COVER STORY
TWEAKS, NOT BOUNDS Following an age of big breakthroughs, old-line industries advance today through incremental innovations in chemistry
T
H E LATTER HALF O F T H E 2 0 T H CENTURY W I T N E S S E D
fundamental changes in chemistry for manufacturing processes. The development of synthetic fibers, for i n s t a n c e , led to new dyeing chemistries. Revolutionary changes in production practices and the advent of environmental regulations caused the demise of some basic chemistry. These changes also fostered fundamentally new chemicals and materials with better environmental and performPROCESS ance characteristics. CHEMICALS But the 2 0 t h century is over. At this point, with few exceptions, the chemicals used to color, condition, adhere, and coat the products we use every day are pretty much set in stone. And if they have not already crossed the line from HTTP://WWW.CEN-ONLINE.ORG
high-performance specialty to lowpriced commodity, Asian producers will likely accelerate that transition. Environmental regulation and registration efforts will take more chemicals out of the toolbox, no doubt, even as they increase the challenge of introducing entirely new materials. As such, chemical suppliers are turning to innovative service strategies. This, in turn, is putting them back to work in the lab —frequently in collaboration with customers —to fine-tune existing processes. Price premiums for high-end performance are beginning to stick. Here and t h e r e , s o m e t h i n g new is being added, even for the most mature industries. Specialty chemical strategies for the 21st century are clearly emerging in these basic industries, as illustrated by the following articles on chemicals for concrete, textiles, paper, and leather. C& EN / O C T O B E R
11,2004
21
COVER STORY READY TO ROLL Transportation Secretary Mineta (right) witnesses a test run on concrete mixed with Degussa's polycarboxylate admixture.
SYNTHETIC CHEMISTRY MOVES INTO CONCRETE
ucts of other industries blended and formulated to enhance performance," says L. Michael Shydlowski, chief executive officer of Degussa Admixtures, the former MasterBuilders unit of the German chemical conglomerate. The new chemistry has led to more precise concrete formulation, Shydlowski explains. Using natural by-products, such as p-naphthalene sulfonate, lignosulfonates, and even corn syrup, formulators would sometimes have to add both accelerators and retardants to the same product to regulate performance, he says. The introduction of polycarboxylate chemistry has eliminated this problem. "By synthesizing new chemistry, you are really able to design a molecule that serves a specific purpose," he says. Polycarboxylates also add strength, Shydlowski says, and cut the amount of water needed to pour concrete by 10 to 15%.
Polycarboxylate admixtures usher in a slew of performance improvements
HAYING THE ABILITY to better control setting time is a major advantage, Shydlowski says. "It is more user-friendly less dependent on a skilled workforce. Frankly, RICK MULLIN, C&EN NORTHEAST NEWS BUREAU in the construction industry we are often H E R E IS MOVEMENT I N C O N at lower admixture usage levels than tradistruggling to get skilled workers these days. crete. Like other building matetional dispersants such as (3-naphthalene People don't want to work in concrete." rials, the unglamorous-if-ubiqsulfonate and lignosulfonates. Degussa introduced its Glenium line of uitous slabs of cemented stone, water-reducing admixtures in 2000. The Producers point to cost savings in both slag, and sand constantly expand company has also introduced a the final project and mainteand contract in reaction to temperature line of polycarboxylate additives nance as justification for the inand moisture. Concrete, which provides for highway repair that enables creased cost of advanced admixthe basic infrastructure to buildings, dams, patches to harden to withstand tures. In most cases, they claim highways, and airport runways, tends to 4 0 0 lb per square inch in four there is an immediate payback buckle and crack. hours. The company, which rein that the new products allow cently demonstrated the perbuilders to work with grades of Working to mitigate structural failures formance of the new 4 x 4 Conconcrete that had been unfeasiin concrete is a decades-old endeavor that crete admixtures for Department ble for any number of reasons has ushered in a raft of new raw materials. of Transportation Secretary prior to the advent of new adIn turn, these new materials have necessiNorman Y Mineta, sees