elements 52, Issue 3 | 2015 - Evonik Industries€¦ · increases in the demand for highly dispersible silica. ... spurring growth in demand for high-performance lubricants, ... high-performance

RESOURCE EFFICIENCY

Filtering with fibersBIOECONOMY

For a different kind of economyCOSMETICS

A gentle weapon for fighting baldness

elements52Quarterly Science Newsletter Issue 3|2015

elements52 Issue 3|2015

2 CONTENTS

6

24

32

COVER PICTURE

Manufacturing of polyamide hollow fibers for membrane filters in Lenzing (Austria)

NEWS

4 Additional world-scale silica plant planned 4 Evonik’s largest oil additives plant now onstream in Singapore 5 Evonik and AkzoNobel establish a production joint venture 5 New grades of hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid

for pharma and cosmetics

RESOURCE EFFICIENCY

6 Membranes for customized nitrogen production: Filtering with fibers

BIOECONOMY

14 For a different kind of economy

NEWS

19 Creavis project successfully handed over 19 New application technology center for

superabsorbent polymers 20 Amino acids for animal feed: certified sustainability

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

22 Sustainability at Evonik

EVONIK OPEN INNOVATION CONFERENCE 2015

24 Data: A company’s most valuable asset

NEWS

30 Awards for Creavis developments in composites 30 Insoles from the 3-D printer 31 Evonik acquires share in JeNaCell

COSMETICS

32 A gentle weapon for fighting baldness

ADHESIVES

40 Outlook: Combating odor and deposits on windows with DYNACOLL®

41 Bio-based DYNACOLL® polyester polyols reduce carbon footprint 42 Adhesive resins: All signs point to innovation

YOUNG INNOVATION TALENT

43 Work that matters

NEWS

46 Study confirms positive effects of anthocyanins 46 Hope for EPP patients 47 Fresh vegetables on the table in Antarctica

47 Credits


3EDITORIAL

Creative freedom

Dr. Ulrich KüsthardtChief Innovation OfficerEvonik Industries AG

An unusual project is currently underway for the second time at the Schauspiel Frankfurt theater: Three young directors have been given the opportunity to spend an entire year developing their own projects and formats, and working out their unique artistic fingerprint. Why? Because discovering your own style requires an experimental space where you can try out new concepts—you also need to be allowed to fail. At the end of the year, the three will present their work to audiences and critics.

The theater gives the directors the freedom to implement good ideas. Our project houses operate according to a similar principle. The team for a given project house is presented with a task—developing a new technology platform, for instance—and given a budget and a three-year deadline. The goal is clearly outlined, but the team has a great deal of freedom to determine how to arrive at that goal.

And it works, as our Composites Project House has demonstrated yet again. The team has worked with external partners on two projects centered around lightweight construction concepts, and both projects have been distinguished with prizes from two networks of experts: CFK Valley presented its Innovation Award for hybrid polymer systems, and JEC recognized CAMISMA (a project sponsored by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research) with the JEC Americas Award (p. 30). This satisfying success underscores the notion that a good team and creative freedom are at least as important as a good idea.

Our venture capital activities demonstrate that principle as well. We have just recently invested in two additional start-ups: Wiivv, a com-pany using 3-D printing techniques to produce biomechanically optimized insoles, and JeNaCell, which produces nanocellulose via fermentation for use in wound dressings that enable optimized treatment of chronic wounds, among other benefits. The two companies could not be less alike—one is a German start-up headed up by an experienced scientist, while the other is a Canadian start-up with two very young founders. The differences are only superficial, however: In addition to having good business ideas and persuasive plans for implementing those ideas, both start-ups are enthusiastic about their business ideas, both are completely dedicated to success, and both are in a position to bring all of the exper-tise on board that they need.

That’s why we pay careful attention to the team and to the personalities heading up the team when we evaluate a start-up. It’s also why fostering entrepreneurial employees within our own company is important to us as a way of honing our innovative strength. And providing creative freedom is a recipe for doing just that.


4 NEWS

Additional world-scale silica plant plannedEvonik Industries has started basic engineering for a new produc-tion plant for precipitated silica focusing on the rubber industry and especially the growing tire industry. The world-scale facility is planned to be built in the southeastern United States, in close prox-imity to major American tire production sites. The investment vol-ume for the facility will be in the upper double-digit million euro range. Completion is scheduled for late 2017 to provide the North American market with products from local production. The overall project still needs the approval of the relevant bodies.

Dr. Johannes Ohmer, member of the Management Board of the Resource Efficiency Segment, says: “Interest in energy-saving tires is continuously growing in North America. This results in tangible increases in the demand for highly dispersible silica. That’s why we are planning to build the plant close to our customers—the large tire manufacturers.”

Between 2010 and 2014, Evonik increased its global capacity for precipitated silica by around 30 percent. In September 2014, Evonik already put into operation a plant expansion at its US facility in Ches-ter (Pennsylvania) for an additional annual production capacity of around 20,000 metric tons.

By using a silica-silane combination, manufacturers are able to produce tires that allow for fuel savings of up to eight percent thanks to a significantly reduced rolling resistance compared to conventional passenger car tires. Low rolling resistance tires thus make a contri-bution to climate protection. Evonik is the only producer to offer both components and a highly competent partner for high-perfor-mance tire manufacturers.

Evonik Industries has put its significantly expanded Jurong Island oil additives plant in Singapore into operation after two years of engineer-ing, planning and construction. The capacity of the plant has nearly doubled, making it the largest oil additives production site within Evonik’s global production network. Additional plants are located in the United States, in Canada, France, and Germany.

“The expanding mobility in Asia, a stronger focus on resource effi-ciency and higher fuel economy, as well as tighter emissions limits are spurring growth in demand for high-performance lubricants,” outlined Dr. Johannes Ohmer, member of the Management Board of the Resource Efficiency Segment. “With this additional capacity, we are addressing our customers’ growing demand for more and more advanced lubricants.”

For Evonik, Asia is an attractive growth market in the field of oil additives. Over the last few years, capacities in the region have been constantly expanded and the regional team has been strengthened. Elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region, Evonik also operates technology centers in Shanghai (China) and Tsukuba (Japan). The company’s goal is to strengthen the competitiveness and innovative power of Asian customers locally with individual solutions.

As a leading provider of oil additives, Evonik develops technologies to improve fuel and energy efficiency as well as productivity with DRIVON™ and NUFLUX™ technologies in engine oils, driveline fluids, and gear oils. Industrial and off-highway equipment achieve fuel and energy savings with DYNAVIS® technology for hydraulic fluids. Other specialty products of the Evonik Oil Additives Business Line include high-performance additives and technologies for fuels and refinery products.

The primary purpose of lubricants is to reduce friction between metal parts. Various additives can help to achieve this

The demand for precipitated silica is particularly strong in the tire industry

Evonik’s largest oil additives plant now onstream in Singapore


5NEWS

Evonik and AkzoNobel establish a production joint venture

Evonik Industries and AkzoNobel establish a joint venture. The aim of the new venture, in which Evonik and AkzoNobel each hold a share of 50 percent, is to construct and jointly operate a membrane electrolysis facility for potassium hydroxide solution and chlorine at AkzoNobel’s site in Ibbenbüren (Germany).

The membrane electrolysis facility in Ibbenbüren is to have a nominal annual capac-ity of approximately 130,000 metric tons of potassium hydroxide solution and a nominal annual capacity of approximately 82,000 met-ric tons of chlorine. Start-up of production is

New grades of hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid for pharma and cosmeticsEvonik is introducing new hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid grades for drug, medical products, and cosmetics manufacturers in re-sponse to increasingly more stringent regula-tory requirements in these close-to-consumer industry segments. In Europe, customers will receive tailored solutions, enabling them to provide end consumers with safe and fully cer-tified products.

In addition to their existing product portfo-lio for the cosmetics industry, Evonik is expand-ing its spectrum for the pharma industry by offering active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) produced on the basis of Good Manufac-turing Practice (GMP). As the central point of production, Weißenstein in Austria is currently being certified according to GMP guidelines. This will make Evonik the first hydrogen per-oxide manufacturer in Europe with a fully back-integrated production. To date, the site is certi-fied according to ISO 9001, 14001, and 13485.

Brenntag Europe, Middle East and Africa is Evonik’s partner in many European countries for the marketing of hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid product portfolios in the Per-sonal & Health Care market segment. Product

marketing will be launched in the middle of the year, spanning a total of 25 countries in Europe. Brenntag holds a strong market posi-tion with many years of experience and great customer proximity. Customers value the com-pany’s individualized and qualified services and benefit from their comprehensive product portfolio which is available all over Europe.

From left to right: Jürgen Baune, Knut Schwalenberg (AkzoNobel), head of the Performance Materials Segment Johann-Caspar Gammelin, and José Berges, head of the Functional Solutions Business Line

Products based on hydrogen peroxide are also used for wound disinfection

projected for the fourth quarter of 2017. There-after, AkzoNobel is to take over the marketing of chlorine and the hydrogen resulting from the electrolysis, or will process the substances directly at the Ibbenbüren site. Evonik will take over the marketing and further processing of potassium hydroxide solution at its Lülsdorf (Germany) site, where Evonik processes potas-sium hydroxide solution into potassium car-bonate (potash).

Legislators stipulate that the production of chlorine, potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide solutions with the current mercury

electrolysis technology must be phased out by 2018. The new membrane electrolysis that is planned will replace this procedure with an environmentally friendly and sustainable method. The joint venture is subject to approval from the applicable regulatory authorities.

Products based on hydrogen peroxide and per-acetic acid are used as drug and medical prod-ucts but also as environment-friendly disinfec-tant and bleaching agents in the Personal & Health Care business. Evonik is the world’s second largest hydrogen peroxide manufac-turer with production capacities at twelve sites on six continents.


6 RESOURCE EFFICIENCY

The aerospace, energy, chemical, and food industries—all of these sectors require nitrogen at different levels of purity. With its newly developed hollow-fiber membrane SEPURAN® N2, Evonik is offering a needs-oriented, efficient, and energy-saving solution for obtaining the desired gas.

[ text Dr. Joerg Balster, Dr. Goetz Baumgarten, Dr. Werner Escher, Dr. Tymen Visser ]

Filtering with fibersMembranes for customized nitrogen production


7RESOURCE EFFICIENCY

INCOMBUSTIBLE, INERT, ODORLESS, and tasteless—these properties make nitrogen a highly needed gas for a number of branches of industry (see p. 10). It is ob-tained from air, which has a nitrogen con-tent of up to 78 percent. Air is also made of up to 21 percent oxygen—an extremely re-active gas that facilitates fires. Gas separa-tion processes are designed to separate oxygen and nitrogen.

Cryogenic air separation, also known as the “Linde process,” is particularly good at doing this. It can extract nitrogen at a purity of over 99.99 percent. But this level of quality comes at a price: Cryogenic air separation consumes a lot of energy and is only profitable in large-scale pro-duction. For many applications, though, technical nitrogen with a purity of 95 to 98 percent is sufficient.

One of the main applications for the inert gas of such qualities is active fire protection. In server rooms, for example, a supply of N2 ensures that the oxygen content in the indoor air drops below 16 percent. At this level, flames either die im-mediately or never form in the first place. The chemical industry frequently uses nitrogen for explosion protection in pro-duction plants or tank farms. For these purposes, nitrogen can be obtained far more cost-effectively with membrane technology.

This was Evonik’s starting point for its new development. A technological leader in high-performance polymers, the spe-cialty chemicals company benefited in this development work from its extensive know-how in the design and production of hollow-fiber membranes. Based on this experience, Evonik has developed cus-tom-designed membrane systems for gas separation for a wide variety of applica-tions over the past few years. SEPURAN® Green, for example, is used for the treat-ment of biogas because it separates carbon dioxide and methane gas with high effi-ciency. The process was honored 333

Hollow fibers with a diameter of less than half of a millimeter can be efficient membrane filters



Figure 1

SEPURAN® N2 works on the principle of the solution-diffusion model

Oxygen Nitrogen

Transport mechanismPartial pressure air > partial pressure permeate

1 Sorbtion feed side

2 Diffusion through membrane

3 Desorption permeate side

Figure 2

SEPURAN® N2 hollow-fiber membrane can generate particularly efficient technical nitrogen qualities of up to 99 percent purity from air

FeedPartial pressure air

Flow

Membrane thickness

21 3

PermeatePartial pressure permeate

l

Functioning of a membrane for nitrogen generation

Permeation rate of air components

Compressed air

Oxygen-enriched air

Nitrogen

Hollow-fiber membrane

Fast Slow

H2O CO2 O2 Ar N2

Cross section of a hollow-fiber membrane

Hollow-fiber membrane bundle

SEPURAN® N2 membrane module



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333 with the IKU Innovation Award 2014 of the German Federal Ministry of the En-vironment for outstanding innovations in climate and environmental protection.

