms of by-product
formation. Second, key approaches to process optimization were deduced from fundamental reaction engineering considerations. At the same time, this new
knowledge was applied in innovative concepts for plants
and equipment. The selectivity of the existing plants
could thus be significantly increased and the formation
of by-products further reduced. The selectivity of the
China plant will reach record levels.
With this further improvement in performance,
Evonik once again wants to restate its claim to technical
leadership in isophorone and its derivatives, and to
lay the foundations for further global consolidation of
its market position. And, what’s equally important
for Evonik, even the environment benefits because the
improved process produces less waste, uses less energy, and therefore emits less CO2.
10 N ominated for the E vonik I nn ovation Awar d 2011
New technology platform for the manufacturing of pharmaceutical polymers
Quality by design
Dr. Johannes Vorholz
Andy Weber
Business Unit
Dr. Christian Meier
Dr. Axel Monsees
Business Unit
Dr. Thomas Süfke
Dr. Sabine Löchner
Dr. Stefan Menzler
Shraddha Bodinge
Health & Nutrition
Business Unit
Joachim Heid
Dr. Andreas Landgrafe
Site Services Darmstadt
Contact
Dr. Johannes Vorholz
Business Unit
+49 6151 18-4714
johannes.vorholz@evonik.com
When a pharmaceutical components supplier makes changes to the
manufacturing process for its product, the ramifications can be momentous. If
the change affects the quality or properties of the product in any, even minor,
way, that product will need to be re-released—a procedure which takes a great
deal of time and involves enormous costs.
A cross-divisional team of experts has now developed a new polymeriza
tion platform, SOLUPOL, that gracefully circumnavigates this problem. The
new technology for manufacturing the pharmaceutical polymers EUDRAGIT®
RS, RL, and E produces exactly the same product properties as the established
method while actually enhancing product purity, too. What’s more, SOLUPOL
enables access to other products with new properties. That makes it a genuine
technology platform—one that satisfies the stringent quality specifications of
good manufacturing practices (GMP) as prescribed by the pharmaceuticals
industry.
SOLUPOL combines a method of solution polymerization with a state-ofthe-art GMP-compliant downstream processing. What makes SOLUPOL such
an ingenious development is that, from the outset, even as initial testing was
being performed in the laboratories, the team kept a keen eye on how process
parameters affected chemical and physical processes in the reactor and how
they affected the upscaling process, so as to ascertain the influence they would
ultimately have on the product properties of the eventual pharmaceutical polymers. This was made possible by a miscellany of technical experiments, analyses, kinetic measuring, and simulation methods employed both in the course of
process development and as part of the scale-up procedure.
“Quality by design” is what this relatively new procedure is called—a procedure that does not just look to get a result but to also understand the underlying theory. Quality by design is a tool for manufacturers who wish to command the production process right from the start and in a way that will allow
them to precisely fine-tune product quality and properties. Quality by design
ensures consistent quality (an all-important criterion for the pharmaceuticals
industry) as well as enabling the creation of new product properties.
SOLUPOL offers all these attributes. This new technology sets out meticulously defined processing conditions that safeguard consistent product quality.
EUDRAGIT® polymers are used for a variety of purposes, be it for tablet coat
ing, for example, or as a component in matrix and pellet formulations in which
polymers serve to precisely regulate the release of active agents even over a
longer period of time.
The development team conducted an extensive series of trials which proved
that the pharmaceutical polymer manufactured using SOLUPOL technology
meets more than 30 different product specifications. They showed that there
was no difference between the products made using this method and those
manufactured using the established method, most notably in terms of their
application-relevant properties and their drug-release functions.
The technique has since been developed to application maturity. A new
facility that will use SOLUPOL technology to manufacture pharmaceutical
polymers is scheduled to go into operation in Darmstadt (Germany) before
the year-end.
For more than 50 years now Evonik’s EUDRAGIT® polymers have been
used to control drug release in pharmaceuticals. In the form of tablet coating,
matrix tablets, or pellets, they reliably channel the active ingredient to the location of resorption in the gastrointestinal tract (either pH-value-controlled or
time-controlled), they mask the odor and taste of drugs, and they not only
insulate the active ingredient but can protect people’s stomachs, for example,
as well. SOLUPOL now gives Evonik the tool with which to add other innova
tive properties to this list. The development of this additional tool has now
been rewarded with a nomination for the Evonik Innovation Award 2011.
N ominated for the E vonik I nn ovation Awar d 2011 11
A new process makes the manufacturing
of the TS-1 catalyst more environmentally
friendly and economic
It’s the mixture
that does it
Dr. Kai Schumacher
Dr. Christian Schulze Isfort
Dr. Steffen Hasenzahl
Dr. Helmut Mangold
Dr. Andreas Hille
Dr. Martin Mörters
Dr. Wolfgang Lortz
Dr. Reinhard Vormberg
Rainer Loutschni
Friedhelm Collmann
Dr. Stefan Wieland
Dr. Michael Grün
Dr. Jörg Pietsch
Kurt-Alfred Gaudschun
Inorganic Materials
Business Unit
Dr. Bernd Jäger
Advanced Intermediates
Business Unit
Contact
Dr. Andreas Hille
Inorganic Materials
Business Unit
+49 7623 91-7262
andreas.hille@evonik.com
Whether the refrigerator is energy-saving,
the house is particularly well thermally insulated, and the
seat cushions, dashboard, and bumper in the car are
lightweight and thus save gas, in most cases this is
down to a special plastic – polyurethane foam. And the
probability that the titanium silicalite-1 catalyst (TS-1)
from Evonik has made a significant contribution to its
manufacturing is increasing: TS-1 is used in the socalled HPPO process which yields propylene oxide, an
important raw material for polyurethane. Researchers
from the Inorganic Materials Business Unit have now
come up with a new gateway to TS-1, an achievement
which has secured the team a nomination for the
Evonik Innovation Award 2011 in the New or Improved
Processes category.
The TS-1 catalyst has remarkable characteristics
for selective oxidations with hydrogen peroxide. One
example is the production of industrial-scale lactams,
important nylon components. The most significant
large-scale application, however, is the direct synthesis
of propylene oxide from propene and hydrogen per
oxide. The HPPO process, jointly developed by Evonik
and Uhde GmbH (Dortmund, Germany), marks a mile
stone in the synthesis of propylene oxide. It represents
the first and only industrial-scale process for the produc
tion of propylene oxide completely free of by-products.
This breakthrough was possible due to a customized
TS-1 catalyst from Evonik.
Due to the great economic importance of propylene
oxide – in 2010 more than 6.5 million tons were pro
duced and demand is still growing – the now nominated
team decided to fundamentally revise the manufactur
ing process for TS-1. Critical points concerning the previous process, the so-called ester route, were, in partic
ular, high raw material costs and capacity limitations in
the first synthesis step.
The application technology challenge regarding the
optimization of the powder handling by the researchers
of the Catalysts Business Line could be solved by a customized dispersion which was developed by the dispersion specialists from the Silica Business Line. Close,
multidivision collaboration of various teams of special
ists created synergies which finally resulted in a readyto-use dispersion that was perfectly adapted to the
needs of the TS-1 developers. As a result, the efficiency
of the subsequent hydrothermal synthesis could be
increased even further. This synthesis, which is called
“Mixed Oxide Route,” is not only simpler and more costefficient than the ester route, but also more environmentally friendly because lower waste flows are created.
“The market forecasts predict a continuous growth
of the worldwide market for propylene oxide,” says
Dr. Andreas Hille, spokesperson of the nominated team.
“The new Mixed Oxide Route means that we are
equipped for this in the best possible way.”
12 PROC ESS TEC HNOLOGY
Flexible and mobile small-scale plants minimize investment risk
and accelerate time-to-market
Small is beautiful
Chemical production need not always take
place in huge plants. Chemists and process
engineers at Evonik are developing flexible
small-scale processes that fit inside a container.
Because small is profitable—not only for new
products and volatile markets, but whenever
time-to-market is the key to success.
[ text Dr. Jürgen Lang, Dr. Frank Stenger, Dr. Hannes Richert ]
PROCESS TE C HNOLOGY 13
Life cycle of a product. Because the specific curve for a particular product
can be drawn only in hindsight, the art is in supplying the required
capacities at the right moment. In other words, growing with the market
while keeping the investment risk as low as possible
Product price
Market penetration
Development
Early investment in large-scale
plants is rather risky
Not an easy situation. What makes it worse is that the
pace of innovation and the pressure for companies to
innovate have increased enormously. Changing consumption patterns, increasing mobility, and dwindli ng resources mean that new or improved products
have to be available within a very short time. While
innovation cycles of eight to ten years used to be the
norm, current time-to-market timeframes cannot be
substantially longer than two to four years.
If nothing else, today, customers want to know in
advance whether the new substance or the modified
substance mixture meet their needs exactly. That
means supplying them with material samples that exactly match the chemical and physical characteristics
of the product manufactured on an industrial 333
Commodity
Market penetration
Growth
Product price
Who says that the chemical industry knows only
how to build large-scale plants? Where is it written
that chemical production is only profitable when it
can produce ten or one hundred thousand metric tons
per year? Much of the added value of chemical companies comes from fine and specialty chemicals—in
other words, substances, mixtures, and preparations
that markets need in relatively small quantities, but
that are decisive for the proper functioning or qual
ity of products. Certain organic additives, for
example, make plastics for car dashboards scratchresistant. Small amounts of impregnating materials
in paints or mortar ensure that valuable buildings are
protected against water and moisture for the long
term.
Of course, high-volume chemicals are a part of the
portfolio of every globally operating chemical company. The problem is that investing millions in largescale plants is decidedly risky when no one knows
for certain where the markets are heading to and
whether there will be sufficient demand over many
years or not. So construction of world-scale plants
that cover a significant share of demand makes good
economic sense only if the markets are already in the
midst of a growth period—in other words, when entrepreneurial risk is minimized. The reverse is also
true: only those who arrive first can open up lucrative new markets and demonstrate their innovative
strength.
Premium
0 Commercial introduction
Time [years]
Time-to-market is becoming increasingly shorter. Changing consumption
patterns, increasing mobility, and dwindling resources mean that new or
improved products have to get to market faster and faster. Flexible small-scale
plants can help in this regard and turn out to be profitable, but only when
specific plant costs can be significantly reduced by today’s standards
Today
Future
Cumulated cash flow
Time [years]
Specific investments
Plant capacity
333 scale. And since the manufacturing parameters
often influence the properties and qualities of a substance, the small-scale process must replicate the
later large-scale process at an early stage.
For all three trends—minimization of market risk,
shorter innovation cycles, and increasing customer
standards—there is one persuasive answer: smallscale plants. At Evonik, a small group of chemists and
engineers specifically dedicated to this innovative
small-scale chemistry and its processes has been
established.