fast-setmixture chemistry tated new chemistry in concrete admixPROCESS ting highway concrete as key to tures —the chemical additives used to add Polycarboxylate admixtures CHEMICALS growth. strength, regulate setting time, and guard were first introduced in the earagainst the elements. In recent years, enly 1990s by Nippon Shokubai in Japan, Degussa has worldwide admixture sales vironmental and other government reguwhere building standards address the high of $900 million and sales growth of 6 to lations have prompted a new round of forlikelihood of earthquakes and the chal8% annually, Shydlowski says, compared mulation and the introduction of synthetic lenges of building tall structures in limitwith 3% overall growth in the U.S. conchemistry to better manage the mix. ed areas. Degussa, W R . Grace, and Sika, crete market. the leading suppliers of admixtures in the Polycarboxylates, in particular, are gainGrace has seen similar growth driven by U.S. and Europe, have since introduced ad- new polycarboxylate chemistry "There has ing wide acceptance as dispersants in admixtures with polycarboxylates, and obmixtures. The polymer chemistry can be been a historically high level of innovation servers say the chemistry is starting to used to customize admixtures by regulating in concrete and admixtures," says James catch on worldwide. flow rate, drying time, and other variables Gado, marketing director for specialty conto meet the needs of specific construction struction chemicals. Much of the activity, "Over the last six years, we have moved jobs. Admixture makers say the new chemespecially in Europe, has been driven by into synthesized chemistry rather than sellistry supports strong and durable concrete regulations to control the emission of ing what historically have been by-prod-
T
22
C & E N /
0CT0B ER 11.
2004
HTTP://WWW.CEN-0NLINE.ORG
Clariant
Your place to be] Placed in five continents, Clariant combines a global reach with a local impact. To be your nearby partner and to serve you best whenever you need us, wherever you are located, we are operating with more than 100 Group companies in 90 countries: we have the fine and specialty chemicals that play a decisive role in our customers' processes or enhance end products with specific properties. And we g| develop tailor-made solutions i ^ | | i i | cooperation with our c u s t o n i f ^ i | | i J | | Clariant - your local partner worldwide. -jllii^H^^K
Exactly your chemistry. Clariant International Ltd Rothausstrasse 61, CH-4132 Muttenz/Switzerland, Internet: www.clariant.com Request more at Ad Info Now. org
COVER STORY chromium(VI) and carbon dioxide from concrete, as well as by a drive for plant ef ficiency improvements, Gado says. Grace's Adva Superplasticizer, an ad mixture based on polycarboxylate chem istry, was introduced in the mid-1990s. Thefirm'sconstruction chemicals division had worldwide sales of $450 million last year and is experiencing 10% annual growth, he says, spurred by the increased acceptance of new technology PhilippeJost, director ofU.S. marketing for construction chemicals at Sika, anoth er major supplier of admixtures, says poly mer chemistry has been an active area of formulation since it emerged in the 1990s. "The polymers we used in 1997 have dis appeared," Jost says. "There have been a lot of new developments. As our chemists understand the technology better, they are able to develop better, more efficient products that are more targeted to spe cific industries." Jost says the momentum behind Sika's ViscoCrete polycarboxylate admixtures is the flexibility it affords contractors. M ·. France)
#
(California InMimte of Technology, Pa^a.kna, Us \i
The Novartis Chemistry Lectureship is awa to scientists in recognition of outstanding contributions to natural product synthesis arid the development of new swuiietic methodology *
I}) N O V A R T I S Request more at AdlnfoNow.org 24
C & E N / OCTOBER 1 1 , 2 0 0 4
HTTP://WWW.CEN-ONLINE.ORG
- isisisij^Tr*
product testers silicone suppliers ..^w^p^i^L-
market expanders resource providers
global partners technology innovators revenue increasers
future inventors formula improvers opportunity creators
||
brand enhancer! efficiency experts marketing allies idea generators shine specialists product customizers relationship builders profitability maximizers possibility expanders productivity increasers imagination stimulators results producers © 2004 Dow Coming. Ad#A1026 Dow Corning is a registered trademark of the Dow Corning Corporation. AV07554 *LaFang is a registered trademark of LAF.