Building on their success with biogas treatment, the engineers at Evonik have now developed SEPURAN® N2, a hol-low-fiber membrane specially developed for efficient nitrogen extraction. It com-bines high capacity, low air consumption, and superior energy efficiency.

SEPURAN® N2 is made from polyimide, an extremely heat- and chemical-resistant high-performance plastic that Evonik also produces itself, and that works based on the solution-diffusion model, whereby gases selectively permeate (figs. 1 and 2). The process involves directing com-pressed air into the hollow-fiber mem-branes, which look like long, extremely thin macaroni. This causes a partial pres-sure difference between the internal and external sides of the hollow fibers. The different gas components strive to balance the partial pressure, but this is impeded by the membrane.

Because of their small size, it is easy for oxygen molecules to pass through the membrane. So on the interior area, the retentate side, nitrogen is enriched to the desired purity, while on the exterior side of the hollow fibers, the permeate side, an oxygen-rich airstream forms. In some cases, this stream can be a welcome co-product that is used for such purposes as increasing the throughput of combus-tion or oxidation processes, for example.

The purity of the N2 can even be reg-ulated through the quantity of compressed air injected: The lower the quantity in-jected the higher the quality of the nitro-gen. But in this case, the process requires an overall larger volume of air, because the amount of nitrogen flowing through the plastic membrane increases along with the amount of oxygen. Commonly, the process is mostly used at a pressure of up to ten bar, but can also be used at higher

pressures. Depending on the required purity, the ratio of injected air to pro-duced nitrogen is between 2:1 and 3:1.

Evonik produces the polyimide hollow fibers at its site in Lenzing (Austria) which has extensive experience and expertise in the production of fibers. In a spinning plant, the polymer solution flows around a central jet of liquid, the subsequent hol-low space of the fibers, into a precipitation bath. The liquid jet is also responsible for the required asymmetry and porosity of the membrane. The dense gas-active layer on the surface of the fibers, where

Nitrogen purity can be easily controlled

From polymer solutions to hollow fibers to the finished module

APPLICATIONS



Nitrogen—a highly sought-after gas

Nitrogen plays an important role in a variety of industries. For example, the inert gas is used for fire prevention and explosion protection in chemical plants, server farms, and library archives. The aerospace industry also uses nitrogen to inertize the kerosene tanks of planes and create a flame-resistant atmosphere by lowering the oxygen content.

The metalworking industry uses nitrogen in laser and plasma cutting, and as a purge gas in the welding of stainless steel pipes. Nitrogen is also used in the production of plastic vehicle components, such as valves, bumpers, and car seats, by such processes as injection molding, which is gas-assisted.

The chemical industry uses it as a protec-tive gas to prevent the oxidation of oxygen- sensitive products and processes. Pipelines, plants, and tanks are also rinsed with nitrogen to protect them against contamination. The oil and gas industry increases the yields of raw material deposits by injecting nitrogen under-ground.

The inert gas also plays an important role in the food industry, where it is used to extend the shelf life of cheese, yogurt, and fruit, for example, and preserve the smell and taste of food. In the beverage industry, the gas is added at the end of bottle filling for such purposes as protecting the vitamins in fruit juices against oxidation.

Liquid nitrogen, on the other hand, is an important refrigerant for the food industry, where the extreme cold temperatures are used for such purposes as freezing finished prod-ucts. Liquid nitrogen is also important to the medical and pharmaceutical industries, which use it for freezing blood or tissue samples, as well as operating medical devices and labo-ratory analytics.



the actual gas separation occurs, is less than 100 nanometers thick. The remaining area of the fibers, which is porous, serves primarily as support.

By the end, the spinning process has produced hollow-fiber membranes less than half of a millimeter in diameter, which can ultimately be fitted into stain-less steel modules. The roughly 1.3-meter- long SEPURAN® N2 membrane module contains tens of thousands of these tiny pipes, which have been bundled and em-bedded in their own specially developed resin. Depending on the application and the size of the plant, any number of these modules can be connected with each other.

For manufacturers of nitrogen gener-ators, which are often medium-sized en-gineering companies, the membrane pro-cess constitutes an inexpensive alternative for customized, needs-based nitrogen pro-duction. In this context, Evonik experts were able to combine two positive attri-butes: First, the SEPURAN® N2 technology requires fewer membrane modules than alternative membrane systems to generate the required amount of nitrogen.

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Figure 3

Typical system integration of the SEPURAN® N2 membrane module for nitrogen generation

High capacity, high efficiency, low air consumption, low investment costs

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Fresh hollow fibers enter the spin bath

Hollow fibers on their way through the spin bath

Air

N2 separation

HeaterCompressor

Drain separator

Dust filter

Carbon bed

Demister

Cooler

N2 separator

O2 enriched gas

O2

N2

Oxygen meter

Product nitrogen



Figure 4

Typical cost curve for the SEPURAN® N2 technology compared to the purchase of nitrogen from alternative sources such as truck delivery or on-site plants (cryogenic air separation units or pressure swing adsorption systems). The figure shows the quantities and purities at which SEPURAN® N2 technology offers cost advantages. Information on the production costs is based on current market prices

N2: 99.5% N2: 99% N2: 98% N2: 97% N2: 95%

Nitrogen generation cost [€/Nm3]

Dr. Kah Peng Lee performing quality control on the hollow fibers (picture on the left). Right: a nitrogen generator

N2 production rate [Nm3/h]

0.12

0 5,0004,0003,0002,0001,000

0

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.10

0.02

Truck delivery

On-site plant

Figure 5

The total operating costs for the different technologies for generating nitrogen can be very different, depending on the quantity and required purity of the gas: the SEPURAN® N2 method displays its strengths primarily with purities between 95 and about 98.5 percent

Truck delivery Cryogenic air separation Pressure-swing adsorption system Membranes or pressure-swing adsorption system Membranes

Purity [%]

Flow rate [Nm3/h]

100

10,0006,00050010

99

98

97

96

95



Second, the process uses less air, which means that the upstream compres-sor (fig. 3) can be build smaller. This not only reduces the overall amount of energy consumed in nitrogen production but also lowers the investment cost, much of which goes to the compressor.

Costs for operation and maintenance are also low with SEPURAN® N2. Another advantage is that the SEPURAN® N2 mem-brane module can be easily connected to existing compressed-air systems, which enables on-site production of the inert gas at low investment cost. With its modular design, the process offers high flexibility, and the plant can be started and shut down at short intervals. This is why membrane systems are ideal for combining with ex-isting cryogenic air compressors or pres-sure-swing adsorption systems, to cover peaks in demand or expand load limits.

Reduced investment and operating costs enable more cost-effective pro-duction of nitrogen—and not just when compared to other membrane systems. SEPURAN® N2 technology is a particularly attrac tive alternative to pressure-swing adsorption systems or supply by truck or cylinder rack when nitrogen purities lower than 98 percent are sufficient (figs. 4 and 5).

At Evonik, the value-added chain for mem brane modules extends from produc-tion of the monomers and polymers, through manufacture of the hollow fibers, to fabrication of the complete modules. Adaptations can be made, therefore, at ev-ery key point—on the molecular design of the chemical building blocks, the modifi-cation of the individual fibers, and on their embedding in the stainless steel elements. The result can be unprecedented module performance. SEPURAN® N2 has been on the market since June 2015. Currently, Evonik experts are working on the next generation of hollow-fiber membranes for processing or recovering hydrogen and helium even more efficiently. 777

Dr. Goetz Baumgarten is Director Global Business Management SEPURAN® in the High Performance Polymers Business Line at Evonik Resource Efficiency GmbH. After studying chemistry and earning his doctorate at the University of Hannover (Germany), he began his career at Amafilter Deutschland GmbH in Düsseldorf (Germany) in 1997. From 2001, he was product manager for the Membrane Technology Product Line for the entire Amafilter Group before moving to Evonik in 2005. At Evonik, he initially headed the Mem brane Technology Group in Process Technology & Engineering before assuming his current position in July 2010. phone +49 2365 49-4986, [email protected]

Dr. Jörg Balster is the head of Application Technology for SEPURAN® at Evonik Fibres GmbH in Schörfling (Austria) which is part of the Growth Line Fibres and Membranes of the High Performance Polymers Business Line. Balster earned his doctoral degree at Enschede University in the Netherlands in 2006 with his research in electrodia lysis after studying chemical engineering at Münster University of Applied Sciences (Germany). He initially worked as a scientific assistant at the European Membrane Institute in Enschede and then joined Parker Hannifin in Etten-Leur (the Nether lands) as the head of R&D in April 2007, where he was responsible for the optimization and application of hollow fiber membranes for gas separation. He joined Evonik in July 2010, work-ing initially in Process Technology and Engineering as head of the membrane technology team where he has made valuable contribu-tions to the establishment of the new membrane business.phone +43 7672 701-3182, [email protected]

Dr. Tymen Visser heads R&D of the SEPURAN® business at Evonik Fibres GmbH in Schörfling (Austria). He earned his doctoral degree at the University of Twente in Enschede (the Netherlands) in 2006 with his research on gas separation behavior of hollow fiber mem-branes after studying chemical engineering at the University of Twente. After working for the European Membrane Institute in Enschede he joined Vaperma in Quebec (Canada) as a senior researcher in January 2008 where he most recently was the head of R&D and responsible for development and optimization of novel hollow fiber membranes for gas separation. Since March 2011 he has been working for Evonik Fibres GmbH, where he is responsible for development and imple-mentation of new membrane products and made crucial contributions to the technological establishment of the membrane business.phone +43 7672 701-3970, [email protected]

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Dr. Werner Escher is a process engineer and member of the Membrane Technology Group in the Fluid Processing department of Process Technology & Engineering at Technology & Infrastructure. He studied mechanical engineering at Karlsruhe Institute of Technol-ogy (Germany) and ETH Zurich (Switzerland), where he specialized in thermo- and fluid dynamics. In 2009 he obtained his doctorate from ETH Zurich for his work in the field of heat and mass transfer in micro- and nanosystems. This thesis was conducted in close collabo-ration with IBM Research Zurich, where he subsequently worked for three more years as a research staff member before he joined Evonik in 2012. +49 2365 49-4651, [email protected]


14 BIOECONOMY

Evonik has been using biotechnological production methods for decades. In addition to sustainable raw materials, these methods provide the basis for a sustainable economy—the bioeconomy. For the future, too, Evonik is betting on the use of alternative raw materials and biotechnological processes, in order to gain independence from fossil resources and to offer new kinds of sustainable products.

[ text Dr. Henrike Gebhardt, Dr. Achim Marx ]

“IN THE FACE of a growing world population, the rapid exhaustion of many resources, increasing environmental pollution, and climate change, Europe must radically change its approach to the production, consumption, processing, storage, recycling, and disposal of biological resources.” With this analysis, the EU Commission justified the call in February 2012 for a bioeconomy—a different kind of economy as well as a more innovative, more resource-efficient, and more competitive society. Its goal: To combine food security and the sustainable use of renewable resour ces for industrial purposes while simultane-ously protecting the environment.

In its strategy publication “Innovating for sustain-able growth: a bioeconomy for Europe,” the EU Com-mission outlined the path toward that goal: research and innovation on the one hand and a comprehensive political approach on the other. Politics must create the framework for a bioeconomy—for instance by increasing appropriate research investments or developing bio-based markets.

In the meantime, numerous nations have devel-oped national bioeconomy strategies. German poli-ticians have also addressed this topic and, in the “Nationale Politikstrategie Bioökonomie” passed in 2013, have charted the course for a bio-based, sus-tainable economy. The goal is a total restructuring of industry and its place in society to ensure a bio-based and sustainable economy. To achieve this goal, the

German federal government is relying upon two fun-damental principles: the sustainable production of renewable raw materials and bio-based innovation.

Bioeconomy at Evonik—today

This is where Evonik takes the stage: Biotechnolog-ical production processes have already been playing an important role in the company for three decades; for the future, too, Evonik is betting on the use of alter-native raw materials and biotechnological processes, in order to gain independence from fossil resources and to offer new kinds of sustainable products.