But what does “small” actually mean? Compact
small-scale plants involve quantities of a few metric
tons up to several hundred metric tons of product per
year—substances that may be highly innovative but
that the market demands in relatively small quantities.
But above all, the compactness of the small-scale plant
is related mainly to its size. The group of experts at
Evonik develops chemical plants that fit inside an
overseas container with a footprint of three by six or
three by twelve meters. In the final stage, the chemical plant in the container is an all-inclusive system—
with reactors, product preparation, process control
engineering, IT modules, storage space for the feedstocks, elements for constructive fire protection, escape doors, and catch basins in compliance with the
Water Resources Law.
Container chemistry allows small-scale
production under real-life conditions
The advantages of compact small-scale systems are
obvious: compared with a commercial-scale plant,
the investment costs are relatively low and the market risk is significantly smaller. The experts can develop a process independently of the site where subsequent production takes place, which saves valuable
time. Container chemistry produces substances to
the exact requirements of the market and customer.
Moreover, it is no pilot plant in the traditional sense,
because it later serves as a “real” production plant,
often without extensive modification. Small-scale
enables fast and simple capacity adjustment: if demand rises more than expected, production is ex
panded to several containers or can even be directly
transferred to a large-scale plant. This approach splits
both investment costs and risks—not an insignificant
factor for a company.
Above all, however, small-scale plants shorten the
time from idea to market entry. Laboratory development and basic engineering—planning phases that are
otherwise strictly separated—can take place simulta
neously. This is because the container is not only the
place where the new process is developed but where
production is also planned.
Make something small from something large—it
sounds simple, but it poses a real challenge for planners and developers. A reaction in the glass flask may
work perfectly, but will it work just as well in contin
uous production with pencil-thin reaction tubes? Air
bubbles that have no effect on the stream in a thick
pipe can cause big problems in thin ones. Will the
pump that performed well for a few months in the
laboratory suffice for continuous production lasting
several years? Is the small heat exchanger from the
laboratory constructed of a material with an adequate
service life for real production?
Even the engineering is anything but trivial: space
is limited and, therefore, valuable. Engineers must
accommodate all the functionalities of a chemical
plant in a space not much larger than a garage.
Small is beautiful—but only if some central challenges can be overcome. On one side, small-scale production has specific technical requirements. Small
volumes often mean acceleration of the mass transfer.
Thus, the measuring and control technology must be
far more sensitive than in large-scale plants. Accel
eration of processes also places higher demands on
the measuring technology. On the other hand, the
short routes in the container enable far better heat
integration.
Small scale means a paradigm shift
On the other hand, small-scale bridges the gap be
tween laboratory, pilot plant, and real production.
Because a container-based process is designed to be
a continuous process, the engineer must work with
structural elements, components, materials, and process parameters that also characterize the real-life
production of the substance later on. For example,
you need small pumps that run reliably and contin
uously for years, and materials with a long shelf life—
things that are normally unachievable with standard
laboratory equipment. To heat a reaction solution, a
heat exchanger or coils have to be used from the
beginning, not a Bunsen burner or water bath. When
a substance mixture has to be separated through
distillation, the process engineer uses a column in the
small-scale process and not a rotary evaporator. For
chemists, this is a true paradigm shift, since a pilotscale production process is usually discontinuous,
while a commercial-scale process is continuous.
Another type of plant raises completely different
questions: Do I need the same logistics and division
of labor in the small-scale process? To what extent
can the chemistry of small-scale plants be automated?
Because the space in the container is quite limited,
PROC ESS TEC HNOLOGY 15
The Evotrainer mini-factory. Measuring only 3 by
12 meters, the container holds everything needed for
production—reactors, process control technology,
IT modules, storage space for feedstocks, elements for
constructive fire protection, escape doors, and catch
basins in compliance with the Water Management Law
multifunctionality plays an important role: a pipeline,
for example, can also function as a support or provide
stability. Not least, the industry still has little experience with cost estimation factors for a compact
plant.
A complete chemical plant in an extremely small
space—how does that work in reality? Finding an
answer to this question has been one of the objec
tives Evonik experts, in cooperation with other companies and several universities, have been pursuing
since 2009 in their work on the EU research project
Copiride. As part of the project, Evonik has partnered
with the universities of Stuttgart (Germany) and
Eindhoven (the Netherlands) and the Institute for
Microtechnology (IMM) in Mainz (Germany) on the
development of a third-generation container. The
unique feature of the container will be its ability to
be used anywhere. The supply system for water, process gases, electricity, heat, and data lines is designed
in such a way that, theoretically, any chemical reaction can be run in it.
A universal infrastructure is the
key to success
The beauty of the idea lies in its versatility. For example, one can integrate a complete chemical plant,
but also only one single reactor for a special
downstream processing step. High-pressure technol
ogy, comprehensive safety technology, and an ultracompact design are particularly important for the
model reaction in the Copiride Project. The project
will also demonstrate that the approach can be used
to run reactions safely and easily under highly critical process conditions. If all goes according to plan,
the all-round container should be available beginning
in 2012. The Evonik site in Marl (Germany) is then
scheduled to use the container for commercial-scale
production of a specialty polymer.
As part of a second EU project called Polycat,
Evonik has been developing a high-tech infrastructure for production processes based on the Good
Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standard since 2010.
The GMP standard refers to guidelines for quality assurance in the production processes for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, but also in the food and
feed industries. Accordingly, this type of infrastructure will contain special gates and other equipment
to meet the high safety and hygienic standards of
GMP processes.
Regardless of the process, modularization plays a
key role in small-scale plants. A module comprises a
particular plant area or component with certain technical requirements. As a rule, modules are standard
ized and prefabricated structural elements or component groups that accelerate the planning and construction of a plant and reduce the costs of operation.
Small-scale design and modularization are mutually
beneficial. A module may always be less than optimal
because of the compromises one frequently makes
between requirements, but it can be available fast and
at a reasonable price. If the container process is mod
ular, the processes can be modified or swapped
quickly. Inversely, modularization is advanced because function and design repeat themselves in smallscale plants.
Prototypical: the Evonik Evotrainer
The work carried out within the framework of the
EU projects mentioned above builds on an existing
prototype—the Evotrainer from Evonik. With 333
Keyword: Factory of the future
EU promotes the development of
the future chemical factory
In the chemical industry, future processes will be more cost-effec
tive and continuous production more flexible. The EU expects this
to strengthen the competitive position of the European chemical
industry, since it will be able to minimize the cost risks associated
with chemical plants, accelerate innovation cycles, and react faster
to market changes than it can currently. In the medium term, large,
inflexible production plants will lose their relevance in Europe, so
flexible chemical production offers the opportunity to preserve
the importance of Europe’s chemical industry. This is the guiding
principle of Copiride, Polycat, and F3 Factory (Fast Flexible Future),
another large-scale research project of the
EU, in which companies, universities, and
research institutions from Europe are devel
oping the factory of the future. The objective of the factory of the future is to pro
vide a concept and platform for modern,
sustainable production of every kind.
The factory of the future: the aim of Copiride
is to be able to connect a wide range of different
containers flexibly, as needed
333 the Evotrainer, developers have already placed an
important issue for nearly all chemical processes front
and center: the means of supplying raw materials,
energy, water, and data lines. Such infrastructure is
needed for chemical processes to run at all, but at the
same time, they account for as much as half of the investment costs of a conventional chemical plant.
Several expansions of the Evotrainer have been
realized over the past few years. Time and again, new
components have been integrated, improved, and implemented for different processes. This can be successful only in cooperation with the business units.
At the Rheinfelden site (Germany), for example,
silane compounds (Siridion® HCDS, hexachlorodisilane), which are important as precursors for chip production, have been produced in a compact plant since
2010. Because the electronics industry demands particularly high purity of its raw materials, the production process was designed in such a way as to simplify
the otherwise expensive and time-consuming purification of the products.
Thanks to the integrated planning process and
close cooperation with the production, application
technology, business development, and marketing
units of the Inorganic Materials Business Unit, it took
less than three years to conclude development, all the
way through to continuous production. In this period,
engineers were able not only to optimize the process
and design the required equipment, but also to prepare the Evotrainer for Siridion® HCDS in HanauWolfgang (Germany), commission it, and transport
it to the final production site in Rheinfelden. Parallel
to this, the first customers were supplied at an early
stage with samples of Siridion® HCDS from what
would later be the production plant. The Evotrainer
therefore ensured prompt market launch of Siridion®
HCDS, which made a substantial contribution to business success.
The team of experts from Evonik see themselves
not only as service providers for the various business
units of the Group. With its innovative, full-fledged
small-scale plants in containers, the team supplies the
basis for significantly reducing the time from product
idea to final production process.
“Rent a plant” as business model
The specialists at Evonik are also developing an inter
esting new business model for the Group’s business
units: the rentable production plant. The idea for
Rent-a-Plant® is that the team of experts at the Process Technology & Engineering Service Unit, together with the respective R&D departments from a
business line, develop and construct the process for
small volumes. After start-up testing, the finished
production plant can then be transported to the
desired production site in the Group—wherever that
happens to be. If the container is no longer needed—
for example, because a large-scale plant is required—
it can be returned and equipped for the next process.
PROCESS TE C HNOLOGY 17
The Evotrainer in Rheinfelden
The demand for a flexible technology for producing
chemical products is growing. Small-scale plants
allow a company to market a new product earlier.
Product and process development are accelerated,
and the financial risk is minimized. Flexible and
mobile compact plants adjust to demand and the customer: capacity can grow with the market, and the
plant allows up-scaling without retrofitting.
They can also be located almost anywhere. Mobile
compact small-scale plants also enable production
directly on the customer’s site—the Evotrainer can
produce wherever the economic conditions are most
favorable. The concept allows accelerated innovation
cycles. This is a key advantage particularly for fastgrowing “green” technologies, since the implementation of technical advances is far faster than with
classical large-scale chemistry.
The chemical industry in Europe has lived off
mass-produced chemicals for a long time. But times
are changing. Pharmaceutical companies are not the
only ones obliged to supply more new, innovative
substances earlier than ever before—substances that
may be needed in relatively small quantities but that
have interesting properties and add a great deal of
value. Miniaturized chemical production opens up
paths to flexible, efficient and resource-friendly production that meets the growing demands of a global
ized marketplace, accelerates innovation, and also
gives large corporations a highly promising way to
react flexibly to changing conditions. 777
Dr. Jürgen Lang works in Innovation Management
of the Process Technology & Engineering Service
Unit. He started his career as a computer technician
apprentice at Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm from 1979
to 1983. After studying high-frequency and microwave
engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
(KIT) from 1986 to 1995, he earned his doctorate at
the KIT Institute for Physical Electronics with research
in the field of plasma catalytic effects in ammonia
synthesis. Lang joined the Process Technology unit
of Evonik Industries after working at the Fraunhofer
Institute for System Technology and Innovation Re
search (FhG-ISI) from 1987 to 2000 and took over his
current position in 2010.