Which Dow Corning do you need today? When LAR a leading hair care manufacturer, wanted their LaFang* shampoo to make hair healthier and shinier, they turned to Dow Corning for silicones. No surprise there. But it might surprise you to know that they partnered with Dow Corning, using our R&D and marketing expertise to reformulate the product and reposition the brand to gain market share. See how Dow Coming's innovations and global expertise can help you in unexpected ways at www.dowcorningnow.com.
Request more at AdlnfoNow.org
DOW
We help you invent the future?
CORNING
COVER STORY modities covering a range of about 15 colors. Winkelbeiner says improvements in ecological and toxicological performance go hand-in-hand with improved efficiency in manufacturing and performance. In particular, Ciba is working on improving the fixation rate for reactive dyes, the primary dye type for cellulose fibers such as cotton. According to Winkelbeiner, fixation has always been a variable in applications where RICK MULLIN P C&EN NORTHEAST NEWS BUREAU monochlorotriazine dyes are applied to fibers in an alkali solution. Both the alkali and the fiber have a hydroxy group that EXTILE DYES DATE BACK TO THE velop products that meet new market reacts with the dye, so that as much as Bronze Age. They also constitute needs. We are driven by differentiation, not 40% of the dye can react with the alkali and an archetypical 2 lst-century spejust mass production of commodities." be washed off as waste. Ciba's cialty chemicals market. Collishaw says new deternew Cibacron S dyes introduce Three large, Europe-based progents, fibers, and uses for textiles "thrice-reactive" chemistry with ducers dominate. The largest, DyStar, was are generating tougher specifiup to three chlorine or fluorine formed in a series of mergers of some of Eucations for dyes. The need for anchors that are also exchanged rope's major textile dye businesses in the lightfast dyes in dark shades, for with cotton fibers, he says. 1990s. Global overcapacity and price prescolors that do not run when sure, stoked by the rapid buildup of Asian washed, and for protection from In polyester dyes, Ciba is deproducers, have turned most dyestuff perspiration continually raises veloping "washfast" chemistry— chemistries into commodities. Regulatothe bar for dye producers, he says. dyes that do not run in high-temry hurdles have nearly halted the introperature washers and dryers. Seigfried Winkelbeiner, head duction of fundamentally new dyestuffs. Winkelbeiner explains that dyes of textile dye marketing at Ciba, PROCESS Revenues at the three major suppliers are are applied to fibers at about 130 agrees that growth depends on CHEMICALS slipping this year compared with last year. °C, at which point fibers expand innovation and differentiation. Yet executives at DyStar, Ciba Specialto absorb the dyes. But high-temperature He notes, however, that of the 180,000ty Chemicals, and Clariant say innovation washing and drying also can cause the fibers ton-per-year worldwide market for dispersed has ramped up over the past 10 years and to "open," reversing the dyeing process and dyes, specialty dyes comprise only about that new chemistry is being brought to bear allowing colors to bleed out. 5,000 tons. The rest is made up of comin reactive and dispersant dyes as well Ciba's new Terasil W W polyester as in older dyestuffs such as sulfur dyes. dyes incorporate benzodifuranone The key route to growth—and to chemistry "It's a structurally complex keeping Asian bulk dyestuff produchemistry," he says. "The molecules cers at bay—they say, comes straight can't easily get out of the fiber." Of out of specialty chemicals strategy course, it's also difficult for such mol101: Differentiate product offerings ecules to get in. But Winkelbeiner says through collaborative work with cusCiba has formulated the dyes so that tomers and charge a premium price they become partially soluble during for specialized products that solve spethe dye application. The Terasil W W cific problems. line was introduced in 2002 and is now being used by apparel manufacThis is an effective approach, given turers including Nike and Adidas. that these suppliers manufacture in China, India, Pakistan, and Brazil as DyStar is a major player in reactive well as in the U.S. and Europe, and that dyes, which were developed 50 years major textile manufacturers aim to ago at I CI. DyStar, which was recently maintain uniform quality and product purchased by Platinum Equity, is performance across the globe. The made up of the dyes business of the goal, producers say, is to lock in highoriginal ICI, as well as those of Bayend chemicals that local suppliers in er, BASF, and Hoechst. Asia cannot supply INCREASING FIXATION rates for re "There is 30 to 40% overcapacity active dyes is a kind of Holy Grail, acin the market from Asia, primarily Chicording to Collishaw "The elusive tarna," says Peter S. Collishaw, marketing get is 100% fixation of reactive dye director for cellulose dyes at DyStar. on cellulose," he says, noting that "It won't be long before they have the while cationic dyes on acrylic fibers capacity to manufacture the world's and dispersed dyes on polyester gentotal demand." But Asian producers erallyfixin the high- 90% range, years largely make a limited number of low- PRIMARY FIXATION Reactive cellulose dyes ofwork on reactive dyes have only recost, basic dyestuffs, he says. "The are on a trajectory of improvement toward the cently brought fixation up to 90%. whole point of our research is to de- "elusive target" of 100% dye uptake.