The existing Evonik products, which serve the purposes of a bioeconomy, can be divided into four different categories (fig. 1). For one thing, there are products based on biological raw materials, and pro-duced biotechnologically through fermentation. For instance, this includes the amino acids Biolys®, ThreAMINO®, and TrypAMINO®. As feed additives, they are instrumental in lowering the amount of resources required for the sustainable production of food for a growing world population. A second group is made up of products produced from a bio-based feedstock, such as the polyamide VESTAMID® Terra. A third group includes biologically degrad-able products, which also contribute to environ-mental protection. One example is the surfactant REWOCARE® BDS 15, which functions as a rinse aid

For a different kind of economy


15BIOECONOMY

in automatic dishwashers and other hard surface cleaning products. Another example is the RESOMER® polymers, which are used for controlled release depot formulations and for production of biodegrad-able medicinal products.

Furthermore, Evonik offers a range of products that may themselves be neither bio-based nor biode-gradable but are indispensable in enabling value cre-ation in the bioeconomy. For instance, this category includes catalysts for various efficient methods for the conversion of bio-based raw materials, e.g. for the processing of dicarboxylic acids (such as succinic acid to alcohols), for the hydrogenation of fats, oils, and sugars, for the manufacture of fatty amines, and for the production of biodiesel from vegetable oils. They are all part of the Evonik catalyst portfolio. Another application that contributes to the sustain-ability of biomethane production is the SEPURAN® Green membrane. This membrane separates carbon dioxide very efficiently from biogas, so that the remaining methane can be directly fed into the nat-ural gas network.

In general, many of Evonik’s activities are aimed at greater sustainability in comparison to established processes and raw materials. Evonik Nutrition & Care GmbH, for example, is currently investing in the es-tablishment of new plants for the biotechnological production of amino acids and the production of bio-based surfactants.

Developing markets, driving innovation

An important driving force for investments in bioeconomy is the growing demand for sustainable products. According to an American study (GfK Green Gauge, 2012), 40 to 60 percent of end consum-ers—depending on product—say that they would be willing to accept a higher price for green products. However, this intention is not always reflected in their behavior. The majority of consumers purchase bio-based products only if they are comparable in cost and performance to conventional products. Only a minority are actually willing to pay a premium for green products.

Comparable market data for bio-based products is still not readily available in Europe. At the start of 2013, the Bioeconomy Observatory was launched by the European Commission to get a comprehensive overview of the market for bio-based products in Europe and its development in the following years.

Independent of this, the EU Commission initiated an ad hoc advisory group to recommend measures to support the market development of bio-based prod-ucts. This includes access to renewable raw materials at competitive prices, as well as green public pro-curement programs, and transparent, uniform cer-tification and labeling. Some of these priority recom-mendations have already been implemented. For instance, stakeholders are already working on 333


16 BIOECONOMY

Figure 1

As defined by Evonik, products contribute to the bioeconomy if they are bio-based, bio-processed, biodegradable, or if they are indispensable to enable value creation in the bioeconomy

Bio-based Enabling chemicals

Biodegradable

REWOCARE® BDS 15 Biodiesel catalysts

RESOMER® Catalysts

Esterquats STOCKOSORB®

VESTAMID®Terra

DYNACOLL®Terra

DYNAPOL®Terra

VISIOMER®Terra

Bio-processed

Biolys®, ThreAMINO®, TrypAMINO®

Rexim®—purified amino acids

TEGOSOFT®MM

VISCOPLEX® Series 10 MetAMINO®

SEPURAN® Green

Petro-based


17BIOECONOMY

behalf of the EU Commission to create a coher-ent framework for the standardization of bio-based products.

Experts are also convinced that technological innovations will be able to advance the bioeconomy approach. Their recommendations for action include public funding for demonstration and pilot plants. This is designed to help close the gaps between inno-vation and commercialization. Since 2014, two pub-lic-private partnerships have been created between the European Commission and industry to address this challenge under Horizon 2020, the European framework program for research and innovation.

Evonik is actively involved in the public-private partnership “Sustainable Process Industry through Resource and Energy Efficiency” (SPIRE). SPIRE is designed to encourage science, small and mid-size enterprises (SME), and multinational enterprises to pool their resources in cross-industry initiatives and non-typical value chains, which contribute to the development of production processes that use resources efficiently. The public-private partnership “Bio-based Industries” (BBI) brings together partners from research and industry along the entire value chain of bio-based products and focuses on bio- refineries. Evonik is also working toward access to sustainable raw materials at competitive prices. The company is therefore involved in the “Initiative Nach-haltige Rohstoffbereitstellung für die stoffliche Biomassenutzung” (INRO) and is a founding member in “Together for Sustainability,” an initiative of the chemical industry aimed at improving the sustain-ability of the entire supply chain.

Research for the bioeconomy of tomorrowNumerous research projects at Evonik deal with the bioeconomy of tomorrow. In the development of future polyamides, for example, new intermediate products produced through industrial biotechnology are playing a central role, in addition to traditional methods based on vegetable oils.

For instance, Evonik has succeeded in developing a biotechnological method for the production of the high-performance polyamide PA12. The work was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) (promotion number: 0315205). The new method uses palm kernel oil as raw material and is marked by a significant reduction in the num-ber of production steps. Since early 2013, amino lau-ric acid—the alternative monomer to lauryl lactam—has been in production at a pilot plant at the Evonik site Slovenská L’upca (Slovakia). The new

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DEFINITIONS

Bioeconomy

Bioeconomy encompasses “the production of renewable biological resources and the conversion of these resources and waste streams into value-added products such as food, feed, bio-based products, and bio-energy.”

European Commission in: Innovatingfor sustainable growth: a bioeconomy for Europe, February 2012.

“The bioeconomy is the science-based pro-duction and utilization of biological re sources, in order to provide products, processes, and services in all economic sectors in the context of a future-proof economic system.”

Bioeconomy Council: Bioeconomy in Germany, opportun ities for a bio-based and sustainable future, May 2014.

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18 BIOECONOMY

method offers the long-term possibility of sup-plementing the crude-oil-based production of PA12.

Methods that use plant oils, grains, and sugars as raw materials for fermentation are referred to as first-generation biotechnology processes. This can lead to a problem of competing uses—food on the one hand versus industry on the other. Second generation biotechnology circumvents this problem by utilizing plant residues from forestry and agriculture. To pro-vide even greater independence from fossil fuels and individual renewable raw materials, scientists at Creavis, the strategic innovation unit at Evonik, are studying a biotechnological method that is able to utilize synthesis gas from waste streams. Syngas—gas mixtures consisting primarily of carbon monoxide and/or carbon dioxide and hydrogen—has been in use for years for the synthesis of chemicals. New to the approach is the production of specialty chemicals from syngas with the aid of microorganisms.

Evonik researchers have already been able to cre-ate 2-hydroxy isobutyric acid (2-HIBA) from syngas through biotechnological methods and have thus demonstrated it is a promising approach. In the long term, 2-HIBA could act as an important intermediate product for sustainable production of methylmeth-acrylate (MMA). MMA is used in varnishes, paints, and adhesives, as well as in dental implants, and also serves as the monomer for the production of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PLEXIGLAS®).

In the development of a biotechnological process to produce precursors for specialty plastics from syn-gas, Evonik is cooperating with the company Lanza-Tech, which is a leader in the field of gas fermenta-tion technology. LanzaTech uses proprietary micro-organisms to capture waste gas streams—including syngas—in industrial plants.

In addition, in the context of the BMBF-sponsored project COOBAF (promotion number: 01RC1105), Evonik has studied an alternative microbial produc-

Dr. Achim Marx is part of Corporate Innovation and coordinates bioeconomy initiatives there. With a PhD in biology, he began his career in the company in 1998 as a lab manager in biotechnological research in Halle-Künsebeck. From 2002 to 2005 he was involved in amino acid production in Slovenská L’upca (Slovakia). This was followed by positions in the Biotechnology Science-to-Business Center at Creavis and in Market-ing & Sales. He assumed his current position in 2011.phone +49 151 [email protected]

tion route to CO2-based biotechnological plastics through acetone fermentation. This, too, could be a sustainable alternative to petrochemical production.

Evonik sees the bioeconomy, and in particular in-dustrial biotechnology, as an innovative area with great potential for the future. Therefore the company invested about ten percent of its 2014 research bud-get in biotechnological projects. In the coming years, this proportion will continue to rise. The capacities for biotechnological products will also be expanded continuously. For instance, in the year 2020, Evonik wants to have sales of about €1 billion through indus-trial biotechnology in the Nutrition & Care Segment alone and thus make a global contribution to a sus-tainable economy. 777

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Dr. Henrike Gebhardt represents Evonik in European research policy since April 2015. In close cooperation with the Representation Office in Brussels, she main-tains the relationships of Evonik in the Euro pean insti-tutions and associations and advises the EU Commission in matters of research financing. After graduating as Engineer in Biotech nology at the Technical University of Berlin (Germany) and gett ing her PhD in biochemistry at the University of Cologne (Germany), Gebhardt began her professional career with Creavis in 2006 in the area of biotechnology. In 2012 she moved to the Bioeconomy Strategy Office at Cor po-rate Innovation.phone +49 201 [email protected]


19NEWS

Creavis project successfully handed overEvonik’s strategic innovation unit Creavis has successfully concluded the Façade Panel project and handed it off to the operational Resource Efficiency and Performance Materials Segments. The aim of the project was to develop a highly efficient, thin façade element using a combination of Evonik materials.

The top layer of the innovative façade element is made of PLEXIGLAS® Mineral, and its core consists of vacuum-insulated panels (VIPs) and high-performance CALOSTAT® thermal insulation materials. These highly efficient sandwich elements meet passive house standards even at thicknesses of less than 15 centimeters. Demands on building exteriors are growing constantly, and the new façade elements allow builders to meet these demands in new build-ings and in energy-efficiency upgrades.

The project came into being as a joint effort between Creavis and two of Evonik’s former business units (Inorganic Materials and Performance Polymers) and was introduced on the market at the BAU 2015 trade show in Munich (Germany). “This innovative sys-tem solution will cast a whole new light on designing highly efficient building exteriors while reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions. For architects and façade designers, it will mean new approaches to energy efficiency in building design,” explain Dr. Johannes Ohmer, a Management Board member of Evonik Resource Efficiency GmbH, and Dr. Michael Pack, a Management Board mem-ber of Evonik Performance Materials GmbH. The new façade element has already been integrated into a reference building in Rheinfelden (Switzerland).

Reducing energy consumption is an important goal of residential and commercial real estate renovation projects. Both, rising energy costs and increasingly stringent government regulations are increas-ing the demand for highly effective insulating materials. Energy efficiency along with fire safety characteristics, longevity, and recyclability are key criteria for insulating materials and façade elements.

The office and administration building of FrymaKoruma GmbH in the Swiss town of Rheinfelden used Evonik’s innovative façade element for insulation. The old 7 centimeter mineral wool insulation was replaced with a highly efficient 7.2 centimeter CALOSTAT®/VIP sandwich system. This helps to reduce the building’s annual energy consumption by 200,000 kilowatt hours

New application technology center for super-absorbent polymers

Evonik has inaugurated a new application technology center for superabsorbent polymers in Krefeld (Germany). The facility, where the company invested €1 million, strengthens the position of Evonik as an innovative solutions provider for superabsorbent polymers.

“Our customers will directly benefit from an even further improved technical service. The service capabilities of Evonik are the industry-wide benchmark and the basis for strong partnerships and development collaborations with our customers,” says Norbert Westerholt, head of Evonik’s Baby Care Business Line.

The new laboratory was designed for highly efficient working and testing procedures and will serve hygiene as well as technical superabsorbent applications. The EDANA mannequin test for incon-tinence articles is one of the modern test methods implemented in the new application technology center. For the first time, this test allows the application of realistic in-use conditions to the standard-ized lab evaluation of a broad variety of incontinence items. In addi-tion, the new laboratory is open to customers for training and testing sessions.

Superabsorbent polymers are water-insoluble, cross-linked poly-mers. They are capable of absorbing and storing up to 500 times their own weight in aqueous liquids, while also providing other per-formance characteristics such as skin dryness. The scope of appli-cations for Evonik’s superabsorbent polymers reaches beyond baby diapers and also includes feminine hygiene and adult incontinence products as well as a broad range of technical areas.

The new application technology center for superabsorbent polymers in Krefeld (Germany)


20 NEWS

If an amino acid mixture is added to feed instead of sup-plementary soybean seeds or rapeseed, the greenhouse effect in poultry farming decreases by a factor of 27. In pig farming, the reduction factor is a respectable 13. Over-fertilization potential is decreased by a factor of 39 for poultry and by a factor of 17 for pigs. The effect on acid-ification potential was determined as a factor 35 for poul-try farming and a factor of 20 for pig farming.