+49 6181 59-2169, juergen.lang@evonik.com
Dr. Frank Stenger manages the Small-Scale Processes
group in the Process Technology & Engineering Service
Unit of Evonik. He holds a degree in process technology
from the Technical University of Karlsruhe and earned
his doctorate at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg
with research in the field of production and dispersion of
nanoparticles. He joined the Process Technology & En
gineering Service Unit of Evonik in 2004. Stenger has
been working in the Particle Technology department as
a process engineer and took over his current position in
2010.
+49 6181 59-6284, frank.stenger@evonik.com
Dr. Hannes Richert is a project manager in the
Process Technology & Engineering Service Unit of
Evonik. He holds a degree in process technology from
the Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg and
earned his doctorate there with research in the field of
computer-aided plant design. He joined the Process
Technology & Engineering Service Unit of Evonik in
1998. Richert works in the project department as a
project manager, a process engineer, and as liaison to
the IT department for topics like modern process and
plant design methods.
+49 6181 59-4967, hannes.richert@evonik.com
18 ANALYTIc s
The new XPS measuring
system of AQura, Evonik’s
analytics service provider
Surface spectrometry
Analysis tool
for the uppermost
nanometers
X-ray photoelectron spectrometry enables
analysis of the uppermost atomic layers
of a wide variety of materials—qualitatively,
semi-quantitatively, and quantitatively.
The process is an important tool that can be
used from the product development and
description stage, through quality assurance,
to patent protection.
[ text Dr. Peter Albers ]
Today’s chemical processes have developed so far that
even the surfaces of the materials involved in a process can exert
a significant influence: often, changes in morphology or in the
chemical composition of the uppermost material layer are
enough to change the overall result of a process. This is why
spectrometric analytical methods, which enable a description of
concentrations and bonding states in the uppermost atomic
layers, are so important. Particularly when it comes to the fineparticle products with large surface areas that Evonik has in its
portfolio, the upper nanometer and micrometer range largely
determine the properties of the entire material.
But integral measuring processes—that is, those that cover
the entire sample—only supply information on the overall composition. So by these methods, we are unable to make precise
enough assertions about such details as the properties of a
catalyst layer only a few nanometers thick, even if it significantly
affects the activity and selectivity of the catalyst.
In the past few decades, academia and industry have worked
together on developing suitable new processes and instruments
for just these issues. A good example is X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS), which is also known as electron spectrometry
for chemical analysis (ESCA). XPS renders visible such features
as valence change processes and chemical changes on the
surface as a result of oxidation, reduction, formation, aging,
contamination, or corrosion. But it can also be used to analyze
adhesion, wettability, and water-repellency—just to name a few
more examples from a long list of questions that XPS is able to
answer.
Compared to electron microprobe analysis (EMA) in scan
ning electron microscopy (SEM), the advantage of XPS is that it
also functions well when the layer requiring analysis is only a
few nanometers thick—a dimension 1,000 times smaller than with
the typical EMA: XPS offers much higher surface selectivity.
Since the beginning of the year 2011, AQura GmbH, Evonik’s
analytics service provider, has operated a new X-ray photoelectron spectrometer, which has replaced its 25-year-old predecessor. While the old device had been upgraded several times over
its history, it was less and less able to keep up with the demands
of today’s measuring campaigns in terms of speed, energy resolution, and detection sensitivity.
In XPS, an X-ray source fires soft X-rays onto a material surface in an ultra-high vacuum. As a result of photoionization, also
known as atomic or molecular photoeffect, the X-rays liberate
bound electrons from the energy level of the sample atoms and
from the valence bands of the material to be analyzed. These can
then be analyzed with an electron spectrometer after emission
from the sample surface. The original binding energy of the
electrons can be determined from the result of their stimulation
energy and the measured kinetic energy. This gives a direct
indication of the chemical valence state of an element.
An XPS system specifically measures the surface, because the
mean free path of electrons in solids is a minimum of between
10 and 1,000 electron volts—to exploit this material property
exactly these electrons are used.
Nearly all elements and non-conducting
materials can be analyzed
With the exception of hydrogen and helium, all elements can be
measured with XPS. Soft X-rays supply the right energy for
releasing electrons because they “address” other electrons in
each element based on their energy relationships: in carbon, for
example, the s electrons, and in palladium, the d electrons. 333
20 ANALYTIc s
Sample holder with a solar cell segment (blue),
a piece of high-purity silicon (the shiny object),
and an electrical component in front of the open
loading chamber, which is flooded with inert gas.
The task: to examine the surface chemistry and
purity level of the surfaces, in the contact areas
and on the busbars of the solar cells
333 AQura’s new XPS system has three separate specimen
chambers that allow analysis of a wide variety of materials:
every type of solid, high-purity powder, corrosive, contaminat
ed, or even wet products. It can also measure widely differing
materials in rapid succession, which would otherwise require
time-consuming evacuation and cleaning steps. An argon ion
beam can also be used during the measurement to remove the
surface of a specimen layer by layer to determine, for example,
vertical concentration profiles in the nanometer to micrometer
range.
The new system can also measure non-conducting materials
such as AEROSIL®, polymers, glass, or ceramics. This is by no
means self-evident: when the X-ray beam strikes binding electrons, the number of the—positively charged—holes in the spec
imen, and therefore the work function, increases. In other
words, the measured kinetic energy of the electrons drops. With
heterogeneous surfaces, that would falsify the measuring result.
Electrically conductive specimens automatically compensate for
this undesired effect: they lie directly on potential, which means
that the positive holes that develop are immediately filled back
in with flowing electrons.
In the new system, a surrounding magnetic field ensures that
the electrons of non-conducting specimens flow back to the specimen, which can then merge with the holes again. During the
measurement, it looks as if the non-conducting materials are
also located on the spectrometer potential. The work function
of the freed binding electrons, therefore, is no longer falsified.
Individual atoms become distinguishable
What XPS can do is best illustrated using typical measurements
that AQura employees have already performed for internal and
external customers. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), for
example, is a material that currently plays a role in a variety of
applications that depend on surface properties. For example, the
beading behavior of PMMA can be influenced by the weather.
For transport, on the other hand, the surface of the PMMA must
be modified to allow residue-free removal of lamination films
that are applied for protection.
The XPS can be used to clarify the effect of these influences
on the PMMA surface, since it can resolve the fine structure of
the carbon and oxygen atoms of the polymer. It distinguishes the
ANALYTIc s 21
Figure 1.
Carbon (left) and oxygen
signals (right) directly on
a selectively weathered
PMMA surface and a
freshly fractured surface
of this specimen. Right
on the surface, the poly
mer “looks” chemically
different than it does as
a bulk material: the
relative proportions of
functional groups were
changed
Intensity [counts per second (cps)]
Intensity [counts per second (cps)]
3,000
3,000
2,000
2,000
1,000
1,000
Surface
Bulk
0
0
292
290
288
286
284
282
539
280
537
Binding energy [eV]
Figure 2.
Change in the chemical
valence of the palladium:
reduced surface (deep
purple), oxidized surface
(gray)
Pd 90%; PdO 10%
535
533
531
529
527
Binding energy [eV]
Intensity [cps]
14,000
12,000
10,000
Pd 15%; PdO 85%
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
345
340
Pd 3d3/2
individual atoms based on their functional groups, which in turn
allows analysts to draw conclusions about chemical changes to
the surface (Fig. 1).
Catalysts are another broad field for XPS analysis. Their
action and the quantities required largely depend on how the
catalyst is distributed on the support, and what portion in the
relative reaction is actually active or ensures particularly high
product selectivity.
AQura employees were able to determine, for example, why
a palladium catalyst was deactivated on a support (Fig. 2). The
catalyst was used for selective catalytic hydrogenation of acety
lene to ethylene as part of the vinyl chloride production process.
It became clear that the palladium was covered with coking and
polymerization products as a result of an operational disruption,
and that the chemical status of the palladium surface had been
changed.
XPS can also provide detailed analysis of the surface properties of the kinds of platinum-rhodium catalyst networks used
in the ammonia combustion step of the Ostwald process for
nitric acid production. These kinds of catalyst networks are also
used in the Andrussow process for synthesis of HCN, which is
335
Pd 3d
Pd 3d5/2
330
Binding energy [eV], Mg
required for the production of PMMA, methionine, cyanuric
chloride, and a number of organic intermediates.
Platinum and rhodium are present in the metallic state in
unused catalyst networks. The spectroscopic signature of a used
network is considerably different in the XPS profile (Fig. 3):
differences in the fine structure indicate modified portions of
metallic rhodium and oxidized rhodium on the catalyst surface.
XPS is able to capture the cause of the changes, which is chang
ing operating conditions in the reactor. With this information,
the platinum-rhodium ratio in the catalyst can be selectively
adjusted for optimal use on the commercial scale.
On the other hand, XPS measurements of cerium oxide, such
as those used in exhaust gas catalysts, sensors or in the chem
ical-mechanical polishing (CMP) of wafers, can determine the
relative ratios of trivalent and tetravalent ceroxide (Fig. 4). The
type of signal, therefore, immediately provides information on
the chemical valence state.
This information supplies developers with important data on,
for example, the properties the oxides used in exhaust gas catalysts must have for optimum performance: namely, the ability
to react as quickly and effectively to the change from a lean 333
22 ANALYTIc s
Figure 3.
Above: electron micrographs of a fresh and a used
catalyst gauze. The smooth surface of a Pt/Rh
wire mesh becomes a rough, jagged surface with
rhodium oxide needles (dark) and platinum crystal
lites (light). Below: XPS spectra show the changes
in the ratios of platinum to rhodium and rhodium
oxide under various operating conditions
Intensity [cps]
22,000
18,000
Pt
Intensity [cps]
Pt
Rh Metal
Rh2O3
Rh Metal
13,000
11,000
14,000
9,000
10,000
7,000
Intensity [cps]
Intensity [cps]
16,000
Rh2O3
14,000
Rh Metal
Rh2O3
14,000
Rh Metal
12,000
12,000
10,000
10,000
8,000
8,000
330
320
310
300
290
330
320
Binding energy (eV)
Figure 4.
The signal structure of the cerium oxide is
a sensitive fingerprint for the speed and extent
of oxygen uptake and release on the technical
scale
310
300
290
Binding energy (eV)
Intensity [cps]
10,000
9,000
CeOx, x = 1.55
CeOx, x = 1.75
8,000
CeOx, x = 1.80
CeOx, x = 1.90
7,000
6,000
5,000
920
910
900
890
880
Binding energy (eV)
333 air-fuel mixture—that is, one with a high oxygen content—to
a fat air-fuel mixture by storing and releasing oxygen in the
waste-gas stream of the combustion engine. This has a direct
impact on exhaust emissions.