HIGH-END INNOVATION LEADS TEXTILE DYES
Faced with Asian overcapacity, major suppliers boost product performance
T
26
C&EN
/OCTOBER
11,
2004
HTTP://WWW.CEN-0NLIN
E.0RG
In response, DyStar has increased the number of reactive groups in its fluoroaromatic Levafix CA reactive dyes. The company has also been working on strengthening the chromophore, or color component of the dye, for improved lightfastness. John Bone, DyStar's head of marketing for polyester dyes, says the company is developing deep-shade dyes for polyesters. New chemistries are emerging to control staining from azo and anthraquinone dyes, including thiophene-based azo dyes. DyStar has also introduced benzodifuranone dyes for heavy red shades. "Navy, black, and red are the most problematic colors," Bone says. "But we keep refining and refining, and playing better kinds of tunes on those chemistries." Though it is a smaller player in reactive dyes than Ciba and DyStar, Clariant has introduced new fluorinated heterocyclebased dyes for cellulose fibers, according to Manuel Golder, head of textile dyes. He emphasizes the importance of reducing
environmental impact compared with monochlorotriazine and other standard chemistries. In addition to boosting yield, Clariant's Drimarene H F reactive dyes eliminate chlorine as a waste product in the dyeing process and leave no organicbound halogen in the textile. Clariant's forte is sulfur dyes, Golder says. Other than indigo, sulfur dyes are the oldest materials for dyeing fabrics, yet there is still innovation in the chemistry. For example, the company introduced new methods for dyeing polyamides with sulfur black six years ago. More recently, Clariant introduced a liquid dispersion free of aggressive chemicals, such as caustic soda, found in standard sulfur dyes, making them safer to transport. Colors range from blue, olive green, and other earth tones to black. All three companies have heightened their efforts to work with customers. "We have an extremely good intelligence network for feeding information on new de-
"We are driven by differentiation, not just mass production of commodities."
tergents, fibers, and retailer demands into R&D," Collishaw says. Customer liaison was stepped up considerably six years ago when Procter & Gamble and Unilever introduced activated peroxygen detergents to reduce temperature and chlorine use. "The wash temperature and modus operandi of the new detergents could attack chromophores and the depth of color after a few washings," Collishaw says. "After 10 washings, you could lose 50% of the depth." In response, DyStar reformulated azo dyes to maintain their performance when used with the new detergents, he says. The company also entered into secrecy agreements with the major detergent manufacturers to preview new detergent chemistry and do the necessary dye reformulation proactively Dyestuff companies agree that there is little blue-sky invention going on in dyes— technologies currently on the market are adequate to keep up with the pace of change in the fashion industry "It is continuous improvement as opposed to step change," Collishaw says, "because the probability of success is so small." •
DOVEBID® WEBCAST AUCTION Surplus to the ongoing needs or
www.asdi.iiet
BioSciences
Modem Pharma Intermediate & Fine Chemical Plant
Relax. Let us do the work. • • • • • • • •
HTS Screening Collection Dry & Liquid Sample Handling Reformatting Services Vial Taring & Barcoding Analytical Services Purchasing Agent 3rd Party Validation Repository Services
ASDI B i o s c i e n c e s Inc. 601 Interchange Blvd. Newark, DE 19711 USA T: +1-302-266-6891
GREAT LAKES CHEMICAL CORPORATION
ASDI B i o S c i e n c e s Ltd. PO Box 1300 Huddersfield HDi 4WT UK T: +44 148 4317214
Request more at AdlnfoNow.org HTTP://WWW.CEN-ONLINE.ORG