These effects result from the fact that by adding amino acids domestic wheat rather than imported soybean seeds can be utilized as a protein source. This in turn eliminates the energy-intensive processing of soybeans as well as imports from the main producer countries USA, Brazil, and Argentina, where crops consume increasing amounts of farmland and frequently cause the destruction of rain forest in the process.

These aspects of environmental policy will gain further significance in the future, considering that the world pop-ulation has already reached seven billion people. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as well as the World Health Organization (WHO) project that the global meat consumption will increase from 41.3 kg per capita in 2015 to 45.3 kg per capita in 2030. That makes highly effective and resource-efficient production on small areas of farm-land an even greater priority.

“Sustainable nutrition for the growing world popu-lation means that we must use the existing resources with the greatest possible efficiency,” says Kaufmann. “Our certified comparative LCA is regular proof that our amino acids are making an important contribution. At the same time, we create transparency so that customers can see exactly how the purchased products affect the environment.”

Amino acids for animal feed: certified sustainability

Farmers who add Evonik’s amino acids to poultry or pig feed not only ensure proper animal nutrition, but also help to protect resources and the environment. This is the con-clusion reached by the Animal Nutrition Business Line in a current comparative life cycle assessment (LCA), which was recently certified by the German standardization body, TÜV Rheinland.

Evonik Nutrition & Care is the only manufacturer of amino acids for animal feed to have conducted a life cycle assessment of its products—MetAMINO®, Biolys®, ThreAMINO®, TrypAMINO® and L-Valine—for comparison with alternative raw materials such as soy meal or rapeseed. LCAs record and evaluate environmental impacts along with energy and raw materials consumption over the entire life cycle—ranging from the extraction of raw materials to the production of amino acids and the agricultural use of the animals’manure. Since the first LCA for DL-Methionine in 2002, the data has been repeatedly updated and has now been expanded to include all five essential amino acids for animal nutrition by Evonik (DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, L-Threonin, L-Tryptophan, L-Valine).

“The certificate by TÜV Rheinland is a further proof of our effort to carefully evaluate all environmental impacts without bias, including consideration for new products,” said Dr. Thomas Kaufmann, Senior Vice President Sustain-ability Development of the Nutrition & Care Segment. “The results are unequivocal—adding our amino acids to animal feed, combined with the associated consistent decrease of raw protein in the feed, is an extremely sustainable method to ensure healthy animal nutrition while providing eggs and meat to a growing world population and leaving minimal traces in the environment.”


21NEWS

Adding an amino acid mixture to the feedinstead of soybean or rapeseed meal

reduces the impact on the global warming potential and on eutrophication

and acidification by different factors depending on the animal

Improvement factor

Global warming potential

CO2Eutrophication potential

PO4Acidification potential

SO2

13

17

20

27

39

35

The life-cycle assessment on the supplementation of pig feed compares supplementation containing five amino acids (MetAMINO®, Biolys®, ThreAMINO®, TryAMINO®, and L-valine) with pure soybean meal and pure rapeseed meal

Option 1: 5 amino acids Option 2: Rapeseed Option 3: Soybean meal

Global warming potential (GWP) of swine production

The life cycle assessment on the supplementation of chicken feed with amino acids compares full supplementation containing four amino acids (Met-AMINO®, Biolys®, ThreAMINO®, and L-valine) with pure rape seed meal, pure soybean meal, and for the first time also with soybean meal supplemented with MetAMINO®

Option 1: 4 amino acids Option 2: Rapeseed Option 3: Soybean meal Option 4: Soybean meal incl. MetAMINO®

Global warming potential (GWP) of broiler production

0.02

0.78

0.59

0.32

Eutrophication potential (EP) of broiler production

0.06

2.12

1.65

0.90

Acidification potential (AP) of broiler production

4

75

109

53

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110

GWP excluding biogenic carbon [kg CO2e/fU]

0 0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60 0.70 0.80

EP [kg PO4e/fU]

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 2.2

AP [kg SO2e/fU]

Eutrophication potential (EP) of swine production

Acidification potential (AP) of swine production

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110

GWP excluding biogenic carbon [kg CO2e/fU]

0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60 0.70 0.80

EP [kg PO4e/fU]

0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 2.2

AP [kg SO2e/fU]

6

69

79

0.02

0.34

0.33

0.06

1.24

1.14

0

0

0


22 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

Evonik takes on global responsibility for its business, employees, the environment, and society. The annual Sustainability Report deals with those topics and describes the current developments. It is available on the Internet at www.evonik.de/responsibility. Here are some facts and figures from 2014.

Sustainability at Evonik

5.85 million metric tons of hazardous waste were transported by Evonik Industries in 2014—with-out any incidents as defined by the chemical industry’s uniform Responsible Care criteria.

2,300months of parental leave were taken by Evonik employees in 2014. Initiatives to improve the work/life balance are being implemented for over 95 percent of Evonik employees worldwide.

21percent was the decrease in greenhouse gases emitted by Evonik in 2014 by comparison with 2010. During this period, emissions of sulfur oxides decreased by 90 percent, of nitrogen oxides by 58 percent, and of particulates by 69 percent.

<3percent of Evonik’s employees in Germany in 2014 were temporary workers bridging short-term staff shortages.

9percent is the proportion of renewable raw materials in the basic chemicals used for production at Evonik.


23CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

8percent is the average annual increase of Evonik’s investments in R&D since 2009.

million will be saved annually by 2016 through efficiency-boosting measures in production and procurement.€500

14,000 people visited the Marl plant on the Day of Chemistry in 2014. Evonik promotes dialogue with its neighbors and interested members of public all over the world.

1.2 accidents causing absences, per million working hours, were registered by Evonik in 2014. This figure was once again lower than the target value of 1.3.

834 projects, organizations, and events were supported by Evonik in 2014 through donations and sponsorship.

€107,000,000were invested by Evonik in environmental protection measures in 2014—almost four times as much as in 2013. One reason for this was the construction of numerous new state-of-the-art major plants.


24 EVONIK OPEN INNOVATION CONFERENCE 2015

Evonik’s Fifth Innovation Conference was dedicated entirely to “big data” and digitalization since these trends also affect the chemical industry. In the future, software and digital services will generate the kind of added value that can no longer be created with products and processes alone.

Data: A company’s most valuable asset


25EVONIK OPEN INNOVATION CONFERENCE 2015

THIS WORLD LOOKS like the earth 65 million years ago. Huge lizards are among the fauna of the planet. Here and there, in the light of the now rising sun, you can see a few small creatures. Suddenly, this world is hit by a gigantic meteorite from outer space—as the earth back then—the same kind that led to the extinc-tion of the dinosaurs and the ascendency of the small creatures. In Karl-Heinz Land’s short animated film Digital Darwinism, the dinosaurs are established cor-porations and terms such as social media, cloud com-puting, and big data appear in the fiery trails of the cosmic bombardment. Following the impact, waves of fire spread over the planet and the old familiar names of industry. A new ecosystem is created, in which the winners of digitalization proliferate— and they are not necessarily the old familiar industry leaders.

“Digital Darwinism occurs when technology and society change faster than companies are able to adapt,” said Karl-Heinz Land, a self-professed digital Darwinist and evangelist, at this year’s Evonik Open Innovation Conference (EOIC). The one-day event was held in Essen at the beginning of June.

Data as raw material for new business opportunities The theme of the conference was “Big Data and Digitalization in the Chemical Industry.” “Digitaliza-tion will influence all business processes,” stressed Dr. Georg Oenbrink at the opening. “We have to view data as raw materials that yield new business oppor-tunities through intelligent data analysis.” Given the dramatic growth in digital information—90 percent of the data on the Internet arrived there only in the last two years—and the decreasing cost of the required hardware and software infrastructure, no company can ignore this development and the poten-tial it holds. Oenbrink is the organizer of the EOIC and heads the Innovation Networks & Communica-tions department within Corporate Innovation.

About 150 Evonik employees from a variety of regions and business segments attended this year’s EOIC. First, attendees were given an overview on the origins, current status, and opportunities of digitali-zation—why data could now be a company’s most valuable asset. Representatives of management con-sultancy Strategy& and SAP explained how other companies in the manufacturing and processing industries handle digitalization and big data, and the opportunities offered by today’s powerful IT systems. This part of the event was rounded off by case stud-ies from the chemical industry. Representatives of Dow Chemicals, BASF, and Evonik pointed out 333

“Digital Darwinism occurs when technology and society change faster than companies are able to adapt.” Karl-Heinz Land, digital Darwinist and evangelist

“We have to view data as raw materials that yield new business opportunities through intelligent data analysis.” Dr. Georg Oenbrink, head of Innovation Networks & Communications at Evonik, and organizer of the event



how chemical companies can benefit from digitalization and big data in R&D, marketing, pro-duction, and logistics.

Karl-Heinz Land was responsible for the wake-up call: “In five years, market researchers expect there to be 30 billion networked devices, with an economic value of US-$1.9 trillion.” Based on their predictions, half of this value will be generated by start-ups, and up to 80 percent with software and services, not with products.

“Everything that can be digitalized will be digitalized!”“Everything that can be digitalized will be digi-talized!” said Land. “And everything that can be automated will be automated.” The self-driving car, 3-D printing, social media, and smart manufactur-ing—known in Germany by the catchword “Industrie 4.0”—are examples of these trends. “The chemical industry is part of the supplier chain, and when a cus-tomer digitalizes his business, it has an impact on his suppliers,” said Land. “Digitalization is not just about B2C but B2B.” Therefore, each company has to ask itself three questions: How it can profit from this trend, how its own brand can remain relevant, and how it can generate sales in the new channels.

“We cannot overrate digitalization, particularly since we always underestimate the speed of this development,” stressed Dr. Roman Friedrich. Fried-rich, who is a partner at Strategy&, part of the PwC network, reported on the results of two studies con-ducted by Strategy& last year and this year.

The first study, which included more than 200 European companies, surveyed the attitude toward Industrie 4.0, which Friedrich defined as “the digita-lization of a complete supply chain—from beginning to end—across corporate boundaries and a variety of customers.” The focus was on the industrial Internet “no longer on the products but on the services that the products make possible.”

Implementation of digitalization is the biggest challenge for companiesFriedrich highlighted three results of the survey. First, the respondents believe that there will be a noticeable increase in the level of digitalization in the next few years. “This affects not only the horizontal value-added chain among suppliers, companies, and customers but also the vertical value-added chain along the various parts of a company, from procurement and logistics to marketing and sales,” says Friedrich.

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“We cannot overrate digitalization, particularly since we always underesti-mate the speed of this development.” Dr. Roman Friedrich, partner at Strategy&, part of the PwC network



Second, the respondents expect efficiency to increase by an average of 20 percent over the course of five years. And third, the study estimates that companies’ planned annual investment in digitalization will be 2.7 percent of sales, or €140 billion. “On the whole, companies are well aware of the benefits of digita-lization,” says Friedrich. “The real challenge is imple-mentation.”

According to Friedrich, the European chemical industry is still in its infancy in this regard. So it is even more important to accomplish the impending change step-by-step than to try to tackle it all at once. As the second study reveals, seven percent of the world’s top 1,000 companies now have a Chief Digital Officer (CDO) in charge of their digitalization. “CDOs are more likely to have backgrounds in marketing or business development than technology or IT, and most are anchored at the C-level,” explained Friedrich.

Following these two opening presentations, Dr. Helmut Linde, head of the Data Science Depart-ment at software provider SAP, used examples from industry projects to illustrate the kind of problems that can be handled by the current opportunities. He cited in silico experiments as an example. With these, the parameters for a process can be selectively varied in any number of ways until the various material properties lie in the desired range. So it allows virtual experiments to take the place of real experiments.

As another example, Linde offered the simulation of profit margins based on different raw material costs. “In the chemical industry, raw materials make up a large share of the costs. So their price fluctua-tions have a big impact on the margins.” Linde described a project devoted to improving the ability to predict these margins. In this project, a great many parameters were included in the calculations—from products, regional markets, and raw materials, for example, which sometimes have complex inter - re lationships.

Big data and digitalization require visionariesAt the end of his presentation, Linde left his listeners with two insights: “The challenge is not in finding mathematicians and programmers but visionaries who can take a conceptual and technical approach to solving business problems.” And: “Data science can solve at least one business problem for each and every EOIC participant”—of this Linde is firmly con-vinced. 333

“The challenge is not in finding mathematicians and programmers but visionaries ...”Dr. Helmut Linde, head of the Data Science Department at SAP

“By the time the report is ready, it’s already outdated, because it comes from a number of separate, non-net-worked databases.” Dr. Rudy Koopmans, Research & Development Fellow at Dow Europe



The conference then continued to highlight ex-amples from chemical industry companies, including Dow, BASF, and Evonik. The first to present was Dr. Rudy Koopmans, Research & Development fellow at Dow Europe, who cited three examples that show how the company uses big data to address technical, scientific, and economic problems.

