LONDON, October 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
ICIS, a leading global provider of news and information for the
chemical and energy sectors, today announces the winners in the
ICIS Innovation Awards 2012.
These annual awards are supported by Dow Corning as lead
sponsor, with category sponsorship by management consultancy Roland
Berger Strategy Consultants (Best Product Innovation), chemical
distributor U.S. Chemicals (Innovation with Best Environmental
Benefit), polymer major Bayer MaterialScience (Best Innovation for
Sustainability) and Shell Chemicals (Best Business Innovation).
Overall winner for 2012
The panel of six leading industry experts (see below) awarded
Clariant of Switzerland the
prize for Best Overall Innovation for its development of novel dyes
and processes that reduce substantially the amount of water used in
producing denim. Clariant's Advanced Denim innovation also won the
category for Innovation with Best Environmental Benefit.
The winners of the category awards
are:
Best Product Innovation
Dow Chemical (US)
INFUSE olefin block copolymers
Best Innovation by an SME
Novomer (US)
Innovative catalyst platform for producing acrylic acid, BDO
and polypropiolactone
Innovation with Best Environmental Benefit
Clariant (Switzerland)
Advanced Denim
Best Innovation for Sustainability
Rhodia, part of the Solvay Group
The new rare
earths "urban
mine"
Best Business Innovation
Not awarded this year
NOTE: In the Best Business Innovation category, the judges
agreed after careful consideration that none of the limited number
of entries met the criteria of this category as set out by ICIS.
Even though the product and process innovations involved were of
high quality, they did not represent examples of true business
innovation.
Awards confirm growing move to bio-based technologies
John Baker, global editor at
ICIS, who manages the ICIS Innovation Awards, commented: "The
Awards continue to highlight the best the chemical industry has to
offer in the way of innovation and providing solutions to society's
needs.
"This year continued to see the significant emphasis on
bio-based technologies that has been growing over the past 3-5
years as companies seek to replace oil and gas feedstocks in the
chemical industry, cut carbon emissions and reduce their and their
customers' environmental footprints.
"Indeed, most entries focused around helping the environment and
maintaining the sustainability of the industry, while at the same
time helping customers and driving bottom line growth for
companies."
ICIS congratulates all the winners and indeed all those
companies that reached the shortlist. The Awards will be presented
at a lunch in London on 7
December.
The judges this year were:
- Dr Gregg Zank, senior
vice president and chief technology officer, Dow Corning
- Dr Neil Checker, partner,
Roland Berger Strategy Consultants
- Hans-Wilhelm Engels,
senior vice president, Innovation & Specialties or
Coatings, Adhesives & Specialties, Bayer
MaterialScience
- Alexander Farina, general
manager for chemicals strategy, Shell Chemicals
- Dr Steven Fletcher,
director of delivery programmes, Chemistry Innovation
- Professor James Clark,
director, Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence, University
of York
DETAILS OF THE WINNING ENTRIES:
Overall winner/ Innovation with Best
Environmental Benefit
Clariant
Manel Domingo, Manel Jimenez and Nuria
Estape
Advanced Denim
Production of denim, which accounts for 14% of global cotton usage,
usually requires large quantities of water - an increasingly scarce
commodity. Swiss specialty chemical producer Clariant has developed
technology that simplifies the finishing and dyeing of the fabric,
reducing water consumption by as much as 92%. In addition, cotton
waste is reduced by two-thirds and energy savings by 30%. The two
processes, called Denim-Ox and Pad/Sizing Ox, use innovative
Diresul RDT sulphur dyes that reduce the number of vat stages
needed. Clariant has calculated that if the technology were used
for just a quarter of world denim production, water saving would
amount to 62m m3/year.
Best Product Innovation
Dow Chemical
Dr Ted Carnahan, Dr
Phil
Hustad, Karen
Fennessy-Ketola, Dr Angela
Taha, Dr Colin LiPi
Shan, Dr Pradeep Jain, Lisa Madenjian, Susan Gill and
Jennifer Carnahan
INFUSE olefin block
copolymers - establishing new boundaries of
polymer science
Dow Chemical's INFUSE olefin block copolymers (OBCs) have enabled
new combinations of property performance in olefinic elastomers
thanks to their innovative block architecture. Dow has developed
these breakthrough materials using a proprietary catalytic system
that allows for more precise control of the polymer microstructure.