XPS for drier baby bottoms
A third material group whose function is far better understood
thanks to XPS is superabsorbers, which have largely displaced
cellulose fibers in the production of modern baby diapers.
Superabsorbers are cross-linked polymers that can absorb a high
volume of liquid but, unlike cellulose, do not release it again
under pressure.
For this to work properly, the surfaces of the polymers in the
area of the uppermost nanometers must be treated with additives
in a surface post-cross-linking step. This step improves permeability
values, which is important for adequate and even distribution of
liquid in the diaper, and prevents “gel blocking” effects.
With its new XPS system, AQura employees can gradually
etch superabsorber samples and spectroscopically analyze their
surface. Because the signal intensity measured in this process is
directly proportional to the concentration of the coating
material, deep scanning can supply important information for
improvement of the superabsorber (Fig. 5).
These examples clearly show: XPS is an important and versatile tool for AQura’s customers for determining the fine structure and chemical composition of a variety of materials all the
way down to the sub-nanometer range. It is a further and vital
step on the way to opening up the transitional range of measure
ment between the atomic and molecular dimensions, on the one
hand, and the actual nanometer world, on the other, and making
it useful for product development. 777
ANALYTIc s 23
Figure 5.
Surface spectroscopy for optimization of baby diapers. XPS depth profiles
on the superabsorber for the elements carbon, oxygen, aluminum, and
sodium. Aluminum salts were added directly below the exterior surface.
When liquids are absorbed, they carry the salts into the three-dimensional
structure of the superabsorber, where their capillary effects ensure even
distribution of the liquid and optimal use of the inner surfaces. Result:
a dry surface and a dry bottom!
Intensity
[cps]
C 1s
18
16,000
14
12,000
10
8,000
6
4,000
294
288
282
Al 2p
Intensity
[cps]
2,200
2.000
1,800
1.600
1,400
1.200
1,000
800
600
80 76
72 68
Intensity
[cps]
O 1s
32,000
28
24,000
20
16,000
12
8,000
538
534
530
Na 1s
Facts and figures
AQura’s new XPS system
•Three chambers with mass-spectrometric monitor
ing of the vacuum; 10-6 to 10-7 millibar in the prechambers, 10-8 to 10-10 millibar in the main chamber;
microfocus X-ray spot, which allows exact position
ing on the analysis area
•Measuring ranges between 1 mm and 10 µm pos
sible, standard spots at 200 µm and 900 µm; smallspot analyses down to 20 µm possible; chemical
element mapping
•High energy resolution X-ray monochromator
•High sensitivity allows it to prepare fast overview
spectra and also conduct cost-effective trace anal
yses
•Different techniques to compensate for electrical
charging of a sample
•Gas reaction cell for controlled oxidation and reduction preparation—for example, for catalysts
•Angle-resolved measurements to increase the surface specificity for polymer analyses
•Liquid injection system with cryo-holder for shockfreezing volatile or extremely sensitive samples
under inert gas, followed by transfer to the actual
spectrometer chamber
Intensity
[cps]
80,000
70
60,000
50
40,000
30
20,000
1,075
1,069
Dr. Peter Albers heads the multisite Electron Micros
copy and Surface Analytics Competence Center of
AQura GmbH in Hanau-Wolfgang and Marl. Albers
studied chemistry at the University of Münster. Fol
lowing a one-year research stipend at the University of
Birmingham in England and research work in France
(Institut Laue-Langevin/ILL in Grenoble) and England
(Atomic Energy Research Establishment/AERE in
Harwell), he obtained his doctorate in 1985 at the Uni
versity of Münster. He has been an employee in
Evonik’s Analytics unit since 1986. Albers’ work fo
cuses on such topics as the physicochemical characterization of catalysts for large-scale plants for industrial
chemistry, chemical catalysts, automobile exhaust gas
and fuel cell catalysts, industrial carbon blacks, pyro
genic and precipitated silicas, as well as the surface
characterization of paints, polymers, glasses, ceramics,
and paper.
+49 6181 59-2934, peter.albers@aqura.de
24 INNOVATION MANAGEMENT
Corporate Foresight
A strategic look into
the next decade
What medium- and long-term trends are shaping the world? What are the most relevant scenarios? And what does that have to do with Evonik?
Nearly a year ago, Evonik established a five-person
interdisciplinary team led by Creavis—the Corporate
Foresight Team—to address these kinds of questions
apart from current business activities. Its job: to identify new “future-proof” business areas for Evonik.
“A world without chemistry is no longer conceiv
able,” says team leader Dr. Bernhard Schleich. “This
iswhy we have to know how the world might evolve.”
But this is not about scientific ambition. “We’re not
looking to engage in basic research here,” stresses
Dr. Peter Nagler, Evonik’s chief innovation officer.
“Rather, our objective is new solutions with new
technologies and business models.”
The team defined megacities as a focal topic of
2011. “The trend toward increasing urbanization will
continue. Megacities manifest all the future problems
of humanity living in close quarters,” says Schleich.
This topical focus is designed to ensure that no region
of the world is ignored, since some threshold and
developing countries are showing such a dramatic
change in purchasing power and offer a potentially
enormous market.
The team uses mini-scenarios featuring three fictitious megacities of the future to try to improve its
understanding of the challenges faced by large cities—
from water supply, through increased meat consumption, congested transportation routes, and climate
change, to health care, efficient building and renova
tion, and an alternative energy supply. For Evonik,
the interesting question is what kind of ideas this
approach can yield—whether one ponders mobility,
health, nutrition, or energy. Here, social, geographic,
and scientific trends are interconnected. This is why
Schleich’s core team addresses a variety of disciplines:
chemistry, physics, politics, economics, and materials
science.
The focus:
megacities and
their problems
INNOVATION MANAGEMENT 25
Interview
“Research requires passion”
On July 1, 2011, Dr. Peter Nagler, head of Corporate Innovation
Strategy & Management, took on additional responsibilities as
Evonik’s new chief innovation officer, a position that was created
recently. elements spoke with him about his tasks, goals, and vision
for the future.
You just returned from Japan. Did you go there in your capacity
as Evonik’s chief innovation officer?
Yes, indeed. It was the first time that we held our time-proven
Evonik Meets Science scientific forum in Japan—or in Tokyo, to be
exact. Of course, our central motivation was to make contacts with
Japanese academia—adding another component to our innovation
network in Asia.
How do you define your new role?
A specialty chemicals company virtually lives on innovation, and this
is the idea I’d like to promote. The question is how we’ll organize
this innovation process. In a decentralized corporation like Evonik,
you need one person to steer the innovation process internally and
externally—a person who represents this process and to whom you
can talk.
Since Corporate Foresight began “we have already
developed about 50 new ideas,” says Schleich. The
ideas now need to be monitored, developed further,
and evaluated—including a critical look at whether it
is worthwhile to continue pursuing them. Caretakers
in the business units do the monitoring, and apply the
brakes when the situation looks doubtful. “You have
to stop before you come to a dead end,” says Schleich.
“Stopping at the right time can even help to broaden
your range of expertise.”
With the Corporate Foresight team, Evonik has
built its own methodical expertise in the area of future-oriented R&D—from trend analysis to strategic
scenario analysis. This expertise is supplemented in
specific areas by the know-how of the business units,
the Process Technology & Engineering Service Unit,
Creavis, and external specialists.
“We’re not trying, as so many do, to tap growth
potential through technology. Instead, we’re ap
proaching the question from the other side: what will
be needed in the future, and what challenges do we
have to confront,” explains Schleich. “We intention
ally consider all ideas—from new business models
with existing products to the development of new
technologies.” 777
So you’re now the face of Evonik in research and innovation?
(Hesitates) Yes, in theory—although I wouldn’t express it in such
dramatic terms. If you’re talking about promoting innovation processes and a culture of innovation throughout the Group, then
there’s a good chance it’ll pass over my desk. But in a global enterprise, innovation isn’t a one-man show. It’s the responsibility of
every employee, and it thrives on team spirit.
Are there any role models out there for the position of chief innovation officer?
Yes, there are, but they differ from each other considerably. If we
look at the chemical industry alone, some companies favor cen
tralized R&D. Evonik has a decentralized organization, which I per
sonally prefer, because it’s geared to the customer, close to the
market, and fast. Between these two poles of centralized and decentralized, there are a number of models for structuring R&D.
What are your additional responsibilities as chief innovation
officer?
Evonik intends to grow, and my job is to support this growth strategy
with a complementary innovation strategy. What’s essential here
is an overarching approach, because innovation is multifaceted. It in
cludes technologies and processes, as well as a business model and
expansion to different regions.
So what would be the key elements of Evonik’s innovation strategy?
Evonik is committed to serving attractive growth markets, and aligns
itself to the three megatrends of resource efficiency, health and nutrition, and globalization of technologies. Naturally, R&D shares 333
26 INNOVATION MANAGEMENT
Interview Dr. Peter Nagler,
Evonik’s chief
innovation officer
Aren’t active but want to be?
That’s what we have to determine now. The task of Corporate Foresight is to generate new ideas on an ongoing basis and make deci
sions regarding which areas we might want to be involved in. We
look for areas with high potential—the lithium-ion battery of the year
2020, metaphorically speaking. And we want to be there! But we
also have our eye on the fledgling projects, and intend to redouble
our efforts to find new, interesting ideas developed by young startup companies, and look for models to support such companies
through corporate venturing partnerships.
333 this orientation. Right now, for example, we’re deeply
immersed in researching the use of biotechnology and renewable
raw materials. Most of the current research, about 85 percent, is
carried out in the business units. Central innovation management
bundles long-term strategic areas—that happens in Creavis. But innovation has even more facets: new methods, new partnerships, our
network’s global expansion, the advancement of our innovation culture.
Let’s start with the new methods. What is your key focus here?
We work with new methods for generating new ideas, gearing
everything we do exactly to what the market says. Thus, our task is
to distill the best from these ideas and systematically advance them.
We’ve established an idea-to-profit process in the Group, for example,
whereby we look at ideas and projects according to stringent criteria
and use best-practice examples from other projects Group-wide.
But the markets are constantly changing, too, so we have to keep on
examining and adapting our methods and innovation processes.
In addition, we want to understand what requirements will look
like on the market 10 to 15 years from now and what new business
opportunities we can convert them into. This is why we’ve estab
lished a group within Creavis dedicated to corporate foresight.
Does the focus on corporate foresight mean Evonik is disen
gaging itself completely from topics that are already under development?
Right. With Corporate Foresight, we’ve allowed ourselves to be
guided by the question of how we come up with new areas of
research. But here, too, we’ve intentionally integrated the business
units to generate high acceptance for this new strategic approach
and create a close exchange of ideas.