Taking the example of heterogeneous catalysis, Koopmans explained how high-throughput research (HTR) is used to search for suitable variables by lim-iting the scope of data for experiments: “To find a suitable catalyst for accelerating a reaction, you often have to select from an extremely complex range of input with more than 25 variables,” said Koopmans. HTR allows identification of the key variables in such datasets, which can consist of more than 50,000 data points, and therefore simplifies further experimental work. “Two decades ago, that wouldn’t have been possible, because we didn’t have the right tools,” said Koopmans. Thanks to HTR, it is also possible to model the action of catalysts and thereby make predictions that exceed the scope of the data available through experiments.

Intelligently analyzing existing data

In the optimization of polymer processing (Koop-mans’ second example), Dow uses big-data methods to find the best compromise between the differing requirements that arise from the individual compo-nent processes in the production of packaging film. “For this, we rely on a tool that uses the data from all relevant, freely available databases,” says Koopmans. “We can improve films by modeling alone—precise knowledge of the science and technology involved is not something we have to have.”

Intelligent analysis of databases also played a cen-tral role in Koopmans’ third example: “To bring together everything a company knows about its cus-tomers, it often has to prepare reports that come from a number of separate, non-networked databases,” said Koopmans. “By the time the report is ready, it’s already outdated.” It is now technically feasible to combine this information in such a way that it is always current and can be analyzed based on various criteria—an important tool for marketing and sales.

Dirk Hopmann, Vice President Supply Chain Strat-egy at BASF, then described how data mining meth-ods can be used to prepare forecasting models for the logistics chain. Afterwards, Dr. Horst Greb, head of Management Systems at Marketing & Sales Excel-lence, introduced the Evonik Pricing Toolbox, which helps the user to analyze existing price structures and to systematically implement price changes.

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... how data mining methods can be used to prepare forecasting models for the logistics chain. Dirk Hopmann, Vice President Supply Chain Strategy at BASF

“Making tools intuitive and easy to understand are key to their acceptance. No one will work with them otherwise.”Dr. Horst Greb, head of Management Systems in the Marketing & Sales Excellence unit at Evonik



“Among other things, it is based on the Evonik Mar-ket Margin Application (EMMA) implemented in 2013 that provides consolidated data at the customer and product level,” explained Greb. The Evonik Pricing Toolbox has been available since mid-2014. It can be used to identify, for example, “unreasonably low prices.” Among other things, a function for estimat-ing price adjustment risks is under development.

In addition to that, Greb and his colleagues intend to integrate all customer data from the Customer Relationship Management systems. “Making tools intuitive and easy to understand are key to their acceptance. No one will work with them otherwise,” stressed Greb. This was achieved with the Evonik Pricing Toolbox. One year after its launch, there are already more than 300 users working with it, despite the fact that it was not actively advertised.

In a final presentation, Evonik’s Process Technol-ogy & Engineering Business Line showed examples of how historical data graves from production pro-cesses can be used to draw meaningful conclusions for individualized solutions. The business line looks back on more than ten years of experience in the area of machine learning/big data and presents itself as consultant and solution partner in these areas for Evonik around the world.

Dr. Christine Anders, who heads Supply Network & Production Management in the Process Technol-ogy & Engineering Business Line, presented the opportuni ties open to process technology for using big-data methods to address particular issues. Among others, the unit’s experts have a wide range of com-petencies to implement, for example, a software solu-tion that supports the manual control of complex pro-duction plants. It simplifies the monitoring of the tem-poral evolution of the process parameters by reducing them from a large number to only a handful. “An operating team can no longer reasonably control hundreds of parameters,” says Anders. If one of the “meta parameters” changes unexpectedly, the oper-ating team can still view the data in greater detail to find the cause of the change. So the information con-tained in the hundreds of parameters is not lost and can be accessed again. “There’s a lot of interest in this tool at Evonik,” said Anders.

Following the morning session, which comprised the theoretical portion of the conference, EOIC par-ticipants met for brainstorming in the afternoon to discuss the question: What opportunities do big data and digitalization offer Evonik? “Products, processes, and business relationships generate a flow of data,” Dr. Oenbrink said. “By using this intelligently, we get deeper, innovative insights into what defines our business now and will define it in the future.” 777

“An operating team can no longer reasonably control hundreds of parameters.”Dr. Christine Anders, head of Supply Network & Production Management in Evonik’s Process Technology & Engineering Business Line


30 NEWS

Insoles from the 3-D printer Evonik has made a venture capital investment in Wiivv Wearables Inc. of Vancouver (Can-ada). The minority investment was made jointly with Formation 8, a financial investor headquartered in Silicon Valley, and Real Ven-tures, Canada’s largest and most active seed investor. The parties have agreed not to dis-close the amount invested. Starting in fall 2015, Wiivv will use 3-D printing to produce bio-mechanically optimized insoles adapted to the specific needs of the individual customer.

Wiivv is among the first companies to apply 3-D printing in individualized mass production; the technique has so far been used primarily for production of prototypes and in small pro-

duction runs. Downstream the start-up plans to integrate electronic sensors into the insoles that allow dynamic data to be continuously recorded. This will enable optimization of movement sequences, such as in professional sport, and produce movement profiles that, for example, measure and predict the degree of fatigue of industrial workers. The global mar-ket volume for insoles is estimated at about €4 billion; in the US it is currently growing at between four and five percent per year.

For production, Wiivv uses polyamide 12 from Evonik in the SLS (Selective Laser Sin-tering) 3-D printing process. Evonik is a lead-ing global producer of polyamide 12 for 3-D

Insoles from the 3-D printer. On the right: Shamil Hargovan (l.) and Louis-Victor Jadavji, founders of Wiivv

printing. “Through our investment in Wiivv, we’re supporting the market launch of one of the first individualized mass-produced articles to be manufactured by 3-D printing,” says Dr. Bernhard Mohr, head of Venture Capital at Evonik. This also gives Evonik access to the highly innovative growth market for wear-ables, which are electronics worn on the body.

Large production runs in 3-D printing are made possible by special software that Wiivv has developed in collaboration with bio-mechanics researchers. Using photographs, this software translates the individual proper-ties of a foot into the three-dimensional form of biomechanically optimized insoles and transforms this into printing data that the 3-D printer can immediately process.

The innovation from Wiivv reduces design and development time of printable 3-D models from several hours to seconds. Just three photos taken by the customer on their mobile phone and sent to Wiivv suffice to calculate the print-ing data.

In collaboration with the Resource Efficiency and Perfor-mance Materials Segments, Creavis’s Composites Project House develops new materials and system solutions for efficient processing of composite materials. The develop-ment work of two different innovation projects has now been awarded innovation prizes.

At the 2015 CFK-Valley Stade Convention (Germany), the Composites Project House received the first prize for its Composites 2.0 project for “development with an out-standingly high degree of innovation in the field of light-weight construction using carbon fiber-reinforced plastics.” The Composites 2.0 project developed hybrid polymer

Awards for Creavis developments in composites

Creavis’ Composites Project House received the CFK Valley Innovation Award for its innovative developments in the area of lightweight construction with carbon fiber-reinforced plastics


31NEWS

Evonik acquires share in JeNaCell

Evonik has for the first time acquired shares in a young technology company in Germany via its venture capital arm. The Group invested in JeNaCell GmbH and now holds a minority share in the spin-off of Friedrich Schiller University in Jena. JeNaCell is a specialist for nano-cellulose generated with biotechnology methods and has a production process that is unique in this field.

Among other applications, nanocellulose enables optimized treat-ment of burn wounds as well as chronic wounds. This is made possible thanks to its special material properties, which combine the benefits of plant-based cellulose with those of nanostructured materials. Nanocel-lulose is not only particularly absorbent, but also extremely tear-resis-tant. In addition, it stands out for its high biocompatibility. The material has a pleasant feel on the skin, regulates the moisture level of wounds, and can be removed painlessly because it does not stick to the skin.

Among other applications, nanocellulose enables optimized treatment of burn wounds and chronic wounds

systems combining the good processability of thermoplas-tics with the advantageous mechanical properties of ther-mosets. The CFK-Valley Stade Convention ranks among the most important specialist forums in the area of carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRPs).

The CAMISMA innovation project has won another important international innovation prize with the 2015 JEC Americas Award in the automotive sector. CAMISMA stands for “carbon amide metal-based interior structure using a multi-material system approach.” The BMBF-sup-ported project, which was recently successfully wound up, aimed to identify new potentials for lightweight fiber- reinforced automotive parts based on polyamide 12 using the design example of a backrest. The CAMISMA project was started in the former Eco² Science-to-Business Center and then continued in the Composites Project House. JEC is the world’s largest composites organization and pre-sents innovation awards annually in the automotive sector, processes, software, and other fields.

This mix of properties will benefit burn victims in the future. Treatment with wound dressings made from nanocellulose is less painful, since the material has a cooling effect and the dressings can be changed eas-ily. At the same time, the material keeps the affected areas moist, which accelerates healing and reduces scarring. The product launch is planned for the end of 2015. Nanocellulose can also be loaded with medical and cosmetic ingredients for controlled release over time.

Nanocellulose can be manufactured with biotechnology methods, using bacteria in a nutrient medium. The microorganisms produce the material in fiber network at the surface to protect themselves against drying out and other risks. It had previously not been pos sible to auto-mate the production; fermentation had to be restarted after every har-vest from the resting culture media. JeNaCell has now developed an automated production technology for nanocellulose in a continuous loop. The product is regularly removed without interfering with fer-mentation. This allows for producing large quantities of the material while reducing costs.

The CAMISMA project won the JEC Americas Award 2015 for this car backrest made from fiber-reinforced plastic (PA12)

Dr. Dana Kralisch (l.) and Dr. Nadine Heßler, who founded JeNaCell in 2012


32 COSMETICS

Lots of men struggle with premature hair loss. A skin-identical sphingoid base from the Nutrition & Care Segment promises relief on a number of fronts: It extends the growth cycle of the hair, improves hair quality, and promotes the barrier function, as well as the general health of the scalp.

[ text Dr. Tim Köhler, Dr. Matthias Mentel ]



33COSMETICS

HAIR LOSS IS normal. Each day, everyone loses up to 100 scalp hairs—which is only a sign of a well-func-tioning biological cycle. This is because the hair is constantly renewing itself. At the end of the growth phase, which in humans can last up to six years, the old hair is rejected and a new hair forms. Young, healthy hair has a functioning follicle (fig. 1) that forms new hair fibers, supplies the hair fiber with se-bum (an endogenous fatty substance that protects the skin) through its sebaceous gland, and has a long ana-gen or growth phase (fig. 2). In a healthy state, be-tween 80 and 90 percent of all scalp hairs are in a state of continued growth.

With age, this cycle changes. The growth (ana-gen) phase becomes shorter, new hairs are finer, lighter, and lifeless. Ultimately, the follicle recedes and goes into a kind of sleep mode. All three factors contribute to what is initially just scattered hair loss, but which often increases with advancing age. Bald-ness, then, is only a matter of time.

Unfortunately, however, many men are affected by excessive, hereditary hair loss at a relatively young age. This is true of about one-third of all European men over 30 and roughly two-thirds over 60. While some are not bothered by it, others suffer greatly, because full hair is often an expression of personality and self-confidence. To address this concern, the in-dustry offers special shampoos, hair treatments, and elixirs. Some men opt for medications or even trans-plants to offset baldness. Women also suffer from premature and excessive hair loss, but as a rule, it happens to them less often. In women, it tends to manifest itself as thinning hair in the area of the cen-ter part, which makes the scalp visible.


333

Figure 2

Hairs go through a continuously recurring cycle of growth and rest periods

AnagenActive growth phase2-6 years

CatagenTransition phase 1-2 weeks

TelogenResting phase 2-4 months

ExogenReturn to anagen

Figure 1

The hair follicle ensures that new hair fibers are constantly formed

Scalp

Hair shaft

Hair follicle

Dermal papilla


34 COSMETICS

This is why the search for active ingredients that not only selectively affect the life cycle of the hair fibers but strengthen or restore the natural balance of the key functions of the scalp is just as demanding. As global market leader in the field of skin-identical ceramides and sphingolipids, Evonik has succeeded in identifying and biotechnologically synthesizing a sphingoid base that demonstrably counteracts hair loss (fig. 3).