GLASS LINED REACTOR SYSTEMS (30) incl: Pfaudler & De Dietrich, 16000 to 1200 litre • STAINLESS & CARBON STEEL LINED REACTORS incl: Dinkels 12000, 10000 & 6000 litre (3); Nowak 5500 litre; Carbon Steel 3000 litre & SMS 750 litre • CENTRIFUGES incl: Krauss Maffei IZI301 1250mm (2); Krauss Maffei PZO 1200 - 1200mm dia (8); Krauss Maffei 800mm; Heinkel HF600 Hastelloy 600mm (3) • SCRUBBERS incl: WS Handte STWK4, STWV4 & STWV Wet Scrub with Dust Control (4); Gruber Gas Wash Column (2); 10000 & 5000 CBM/Hr 3 & 4 Stage Gas Steam • NAUTA & DOUBLE CONE MIXERS incl: Englesmann KSM 3000 4200 litre; Gericke DBP/VGL3000 3000 litre Twin Flow; Werner & Pfeiderer Double Fluid Screw; Eberhard Hoesch DKM1600 Double Cone & JE Nauta • PULVERISERS & SEPARATORS incl: Gericke NBS 2000200, Alpine 180z & Condux HM45/E-M3 Stainless Pulverisers; Englesmann Palafix 20 Cylindrical & AllgaierWerke 1200mm Screen Separators • PACKED COLUMN incl: Kleiser & Loesche; Pfaudler Glass Lined; Han Meir & NAOH Washer Columns • EVAPORATORS incl: Standard Messo 8300 litre & Breidenbach 4800 litre Evaporator & Crystalliser; Hex, Kanzler & AMBS Falling Film Evaporator Tubes (4) • FLAKER & VACUUM DRYERS incl: North American Process Systems N-89-639 1200mm x 2000mm Belt Flaker; Pfaudler MT4000 4m3 (2); Gericke DBP/VGL3000; Klein Vakuumtechnik DKM2500 2m3 Vacuum Dryers (2) • STAINLESS STEEL & GRAPHITE HEAT EXCHANGERS (36) incl: Vicarb, GAB Neumann, BBC York, Deller, Schnmidt Sigma, Kleiser & Loesch, GEA Ecofiex, Gruber, K Ley, Zeppermann, FAM, Wilhelm, Hy, Carbone, Sigri & Preiss • CARBON. STAINLESS & FIBREGLASS TANKS (75) incl: Both Process Tanks & Storage Tanks, 100 - 120000 litre • Large Selection of New & Used QVF Glass Exchangers, Columns, Pipes & Fittings; Condensate Fluid System; Acid Distillation System; Liquid Circulation System; Solvent Recovery Systems; Liquid Filling Sytems; Washing Systems; Fire Extinguisher System; Drum Filling System; Centrifugal Pumps, Vacuum Pumps & Plant Spares; Chillers & Compressors; Truck & Rail Load & Unload Facilities, Stocks of Spare Electric Motors; Office Furniture & Equipment Auction: 10 November, 2004 at 10.00am BST • Preview: 8 & 9 November from 9.00am 4.00pm BST • Preview Location: Reichenaustrasse 13-19, D-78467 Konstanz, Germany • For More Information: Please contact our Leeds, UK Office, Chris Matthews, Tel: +44 (0)870 190 0121, Email:
[email protected] or visit our website: www.dovebid.com
www.dovebid.com
DOVEBID
Waterside Grange Park Wetherby, Leeds, LS22 5NB, UK Tel: +44(0)870 190 0121 Fax: +44(0)870 190 0122 Email:
[email protected] Business Auctions & Valuations Worldwide Request more at AdlnfoNow.org C& EN / OCTOBER
1 1 , 2004
27
COVER STORY HIGH-VOLUME BASF paper chemical production, shown in Ludwigshafen, Germany, is backed by technical centers around the world. ferences in pulp, geographic differences, and differences in what trees the pulp comes from." Moreover, every paper machine runs slightly differently But those differences, suppliers say, give the opportunity to provide comprehensive solutions and systems for individual mills. Kemira last month inaugurated its new technology center and production facilities in Krems, Austria. Krems, the company says, is one of its "strongholds in continental Europe in the field of chemicals and solutions for the paper industry" Among the company's most recent investments at the site is a new plant, based on Kemira technology for polyaluminum chloride, used for effluent water treatment in papermaking. Similarly, Lanxess' papermaking pilot plant in Leverkusen, Germany, is used to optimize production processes and to develop new process technologies. Lanxess has research facilities and technical laboThe paper chemicals market is fairly ratories scattered around the world. evenly split among Europe, North America, and "rest of the world." But Finland, acFor chemical suppliers, the job is somecording to Bocken, "is