But detached from the core business of the business units?
From the inception of Corporate Foresight, we never asked ourselves,
“What can we do?” but rather, “How might the world develop,
considering all economic, social, environmental, political, and tech
nological factors, and what does that mean for Evonik?” Without
doubt, we were reaching for ideas beyond our business areas. In the
process, we “discovered” a few areas in which we aren’t currently
active.
How will Evonik promote its global alignment to R&D going forward?
In the next few years, the chemical industry will also grow in places
outside Germany. The markets are developing in other regions where
there are also outstanding universities and equally outstanding scientists. We have to exploit that for the Group. Within the Group, we
need an innovation landscape in which we have well-positioned,
harmonized competence centers in strategically important growth
regions. One step in this direction is the construction of our Light and
Electronics Project House in Taiwan.
Promoting entrepreneurship and innovation culture in a precise
way is also on your agenda. What’s the key to this task?
Tackling ideas with the courage to take risks. Part and parcel of this is
a culture that allows for mistakes—a culture that promotes a willingness to take risks and the courage to think laterally. R&D requires the
freedom to think outside the box. And R&D requires passion.
But at some point, ideas also have to generate sales.
Certainly. Innovation doesn’t mean an ivory tower or chaos. We base
our work on an innovation management process by which we find,
evaluate, prioritize, and ultimately develop ideas, often in close coop
eration with our customers. In this process we’re constantly asking:
Are we doing it right? Have we made progress?
And are we doing it right? Will the public see Evonik as an innovative company?
Yes, I think so. The project houses and the Science-to-Business
Center are considered benchmarks in the industry. Other companies
often talk to us about it. The science-to-business centers were
recently recognized as “Places of Progress” by the Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Research of North Rhine-Westphalia. The Areas
of Competence, in which we pool various technologies on one topic,
are an unmistakable model that differentiates us from the competition. But, naturally, we can always improve everywhere.
For example?
Without doubt, we still have work to do in some regions where our
image as an innovative company is concerned. We have to position
ourselves stronger in these areas to be regarded as an attractive company that places a premium on R&D. 777
N e ws 27
Evonik lays foundation for two new innovation centers in Essen
Dr. Klaus Engel, chairman of the Executive
Board of Evonik Industries, has laid the foundation stones for two research and development centers at the Essen site (Germany):
one for new, environmentally friendly additives and special binders for the paints and
coatings industry, and one for innovative and
sustainable products for the cosmetics industry. In total, the Group is set to invest some
€ 31 million in the two building complexes.
The innovation center for the paints and coat
ings industry is to be completed at the end of
2012, the innovation center for the cosmetics
industry at the start of 2013. Over 180 employees will then move into a new and mod
ern work environment.
“Both the paints and coatings and the cosmetics industry are strong market segments.
We support both these industries with a
wealth of experience and innovative prow
ess,” Engel said. “The two innovation centers
will not only offer us scope for research and
development, they shall also strengthen our
competitiveness and our position in the
market. We therefore want to send out clear
signals for sustainable growth and customeroriented action.”
The paints and coatings industry is an
important market for the Coatings & Addi
tives Business Unit, one in which Evonik is a
major manufacturer of binders, pigments,
cross-linking agents, color pastes, matting
agents, and additives. In the quest for new
solutions and products, some 90 employees
will conduct research activities at the first
large (5,000 square-meter) innovation center,
and will focus in particular on the environment and resource efficiency. The total costs
of the building come to approx. € 14.4 million.
The second innovation center, covering
about 5,000 square meters, will develop new
future-oriented products for the cosmetics
Equipped to face
new market challenges
industry. The total cost of this building
amounts to roughly € 16.6 million. Among
other products, the Consumer Specialties
Business Unit at Evonik manufactures
cosmetic raw materials and active ingredients, emulsifiers, cosmetic oils, conditioners, and also performance additives such as
thickeners.
“Evonik attaches great importance to considering the sustainability and ecological
compatibility of both the new buildings. We
consider ourselves as working hand in hand
with customers from the consumer goods
industry, who are increasingly using the concept of sustainability as a way to differentiate
themselves,” Engel explained.
Each of the new innovation centers will provide space for about 90 employees over an area of 5,000 square
meters. The center for the paints and coatings industries (left) will start operating at the end of 2012 and that
for the cosmetics industry (right) is scheduled for completion in early 2013
Plant for products used in adhesives and sealants to be built
Evonik Industries will build a plant in Marl
(Germany) for producing functionalized
polybutadiene. This liquid polybutadiene
(HTPB) is used primarily in sealing compounds for insulating glass windows and in
adhesives for automobile manufacture. With
this plant, which should go onstream in the
Among others,
HTPB is used in
sealing compounds
for insulating glass
windows
fall of 2012, Evonik will be able to offer
hydroxyl-functionalized polybutadiene for
the first time to its customers in the adhesives
and sealant industries.
Evonik will market HTPB as POLYVEST®
HT, thus rounding off its polybutadiene prod
uct range to include one more functionalized
type. Today, Evonik already is a notable manu
facturer of liquid unfunctionalized polybutadi
enes. “Thanks to our several years’ worth of
experience in producing polybutadiene and
our proximity to customers in the adhesives
and sealants markets, we think the chances
are good for successfully entering the HTPB
market,” said Dr. Ulrich Küsthardt, head of
the Coatings & Additives Business Unit.
Double- and triple-pane glazing in window construction, for which hydroxyl-functionalized polybutadiene is used in sealing
compounds, improves insulation in home
construction. In adhesives for automobile
manufacture, which bond various materials
and composites to one another, HTPB helps
make it possible to use plastics efficiently
and safely in automobile construction. The
reduction in the weight of vehicles, as can be
achieved by using more plastic, means that
less fuel is burned.
28 N e ws
Appointment of Dr. Stefan Buchholz as honorary professor
Dr. Stefan Buchholz, head of Innovation
Management in the Advanced Intermediates
Business Unit, has been appointed honorary
professor at the University of Stuttgart (Ger
many). At the invitation of the university,
Buchholz started giving lectures on a regular
basis six years ago. His voluntary engagement
has now been rewarded by his appointment
as honorary professor. Buchholz’s first lecture
series included presentations on industrial
biotechnology. In the last three years, his
lecture topics have focused on “Industrial
Organic Chemistry”.
“The network between university research
and our company is a vital component in our
research and development strategy,” Prof.
Buchholz stated. “It allows us to help strength
en teaching and research at universities in
their effort to gear for the requirements of
the industry. A further reason to support this
exchange is the fact that it provides our
research with new impetus. Not to forget,
our contacts with universities contribute to
our employer branding significantly, thus
making Evonik an attractive employer for
young academics.”
Buchholz joined the former Degussa AG
in 1993, initially holding the position of laboratory manager for polymer research in the
Wolfgang Industrial Park. After spending two
years in production at the Antwerp site, he
was, among other things, in charge of the
Biotechnology and ProFerm Project Houses.
Since March 2008, Buchholz has now been
head of Innovation Management in the Ad
vanced Intermediates Business Unit.
International environmental award for the Wind Explorer
The Wind Explorer electric vehicle has won
the ÖkoGlobe 2011, an international en
vironmental award. A few months ago, the
vehicle made a pioneering 4,900-kilometer
journey across Australia—and used only
about € 10 worth of electricity from the grid.
The Wind Explorer received first prize in the
Ecological Concept Car category at the Öko
Globe presentation ceremony in Karlsruhe
(Germany).
The Wind Explorer weighs in at only 200
kilograms and is able to travel a distance of
some 400 kilometers on a fully-charged battery. In late January 2011, Dirk Gion and
Stefan Simmerer, two extreme-sports
enthusiasts from Germany, embarked on a
17-day journey in this electric vehicle powered by wind energy and lithium-ion bat
teries. When their car battery ran low, the
pilots could use either a mobile wind-power unit to reload it or, in the absence of suf-
ficient wind, connect it to a conventional
electrical outlet for recharging. The mobile
wind turbine and a six-meter-high telescopic
mast made of bamboo were easily assembled in no more than half an hour. Evonik
supplied the battery technology used to
store the wind-generated power.
The Wind Explorer was propelled partly
by kites, in addition to wind power, achieving
in this way a maximum speed of about 80
kilometers per hour on the approximately
4,900-kilometer stretch from Albany on the
Indian Ocean to Sydney. Only in exceptional
cases did the pilots resort to electricity from
conventional sources.
In building their electromobile, the duo
opted for a tried-and-proven lightweight
construction material: a sandwich structure
of carbon-fiber fabric and a structural core of
Evonik’s ROHACELL® polymethacrylimide
(PMI) structural foam. This fiber plastic com-
posite is used in such applications as aircraft,
helicopters, trains and ships, and is also rapidly gaining ground in automotive construction:
ROHACELL® structures allow weight savings
over conventional steel parts. “Every gram of
weight saved reduces CO2 emissions in conventional fuel vehicles and increases the
range of the electric vehicles of the future,”
says Stefan Plass, who is responsible for
ROHACELL® business at Evonik, describing
the driving force behind developments for
the automotive industry.
Reducing the rolling resistance of the tires
is another way to save fuel, and rubber compounds play a key role in this endeavor. Here,
too, it took chemistry expertise to modify the
tire compound to appreciably reduce rolling
resistance and, therefore, energy consumption. For the Wind Explorer, this extended
the journey through Australia by a few hun
dred kilometers.
Ne ws 29
European Responsible Care Award for Evonik
The use of STOCKOSORB® in the reforestation of argan trees in Morocco shows
that superabsorbents can help overcome arid conditions. For this idea, the
European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) has honored Evonik with its
Responsible Care Award (large companies category). At the awards ceremony
in Madrid Klaus Engel, Chairman of Evonik’s Executive Board, said: “This award
shows that innovative ideas are vital for sustainability. Responsible Care is a clear
commitment that we apply conscientiously. However, we can only address future
challenges such as climate change and the shortage of resources if we are creative and come up with unusual ideas.”
The award was presented to Annette zur Mühlen of Evonik, who specializes
in innovative solutions for agriculture, and Marie-Rose Chalhoub, who is respon
sible for sales of this product, at the Global Chemical Industry European
Convention in Madrid (Spain). Together with the Institut Agronomique et
Veterinaire Hassan II in Agadir (Morocco) and local partners, Evonik investigated
how STOCKOSORB® can improve the survival of argan seedlings.
The argan is a multipurpose tree used by the local population in south-west
Morocco as a source of timber, fodder, and oil. It grows in extremely arid conditions but the area covered by these trees is regressing rapidly. Trials have shown
that STOCKOSORB® superabsorbent polymers increase the survival rates
of saplings. STOCKOSORB® absorbs many times its own weight of water and
releases it gradually to the plants as required. Depending on the environmental
conditions used in the trial, survival rates increased by between 45 and 150 percent compared to the control. Preparations for further trials are currently under
way in Morocco.