A chain-shuttling agent transfers growing polymer chains between
two distinct catalysts with different monomer selectivities in a
single polymerization reactor. Soft blocks of flexible polymer are
blended with hard blocks of high melting-point polymer in a
continuous process. The result is material with improved
high-temperature performance, faster setup in processing and better
abrasion resistance.
Best Innovation by an SME
Novomer
Jim Mahoney
Innovative catalyst platform for producing acrylic acid, BDO and
polypropiolactone
US-based Novomer is commercializing a homogeneous catalyst system
capable of combining carbon monoxide with ethylene oxide (EO) to
produce the versatile intermediate propiolactone. This can be used
to produce chemicals such as acrylic acid (AA), acrylate esters,
butanediol (BDO), tetrahydrofuran, succinic acid and
polypropiolactone (PPL) - a new polymer type with good material
properties and biodegradability. The innovative technology promises
reduced cost and lower carbon and energy footprints. Novomer says
its vision is for low molecular weight (MW) PPL to be shipped
globally and converted to AA or acrylate esters, and for high MW
PPL to be used as a packaging thermoplastic and for upgrading into
glacial AA on recycling.
Best Innovation for Sustainability
Rhodia, part of the Solvay Group
Nicolas Barthel, Jean-Jacques Braconnier, Alain Rollat and
Frederic Carencotte
The new rare earths urban mine
With growing usage in hi-tech products and tight supply, a
sustainable supply of rare earth elements is a growing concern.
Solvay has been looking at innovative ways of recycling rare earth
metals from various sources. Its Coleop'Terre project focuses on
the recovery of phosphor powders from energy-saving light bulbs.
The powder, containing 10-20% rare earths, is processed to recover
a range of compounds using liquid-liquid separation technologies.
These can then be re-used to prepare new phosphor precursors, thus
closing the loop. Solvay expects to treat several thousand
tonnes/year initially at its Rhodia plants in Saint Fons
(concentration) and La Rochelle (separation and precursor
production).
NOTES TO EDITORS
- The awards are organised by ICIS, the chemical publishing arm
of Reed Business Information, part of global publishing group
Reed Elsevier.
- ICIS is based in the UK, with offices in Sutton, Surrey. It also has offices in Singapore, Shanghai,
China, and New York and
Houston in the US.
- This is the ninth year of the awards. The originator and
organiser of the awards is John
Baker, the head of custom publishing at ICIS and a former
editor of ICIS Chemical Business (formerly known
as European Chemical News).
Contact: john.baker@icis.com; Tel: +44-20-8652-3153.
- The awards have been sponsored for all nine years by Dow
Corning, which has a strong focus on innovation and R&D as part
of its growth strategy.
About ICIS
ICIS, the trusted information provider for the chemical and
energy industries, is part of Reed Business Information (RBI), a
division of Reed Business and a member of Reed Elsevier plc, the world's leading publisher
and information provider.
For more information on ICIS visit http://www.icis.com
RBI publishes over 100 market leading publications, directories
and online services, and organises many industry conferences and
awards.
For a full listing visit http://www.reedbusiness.co.uk.
For further information please contact:
John Baker
ICIS
Tel: +44-20-8652-3153
e-mail: john.baker@icis.com
Web site: http://www.icis.com
About Dow Corning
Dow Corning provides performance-enhancing solutions to serve
the diverse needs of more than 25,000 customers worldwide. A global
leader in silicones, silicon-based technology and innovation, Dow
Corning offers more than 7,000 products and services via the
company's Dow Corning® and XIAMETER® (http://www.xiameter.com)
brands.
More than half of Dow Corning's annual sales are outside the US.