the technical drivtimes to provide additives that help paperer of the industry "That's why Ciba was so makers maintain paper properties while uspleased, he says, to have acquired Raisio ing less pulp. Other times, the use of more Chemical earlier this year. "We were far fillers and chemicals—in extreme cases, as more global—they were very Finnish. But much as 50% by weight—helps customers they are very strong in high-growth grades achieve better properties. ofpaper and in the highest growth regions. Papermakers need this kind of help, acFor example, Raisio had just started up a cording to Nick Dunlop-Jones, a marketer plant in China near Shanghai." in Clariant's global paper business unit, because they are competing The Raisio acquisition was to maintain their piece of the followed in short order by Ciba's market against the incursion of purchase of the Quebec paper polymer films and metallic foils. chemicals business LPM, which They need, for example, barrierfocuses on processing chemicals. type coatings that impart grease And just last month, Finland's and oil resistance to food packKemira acquired another Queaging. For this application, Claribec-based paper chemicals comant has recently developed a new pany, Equip International. The fluoropolymer for high-performdeal, which Kemira says will add PROCESS ance packaging papers such as about $ 10 million per year in sales, CHEMICALS those used in pet-food bags. brings with it "new niche techSpecial sizings and coatings might ennologies in process chemicals." hance the ability of paper to be printed Chemical suppliers are consolidating to with water-based inks for high-resolution, match a customer base that is consolidatbrilliantly colored images on digital printing—with a difference. "The papermaking papers, for example. "These inks are ing industry is worldwide but not global," water-based," Dunlop-Jones says, "so you Bocken says. must engineer the surface of the paper to He contrasts it with the petrochemicals obtain a strong permanent image." The industry "Companies like Dow and Exxon phaseout of solvent-based inks, in fact, is are global. Styrene has the same specificaan important factor driving the papertions whether in Houston or Dubai or Sinmaking industry's shift to a more chemicalgapore. When you are dealing with trees, intensive product.-PATRICIA SHORT though, there are summer-to-winter dif-
NO PAPER TIGERS
Suppliers to papermaking industry bundle offerings together into systems
P
APERMAKERS HAVE COME A LONG
way from the techniques developed by the Egyptians and the Chinese millennia ago. Although there are still artisanal studios that produce small quantities of specialty grades, papermaking is today a big business—and one that increasingly depends on chemicals to enhance the performance of pulp and other fibers. Unlike textiles, for example, "papermaking is not a people-intensive industry. It's capital intensive," points out Stephan Bocken, global head of Ciba Specialty Chemicals' paper business. It is not unusual, he notes, for a modern papermaking machine to cost a cool $1 billion. Hence, the reliance on chemicals to keep equipment running efficiently with no tearing or loss of paper quality Two basic segments of chemicals are used in papermaking: process chemicals, used in turning vast quantities of pulp or other fiber into paper, and functional chemicals, which build a variety of performance properties into that paper. The processing segment includes deinking compounds, biocides, deposit-control agents, felt conditioners and cleaners, defoamers, and effluent treatments. Functional chemicals include dyes and fluorescent whiteners, coatings, resins that impart wet and dry strength, sizing agents, specialties such as fluoropolymers to impart grease and oil resistance, and colorforming agents. 28
C&EN
/
OCTOBER
11,
2004
HTTP: //WWW.
