MOSCOW (MRC) -- Evonik Industries, the German specialty chemicals company, has launched its Composites Project House, based primarily in Marl, with a branch in Darmstadt, to develop new materials and system solutions for the lightweight construction sector, according to the company's press release.
This is Evonik’s tenth project house. Among the topics addressed will be automotive and aviation applications and applications in the domain of renewable energies. Having established the Composites Project House, the specialty chemicals company is intensifying its strategic research for resource-efficient, sustainable solutions, particularly in the field of mobility.
"Our aim in setting up the Composites Project House is to expand our expertise in the field of composites. Innovative composites will make it possible to improve resource efficiency significantly at the same time," says Dr. Dahai Yu, Evonik’s Executive Board member responsible for the Specialty Materials segment, who believes that composite materials for the lightweight construction sector are an attractive market for Evonik.
The research findings are then commercialized by Evonik’s operating units or an internal start-up.
Evonik has been offering composites for specific applications in the lightweight construction industry for some time now: ROHACELL as a structural foam in fiber-reinforced composite parts, VESTAMIN as a hardener component for thermoset matrix systems, and VESTAKEEP as a matrix for thermoplastic composites, to name just a few examples.
As MRC informed previously, last summer Evonik Industries developed and launched on the market a novel combination of bio-based high-performance polyamides and bio-based high-performance fibers. Reinforcing fibers are often mixed into a plastic to improve its mechanical properties. Polyamide grades of VESTAMID Terra with rayon fibers retain the high bio-content along with excellent reinforcing potential. The combination of viscose fibers and polymer matrix offers a significantly improved carbon balance.
In 2012, Evonik invested EUR393 million in research and development to be able to offer customers and partners innovative products, solutions, and methods.
Evonik, the industrial group from Germany, is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. Its activities focus on the key megatrends health, nutrition, resource efficiency and globalization. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world. In fiscal 2012 more than 33,000 employees generated sales of around EUR13.6 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of about EUR2.6 billion. The international rating agency Moody's has upgraded the credit rating of Evonik Industries AG from Baa3 with a positive outlook to Baa2 with a positive outlook. The rating agency quotes, among other things, the robust operational performance.
MRC