Dow Corning is also the majority shareholder in the Hemlock
Semiconductor Group (http://www.hscpoly.com) joint venture, a
leading provider of polycrystalline silicon and other silicon-based
products used in the manufacturing of semiconductor devices and
solar cells and modules.
For further information please contact
Jarrod Erpelding
Dow Corning
Tel: +1-989-496-1582
e-mail: jarrod.erpelding@dowcorning.com
Web site: http://www.dowcorning.com
About U.S. Chemicals
U.S. Chemicals, LLC, is a 50-year-old worldwide specialty
chemical distributor serving the textiles, paint, flame retardants,
plastic, cosmetic, personal care, food and pharmaceutical
industries. A woman-owned business based in Darien, Connecticut, US, U.S. Chemicals
actively supports environmentally responsible manufacturers and
distributors of chemical products and services.
For further information, please contact
Carol Piccaro
U.S. Chemicals LLC
Tel: +1-203-655-8878
e-mail: cpiccaro@uschemicals.com
Web site: http://www.uschemicals.com
About Roland Berger Strategy Consultants
Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, founded in Munich in 1967 is one of the world's
leading strategy consultancies. It is our European background that
makes the difference. We have a deep understanding of diverse
cultures and markets. We combine European roots with pragmatism and
entrepreneurial spirit. Our results turn visions into reality. This
is how we create real value for our clients.
The chemicals team at Roland Berger provides a
comprehensive range of consulting services covering topics from
strategy (eg value chain positioning, M&A) to operational
excellence (eg pricing, supply chain management, organisation).
Roland Berger's exceptional
experience with sectors that are clients or suppliers to the
chemical industry helps us deliver tangible and sustainable results
for chemical companies. This expertise is rounded off by extensive
experience in non-core but equally important topics such as
corporate social responsibility (CSR).
For further information please contact:
Dr Neil Checker
Roland Berger Strategy Consultants
Tel: +49-211-4389-2237
e-mail: neil.checker@rolandberger.com
Web site: http://www.rolandberger.com
About Bayer MaterialScience
With 2011 sales of €10.8bn, Bayer MaterialScience is among the
world's largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused
on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the
development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas
of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive,
electrical and electronics, construction and the sports and leisure
industries. At the end of 2011, Bayer MaterialScience had 30
production sites and employed approximately 14,800 people around
the globe. Bayer MaterialScience is a Bayer Group company.
For further information, please contact
Rachel Owen
Strategic Communications
Bayer MaterialScience EMEA
Tel: +44-1635-563410
e-mail: rachel.owen@bayer.com
Web site: http://www.bayermaterialscience.com
About Shell Chemicals
Shell Chemicals has been a leading player in the manufacture and
sale of bulk petrochemicals to large industrial customers for more
than 80 years. In 2011, it sold more than 18m tonnes of
product and achieved record earnings of over $2bn. As one of the top global
petrochemicals producers, Shell Chemicals has world-class
manufacturing plants in major markets around the world and a strong
product portfolio - they are underpinned by its strong technical
heritage and market-leading proprietary technologies, innovation
and excellent customer relationships. The company draws
particular strength from being part of an integrated energy
company, through which it leverages infrastructure efficiencies,
upstream feedstock flexibility, and manufacturing and processing
expertise.
For further information, please contact
Yam-Chew Oh
Global External Communications Adviser - Chemicals
Shell International Petroleum Company Limited
Tel: +44-20-7934-2253
e-mail: yam-chew.oh@shell.com
Web site: http://www.shell.com/chemicals
CONTACTS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
The winning companies can be contacted
as follows:
Clariant
Muriel Werle
Communications Business Partner, Textile Chemicals
Clariant
Tel: +65-6643-1741
e-mail: Muriel.werle@clariant.com
Dow Chemical
Kelley Cone
Dow Chemical
Tel: +1-989-638-2663
e-mail: kscone@dow.com
Novomer
Mike Slowik
Novomer
Tel: +1-781-419-9860
e-mail: mas@novomer.com
Solvay
Nicolas Barthel
Rhodia
Tel: +33-546-68-33-22
e-mail: Nicolas.barthel@eu.rhodia.com