CEN-0NLINE.ORG
Performance Chemicals: Adding value for the detergent and formulating industries
BASF know-how can help you develop high-performance products ,**jr>*jr^ ^ v * J
$™k
mm^m&i^ fifes'? a i W 1 ^ ^ B l
JWr *\* '
^/^Y
*^|5!^"
Anionic surfactants
Lutensit®A
Biocides
Protector, Myacide®
Dispersants
Sokalan®
Emuisifiers
Emulgator®
Electroplating and electronic chemicals
Golpanol®, Lugalvan®, Basotronic™
Chelating agents
Trilon®
Corrosion inhibitors
Korantin™
Nonionic surfactants
Lutensol®, Iconol™
Polyalkylene glycols
Pluriol® A, Pluriol® E, Pluriol® P, Pluracol®
Polyethylenimines
Lupasol®
Polyethylene waxes, montan waxes, wax emulsions
Luwax®, Poligen®
Low-foaming surfactants
Plurafac® LF, Pluronic® PE, Pluronic® RPE
Foam supressors
DegressaP
All registered trademarks are the property of BASF AG with the exception of Pluronic, Plurafac and Pluracol, which are owned by BASF Corporation.
Call: 1-800-443-6460 E-mail:
[email protected] www.performance.basf-corp.com
HELPING MAKE PRODUCTS BETTER™
BASF Request more at AdlnfoNow.org
COVER STORY CUTTING EDGE Bayer technicians in Wuxi, China, test the quality of treated leather samples.
AN ECO-FRIENDLY' FEEL FOR LEATHER Suppliers aim to give more environmentally benign products and processes to leather industry P A T R I C I A L. S H O R T , C & E N
L
LONDON
ATER T H I S MONTH, SUPPLIERS
and customers in the world's leather-tarining industry will make their way to Bologna, Italy for the latest Tanning Tech exhibition. On the stands: the latest innovations for producing high-quality leathers. Every exhibition features new products for applications throughout the processing chain that converts raw hides from a variety of sources—cattle, sheep, pigs, deer, reptiles, and birds—into supple, luxurious yet hardworking leather. This year is no exception, but there is an added urgency over environmentally aware products and processes. Pending or threatened legislation faces the plethora of processors who make up the industry And given the industry structure, it is the chemical suppliers who will be relied on to provide "eco-friendly" answers. Some 42% of the world's leather is made in Asia. European production accounts for 24%; the Americas, 20%; and the rest of the world, 14%, says Tilman Taeger, head of basic innovation and technology management for leather in BASF's performance chemicals unit. Only eight tanneries worldwide each produce more than 500,000 sq meters of leather annually, al30
C&EN
/
OCTOBER
11,
2004
though they satisfy roughly 44% of world demand. The rest ofworld consumption is satisfied by 74 tanneries —14 of medium size and 60 that produce less than 200,000 sq meters a year. Those smaller tanneries, Taeger notes, "employ mainly undereducated workers. They expect that development takes place in the premises of the chemical suppliers. For this market, process development beats chemical research." But even the big tanners need heavy technical service, suppliers say According to a recent presentation by leather chemicals producer TFL, global consumption of leather chemicals is about 1.8 million metric tons per year, worth nearly $4.5 billion. Making up that worldwide demand, the company adds, are some 6,000 different preparations, mixtures, and specialty products. The industry is dominated by the "big five"—BASF, Bayer, Clariant, Stahl, and TFL—which together command about 4 0 % of the market. The remainder is held by nearly 200 other, often local, suppliers whose sales run anywhere from $10 million to $ 100 million per year. Currently, more than half of the most important global leather research centers
are located in Europe. But that concentration is beginning to change as companies look to China, in particular. According to one estimate, Asian tanneries made up a full 50% ofworld demand for leather processing chemicals in 2002, and that share is expected to continue to rise. The reason is easy to see, BASF's Taeger says: The ancient art of leathermaking has remained a handicraft around the world, despite a modern scientific basis. "The processes are largely manual work, and there is little automation," Taeger says. "Low wages in developing countries have recently led to the relocation of more and more tannery capacity to China, India, and South America. Only highly innovative and specialized tanneries survive in Europe and the U.S." For Bayer's leather chemicals operations —now being transferred to the spinoff company Lanxess—China is already an important market. According to Lanxess Chairman Axel C. Heitmann, the leather business unit has the highest sales of all Lanxess units in China, channeled through the joint venture Lanxess Wuxi Leather Chemicals Co. THE VENTURE has been producing 10,000 metric tons per year