Business Driven Innovation
In addition to our own research and development activities, we invested a single-digit million euro amount in High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) III. This started on May 31, 2017 with a volume of 245 million euros in the first closing.
©nd3000 - stock.adobe.comLike its two predecessors, the newly launched fund aims to support promising start-ups in the technology sector in order to bring inventions to market maturity. The fund has a broad thematic base: Robotics, Internet of Things (IoT), energy, medical and biotechnology, as well as chemistry and software. With our renewed participation, we will reconnect with the high-tech German start-up scene. This involvement will help us gain access to new technologies and identify potential partners for cooperation.
Together with the Berlin-based chemicals start-up DexLeChem, for example, we support the “Data Analytics for Chemical Engineers and Chemists” course, which is being offered by the Institute for Chemistry and the Chemical Invention Factory at TU Berlin for the first time in the 2019/2020 winter semester. We are thus promoting the education of skilled professionals who can provide both the chemical and the digital expertise required to exploit all the possibilities of digitalization.
In 2020 LANXESS has been awarded the "Innovative through Research" seal of approval by the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft (German Science Foundation). Since 2014, the Stifterverband has been awarding the "Innovative through Research" seal of approval to companies that conduct research in recognition of the special responsibility they assume for the state and society.
Sustainably advancing research and development
In the area of research and development, we are systematically focusing on making LANXESS products and processes as sustainable as possible - and thus securing the foundation of our long-term economic success.
For us, innovation also means developing new uses for existing products. Our partner Standard Lithium Ltd. has now completed a pilot facility for the extraction and processing of lithium salt at our site in El Dorado. Lithium salt is required on a large scale for lithium-ion batteries and is therefore a crucial raw material for the desired expansion of electric mobility. LANXESS operates three plants manufacturing bromine products in El Dorado. The bromine is obtained from the brine extracted at the site, which also contains lithium. Our partner Standard Lithium provides the technology for extracting the lithium.
Meanwhile, we are breaking new ground when it comes to the development of customer-specific high-performance plastics. By deploying artificial intelligence (AI), we are looking to drastically cut the amount of time it takes to develop new materials. To this end, we are collaborating with Citrine Informatics, a U.S. AI company specializing in the software-supported development of chemical products. In a pilot project, we are exploring the options for using AI to optimize glass fibers and thus further enhance the properties of our high-performance plastics. It is anticipated that AI will cut development times for the necessary formulations by more than half. Our customers would therefore receive even better, tailor-made products within shorter time frames.
Another AI project with Citrine Informatics is devoted to expanding the range of prepolymer products. LANXESS data specialists and process experts have used the Citrine platform to expand the existing formulation database. This involved an algorithm designed for chemicals accessing existing empirical measurement data, linking them to the knowledge of the process experts and calculating additional figures. This meant that only a few real-life measurements were required to verify the figures already determined with AI. The next step is for our data and process experts to check how reliably optimum formulations can be predicted with the aid of AI so that customer-specific requirements for product characteristics can be met.
We pay particular attention to the development of products that have a tangible benefit for sustainability. For example, our Inorganic Pigments business unit has developed a black pigment that reflects 20% more of the sun’s near-infrared radiation (NIR) than conventional products. Plastic roofs and facade elements colored with Bayferrox 303 T heat up much less due to solar radiation meaning that the building’s inside temperature can be reduced. This not only improves the indoor climate but also reduces energy consumption for air conditioning.
At our Belgian site in Lillo, we are developing a new type of catalytic waste gas purification for the reduction of nitrogen oxides and nitrous oxide in the exhaust air generated in connection with the production of caprolactam. The measure is to make an important contribution on our journey to climate neutrality in 2040.
In a research project, LANXESS developed an innovative technology for recycling residues in leather production.
The Leather business unit exemplifies the LANXESS focus on innovation and sustainability. The business unit offers its customers in the leather industry numerous innovative technologies and products along the entire value chain – all with the goal to support the production of sustainable, ecologically compatible leather without compromising quality. Recent innovations include the Levaderm WB, a water-based dye for leather finishing that is solvent-free, non-flammable and free of heavy metals.
In addition, our Leather business unit, in cooperation with the Invite GmbH research institute, has developed an innovative technology for recycling waste products in leather production. A modular pilot plant was designed to produce leather retanning materials of the "Levotan X-Biomer" brand by using leather from shavings and cuttings as well as from vegetable biomass. This enables a tannery to automatically – and largely independently – produce part of its own demand for retanning materials on site. This is a major step in the direction of sustainable production concepts.
The pilot plant is currently being installed at the tannery Heller-Leder GmbH & Co. KG, another project partner. The research project started in 2016 with an investment volume of around five million euros, approximately half of which came from funding through the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The pioneering technology earned the German Innovation Award for Climate and Environment in 2018 in the "Environmentally Friendly Products" category.
The LANXESS Material Protection Products business unit is dedicated to protecting against harmful microorganisms.
Whether being used for wood coatings, emulsion paints, varnishes or plasters, the preservatives developed by our Material Protection Products business unit are used worldwidle to protect various materials from microbial attack. The business unit's portfolio includes a whole range of other highly-efficient active ingredients and specialty chemicals, primarily for disinfection and hygiene solutions. This is the former "Clean and Disinfect" business of the U.S. chemical group Chemours. One of the core products is the disinfectant Virkon® S, which is used in veterinary disinfection to protect against 65 strains from over 19 virus families, 400 bacterial strains and over 100 fungal strains. These include major diseases listed by World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), such as bird flu H5N1, swine flu H1N1, Newcastle disease, classical swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease.