The Responsible Care Award is presented by the European Chemical Industry
Council for projects that foster cooperation, address energy efficiency and
climate change, encourage health, safety, and environmental excellence, and
demonstrate the business value of Responsible Care. The Responsible Care
initiative, which is supported by Evonik, is the chemical industry’s commitment
to the principles of sustainable development.
Argan oil, a highly valuable oil that is extracted from
the kernels of the argan fruit, is rich in unsaturated
fatty acids. It is used for culinary and cosmetic purposes
Expansion of R&D Center in Shanghai
Evonik Industries plans to expand its R&D
Center in Shanghai Xinzhuang (China) with
an investment of about € 18 million. The expansion includes construction of a four-story
R&D building with a footprint of more than
10,000 square meters. The new building is
scheduled to be inaugurated in mid-2013.
This is the third expansion of the R&D
Center in Shanghai since its opening in 2004.
“The rapidly increasing demand for R&D
facilities in Shanghai reflects our focus on
innovation in China for China,’ which is one
of our key success factors for our growth in
Asia, especially in the Greater China region,”
said Dr. Dahai Yu, member of the Executive
Board of Evonik Industries.
As one of the global leaders in specialty
chemicals, Evonik attaches great importance
on innovation and proximity to customers, be
it in the Greater China region itself or elsewhere. Alongside the application technology
laboratories at various sites, the R&D Center
in Shanghai Xinzhuang plays a key role in
Evonik’s R&D strategy. “By further expand
ing our local R&D capacities, we are also
expanding our activities from technical service to product development,” said Dr. HansJosef Ritzert, president of the Evonik Greater
China region. After the expansion, the R&D
Center will have a total of 35,000 square
meters of space for housing state-of-the-art
laboratories for research and development,
application technology, and technical services.
It is from here that Evonik will provide technical service support to customers throughout
the Greater China region and the Asian market beyond and will develop new product
applications for them.
Numerous Evonik products will be used
in the new building: in the external walls, the
balustrade, in lab flooring, interior decora
tion, and other elements. The approach is to
make the new building a showroom, as it
were, for exhibiting concrete examples to
customers and visitors of how Evonik prod
ucts and solutions can be put to specific use.
What’s more, the new R&D building will be
Evonik’s first LEED-certified building. LEED
(Leadership in Energy & Environmental
Design) is a concept for building design and
construction in accordance with specified
standards that diminish much of the negative
impact buildings can have on their occupants
and on the environment.
By stepping up its research activities in the
Greater China region, Evonik aims not only
to boost localized innovation, but to also
further expand collaboration with Chinese
research institutes and to develop specific
regional expertise. Evonik has been holding
local Evonik Meets Science events every year
to discuss with Chinese experts the latest
research findings in a specific field. Evonik
has also set up a scientific advisory board for
knowledge sharing and cooperation with
leading Chinese chemicals researchers.
30 coatin g & Bondin g te c hn ologie s
Evonik pools know-how, experience, and technology Group-wide in Areas of Competence
Thin but powerful
High-tech paints and coatings are complex systems. They ensure
that the high-quality products we use in everyday life serve
their purpose and last. Evonik’s Area of Competence (AoC)
Coating & Bonding Technologies systematically guides the
development of new coating systems, which are possible only
through the interaction of a broad range of expertise.
[ text Dr. Jens Busse, Dr. Björn Lazar, Dr. Wilfried Robers ]
Detailed knowledge and specialized professional experience are indispensable for developing or
improving each chemical product. At the same time,
however, long-term success is based on critically
analyzing one’s own abilities, adapting to rapidly
changing market demands, and anticipating key
trends. This is exactly what Evonik’s Areas of Competence are all about.
Group-wide, Evonik has established six AoCs—the
name given to platforms on which experts from a
wide variety of disciplines and business units pool
and network their know-how, experience, and technologies. This approach places the resources that the
Group has on center stage: equipment, knowledge,
experience, processes, organization—and gives all
business units equal access to them.
An AoC comprises several “competence clusters,”
in which Evonik has assembled considerable knowhow that it uses to find and exploit additional synergies across units. Within these clusters, specialists
meet regularly to share knowledge and experience
and advance projects. New technological developments in individual units are studied, and new ideas
are born.
Added value at the forefront
High-tech developments are frequently based on advanced products from the chemical industry—even if
customers are unable to see this at first glance. What
the customer is able to see, however, is the added
benefit he or she gains from the products and ser
vices. The path to innovative products that meet all
the customer’s standards is not easy: markets change
rapidly, technical requirements for products increase,
and today, environmental and climate protection, resource and energy efficiency are among the inherent
demands of sustainable chemistry.
Evonik combines Group expertise in coating and
bonding formulations in its Area of Competence
Coating & Bonding Technologies. Nowadays, coatings
must be environmentally friendly, high-performing,
coatin g & Bondin g tec hn ologie s 31
How firmly does a coating adhere? The crosscutting test provides the answer: the coating is
scored in the shape of a cross. Then, an adhesive
tape is stuck on the coating and then removed.
The number of segments torn off with the tape
provides information on the adhesive strength
of the coating
and available in similar formulations worldwide. The
charm of advanced thin-film technology is that a small
amount of material creates a product with high added
value and additional or completely new benefits for
the customer.
Each paint, each coating, and even many adhesive
applications are based on thin-film technology. The
chemical industry currently supplies a wide array of
materials and layer systems. At Evonik, products for
thin-film technology now account for about 17 percent of sales. Thin layers are not only a win for customers and endusers; they also support the mega
trends: resource conservation, energy efficiency,
CO2 reduction, longevity, and sustainability.
Virtually no uncoated surfaces
The surfaces of today’s materials and products are
almost always coated. Examples include insulating
glass, textiles, packaging, photovoltaic modules, and
information and consumer electronics devices. 333
32 coatin g & Bondin g te c hn ologie s
Diagram of a thermoelectric generator. It is used to generate power from hot car
exhaust, heat exchangers, or heating systems. With the help of thin-layer
technology Evonik searches for new production processes for these generators
Hot side (heat input)
Cover layer
+
Thermoelements
Metal contacts
Cold side (heat dissipation)
–
Electrical connection
Hot side (heat input)
Heat flow
Cold side (heat dissipation)
The Smart Coater, which is used as
part of the HighTEG project, can produce
layers with new functionalities
333 Some coatings, such as the anti-scratch coating of
a mobile phone display, increase the longevity of a
product. Coating a surface, such as a car dashboard,
can impart an appealing surface feel to it. A protective coating on industrial machines or components
prevents corrosion, while coatings on ships’ hulls defend against marine organisms and thereby reduce
the fuel consumption associated with shipping.
The multitude of requirements can be addressed
only by pooling a variety of competencies. To produce laser-markable transparent polymers, for
example, you need not only expertise in modifying
particle structures and particle surfaces but an optimal dispersion of ultra-fine particles in a polymer
matrix and, not least, a wealth of experience in formulating polymer compounds.
The same applies to scratch-resistant coatings.
With additives from the AERODISP® line, paint
manufacturers supply their products with high
scratch resistance. The secret to the formulation is
ultra-fine inorganic particles evenly suspended in an
organic matrix. These particles reliably protect
vehicle surfaces, displays, and components against
mechanical influences. Here, too, Evonik pools the
expertise of a variety of units—including the Coatings
& Additives, Inorganic Materials, and Consumer Specialties Business Units, as well as the Process Technology & Engineering Service Unit—which combine
their knowledge in the production of submicron particles, formulation, dispersion, and addivation.
By acquiring Hanse Chemie Group and its subsid
iary Nanoresins AG, Evonik has reinforced this knowledge, and the Coatings & Additives Business Unit
now holds technological expertise in liquid nanocomposites based on extremely fine-particled silicas.
Nanocomposites are used primarily in paints and
coatings to improve surface hardness and achieve a
higher degree of scratch resistance without any loss
of transparency.
Corrosion protection is essential
The importance of coating systems that protect
against corrosion cannot be exaggerated. When
bridges, drilling platforms, ships’ hulls, and wind
turbines corrode, their function and safety are not
the only things jeopardized—corrosion is, above all,
expensive. In Germany alone, the annual economic
losses from corrosion are estimated to be at € 50
billion. This is why researchers from a variety of business units are working together to develop solutions
for effective corrosion protection. Their work has
yielded such developments as new high-solids binder
systems based on silicon-epoxy hybrid technology.
coatin g & Bondin g tec hn ologie s 33
These systems stand out for their low emissions, high
heat stability and weather resistance, and optimal impact on corrosive influences.
Many of the competence clusters of the AoC Coat
ing & Bonding have a tangent to other Areas of Competence, including Inorganic Particle Design in the
area of cross-linking, Designing with Polymers in the
area of binders, Interfacial Technologies in the area
of additives, and Biotechnology in the development
of new raw materials for coatings. As part of a joint
annual event among the AoC, the Process Technology
& Engineering Service Unit, and Creavis, the Evonik
experts exchange experience with external special
ists from academia and industry. This exchange promotes network formation and focuses on new trends
and developments in the processing and functional
ization of thin layers.
Thin-layer technology enables new
functional components
Thin layers promise not only protection, longevity,
and visual and tactile appeal. Thin-layer technology
is also a key to developing completely new functional
components. The Process Technology & Engineering
Service Unit operates a technology center for functional layers at the Hanau site (Germany), which is
ideal for addressing the more practical problems of
coating technology. There, a team of experts successfully studies countless issues in the Group, ranging
from coating formulation to quality assurance for
the layers.
The latest component of the center is the Smart
Coater, which can be used to produce and optimize
layers with new functionalities. It is used as part of
HighTEG (FKZ 0327863B), a project funded by the
German Federal Ministry of Economics, in which
Evonik experts are developing a route for an innovative, highly efficient manufacturing of thermoelectric
generators.
Thermoelectric generators are used to generate
power from waste heat by obtaining energy from such
sources as hot car exhaust, heat exchangers, or heat
ing systems. The goal of the project is to develop a
cost-effective production process for mass-producing
thin and flexible thermoelectric generators. To this
end, specialists from Creavis and the Process Technology & Engineering Service Unit are conducting a
study of various production routes, such as the print
ing of thin semiconductor layers in and on flexible
substrate materials.
