Bayoxide. Tiny particles with a big impact – arsenic-free drinking water (March 2010)

Drinking water polluted with arsenic is one of the most dangerous types of contamination in the food sector. You can't taste it, you can't smell it, but the toxic semi-metal accumulates in the body. At its Krefeld site in Germany, LANXESS manufactures iron oxides under the name Bayoxide E 33 that can filter out the arsenic from the water. The principle is simple, but the production of Bayoxide E 33 requires a great deal of specialist know-how.

Water is life (January 2010)

What is a given in our part of the world is developing into an ever greater global problem: Each year, approximately three million people die from the effects of contaminated water, including some 4,500 children every day. Products from the specialty chemicals group LANXESS are helping to ease this problem. The ion exchange resins LANXESS produces in Leverkusen and Bitterfeld have an important role to play in this.

Smooth pedaling for cyclists (December 2009)

Rubber belt replaces metal chain. It may be commonplace for motor cycles, but it is still the exception in bicycles. But rubber belts have numerous advantages over metal chains: They are reliable, maintenance-free and – unlike their oily counterparts made of metal – clean. These seemingly unassuming rubber belts are made of Baypren, a synthetic rubber from LANXESS. This material is not only supple, it can also withstand the effects of wind, weather and above all the sun – for years.

Golf balls: Hard on the outside, soft on the inside (October 2009)

For many, golf is a riddle wrapped up in an enigma. Terms such as 9-iron, mashie and niblick continue to mystify outsiders. And which club is the right one for which shot? But it doesn’t just depend on choosing the right iron. The golf ball too hides its secrets. For example, the core: This is the ball's real energy source. High-quality balls have a core made of synthetic rubber. And with good reason, since such balls travel further!

Synthetic rubber: One hundred years of innovation (September 2009)

One hundred years after its invention by the chemist Fritz Hofmann, synthetic rubber is an elastomer that has long since established itself as a high-performance, high-tech material that is ideal for a whole range of forward-looking technologies. Therban and Levapren are two such rubber grades from LANXESS, used in applications such as photovoltaics and wind energy.

New look for the Eiffel Tower (July 2009)

The man who designed the famous Parisian landmark, Gustave Eiffel, had specified that the steel structure, which was constructed in 1889, should be repainted with an anticorrosion coating every seven years. Now, as the tower celebrates its 120th anniversary, it’s time to get the paintbrushes out yet again. The pigments used for the understated Eiffel Tower Brown are manufactured by LANXESS in its Inorganic Pigments business unit in Krefeld-Uerdingen, Germany.

New milestones in India and Chine (June 2009)

India and the other BRIC countries are among the key growth markets for LANXESS. The corporate policy of the German specialty chemicals group is geared towards these emerging markets. The latest acquisitions strengthen the BRIC countries strategy of the company: LANXESS buys the Indian company Gwalior Chemical Industries and the Chinese company Jiangsu Polyols Chemical. Both are manufacturers of basic chemicals.

Rubber keeps warm and dry (May 2009)

Soon it will be summer again with sun, sea and all kinds of watersports – surfing, diving and waterskiing to name but a few. But this doesn’t always mean jetting off to the Maldives or the Red Sea – there are plenty of opportunities for a weekend trip a little closer to home. The key to a successful watersports vacation applies all the more to the cooler waters of more northerly climes – it’s having the right equipment. The most important thing is to have a top-quality Baypren watersports suit to protect against hypothermia and keep you dry.

100 Years for Mobility and Safety (April 2009)

In 1909, chemist Fritz Hofmann invented synthetic rubber at the “Farbenfabriken,” or “dyestuffs factory,” in what is now Wuppertal – one of the places where LANXESS has its roots. This material has become indispensable in the modern world. It ensures mobility and safety through its use in cars, aircraft and ships, for example. As a technology leader, LANXESS is advancing the development of the rubber industry with its innovations.

First year of LANXESS Elastômeros do Brasil (April 2009)

The acquisition of Petroflex is one year old. The integration process has already become a case study of success for LANXESS. It took twelve months of hard work of integration: LANXESS and Petroflex renamed LANXESS Elastômeros do Brasil (LEB). Now the company can look back and see the first fruit of this partnership, such as the modernization of the plants and processes, as well as the high standards of safety and efficiency now at an advanced stage of implantation.

Sap from the tree (April 2009)

It’s early in the morning when “Mr. Azman” starts work. And although the sun is only just rising, it is already so hot that his shirt is sticking to his body. Mr. Azman works for the Malaysian Rubber Board, an organization that is considered to be a world leader in natural rubber.

Charles Goodyear and the invention of vulcanization (March 2009)

If there’s one person whose name is inextricably linked to rubber, it’s the American Charles Goodyear. In 1844, he received patent number 3633 of the United States for his “metallic gum elastic composition”, today wordwide known as vulcanization.

The rubber seed thief – Sir Henry Wickham (February 2009)

Until the late 19th century, rubber trees grew exclusively in South America. Export of seeds and seedlings was strictly forbidden, and the penalty for smuggling was death. In 1876, the adventurer Henry Wickham was tasked with the smuggling mission, to take thousands of rubber seeds to the British colonies in south-east Asia, with the aim of establishing plantations there.

“Green tires” save fuel and protect the environment (January 2009)

According to the European Commission, tires alone are responsible for 20 percent of a car’s fuel consumption. In other words, one out of every five tanks of gas is used solely to overcome tires’ rolling resistance. So called “green tires” should ensure that cars consume less gas and emit fewer particles into the environment. The correct rubber mix plays a key role in this. The German specialty chemicals company LANXESS is researching continuously into innovations.

LANXESS secures naming rights to arena (German version, October 2008)
The LANXESS arena is the biggest and best-known event venue in Germany. Formerly the Kölnarena, it is situated in the Deutz district of Cologne, and is affectionately referred to by the locals as the “tiffin box”. For the next ten years, LANXESS has secured the naming rights for the vast event venue, which sets new standards in terms of size, gastronomy and technology. For LANXESS this partnership is an ideal opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to the region of North Rhine-Westphalia and to Germany as an industry base.

LANXESS neutralizes climate-unfriendly nitrous oxide (German version, May 2008)

LANXESS will cut emissions of climate-unfriendly gases at its German facilities through 2012 by around 80 percent compared to 2007 levels. The core project here is the new, second plant for reducing the greenhouse gas dinitrogen monoxide (N2O), more commonly known as nitrous oxide, in Krefeld-Uerdingen.

Wuxi (May 2008)

In the production location Wuxi, a total of 264 people work for the Semi-Crystalline Products and Leather Business Units. LANXESS has invested some €20 million there in a new plant that manufactures high-tech plastics, and the company’s Leather Business Unit doubled its production capacity for leather chemicals in 2005. LANXESS also operates the Asia-Pacific region’s largest and most modern research and development center for leather chemicals in the city. Since May 2007, the Semi-Crystalline Products Business Unit has been operating a state-of-the-art development center in Wuxi.