Dihydrotestosterone to blame for premature hair loss

Hair consists primarily of keratin, a group of water- insoluble fiber proteins that are synthesized by kera-tinocytes in the hair shaft and are stacked on top of each other in several layers to form a strong fiber. The dermal papilla located deep at the base of the hair follicle controls the division of the keratinocytes and the development of the hair components. Papilla and sebaceous glands are also home to receptors for the steroid hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is a male sex hormone or “androgen.” It is a key factor in hereditary hair loss, which is also referred to as androgenic alopecia. Men with premature baldness display hypersensitivity to DHT.

Dihydrotestosterone is generated when the body uses its own enzyme 5-α-reductase to convert testos-terone. DHT is responsible for ensuring that the ana-gen phase is shortened at a young age, the follicle st unted, and that hair regrowth is fine and barely visible. Often, a typical horseshoe-shaped area will develop over time, because the neck area and back of the head are usually less sensitive or completely resist-ant to the hormone. Although androgenic alopecia has been known for a long time and is quite common, many of its factors and mechanisms remain unknown. For example, while the level of testosterone in the body generally decreases with age, the level of dihy-drotestosterone does not decrease to the same extent.

But a full head of hair requires more than an unim-paired hormone balance. The health of the scalp is just as important. A healthy scalp has well-balanced sebum production, intact microflora, and, above all, a closed protective layer of skin cells and barrier lip-ids. But the scalp can change even in our early years. When it does, it becomes dry and rough. If sebum production gets out of control, scalp and hair become excessively greasy. Because certain fats are degraded by microorganisms to free fatty acids in the sebum, the scalp can become inflamed and hair loss can be a secondary effect.

As these few interactions clearly show, healthy hair is a result of a complex interplay of many factors.

Figure 3

Molecular structure of sphinganine with skin-identical stereochemistry

Developers use ceramide platform

In their work, the developers of the Nutrition & Care Segment benefit primarily from their extensive exper-tise in ceramides. These substances belong to the nat-ural, endogenous sphingolipids that are indispensable to building a functioning skin barrier and healthy hair fiber. Ceramides are able to form stable lipid bilayers, which are the basis for the many protective functions of the skin. They preserve the top layer of the scalp against desiccation, infection, and the penetration of foreign substances, and they lay a protective film around the hair fiber.

Ceramides differ from one another primarily in the structure of their base composition in the mole-cule. The team of researchers at Nutrition & Care discovered that one of these bases—the sphinganine—influences the scalp and hair in a variety of ways. First, it supports the regeneration of hair fibers and extends their growth by inhibiting the 5-α-reductase enzyme. Inhibiting the enzyme also prevents the sebaceous glands from generating excess sebum. Sphinganine (brand name: SPHINGONY®) also im-proves the health of the scalp with its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.

Nutrition & Care has proven these various effects through extensive in vitro and in vivo testing. The

H2N

OH

OH

(S)

(R)


35COSMETICS

central question of the in vitro tests was whether and to what extent sphinganine curbs DHT formation. The tests involved using different concentrations of the active ingredient in an enzymatic assay and ana-lyzing its inhibitory action in the laboratory. The re-sults show that SPHINGONY® significantly reduces the activity of the 5-α-reductase, depending on the concentration (fig. 4).

Additional in vitro tests were conducted to ana-lyze the effect on keratinocytes, the most common cell form in the epidermis (upper skin), and their production of ceramide. The keratinocytes in the lower layers of the epidermis initially have a high dif-ferentiation potential, which ensures the develop-ment of a functional skin barrier. Moreover, the cells are extremely active when we are young, and have a high capacity for production of various ceramides,

333

Sphinganine reactivates skin and hair

which are important structural components for the development of skin and hair.

As we age, however, cell activity and ceramide production decline, desquamated cells are not replaced quickly enough, and the skin barrier as a whole is weakened. Studies show that SPHINGONY® encourages the differentiation of “tired” keratino-cytes and increases the formation of ceramides (fig. 5). Because this involves different types of cer-amides, SPHINGONY® can be called a universal pre-cursor for a variety of ceramides.

It also has positive effects on the scalp. Laboratory tests prove that the bacterial count of the harmful yeast Malassezia furfur, which in humans is primarily responsible for excessive dandruff, is significantly reduced (fig. 6). After an incubation time of 20 min-utes with a 1 percent solution, the bacterial count of Malassezia furfur is 1,000 times lower.

In another in vitro experiment, researchers were also able to show that treating human keratinocytes with SPHINGONY® increased the production of skin- identical antimicrobial peptides (e.g. beta-defensin 2) by a factor of about four compared to a solution with-out an active ingredient. SPHINGONY®, therefore, has a positive effect on the microflora of the scalp both directly and indirectly.

For optimal performance, a substance must reach its target location fast and in sufficient quantities. Consequently, developers at Nutrition & Care measured the bioavailability of SPHINGONY®

Figure 4

SPHINGONY® inhibits 5-α-reductase, thereby counteracting greasy hair and premature hair loss

SPHINGONY® has undergone extensive laboratory testing

Testosterone

Dihydrotestosterone

Androgen receptor

Dermal papilla:Follicle miniaturization

Hair loss

Sebaceous gland: Sebum secretion

Greasy scalp

SPHINGONY® inhibits 5-α-reductase


36 COSMETICS

Yeast generates skin-identical variants of the active ingredient

with an established ex vivo test system. After appli-cation of the test formulation, thin pig skin is incu-bated under defined conditions for one day and then precisely analyzed: How much substance has pene-trated and where? How much has stayed on the sur-face? A comparative analysis initially showed that an alcoholic hair tonic enabled significantly higher bio-availability than a hair conditioner (fig. 7). Altogether, researchers were able to extract about 40 percent of the active ingredient used from both layers of the epidermis—the horny layer (stratum corneum) and the living epidermis. By analyzing colored histolog-ical preparations with light microscopy, they were also able to provide visual proof of the penetration of the sphingoid base into the horny layer and epi-dermis, as well as deep into the hair follicle. As the results show, the properties of SPHINGONY® can benefit not only the scalp, but as expected also hair and sebum formation in the follicle.

The production process for the active ingredient also plays an important role. Evonik produces the skin-identical sphinganine biotechnologically with the help of the yeast Wickerhamomyces ciferrii (known previously as Pichia ciferrii). The fermenta-tion process was developed and put into practice in-house. Evonik has used the process for a number of years to obtain phytosphingosine, a sphingoid base with a potent anti-inflammatory effect, which is also used as the source molecule for the production of various skin-identical ceramides.

SPHINGONY®, on the other hand, is formed by a second, closely related yeast strain. This strain is based on the above-mentioned phytosphingosine pro-duction strain, but was optimized by Nutrition & Care together with experts at Creavis over the course of many years of screening work, without the use of genetic engineering. The key advantage of the bio-technological process is that the cells synthesize the base not as a mixture of various isomers but exclu-sively in the desired stereochemical, skin-identical variant. This aspect is extremely important to its

Figure 5

Application of SPHINGONY® to keratinocytes significantly increases the cera-mide content of the cells. Keratinocyte cell cultures were treated with a low concentration of SPHINGONY® for one day. In a control test, the cells were treated with only the solvent as a vehicle. Then the cells were analyzed to determine the content of the three most important ceramide classes. The values were standardized to the total cellular protein concentration

Vehicle SPHINGONY®

Cellular ceramide content after 1 day [nmol/mg protein]

Sphingosine-based Sphinganine-based Phytosphingosine-based

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

5

4

3

2

1

0

0.150

0.125

0.100

0.150

0.050

Figure 6

SPHINGONY® improves the condition of the scalp directly through its antimicrobial activity (diagram at the top) and indirectly through increased formation of antimicrobial peptides such as HBD2 (diagram at the bottom)

Control SPHINGONY®

Test system: in vitro anti-Malassezia activity

Germ count Malassezia furfur [CFU/g]

100.000

10.000

1.000

100

10

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Test system: in vitro induction of antimicrobial peptides

Human β-defensin 2 (HBD2) regulation [x-fold induction]

Time [minutes]

1 2 3 4 5 6

SPHINGONY®

Vehicle

Untreated

0


37COSMETICS

effect: non-skin-identical sphingolipids can disrupt and negatively influence the lipid bilayers of the nat-ural skin barrier. Not least, the bio-route ensures that production is energy-efficient and that the active ingredient is made from renewable raw materials. This sustainable approach has been awarded several eco-labels and certificates.

How does SPHINGONY® work? This is a key ques-tion not only for customers of the cosmetics industry but for every future end user. The answer can be found in in vivo studies commissioned by Evonik at the University of Witten-Herdecke. In all, 96 male and 16 female volunteers between the ages of 30 and 60, who suffered from diffuse hair loss, took part in the tests.

333

More hair after eight weeks

First, a small area of 2.5 square centimeters was shaved on the scalp of each volunteer, who then applied a hair tonic every day that contained either 0.1/0.2 or 0.5 percent of the active ingredient, depend-ing on the group. The control group received a hair tonic without active ingredient.

The effect was analyzed after eight and then 16 weeks using the TrichoScan® method (see the Info-box for details on the study), which can precisely deter mine how many hairs on the test area are in the anagen (growth) phase and how many are in the tel-ogen (rest) phase—in other words, which percentage of hairs are growing and which are not.

The effects of SPHINGONY® application on the percentage of hairs in the anagen phase of male test subjects is shown in figures 8 and 9. For most of the test subjects, the maximum effect was reached as early as eight weeks. The ratio of hairs in the anagen phase (using a 0.5 percent concentration of the active ingredient) was three to four percent higher than in the control group, while lower concentrations of the active ingredient generally produced less pronounced results. Application for an additional eight weeks trig-gered no additional hair growth. There were also positive results among the female test subjects, but these were less noticeable (data not shown).

Epidermis

Dermis

Hair follicle

Light microscopy analysis of colored histological specimens of thin pigskin after application of the hair tonic

SPHINGONY® Nuclei

Figure 7

The recommended form of application for SPHINGONY® is a hair tonic, as it is particularly good at delivering the active ingredient to the hair follicle

Dermis Viable epidermis Stratum corneum

Bioavailability of SPHINGONY® [%]

Hair tonic Conditioner

25

20

15

10

5

0

3

17

24

2

8

3


38 COSMETICS

Evaluation of the photos also shows that the effect varied from individual to individual. Some test subjects showed a significant increase in hair growth, while others were less receptive and showed only modest results.

When evaluating the sphinganine, the number of growing hairs is not the only consideration: Their condition and appearance are also important. This is why independent experts also evaluated the strength, shine, and volume of the hair fibers that were formed and the appearance of the scalp. On the whole, SPHINGONY® made a positive change in several parameters. The biggest effects, however, were not always associated with the highest concentration—another indicator that the personal factors of the vol-unteers have an influence.

To test the long-term effectiveness of the hair tonic with SPHINGONY®, the tests were extended for a year with selected test subjects. The data from these extended tests is under preparation. But we can already say that the percentage of hairs in the growth

333

Figure 8

Application of a hair tonic with SPHINGONY® significantly increases the percentage of hairs in the anagen phase in male test subjects

Vehicle 0.1% SPHINGONY®

0.2% SPHINGONY® 0.5% SPHINGONY®

Change in anagen hair rate [%]

Example panelist 2: +12 % anagen hair

Example panelist 1: +4 % anagen hair

TRICHOSCAN® AND STUDY DESIGN

The TrichoScan® method allows objective deter-mination of the growth state of hair by comparing what percentage of the hairs on a particular sec-tion of scalp are in the anagen phase and which are in the telogen phase.

At the beginning of the study conducted here, a defined test area on the scalp of each volunteer was shaved to a hair length of 1 mm. After three days, photos of the test area were taken and Tricho-Scan® computer software was used to determine the percentage of hairs in the growth and rest phases. Afterward, volunteers used the relevant active ingredient or vehicle formulations for a period of 16 weeks. The procedure described above was repeated after eight and 16 weeks. This allowed researchers to determine how many of the hairs were in the growth phase after Sphin-gony® was used. The evaluation was conducted using standardized photos of the scalp areas of the volunteers.

Figure 9

The positive effect resulting from SPHINGONY® is also clearly visible with the naked eye

Before application After 16 weeks

Left before application, right after 16 weeks (respectively three days after shaving)

After 8 weeks

After 16 weeks

-1 0 1 2 3-2


39COSMETICS

phase has remained largely the same beyond the initial 16 weeks. So while growth did not improve with extended use, it also did not weaken. Put another way, the positive effects developed relatively rapidly and lasted with continued use.