The Smart Coater is flexible and compact, and by
virtue of its different application systems and dryer
zones, sintering lines, and laminating unit, can simu-
late real-life mass production. To react fast and
flexibly to new tasks—this is not only a requirement
for the machines. It also applies to the scientists. Following their cross-unit approach, the AoC turns out
developments faster and more professionally, and
opens up new markets that the individual business
units would find difficult to open on their own. Only
those who understand, cultivate, and use their
expertise can transfer it to new markets and satisfy
customers’ needs. This is just as true for the chemical industry as other segments: if the customer discovers he is paying for alleged expertise, but receives
mediocrity, his willingness to continue the partnership diminishes, and the company’s business success
is short-lived. 777
Dr. Jens Busse has headed the Decentralized Energy
Generation Development Line in the Science-toBusiness Center Eco² since 2009. After studying
mechanical engineering and process technology at
the Ruhr University of Bochum and then earning his
doctorate in process synthesis, he began his career
at Evonik in 2001 as a process engineer in the Process
Technology & Engineering Service Unit, working
primarily in the area of training simulation and energy
optimization of the sites.
+49 2365 49-86509, jens.busse@evonik.com
Dr. Björn Lazar has been a member of the scientific
staff in the Process Technology & Engineering Service
Unit at Evonik since the beginning of 2008. Much of
his work focuses on coatings-related subject matter,
such as processing thin, functional layers for the display industry. Lazar graduated with a degree in chem
ical engineering from the Technical University of Dort
mund before earning his doctorate in nanoparticle
synthesis in microemulsions at the Max Planck Institute
for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems in Magde
burg.
+49 2365 49-19164, bjoern.lazar@evonik.com
Dr. Wilfried Robers is the spokesman for the Area of
Competence Coating & Bonding Technologies, and
organizes cross-business unit cooperation, information
exchange and joint market cultivation for the coatings
and adhesive market. He also serves as chairman of the
Group Executive Staff Council of Evonik Industries
AG. After graduating in physics in Münster in 1984,
Robers earned his doctorate in the Department of
Laser Chemistry at the Max Planck Institute for Quan
tum Optics in Garching. He began his career in 1989
at the former Hüls AG in Marl as laboratory head in
analytics. He then worked as application engineer,
held positions in controlling and as head of a product
line for the production and marketing of coating polyesters before assuming his current responsibilities as
AoC spokesman in 2005.
+49 2365 49-9537, wilfried.robers@evonik.com
34 RESOURCE EFFICIEN C Y
Evonik makes tailored amines used as highly efficient absorbent formulations in gas purification
Evonik knows
how to treat acid gases
RESOURCE EFFICIEN C Y 35
Removing undesirable substances from major
gas streams is all in a day’s work for energy and
chemicals specialists. Experts at Evonik have
now developed amine-based system solutions
that make the purification process for natural
and synthetic gases more efficient and less costly.
[ text Dr. Jörn Rolker, Dr. Matthias Seiler ]
Given its economic and ecological benefits, natural gas is commanding an ever-bigger degree of significance in energy supply
around the world. The deregulation of energy markets is creat
ing greater demand for smaller, more flexible power plants
fueled largely with gas. Natural gas is also less expensive than
oil, it is easy to transport across long distances and to store
either in compressed or liquefied form, and it is one of the
cleaner choices in the range of available fossil fuels, since
methane combustion produces less carbon dioxide than oil or
coal. The International Energy Agency estimates that gas consumption will increase by some 50 percent by the year 2035 to
make up a quarter of the world’s energy mix. In Germany, as
elsewhere, natural gas plays an increasingly important role—
as a fuel in highly efficient gas-steam power plants, for example.
Syngas is another such important gas stream and intermediate product (important, that is, in a global context). Its main components are hydrogen and carbon monoxide, and this mixture is
one of the key raw materials for the chemicals industry which
uses it to manufacture base chemicals such as ammonia, methanol, and aldehydes. At its site in Marl (Germany) Evonik Industries operates a facility for the generation and processing of
so-called OXO syngas. The company uses this gas, in turn, to
make primary products such as those that go into the production of plasticizers.
What natural and synthesis gases have in common is that both
contain undesirable elements. Subsequent to their extraction or
manufacture, respectively, they contain methane and hydrogen
(wanted) as well as a great number of other gases and trace substances (unwanted). Natural gas contains as much as 30 vol. percent carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in addition
to methane and other hydrocarbons; the actual amount of these
unwanted substances varies depending on the origin of the gas.
Natural gas also contains smaller amounts of sulfur, helium, and
nitrogen. Synthetic gas can likewise contain up to 30 vol. percent CO2 plus smaller amounts of H2S as well as a host of other
sulfur and nitrogen compounds.
Carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide both react with water to
become acids, making them prone to cause corrosion in pipelines, pumps, compressors, and other metallic elements of the
process infrastructure. CO2 and H2S need to be removed from
synthetic gas, too, at least to the extent that only residual amounts
(minimal ppm) remain. Even small concentrations of these substances will cause problematic secondary reactions in subsequent
chemical processes or lead to catalyst poisoning.
As demand for gas grows, so we see increasing requirements
for energetically efficient processing technologies that use resources sparingly. Gas scrubbing has become the most common
means of purifying (or sweetening) larger amounts of gas.
The process involves thoroughly mixing suitable solvents into
the raw gas to preferentially absorb the acids. In principle,
there are two ways of doing this: by chemical or physical absorption.
In the physical absorption process, the acid gases are dis
solved in a solution such as methanol, thereby capturing and
expelling them. Physical purification methods are used mostly
if the acid gas content is proportionately high. The drawback of
physical scrubbing is that it causes unwanted co-absorption of
longer-chain hydrocarbons, in addition to which it is usually not
possible to eliminate unwanted accompanying substances to the
desired minimum ppm level.
Chemical absorption is therefore normally the favored
alternative. In this process, the absorbents selectively remove
the acidic substances. Different types of amines have been
employed for decades now as the medium of choice. Amines
Raw gases require elaborate
purification – amines
have become the conventional
means of purification
are inexpensive, can be produced in large amounts, and, unlike
physical absorbents, these alkaline molecules react rapidly with
acid gases.
A variety of amine types are used in practice. Primary
amines such as monoethanolamine (MEA), secondary amines
such as diisopropanolamine (DIPA), diglycolamine (DGA), or
diethanolamine (DEA), and even tertiary amines such as methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) can all be employed. In chemical absorption, CO2 reacts to become carbamate or carbonate, depend
ing on the type of amine used. Reaction to H2S causes the absorbent to be protonated and a hydrogen sulfide ion to be created.
These reactions are reversible. When the rich absorbent 333
Figure 1. The principle of chemical gas scrubbing: CO2 and H2S are removed
from the raw gas through reaction with the dissolved amines at a temperature
of 40 to 60 °C. The gases are then released again in the desorber at raised tem
peratures
Treated gas
Make-up
water
Reflux
condenser
High
pressure
flash
gas
Low pressure
flash gas
Lean
solution
cooler
Acid
off-gas
Stripper overhead
gas stream
Solvent/solvent
heat exchanger
Feed gas
Reboiler
Absorber
High
pressure
flash
Low
pressure
flash
Desorber
Figure 2. Absorption capacity for the separation of H2S. The Evonik absorbent
formulation absorbs much greater amounts at 40 °C than do state-of-the-art
components
MDEA (4.28 molar)
Hindered amine (2.5 molar)
30 wt.-% Evonik absorbent formulation
Partial pressure H2S (bar)
1
0.1
0.01
0.001
0.0001
0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
Loading (mol H2S/mol amine)
The cyclic capacity of Evonik’s new absorbent formulations for CO2 is as much
as 1.5 times greater than that of conventional ones and allows acid gases to
be removed more efficiently
Cyclic capacity for CO2 between 40 °C and 120 °C
MEA
2.0 mol CO2/kg solvent (30 wt.-% amine)
MDEA/Piperazine
Evonik absorbent formulation
333 (loaded with acid gas) is heated, CO2 and H2S isolate them-
selves from the molecular group and release the absorbent.
The technical process of chemical gas scrubbing is essen
tially quite simple, with absorber and desorber units featuring
at the heart of the system (Fig. 1). The raw gas and liquid solvent are fed into the absorber unit in counterflow directions,
causing them to mix. The absorber unit contains certain random or structured packing which ensure intensive contact be
tween the gas and the liquid and provide a large surface area
for chemical reaction. At a temperature of between 40 and 60 °C,
the aqueous absorbent solution reacts with CO2 and H2S. The
cleaned gas exits the absorber section at the top end, while the
solvent now loaded with the undesirables is drawn off at the
bottom end and channeled into the desorber unit, where the
opposite reaction transpires. Through heating to a temperature
of 120 to 140 °C in the desorber’s reboiler, the amine releases
the acid gases again and the cycle commences anew.
Amines have proven to be effective absorbents of acid gases.
The various conventional methods of gas scrubbing do, how
ever, have their specific weak points. While primary amines do
capture acid gases and hold them fast in the form of carbamates,
they consequently expend a lot of energy in the process of subsequent desorption as well as being prone to undesirable second
ary reactions. Tertiary amines do not capture acid gases as firmly,
but they do so more slowly. Additionally, an objectionable side
effect of the amines commonly used is that the absorbent in combination with the heat-stable salts (unwanted amine-based decomposition products) develops corrosive properties. Last but
not least, when certain components in natural gas are exposed
to the absorbent they may cause unwanted foams to be created
which will interfere with the separation process.
For the gas-purification process to be economically viable,
regeneration of the absorption medium needs to require little
energy, the absorbents need to be extremely chemically stable
and corrosion tendencies need to be low (operating costs). At
the same time, a high level of system availability needs to be implementable at moderate capital expenditures. The more absorbent required to be pumped and heated, the less efficient conventional methods are in terms of their energy footprint. In most
cases, a relatively large amount of energy needs to be fed into
the reboiler to desorb the chemically bound acid gases. That is
why the processes currently in use are quite costly. Achieving
a cut in energy requirements would make gas purification a
significantly less expensive undertaking in future.
In other words, optimization of the absorbent is a highly effective leverage in the pursuit to make the entire gas-scrubbing
process more efficient and thus more economical. Given the high
investments incurred for gas-treatment plants, even minor optimizations would have a noticeably positive effect.
An ideal absorbent therefore needs to satisfy multiple require
ments. It needs to bind acid gas constituents quickly, firmly, and
reversibly, to release sufficient quantities of bound acid gas
without that process requiring the input of vast amounts of
energy, and to be minimally corrosive but chemically stable in
order to protect infrastructural equipment.
Evonik has a wealth of know-how on amine synthesis at its
disposal. It began exploiting that expertise for its new business
area, acid gas removal, in 2004. A team of experts from the
RESOURC E EFFICIEN C Y 37
Advanced Intermediates Business Unit, the Process Technology
& Engineering Service Unit, and Creavis has succeeded in
developing new high-performance system solutions for the absorptive scrubbing of acid gases. These solutions enable oper
ating costs to be radically reduced against those attributed to
available state-of-the-art techniques.
Some 50 components were tested to ascertain their viability.
