ICIS Innovation Award winners offer real potential to chemical sector

This year's winners

15 October 2007 00:00  [Source: ICB]

The winners of the ICIS Chemical Business 2007 Innovation Awards have developed products that offer real potential to the chemical industry - and the world

John Baker/London

AT LAST, we can reveal the winners of the ICIS Innovation Awards 2007, sponsored for the fourth year running by Dow Corning.

The awards have again proved that innovation is alive and well in the chemical industry, and that it comes in many forms. And, as always, they emphasize that there is plenty of scope for successful innovation, in the form of new or enhanced products or processes, or new service offerings to customers.

This year's winners encompass: a new route to polycarbonate (PC) an important and versatile engineering thermoplastic that avoids the use of phosgene a novel treatment for leather that keeps the wearer cool in the sun an integrated process for converting crude palm oil into nutritional specialties, as well as biodiesel and a tool for specifying hydraulic fluids that reduce energy use, and thus carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in power systems.

Asahi Kasei Chemicals' development was unanimously hailed as the best process innovation. It is a classic example of re-­engineering an entire process to make it safer and less environmentally damaging. This new process, with new starting materials "delivered value for the company as well as society and was a clear winner," commented judge Michael Droescher.

In the case of TFL Ledertechnik's Cool System for leather, there was, as Droescher commented, a "wow!" factor - demonstrating that even in a mature sector such as leather processing, there can be startling, unexpected innovation. Judge Dirk Carrez added that TFL had demonstrated an in-depth knowledge of the properties of a natural material to come up with innovative dyes and coatings that worked with the properties of the leather to deliver the desired effect. And, added Carrez, the innovation is very close to the consumer and offers a nice example with which to explain the benefits of chemicals to the public.

The SME category was won by Malaysian company Carotech, with its integrated process to take virgin crude palm oil and extract specialty chemicals such as tocotrienol, mixed carotenes and phytosterols, before using the bulk of the raw material to manufacture biodiesel and glycerin. The extracts are used in dietary supplements and functional foods and drinks.

The development, commented Mark Humphries, took a natural product and delivered a range of value-added products, some going into quite advanced health care applications. The innovation was also hailed as a good example of the move to develop biorefineries, which are high on the agenda in Europe and the US.

The winner in the best environmental innovation category - RohMax Oil Additives' mathematical model - was hailed as a good example of what can be done by taking a systematic approach to a problem and then developing a customer proposition. The model allows RohMax to calculate the efficiencies that can be achieved in hydraulic power systems by specifying the correct additives to give high viscosity and stability to mechanical sheer. The customer benefits from energy savings, despite the higher cost of the hydraulic fluids.

As Humphries pointed out, "the gains and efficiencies can be quite significant [it shows] innovation can be driven by different approaches and on a broad level." The judges also thought the approach could have much wider usage, in areas such as automotive power systems, for example, helping increase fuel efficiencies and reduce CO₂ emissions.

THE WINNERS THIS YEAR

Winners exhibit "green" values by cutting toxicemissions, reducing energy costs, and extracting more value from biofuel feedstocks

Best process innovation: Asahi Kasei Chemicals (Japan)

Novel, phosgene-free route to polycarbonate

Best product innovation: TFL Ledertechnik (Germany)

A solar-reflective leather to keep the wearer cool

Best environmental innovation: RohMax Oil Additives (part of Evonik, formerly Degussa) (Germany/US)

A novel approach to saving energy through hydraulic fluid design

Best innovation by an SME: Carotech (Malaysia)

Integrated process for extraction of phytonutrients and biodiesel fromcrude palm oil

 

THE JUDGES

Once again, ICIS assembled a panel of eminent judges to choose the winners

Mark Humphries is a partner in the engineering physics group and a member of PA Technology's management group

Dr Gregg Zank is vice president, chief technology officer and executive director of science and technology at awards sponsor Dow Corning

Dr Dirk Carrez is director of public policy at EuropaBio and head of its industrial biotechnology council

Prof Dr Michael Droescher is senior vice president, corporate innovation, at Evonik Industries (formerly Degussa)

Professor Paul O'Brien is professor of inorganic materials chemistry, the chemistry department and the materials science center, University of Manchester, UK

 

READY FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Dr Stephanie Burns, Chairman, president and CEO, Dow Corning

We in the chemical industry play a critical role as innovators. Our ideas and technology advance society and develop economies across regions, markets and industries. Our role is to deepen our understanding of the endless, thriving possibilities of chemistry to invent new and better products

But that is not the whole story. As global citizens our ultimate responsibility is stewardship and accountability for the performance of materials, processes and services we develop.

We are being challenged to help our customers meet the needs of their ever more environmentally conscious consumers. A recent global survey we conducted among senior managers in the chemical industry showed that demand for new environmentally friendly products is a key factor in the sustainability decisions their companies are making. This is not confined to the more mature economies. In China, managers rate "green" product development as a higher priority than use of renewable or cleaner energy sources.

This is a trend that presents a significant opportunity for those of us in the chemical industry. Eco-innovation - the marriage of ecology and innovation - isn't a new idea but it's one that more and more companies are embracing. In my own company, it's a trend we have certainly been giving some close attention to because we recognize that innovation for ecologically sound materials and solutions is fundamental to our future success.

Sustainability could well become the leading definition of "quality" for consumers of products and services. From exciting solar applications that are only beginning to show us how to capture the vast energy of the sun, to green construction, to LEDs that are changing the way we light up the world Dow Corning intends to be at the forefront.

By anticipating and addressing customers' needs and ensuring we provide a better quality of life now and for future generations, the chemical industry can spur innovation and, in turn, sustainable growth.

For further information, go to www.icis.com/awards or email: john.baker@icis.com

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