Having undergone extensive in vivo, in vitro, and ex vivo testing, SPHINGONY® has cleared its first hurdles on the way to market launch. In 2013, the active

Dr. Tim Köhler works at Innovation Management in the Personal Care Business Line of Evonik Nutrition & Care GmbH, where he is responsible for regulatory issues related to cosmetic active ingredients. Köhler came to Evonik in 2004 after studying microbiology and then earning his doctorate at Georg-August University in Göttingen (Germany). He spent five years as a project manager at Creavis, managing research projects on the biotechnological production of cosmetic active ingredients, before moving to the former Consumer Specialties Business Unit in 2008.phone +49 201 [email protected]

Complete action profile instead of individual effects

ingredient was sold to its first customers from the cosmetics industry in various countries, who are cur-rently testing it in their own formulations. The first product with SPHINGONY® has been launched in Japan recently.

One thing is already clear: the tools and methods for fighting premature hair loss have been and will continue to be an important topic for specialty chem-icals companies involved in research and develop-ment. With SPHINGONY®, Evonik has succeeded in developing a highly promising active ingredient against premature hair loss. The main strength of the product is its multifunctional profile (fig. 10): It not only inhibits the production of dihydrotestos-terone but stimulates cell differentiation and cera-mide formation, regulates sebum production, and has a positive effect on the microflora of the scalp. For the user, it also promises several benefits for the scalp and hair.

With SPHINGONY®, developers at Nutrition & Care have responded to the fact that the cause and effect relationship of biological processes is never simple. Rather, an active ingredient’s potential has to be as differentiated as the body’s processes are com-plex to meet the high demands of customers and end users. 777

Figure 10

SPHINGONY® fights premature hair loss on a number of fronts: It normalizes the life cycle of the hair by inhibiting the key enzyme 5-α-reductase at the base of the hair follicle, strengthens the regeneration of important molecules for the development and protection of the hair fibers, and improves the health of the scalp

... improves scalp health by equalizing the micro flora

… provides building blocks like proteins and ceramids

... balances the hair life cycle by inhibition of 5-α-reductase

Dr. Matthias Mentel works as Technical Manager in Innovation Management Personal Care. He studied chemistry and obtained his PhD in 2008 at the Uni-versity of Leipzig (Germany). After a postdoctoral stay at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, he joined Evonik in 2011. phone +49 201 [email protected]


40 ADHESIVES

New polyester polyols from Evonik display exceptionally low emissions. Reactive hot melts based on these polyester grades meet the growing demands of not only the auto-motive industry but the end customer.

FOR MANY DRIVERS, buying a new car is a pretty big deal—this experience can be marred by the typical smell of new cars.As soon as the sun heats the interior, vol-atile components are emitted from various parts, which can cause a strong odor and even pose a health risk. These substances can also condense on cold surfaces and affect visibility if deposited on windows, or change the tactile properties of cover-ing materials.

Because an increasing number of com-ponents in car manufacturing are bonded, adhesives with low emissions are playing an increasingly important role in automo-tive interiors. For the production of molded parts and assembly bonding, the industry uses reactive polyurethane hot melts based on DYNACOLL® polyester polyols. After application of the adhesive

at moderate temperatures, parts are im-mediately joined, resulting in short cycle times that allow fast downstream process-ing of the bonded substrates. The subse-quent cross-linking by moisture, such as atmospheric moisture, results in bonds with extremely high final strength and temperature resistance.

Evonik’s well-established modular sys-tem comprising amorphous, liquid, and crystalline DYNACOLL® 7000 polyesters allows targeted adjustment of the exten-sive requirements profile of an adhesive. The excellent adhesive properties allow combination of different materials, in-cluding those that are difficult to bond.

Depending on their volatility, emissions are characterized as VOC (volatile organic compound) values for highly to moder-ately volatile substances, or fogging (FOG) values for low-volatility substances. A well-established measurement method is that of the VDA 278 standard. The limits are 100 μg/g for the VOC value and 250 μg/g for the FOG value.

Whereas in the past the automotive industry specified the limits to be required for an entire component, limits are now prescribed for the individual constituents as well. So the emissions of the adhesives used play an important role here. While cured PUR hot melts based on particular

Outlook: Combating odor and deposits on windows with DYNACOLL®

The reactive hot-melt adhesives based on DYNACOLL® are, for example, used to bond headlights, windows, mirrors, door parts, and headliners


41ADHESIVES

BONDING IS BECOMING increasingly im-portant in highly automated mass produc-tion. At the same time, more and more customers are calling for the use of envi-ronmentally friendly, bio-based raw mate-rials. Evonik has succeeded in combining both aspects: With the DYNACOLL® Terra product group, the company has expanded its portfolio of tailor-made polymers for reactive hot melts. The new series con-tains medium molecular polyesters based on renewable raw materials.

Although it sounds easy, it was a chal-lenge for the polymer designer because direct substitution of conventional mono-mers is not possible. The task, then, was to develop a completely new building block system for polyester polyols for bio-based reactive hot melts. The most im-portant consideration was that the new types not limit the adhesive formulator’s scope or formulas.

With DYNACOLL® Terra, adhesives formulators now have a range of nine dif-ferent grades at their disposal, which have been designed in a way that allows them to be combined in amorphous, liquid, or crystalline form. A determining factor in defining the desired physical properties of the polyester polyols in the DYNA-COLL® Terra range was that the selected

Bio-based DYNACOLL® polyester polyols reduce carbon footprint

monomers were at least 30 percent, and ideally up to 100 percent, from renewable resources.

From an environmental perspective, the use of renewable resources helps to slow down climate change because less greenhouse gases are released compared to fossil resources. This is why bio-based products normally have a reduced carbon footprint. The CO2 footprint is a way of measuring the total amount of greenhouse gases directly and indirectly generated over all the life stages of a product.

The first carbon footprint assessments have now been carried out for two grades of DYNACOLL® Terra. These “cradle-to-gate” assessments determined the carbon footprint for the life cycle of the prod-ucts—from the manufacture of the raw materials used right through to the fin-ished polyester. The results show that using renewable resources enables the carbon footprint to be reduced by up to approxi-mately 60 percent compared to conven-tional petrochemical-based polyester polyols. 777

combinations of amorphous and liquid polyester polyols can meet the required limits, conventional crystalline polyesters result in significantly higher emissions values and do not satisfy these require-ments.

Evonik has now developed innovative crystalline polyester polyols that meet the demands of the automotive industry and are distinguished by lower VOC and FOG values in the adhesive. The DYNA-COLL® grades EP 432.01 and EP 432.02 have a melting point of 90°C and are well suited for adjusting short setting and cycle times. To allow variation of the viscosity and cross-linking density, two versions with different hydroxyl num-bers are available.

In model formulations, for example, the new low-emissions polyester DYNACOLL® EP 432.01 has been used in mixtures with the amorphous polyester DYNACOLL® 7130 and a liquid grade, 7210, and partially substituted with the conventional crys-talline polyesters DYNACOLL® 7360 and 7380. The test results show that the low content of volatile components in DYN-ACOLL® EP 432.01 allows the addition of ten percent high-emissions polyesters with out exceeding VOC and FOG limits. 777

Reactive PUR hot melts based on bio-based poly-ester polyols underwent

extensive application-ori-ented testing at Evonik


42 ADHESIVES

Evonik’s Adhesive Resins Product Line has ambitious goals. In the coming years, they intend to achieve a further increase in the strong growth of the past. To do so, adhesives experts like Dr. Gaetano Blanda will be relying on their innovative strength, technical expertise, and international alignment. In our inter- view, the head of the product line also makes it clear that close cooperation with the customer plays a key role.

Dr. Blanda, what does the ideal adhesive look like?Bonding instead of welding or riveting has become a necessity in some areas of appli-cation. This trend is sure to continue in areas of application in which adhesives are not yet used today, and areas that we may not even have thought of yet. An ideal adhesive is a system with a wide range of applications and an easy-to-control char-acteristics profile—a universal adhesive, if you will, that displays excellent adherence on completely different substrates.

What has been happening at Adhesive Resins in the last two years?The adhesives and sealants industry is growing at an average rate of two to five percent above that of the gross domestic product. At Evonik, we, too, have spent the last few years working steadily on new ideas and products that make adhesion easier and even safer. But innovation also means establishing new processes and services, and opening up new fields of application.

One successful example is our pat-ent-pending Easy Peel Package. It is a new packaging solution that we have devel-oped especially for our silane-modified,

reactive VESTOPLAST® 206. What is de-sirable in the final application for bonding substrates is found to be a major disadvan-tage for packaging: because of the prod-uct’s excellent adhesive and hot-glue properties, it becomes inseparably bonded with its packaging, which makes handling very time-consuming for the customer. On the other hand, the new packaging can be separated from the product without leaving any residues and can be com-pletely emptied.

What trends do you see in the adhesives industry? Scarce resources for certain raw materials pose great challenges for the adhesives industry. Hydrocarbon resins are an elemental constituent of almost all adhe-sive formulations. We are reacting to this problem by developing polymer formulas that require smaller proportions of resins and are thus better protected against crises. And naturally, topics such as adhe-sives for new substrates—for example, lightweight construction materials and the development of environmentally friendly systems—are becoming increasingly impor tant. Our goal is to support these trends with new products and optimized

Adhesive Resins: All signs point to innovation

processes, and with the help of a reliable and customer-oriented team.

How is the desire for more environmentally compatible products making itself felt? Green products remain a challenge for our industry. The availability of sustainably obtained raw materials is still limited, but we cannot afford to lose sight of the eco-nomic aspects. Nevertheless, the demand for environmentally friendly adhesives continues to grow, especially in Europe. With DYNACOLL® Terra, a polyester polyol based on renewable raw materials, we marketed our first green adhesive polyester as early as 2011.

In addition to renewable raw materials, another goal is resource efficiency. In the future, we intend to increase our ability to help our customers design their processes more efficiently and use their resources more economically. Last year, for instance, we commissioned a plant for production of hydroxyl-terminated polybutadienes, which are used in adhesive and sealing compounds for lightweight construction in automobiles or in triple glazing. Both lightweight construction and heat-insulat-ing glazing help ensure that energy is used more efficiently and wasted less. 777


43YOUNG INNOVATION TALENT

333

Evonik North America has developed a two-year program for university graduates (see infobox p. 44). Within the program, the participants can get to know three different sites and gain experience by trying out different jobs. We talked to Maria Alejandra Aldon, called “Ale,” who is completing her second rotation abroad in Halle-Künsebeck, and her supervisor at the site, Dr. Stefan Pelzer.

Ale, why did you apply for this program? What made it attractive for you?Evonik North America is offering a really good rotational program. Rotational programs for grad-uates are very common in the US; however, most of the programs are rotational programs within one company site. You might see different departments, but you are still in the same building. Some of the companies let you move around in different states in the US, but IPREP is different because it has an abroad component. I always wanted to go abroad ever since I studied abroad in 2012.

How did you get to learn about IPREP?Actually, I had no idea about IPREP when I first approached Evonik. I spoke to the talent manager for the North America region at a career fair and he said: “Based on your experiences and your back-ground, I think you would be a really great candi-date for the program.” He then talked to me about it and encouraged me to apply. I was surprised to hear that with my Biomedical Engineering back-

Work that matters

ground, I would fit in perfectly with the Health Care business of Evonik. Most businesses do not know what to do with Biomedical Engineering right now, because it is a brand new field in the US.

How was your first year with Evonik?It has been really interesting. My first assignment was with Health Care in Birmingham, Alabama. The city of Birmingham is known to be a large, historical city, but the Evonik site is hidden behind a great area of trees on the outskirts of downtown Birmingham. There are many trees in the suburbs of Birmingham and my apartment was tucked away in one of these forest-like areas. It was quite unusual, but I liked it a lot.

The experience I got there was something I would have never imagined. There were client projects going on, because I was in the Health Care Parenteral business. I got to see GMP processes, got to be clean- room-trained, got to work with highly potent active pharmaceutical ingredients, and I felt like this work mattered—that the projects Birmingham has save

Dr. Stefan Pelzer (l.) explains the different

viscosity properties of solutions to Ale Aldon


44 YOUNG INNOVATION TALENT

333 lives or will save lives one day. This motivated me a lot. It was a great site and experience for me.

Then I got the opportunity to come to Germany in November and visit Hanau and Darmstadt. There I got a full site tour in the area of Pharma Polymers, so I got a little bit of an understanding of how Darm-stadt is working alongside Birmingham.