The screenings showed a small group of them to have particularly favorable properties. These amine variations afforded
sufficiently quick absorption, demonstrated remarkable, energetically optimized desorption performance, and caused an
astonishingly low level of corrosion.
At the close of the laboratory phase, the choice was down to
five very promising absorbent formulas. These were chemically
modified in such a way as to be at least equally good, and even
much better in many respects, at satisfying requirements as
state-of-the-art techniques of gas scrubbing (such as a mixture
of MDEA and piperazine). Optimization efforts were centered
on markedly reducing the operating costs of acid gas scrubbing
(> 30 percent) while achieving sufficiently high rates of absorption and high cyclic capacities.
Optimized absorbent
formulations make
gas purification
more cost-efficient
Figure 3. Absorption enthalpy during CO2 capture. Given the low level of absorption
enthalpy, Evonik’s newly developed absorbent formulation requires the expenditure
Performancevergleich für einen Synthesegasstrom bei jeweils gleicher CO2of much less energy for desorption than is the case when using standard amines
Abtrennrate: Die Absorbentien von Evonik können den spezifischen
Energieverbrauch bei der Regeneration gegenüber den Standardaminen im
MEA
MDEA/Piperazine
Evonik absorbent formulation
Bereich von 20 bis 60 Prozent senken und helfen damit, die Betriebskosten
Absorptiondrastisch
enthalpyzu
[%]
verringern. Die Reduzierung des Absorbensmassenstroms um 20
bis 30 Prozent im Vergleich zu den Standardkomponenten ist eine wichtige
100
Voraussetzung für eine mögliche Kapazitätserweiterung der Anlage
80
60
40
20
0
Figure 4. Performance comparison of syngas streams, each at the same rate of
CO2 capture. Evonik absorbent formulations can reduce specific energy expen
diture for regeneration by a range of 20 to 60 percent against that recorded for
standard amines, thereby radically lowering operating costs. Reduction of the
absorbent-mass stream by 20 to 30 percent against that of standard components
is an important prerequisite for possible capacity expansion of the system
Evonik absorbent formulation B
Evonik absorbent formulation A
40 wt.-% DIPA/40 wt.-% Sulfolan
30 wt.-% MDEA/10 wt.-% Piperazine
Specific regeneration energy [%]
140
120
The experts at Evonik then subjected the system solutions arrived
at to intensive testing in a multi-year piloting phase to determine
the following: In which partial-pressure range does purification
work? How much energy is required for desorption? How much
solvent is required? The developers had their sights set on achiev
ing minimization in each of the key parameters, that is to say a
reduction of the amount of absorbent required, minimization of
energy requirements, less corrosion and foaming, and a higher
degree of chemical stability in the components (diminished deg
radation against that rendered by state-of-the-art techniques).
The shortlist was ultimately reduced to two absorbent formulations which each exhibited excellent acid-gas-purification
performance. Absorption capacity in the process of H2S capture
is ten times as great as that achieved using conventionally em
ployed MDEA (Fig. 2). These system formulations also enable
much higher H2S dissolubility than conventional amines, consequently achieving excellent reduction to a mere few ppm.
The absorption enthalpy during the process of CO2 capture
was reduced by a factor of three against state-of-the-art absorbents (Fig.3), meaning that significantly less energy needs to be
expended for regeneration of the loaded solvent (Fig.4). These
amines also hold the promise of significant benefits with respect
to the corrosion and foaming they cause and to their chemical
stability. The testing revealed corrosiveness (Fig.5) to be reduced
by a factor of three to five and even foaming to be diminished to
a minimum.
The use of Evonik’s customized absorbent formulations has
a variety of positive effects: it makes the entire gas-scrubbing 333
100
80
60
40
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Absorbent-mass stream [%]
Figure 5. Evonik absorbent formulations also present a convincing case with
respect to how little corrosion they cause. Their corrosion rate is lower than that
for MEA by a factor of seven, thus reducing material and maintenance costs
30 wt.-% MEA
37.2 wt.-% MDEA/2.8 wt.-% Piperazine
30 wt.-% Evonik absorbent formulations
Corrosion rate [%]
100
80
60
40
20
0
An Evonik syngas plant for field testing
333 process more efficient and reduces operating costs. Since
the improved components reduce solvent circulation, high-performance packing in the absorber can be used to increase gas
flow and thus achieve capacity expansion for existing systems.
At the same time, CO2 impact is diminished because less
regeneration energy is required. Minimized corrosion, a low
foaming tendency, and increased chemical and thermal stability
raise the level of system availability. Another significant aspect
is the fact that these new system formulations can be used as
drop-in solvents, meaning they are suitable for use in existing
systems without creating any need for system alterations or technical adaptation.
Extensive large-scale industrial field testing has been, and
continues to be, conducted following the pilot plant phase.
These field tests are being performed for specific market segments for syngas and natural gas. One of the measures currently
underway is a large-scale field test conducted at Evonik. The
pre-commercial phase will soon be completed. Tailored system
solutions that will address varying customer demands are due
to go to market in 2013 and will serve to significantly reduce
operating costs and improve the performance of absorbent
formulations as well as help to increase the capacity of gas
processing plants. 777
Dr. Jörn Rolker’s work in the Advanced Intermediates
Business Unit’s New Business Development team is
concentrated on absorbents for acid gas scrubbing.
A graduate of process engineering and energy technol
ogy studies at the Technical University of Berlin and
with a PhD in the field of thermodynamics/thermal
process engineering from the University of ErlangenNuremberg, he joined Evonik as a process engineer
in the Process Technology & Engineering Service Unit
in 2007. Dr. Rolker assumed his current position at
Evonik in 2011.
+ 49 6181 59-2514, joern.rolker@evonik.com
Dr. Matthias Seiler is director for New Business
Development in Evonik’s Advanced Intermediates Busi
ness Unit. After studying process and energy engineer
ing at the TU Berlin and earning his doctorate in the
field of polymer process engineering and thermody
namics at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, he
began his career in Evonik’s Process Technology &
Engineering Service Unit in 2004. Here, he last head
ed the Bringing Technology to Market Department
before moving to his current position in 2010. Parallel
to his professional activity, he also earned an Executive
MBA at the ESSEC & Mannheim Business School.
+49 6181 59-3049, matthias.seiler@evonik.com
N e ws 39
Methyl methacrylate production capacities to be increased
Evonik Industries, one of the leading suppliers of methacrylate chem
istry, is increasing its methyl methacrylate production capacities
worldwide to meet rising demand. To this end, the company will implement debottlenecking and plant expansion projects this year and
later at its sites in Europe (Worms and Wesseling, Germany), Asia
(Shanghai, China), and the United States (Fortier). Upon completion
of the projects, Evonik will be able to produce approximately 50,000
additional metric tons of methyl methacrylate. Thomas Müller, Senior
Vice President & General Manager Acrylic Monomers, said of the
short-notice announcement: “We’re reacting quickly to support our
customers’ growth in these markets.” Methyl methacrylate is primar
ily used for polymethyl methacrylate resins and surface coatings.
Evonik to double its L-lysine capacities in the US
In North America, Evonik Industries is
doubling its capacities for producing the feed
amino acid L-lysine. The two-phase expan
sion of the Blair, Nebraska, plant to an annual
capacity of 280,000 metric tons is on track
and is expected to be completed by August
2012, six months earlier than originally projected. Evonik uses biotechnology to produce
the essential amino acids L-lysine, L-threonine,
and L-tryptophan for animal feed.
“This investment further strengthens our
significant market position in the feed additives business,” said Dr. Klaus Engel, CEO of
Evonik Industries. “We recently announced
plans to construct a new plant for expanding
our DL-methionine capacity to 580,000
metric tons a year, and doubling our L-lysine
capacities will now add further growth to our
biotechnology-manufactured amino acid
L-lysine as well.”
L-lysine, a biotechnology product, which
Evonik markets under the brand name
Biolys®, is globally known as an extremely
effective source of lysine for animal feed,
which helps to sustainably reduce cost in feed
production. “We’ve seen rising demand for
our L-lysine in the United States for the last
few years and therefore decided to double
our capacities,” said Engel.
Credits
Publisher
Evonik Industries AG
Corporate Innovation
Strategy & Management
Rellinghauser Straße 1–11
45128 Essen
Germany
Evonik expects to bring the first additional
quantities to the market in 2011, when the
first expansion phase, which includes dou
bling the evaporation capacities for product
concentration, is complete. At the same time,
Evonik has already started the second expansion phase, for which all permits were grant
ed in June 2011.
Thanks to effective protection measures
that kept the water away from the plant, the
flooding of the Missouri River in June and
July 2011 did not affect the project schedule.
Scientific Advisory Board
Dr. Norbert Finke
Corporate Innovation
Strategy & Management
norbert.finke@evonik.com
Editor in Chief
Dr. Karin Aßmann
Evonik Services GmbH
Konzernredaktion
karin.assmann@evonik.com
“We have to give Cargill credit for that,”
noted Dr. Walter Pfefferle, head of the
Bioproducts Business Line, although Evonik
and the US Army Corps of Engineers provid
ed active support for the protective measures
as well. “Our collaboration with Cargill is
excellent. We also have to thank Governor
Dave Heinemann, who did everything pos
sible to fight the flooding,” said Pfefferle.
Cargill provides the infrastructure at the site
and supplies Evonik with locally manufac
tured over-the-fence source materials.
Evonik’s fermentation
plant for the produc
tion of the amino acid
L-lysine in Blair
(Nebraska, USA)
Contribution Editors
Christof Endruweit
Christa Friedl
Michael Vogel
Photos
Evonik Industries
Karsten Bootmann
Dieter Debo
Frank Preuß
Stefan Wildhirt
Getty Images/Tracy Packer (p. 8)
Fotolia/Achim Baqué (p. 24)
Getty Images/Lonnie Duka (p. 34)
Design
Michael Stahl, Munich (Germany)
Printed by
Laupenmühlen Druck GmbH & Co. KG
Bochum (Germany)
Reproduction only with permission
of the editorial office
Evonik Industries is a worldwide
manufacturer of PMMA products sold
under the PLEXIGLAS® trademark
on the European, Asian, African, and
Australian continents and under the
ACRYLITE® trademark in the Americas
Save yourself the surprises
when you’re looking for a partner.
Come straight to us.
We love your problems.
Real problems, real answers. We’re the perfect match
for your strategic pharmaceuticals partnership. Why?
Because we work hand in glove with our customers
across all organizational boundaries. And thanks to this
close-knit spirit of cooperation among all those involved,
we have an exceptionally deep understanding of our
customers’ needs. This way, we can join together in
developing sustainable, step-by-step solutions. If you’d
like to know more good reasons for a long-term partnership with us, go to www.evonik.com/pharma.

Evonik Elements 37

Transcription

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