Solvay opens biotechnology laboratory in Brazil to boost innovation in sustainable chemistry from biomass

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Solvay, a privately owned multinational chemicals company, has opened in Brazil its first fully dedicated Industrial Biotechnology Laboratory (IBL) to boost the development of innovations and solutions based on sustainable chemistry, used in a growing range of end-markets, according to the company's press release.

The fully integrated laboratory in Paulinia will chiefly focus on researching new processes and molecules derived from biomass, which is mostly plant or vegetable based and abundantly available in Brazil with its favorable climate and vast surface.

"With this laboratory Solvay can further nourish its innovation portfolio, using renewable resources, with tailored solutions to meet sustainability demands from customers in multiple end-markets," said Louis Neltner, Solvay's Research & Innovation Group General Manager. "Thanks to Brazil’s wide variety of biomass, competitive agricultural businesses and biotech expertise the country has all the required conditions to develop and grow products and solutions based on renewable resources."

The laboratory’s highly qualified researchers will work jointly with the Group’s Global Business Units in Solvay’s research and innovation centers worldwide as well as with external partners including public and private institutions. Research programs in place include notably projects in flavors, fragrances, surfactants, cellulose derivatives and solvents.

As MRC informed previously, in early June 2015, Solvay opened a new research and innovation laboratory "Solvay Nicca Tokyo Innovation Laboratory". Located near the Haneda airport and occupying a total area of 250 sqm, the laboratory will be the key innovation centre for Solvay Novecare to support Japanese customers in the Agrochemical, Coatings, Home & Personal Care and Industrial markets. This laboratory is fundamental to the growth strategy of Solvay and represents an important milestone in its ambition to deliver sustainable and innovative technologies to its customers in Asia.

As an international chemical group, Solvay assists industries in finding and implementing ever more responsible and value-creating solutions. Solvay generates 90% of its net sales in activities where it is among the world's top three players. It serves many markets, varying from energy and the environment to automotive and aeronautics or electricity and electronics. The group is headquartered in Brussels, employs about 26,000 people in 52 countries and generated 10.2 billion euros in net sales in 2014.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Jacobs Engineering Group has been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contract from Celanese Corp. for the construction of a vinyl acetate ethylene (EVA) emulsions production plant at Jurong Island, Singapore, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Under the terms of the contract, Jacobs is responsible for the detailed engineering and design of the project, including procurement of major equipment and management of construction services.

Construction is expected to begin by mid-2015, and the unit is expected to begin production by second half of 2016. Company officials did not disclose the contract value.

As MRC reported earlier, in April 2015, Celanese Corporation, a global technology and specialty materials company and a global leader in EVA emulsions, raised prices of vinyl acetate-based emulsions sold in Asia. EVA emulsions increased by Yuan 400/tonne for China and USD55/tonne for the rest of Asia effective April 24, 2015, or as contracts allowed.

Celanese Corporation is a global technology leader in the production of differentiated chemistry solutions and specialty materials used in most major industries and consumer applications. Based in Dallas, Texas, Celanese employs approximately 7,500 employees worldwide and had 2014 net sales of USD6.8 billion.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Solvay has signed an agreement with its global social dialogue body - the Solvay Global Forum - on the introduction of a profit-sharing plan based on Group performance, as per the company's press release.

This will allow all employees worldwide to benefit from a profit-sharing scheme indexed to the Group's financial and sustainable development performance for 2015 and 2016.

After the successful termination of a one-year pilot scheme benefiting more than 22,000 employees in 2014, Solvay has now announced this new two-year profit-sharing plan. Based on both quantitative and qualitative criteria, it is linked to the achievement of financial (80%) and sustainable development targets (20%).

"We wanted to introduce a simple value-sharing scheme benefiting everyone. This innovative approach allows us to raise the awareness of Solvay employees throughout the world, whether blue-collar or white-collar employees, to the Group's economic and societal performance and to strengthen their sense of belonging to the Group", explained Cecile Tandeau de Marsac, Group General Manager Human Resources at Solvay. "This agreement illustrates our commitment to remunerate our employees in a fair manner, in line with Solvay Way, our sustainable development policy".

An annual budget of EUR10 million has been allocated to the plan for 2015. This will be distributed in line with each country's total payroll, with each employee in a particular country receiving the same amount. Plan beneficiaries are all Group employees in all 51 countries, with the exception of senior executives and French employees who already benefit from an equivalent plan.

As MRC informed previously, in early 2015, Solvay completed the acquisition of the Ryton PPS (polyphenylene sulphide) business from US-based Chevron Phillips Chemical Company for USD220 million, enlarging its high-performance polymers offering and entering a solid growth market. Solvay’s Global Business Unit (GBU) Specialty Polymers bought two Ryton PPS resin manufacturing units in Borger, Texas, a pilot plant and R&D laboratories in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, as well as a compounding plant in Kallo-Beveren, Belgium with a total of about 200 employees joining the Group.