Effective protection
International testing laboratories certify that Virkon® S is effective against pathogenic strains of the highly contagious flu virus in birds even in difficult conditions like heavy organic contamination, dilution by rainwater, low temperatures or exposure to contaminants found on farms. Virkon® S works even at a dilution of 1:100 and is recommended for use as a preventive and continuous biosecurity measure. Unlike many other disinfectants, Virkon® S is also proven to remain effective over the entire pH spectrum, even at low winter temperatures and organic loads, without the need to increase concentration or exposure time.
With avian influenza H5N8 on the rise in many European and Asian countries, European veterinary experts are advising poultry producers to heighten biosecurity measures to minimize the risk of infection in millions of European poultry by infected, wild migratory birds. Despite being kept indoors, poultry are vulnerable as the highly-contagious virus can adhere to vehicles and transported to farms through contact with workers’ clothing and footwear.
The LANXESS Inorganic Pigments business unit is setting new standards with a sustainable process for the production of Bayferrox® brand yellowish red pigments.
Color plays an important role in urban design because it creates individuality. For decades, inorganic pigments from the LANXESS Bayferrox® and Colortherm® product lines have been used worldwide to manufacture paints and coatings. Their range of applications extends from emulsion paints for interior walls or house facades to paints and universal industrial coatings.
The basic structure of these color pigments are iron and chromium oxides - substances that also occur in nature. However, the properties of the synthetical products from our Inorganic Pigments business unit are far superior to natural pigments. They offer maximum light and weather resistance, high color strength, chemical resistance and excellent hiding power. This results incolors seemingly unchanged for years. Since 1926, LANXESS has produced more than 13 million metric tons of iron oxide pigments at the world's largest iron oxide plant in Krefeld-Uerdingen, Germany.
The extensive range of iron oxide and chrome oxide pigments under the Bayferrox® and Colortherm® brands offers a color spectrum from yellow to red, black, brown and green. Within this spectrum, customers can choose from more than 100 shades.
Energy-efficient plant sets new environmental standards
Bright, yellowish red pigments, the so-called "New Reds", complete the LANXESS product portfolio. These products use a newly-developed, unique manufacturing process – the Ningbo process – which is being used for the first time at the LANXESS site in Ningbo, China – the world's most modern production iron oxide pigments facility. This site was built specifically for the Ningbo process and began operation in 2016.
Traditionally, China had produced iron oxide red pigments utilizing the Penniman process, which has has been cited as harmful to the environment. LANXESS has therefore developed the Ningbo process, which enables the safe and environmentally-friendly production of high-quality iron oxide pigments. This facilitiy combines innovative process controlwith complete exhaust gas purification of all produced nitrogen oxides, including the particularly climate-damaging laughing gas. Modern process control, plant technology and heat integration have also significantly reduced energy requirements.
LANXESS is once again demonstrating its expertise in water treatment with a series of product innovations.
With the development of optimized membrane elements from the Lewabrane RO ULP series and the Lewatit ion exchanger brand, LANXESS is enabling customers around the world to make efficient and sustainable use of water, a scarce resource in some places. Using the new membrane elements requires 40%less operating pressure than standard elements, which leads to reduced usage of cleaning chemicals and allows for longer cleaning intervals – ultimately reducing the energy and operating costs. The Lewatit TP 107 selective ion exchanger was specially developed for municipal drinking water treatment, but it also offers decisive advantages in the industrial sector, like in treating wastewater for the leather and electroplating industries. Compared with conventional products, Lewatit TP 107 has an exceptionally high usable capacity for trace impurities in drinking water, groundwater and wastewater, even more efficiently removing the chromate, considered a hazardous substance. The two technologies complement each other and our customers use them in combination successfully.
Mosquitoes, ticks & Co. can be a real nuisance. When it gets warm, they can ruin your stay outdoors and transmit the pathogens of dangerous diseases.
Whether a vacation by the sea, a party in the park, an excursion into the forest, or even your own garden, nature is a recreation paradise for many people – unless too many insects are around. With the right conditions, hungry mosquitoes, biting flies, ticks and horseflies lurk at every corner. But even worse than permanent itching is the danger of getting infected with malaria, dengue fever, the Zika virus, borreliosis or meningitis.
Saltidin, an active ingredient manufactured by LANXESS subsidiary Saltigo in Dormagen, provides reliable protection that is used in many common insect repellents. "Saltidin covers the skin like a film," says Beate Tombeux, who assists in product development with Saltigo's worldwide Saltidin customers. "The mosquito no longer smells anything." A comprehensive application of the insect repellent is, however, a must. Because only where saltidine is on it is the skin really protected from the attack of bloodthirsty insects and ticks. Tombeux also knows this from his own experience: "I always test the new things myself," she says with a smile. "I make special formulations in my lab for this."
LANXESS is expanding its Durethan brand of high-tech plastics with product variants that are highly reinforced with glass fibers.
The LANXESS High Performance Materials business unit has developed glass fiber-reinforced Durethanes, which are particularly suitable for electromobility applications. The innovative material is highly flame-resistant and particularly resistant to tracking currents. Combining ideal mechanical properties with good processing capability, it is perfect for use in high-performance batteries and in the drive train of electric vehicles.. The resource-saving lightweight construction can also be incorporated into electromobility with high-performance plastics.
By optimizing its product line for high-purity polyurethane prepolymers, known as low-free products, the Urethane Systems business unit has once again demonstrated its innovative capabilities and global technological leadership. These new products, which contain very low residual monomer contents, reduces worker’s exposure to potentially carcinogenic substances. The product line’s improved processability making it ideal for intense applications in the tire and roller industries or in the adhesives sector.