Now, in Halle-Künsebeck, it is a really different ball game. I am no longer shadowing associate scientists, but rather doing strategic scientific work. My job is going through the literature and talking to people about how we can drive our project forward.

Dr. Pelzer, can you tell us a little more about this project?The projects in Innovation Management within the Animal Nutrition Business Line are aiming at the development of new products and optimization of production processes. These projects are organized into four strategic fields of action called innovation fields, which are Customer Research, Bio Amino Acids, Chemical Products, and Digest Efficiency. Within “Digest Efficiency,” we are developing new

solutions for efficient and healthy animal keeping with a focus on monogastric animals, such as swine and poultry. We have several projects addressing the issue of keeping livestock healthy without the use of antibiotics because we all know about the rising prob-lem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in humans. We have two project leaders—both targeting new diag-nostic methods for the early detection of infections—and some labs involved in these projects. Ale works closely with these teams.

Ale, how do you feel about your work in Halle-Künsebeck?This is really exciting for a young scientist and engi-neer like myself, because you are close to the re-search and the business aspects. The first month I had to read the literature and gain a lot of back-ground knowledge. My task was to find out if our ideas were going to work with our and the clients’ needs. Based on what I analyze and what I think is best, I talk to the people and pitch it to them. I actu-ally have an influence on what will happen in the fu-ture and this makes me feel important.

INTERNATIONAL PROFESSIONAL ROTATIONAL ENRICHMENT PROGRAM

The IPREP (International Professional Rotational Enrichment program) was developed by Evonik North America with the aim of attracting the interest of university graduates in the areas of marketing, business administration and economics, logistics and engineering in Evonik. Rotational programs, in Germany known as trainee programs, are an important part of talent and succes-sion planning at Evonik. IPREP provides young professionals with the opportunity to work in three different sites at Evonik within the first two years: two US placements of nine months each and one stay abroad for six months. During this time, participants are placed across functions and segments and can

get experience in very different areas—for example engineers in marketing. This broad experience will optimally pre pare the participants for a future position in the company. The responsible talent manager supports them in their endeavors.

Evonik’s first IPREP program got underway in June 2014, with eight participants. Six were selected after completing an internship at Evonik, two were selected from hundreds of appli-cations that were submitted in the scope of career fairs at top universities—among them was Maria Alejandra Aldon.

Due to the positive feedback of the participants and the involved company units, IPREP will be offered in 2015 as well.

Ale Aldon (l.) talking to Maike Kipker, project

head of Functional Feed Additives


45YOUNG INNOVATION TALENT

SITE PROFILE

Speaking about livestock—have you ever seen ahuge pig or chicken farm?No, I have not, but I would like to go see one. I have talked to the team and it has been planned. This will enable me to see the real situation which, as I’ve learned, is very different from country to country. Growing up in Peru, some of my family members owned farm animals so being around animals, like pigs and chickens, is not strange for me. But, of course, my life now in the city is very different.

What else do you like about IPREP?From the very beginning, I’ve met many people and I’ve got to know more about departments and sites than other people have in ten years of working at Evonik. In Birmingham, for example, I could compare how the site fits into the system to all the other Evonik sites in North America. I could also understand bet-ter why we are doing a particular project or why we are working with Darmstadt, for example. At the beginning of the program, we were introduced to all the leading people and they presented to us their business, what they do, where they are located, and so on. When I went back to Birmingham and people had questions about the organization or about Evonik in general, I could answer them. The employees liked that because then they had a better picture of the Evonik culture and lifestyle. Being the first genera-tion of this program puts a lot of pressure on us, but also gives us opportunities to fast-track our learning of the business.

How do you get along in Germany?Well, that is quite different in itself. At the moment, I am one of the few IPREP participants living in the north of Germany. Most of my IPREP colleagues live in Frankfurt. However, being in Bielefeld and not in a big city like Frankfurt has helped me develop per-sonally and has improved my language skills.

I was a little surprised that everything was differ-ent than what I had heard in some intercultural train-ings. For example, I was told that you should not take it personally if Germans do not smile at you or do not greet you. But when I got here, everyone, including non-Evonik employees, were super-friendly.

On the weekends, I travel a lot—mostly with the other IPREP participants. Since everything is so close in Europe, we use the opportunity that we can fly two hours and be in another country with a completely different culture.

Do you already know what your last IPREP assignment will be?Not in detail, but I will go to Connecticut to work in the Acrylic Polymer Business Line doing process engineering. It is one of our smaller sites in North America, which I have experienced before, but I have never lived so far north before, so this will be another new experience for me. 777

Biotech site Halle-Künsebeck

With around 6,000 square meters of laboratory and office space, the Halle-Künsebeck site in Westphalia is the hub of Evonik’s biotechnological research. At the site, the Nutrition & Care Segment performs operative research with regards to biotechnological products and processes for a wide range of industrial applications. The focus here lies on the develop-ment and optimization of fermentation processes.

Core competencies include molecular biology, bioinfor-matics, metabolism physiology, biochemistry, bioprocess engineering, analysis of intracellular processes and cellular regulation, as well as analytics for process control and for characterization of fermentation products.

About 120 employees in Halle-Künsebeck develop and optimize production processes for amino acids like L-lysine, L-threonine, and L-tryptophan, which are used in animal nutrition as feed additives, and also for other products pro-duced by fermentation. In addition, they work on biotechno-logical processes for other Evonik segments.

The Halle-Künsebeck site is operated by Baxter Oncology GmbH, the German subsidiary of the global pharmaceuticals producer Baxter International Inc.

Ale Aldon holds a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Texas in Austin (USA) and is working at the Halle-Künsebeck site for six months in the scope of the IPREP program of Evonik

Dr. Stefan Pelzer heads the Digest Efficiency Innovation Field within Inno-vation Management at Animal Nutrition. He holds a postdoctoral qualification in microbiology and has been working for Evonik for three years


46 NEWS

Study confirms positive effects of anthocyanins

HealthberryTM 865, a powdered extract of blueberries and

blackcurrants, is marketed in Norway as an ingredient in the nutritional

supplement Medox®

A new study has confirmed the antioxidant properties of anthocyanins and their positive effects on the human cardiovascular system. The study was performed using Medox®, a nutritional supplement made by Biolink AS. Evonik has recently begun marketing the powdered

extract of Scandinavian blueberries and blackcurrants throughout the world as Healthberry™ 865.

A collaborative effort both with Sun Yat-sen University in Guang-zhou (China) and with the Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory

of Food, Nutrition, and Health, this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study investigated the effects of daily doses of 320 milligrams of

Healthberry™ 865 among 58 subjects with type 2 diabetes. The study showed that the supplement significantly reduced the concentration of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides

in the blood, and elevated concentrations of HDL cholesterol. Healthberry™ 865 was also found to have a significant positive effect on blood glucose levels and on patients’ insulin resis-tance index.

The results confirm again what over 20 other studies worldwide have already shown: Diet supplementation with Healthberry™ 865 has a proven positive effect on human meta-bolism in general and on that of individuals with type 2 diabetes in particular.

The publication appeared in the distinguished Journal of Nutrition (Li et al., Journal of Nutrition doi: 10.3945/jn.114.205674, published ahead of printing, February 2015).

Hope for EPP patients

SCENESSE®, a new drug developed by the Australian company Clinuvel, used for treating erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), a rare photosensitivity disorder, has now been granted regulatory approval from the Euro-pean Medicines Agency (EMA). The medica-tion, which is effective for up to two months, uses a drug release system that was developed

People with EPP have to strictly avoid sunlight

by Evonik in Birmingham, Alabama (USA). The production of SCENESSE® will also take place in Birmingham in the future.

EPP is a debilitating genetic disorder asso-ciated with an absolute intolerance to light. EPP patients must avoid light in order to pre-vent second-degree burns. The active agent in SCENESSE® is afamelanotide, which acts as an

antioxidant and photoprotectant. This sub-stance protects the skin from bright visible light and from UV radiation, allowing EPP patients to lead relatively normal lives.

Evonik supported Clinuvel from the orig-inal concept to SCENESSE® approval, devel-oping the controlled release system for afamelanotide and preparing the product for clinical trials. The formulation of this extended-release medication uses a biode-gradable implant the size of a grain of rice based on poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLG), a biodegradable polymer from the RESOMER® product line of Evonik. RESOMER® can be used in drug-delivery formulations and med-ical devices.

Evonik’s Health Care Business Line pro-vides a large array of products and services for the pharmaceutical industry, including API and API intermediates manufacturing, excipient products, and drug product development and production services. Evonik has exceptional expertise in the field of formulating and devel-oping complex, injectable drug products like SCENESSE®. The Evonik site in Birmingham (Alabama, USA) is EMA-certified and serves as a competence center for parenteral drug delivery systems and for commercial produc-tion of finished pharmaceutical products. The focus includes extended-release parenterals, including microparticles, implants, liposomes, and nanomedicines.


47NEWS

Antarctica is notorious for strong winds which could easily reach wind force 10 on a normal day and blizzards are quite frequent in the region. This sets extreme requirements for the greenhouse materials. To meet them, Shanghai Dushi collaborated with Evonik to develop a unique aluminum profile to match the geom-etry of the PLEXIGLAS® Alltop to reinforce the construction. For operation tests, Shanghai Dushi built a same-scale greenhouse on Chongming Island. In October 2014, all the greenhouse equipment was shipped to Antarc-tica. In March 2015, the project installation was successfully completed. The greenhouse sus-tained a storm of wind force 10 and now it is in good operation.

The greenhouse in Great Wall Station does not only send fresh vegetables to the table of the expeditioners, but also adds a touch of warm green in the snow-covered land. Shang-hai Dushi is planning on a similar project in the Zhongshan Research Station under even more severe conditions, so that the residents there will be able to enjoy the same green.

Fresh vegetables on the table in AntarcticaAntarctica is known to be the coldest region on earth with an average annual temperature of –40 to –50 °C. It also boasts colossal bliz-zards, and 55 miles per hour wind is a com-monplace. The expeditioners in Great Wall Research Station used to live on the supplies transported by the Xue Long Polar Research Ship. In winter, when the station was cut off from resupply flights, they could only live with limited kinds of frozen vegetables like cab-bages. Now that the first light-transmitting greenhouse in Antarctica has successfully been built in the station, the fresh vegetables on the wish list have become a reality.

The material to build a greenhouse must withstand extreme weather conditions which are typical for the extremely cold Antarctica. After a two-year study conducted by Polar Research Institute of China and Shanghai Dushi

Green Engineering Co., Ltd, PLEXIGLAS® All top was chosen to be the covering material of the greenhouse due to its high light-trans-mis sion and anti-aging features. The 30 square meters greenhouse is the first of its kind in Antarctica and the use of 600 square meters of 16 millimeters thickness PLEXIGLAS® All-top ensures healthy growth of the plants.

Plants need light so photosynthesis can occur. However, in Antarctica sunlight is limited. Not to mention that the thick ice sheet in most parts of the continent will reflect it. With a high light transmission of 91 percent, PLEXIGLAS® Alltop makes sure nonetheless that the plants receive sufficient natural sun-light, even the smallest beam. In addition, the multi-skin sheets ensure good insulation and UV transparency to allow plants to grow under conditions as naturally as possible. One of the advantages of transparent PLEXIGLAS® is that it will show no visible yellowing for 30 years. Even in Antarctica, the materials still retain their maximum light transmission over a long time.

Scientific Advisory BoardDr. Felix MüllerCorporate Innovation [email protected]

Editor in ChiefDr. Karin Aßmann (responsible)[email protected] [email protected]

Contributing EditorChrista FriedlMichael Vogel

PhotosEvonik IndustriesCarsten BehlerKarsten BootmannKirsten NeumannAnna-Lina Nikelowskiistock Essentials/ seamartini (p.15)Fotolia:countrypixel (p.17)Almgren (p.18)goodluz (p.32)Polat Alp (p.46)

Design Michael Stahl, Munich (Germany)

Printed byGriebsch & Rochol Druck GmbH & Co. KG, Oberhausen(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

PublisherEvonik Industries AGCorporate Innovation

Rellinghauser Straße 1–1145128 EssenGermany

Credits

Thanks to PLEXIGLAS® Alltop, expeditioners in Great Wall Research Station in Antarctica can finally grow fresh vegetables, right in their own greenhouse

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elements 52, Issue 3 | 2015 - Evonik Industries€¦ · increases in the demand for highly dispersible silica. ... spurring growth in demand for high-performance lubricants, ... high-performance