Solvay S.A. is a Belgian chemical company founded in 1863, with its head office in Neder-Over-Heembeek, Brussels, Belgium. The company has diversified into two major sectors of activity: chemicals and plastics. Solvay supplies over 1500 products across 35 brands of high-performance polymers пїЅ fluoropolymers, fluoroelastomers, fluorinated fluids, semi-aromatic polyamides, sulfone polymers, aromatic ultra polymers, high-barrier polymers and cross-linked high-performance compounds. The group is headquartered in Brussels, employs about 26,000 people in 52 countries and generated EUR10.2 billion in net sales in 2014.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Trinseo Automotive launches the ENLITE line of structural polymers targeted at semi-structural applications, which underlines its commitment to innovative solutions in lightweight technologies for external and internal automotive parts, as per the company's press release.

"Trinseo’s team at its Application Engineering and Design Centre collaborates closely with our customers from the design stage onwards on current and future challenges in the automotive industry by offering a complete range of resins for lightweight technologies," said Anis Tebib, Marketing Manager for Trinseo Automotive. "Our fully integrated team ensures a regular cycle of innovation, bringing a multi-dimensional, dynamic approach to ensure part optimization. ENLITE Structural Polymers are the result of a clear focus in research and development on structural polymers for semi-structural applications in cars."

Specifically, Trinseo Automotive will focus on two lines for semi-structural applications, ENLITE Long Glass Fiber Polypropylene (LGF-PP) and ENLITE Glass Fiber (GF) Alloys. These are the first of many glass fiber products from Trinseo, providing automotive manufacturers with a broad range of solutions for the challenges they face.

ENLITE Structural Polymers use technologies that can replace existing materials such as steel and aluminum with lighter, globally available, cost-efficient solutions. Trinseo Automotive is exploring further solutions to offer automotive manufacturers a broad range of ENLITE products and global semi-structural solutions in the near future and for years to come.

Typical target applications of ENLITETM Structural Polymers are lift-gates and front-end modules. ENLITETM LGF-PP is used for both lightweight solutions in the new Renault Espace 2015. This innovation is part of a long-term collaboration between Renault and Trinseo Automotive, which began with a real serial life solution in the Renault Clio.

Formerly known as Styron, Trinseo has completed the name change process for most legal entities around the world. Some Styron companies are still completing this process and will continue to do business as Styron until their respective name changes are complete.

Trinseo is a global materials company and manufacturer of plastics, latex and rubber. Trinseo’s technology is used by customers in industries such as home appliances, automotive, building & construction, carpet, consumer electronics, consumer goods, electrical & lighting, medical, packaging, paper & paperboard, rubber goods and tires. Formerly known as Styron, Trinseo completed its renaming process in 1Q 2015. Trinseo had approximately USD5.1 billion in revenue in 2014, with 19 manufacturing sites around the world, and approximately 2,100 employees.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Solvay has launched Tegralite, a family of high performance lightweighting materials which offer the aeronautics industry new downstream solutions and part making capabilities that improve fuel efficiency and speed up the production, refurbishment and maintenance of planes at a lower cost, as per the company's press release.

Solvay's Tegralite integrates the world's broadest range of high performance polymer products from Solvay's Specialty Polymers Global Business Unit and the complementary skills of its specialized partners, 3A Composites, Aonix and JSP, through a global network that is open for expansion.

"Tegralite's package of integrated solutions intends to address the order back log in commercial aviation, which has been growing by 70% in the past four years," said Augusto Di Donfrancesco, President of Solvay’s Specialty Polymers GBU. "This new avenue of growth addresses the rising need to substitute metal or heavier plastic parts with multi-functional thermoplastic materials able to resist shock, impact, high temperature, fire, chemicals and noise."

The industry’s entire value chain of part-, system- and aircraft-makers as well as airlines, stands to benefit from Tegralite’s materials which will help simplify today’s complex supply chain, enable more part commonality and ultimately roll out planes faster as more people travel. It meets the industry's drive to lower costs and increase efficiency by replacing hand made labor or facilitating on board repairs.

Solvay’s alliance with 3A Composites makes available for the first time and in large quantities a new generation of aerospace foams. Its partnership with JSP opens up fast and easy access to 3D foam parts, a technology already widely used in the automotive sector. With Aonix, Solvay propels the development of innovative high- and ultra-performing prepreg systems as well as new sandwich materials and structures. Solvay complements the offering with its tailored multi-layer functional and decorative surfaces.

As MRC informed before, in April 2015, Solvay Specialty Polymers USA LLC launched an expansion project at its Augusta manufacturing site to install the first world-scale polyether-etherketone (PEEK) resin production unit in the United States and meet growing demand for Solvay’s KetaSpire and AvaSpire ultra-polymers.

Solvay S.A. is a Belgian chemical company founded in 1863, with its head office in Neder-Over-Heembeek, Brussels, Belgium. The company has diversified into two major sectors of activity: chemicals and plastics. Solvay supplies over 1500 products across 35 brands of high-performance polymers: fluoropolymers, fluoroelastomers, fluorinated fluids, semi-aromatic polyamides, sulfone polymers, aromatic ultra polymers, high-barrier polymers and cross-linked high-performance compounds.
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