of leather chemicals in Wuxi, northwest of Shanghai, since 1998. The site also houses Lanxess' biggest R & D laboratory for leather products, serving China and the rest of the Asia-Pacific region. TFL, which was created in 1996 by the merger of the leather chemicals businesses of Rohm/Stockhausen and Ciba-Geigy recently opened a plant in China. That investment was one of the pluses cited last November when the company was sold by private-equity firm Permira to the German private-equity company Odewald & Compagnie. Permira had acquired the business in 2001 through a management buyout. Similarly, the other independent company, Netherlands-based Stahl, has been working to boost its business in the leatherproducing areas outside Europe and the U.S. In July, Stahl acquired the Barcelonabased company Pielcolor, which is particularly strong in the fast-growth areas of Latin America and Asia. Stahl became an independent company in 2002, following a $450 million investment fund buyout of Avecia's leather chemicals operations. Clariant's leather chemicals business has been built up through a combination of H T T P : / / W W W , C E N - O N L I N E . ORG
acquisitions and internal growth. The com pany itself pulled together the chemical operations of Sandoz and Hoechst in 1997 And in 2 0 0 0 , Clariant bought Britainbased BTP, which gave it a complete range of products to offer the industry, says Adri an Meier, head of Clariant's leather chem icals business unit. He observes that "the barriers to entry in the leather chemicals industry are very low Success depends more on personal re lationships. The whole industry is very service oriented, so if a supplier can give good service, even if only by reselling, the supplier can be successful." And although that competition may be annoying to the original chemical producers, he adds, "the service provider is our customer, too." AS MEIER SEES IT, the most important issue facing the industry is ecological con cerns. A tannery must have processes us ing less water, leaving fewer toxic materials in the finished leather, and so on, he says. BASF's Taeger concurs, pointing out that the problem in tanning is deep-seat ed. Of all the chemicals used in the hidesto-leather process, he says, "not a single
one is free of environmental problems." Some examples: A ban on ethoxylated nonylphenol surfactants comes into force in the European Union in January, and some aromatic amino dyes that have been used in the past may be carcinogenic, as may be chromium(VI), a processing by product of the chromium(III) used in tan ning. Moreover, regulators are pressing for better ways of treating tannery wastes. Many of the materials have been used in tanning for more than 100 years, but legislators have given deadlines for the phaseout of some of the worst. And, as Taeger notes, the industry is be ing affected not just in regions where one might expect strin gent regulations, such as West ern Europe and the U.S. Some local requirements, he says, "have recently globalized them selves, being adopted by the au tomotive industry or by inter national companies like Nike or Adidas." Such companies cannot work with dif ferent standards in different countries, he points out, so they set the tightest stan
ι Λ Μ
-1-7 o n
dards as their own individual standards. The other main issue facing the indus try Meier says, is a simple one: Leather is a "by-product" industry dependent on con sumption of meat. The big beef-produc ing countries —Brazil, Argentina, Aus tralia—are the largest producers of cow hides, and New Zealand is the bellwether for sheep. The growth, he adds, is prima rily in Asia and in the Mercosur common market countries of Uruguay Paraguay Ar gentina, and Brazil. There is a defined production of rawhides—"the cows are still the same." However, demand for higher quality leather is in creasing, Taeger says. "So our challenge is upgrading products, to upgrade to A-grade leather from B-grade." That demand, he adds, re flects the increasing demand for leather for furniture, garments, and car upholstery all of which must be delivered with no defects. And that's where increasingly sophisticated— and eco-friendly—chemicals and formu lations come to the rescue. •
ηίΛΛΓ
Show you're a winner. Get a fast break on the latest custom, batch, fine and specialty chemicals at INFORMEX.® With exhibits from more than 450 suppliers, INFORMEX® 2005 is the world's leading industry marketplace. It's your chance to get a head start on your year. And show you're a winner. The World's Leading Marketplace For Custom Chemical Manufacturing
mpomex wo® Venetian Hotel | U s Vegas, Nevada | January 17-20, 2005
Request more at AdlnfoNow.org HTTP://WWWXEN-ONLINE.ORG
C& EN
/
OCTO BER
1 1, 2 00Λ
31
