Henkel introduces new medical grade wearables device light cure adhesives

Henkel has launched a novel medical grade light cure adhesive designed for devices that are to be worn on the body, said the company.

The new product is formulated without IBOA (Isobornyl Acrylate) or any other known skin sensitizing monomers. The adhesive is also formulated to conform to EU MDR 2017 regulations concerning use of CMR (carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic for reproduction) substances in medical devices making it a robust option for new designs.

The newly developed adhesive is available in two different grades. Loctite WT 3001 and Loctite WT 3003 have both been tested according to ISO 10993 standards, ensuring a high level of safety and performance for users. The solutions have also been tested for skin sensitization, making them suitable for a wide range of medical applications including wearable devices.

With the increasing demand for medical devices and wearables, the need for safe and reliable adhesive solutions has never been more crucial. Henkel's new wearable device light cure adhesive provides an excellent bonding solution for medical devices, ensuring strong and durable connections while remaining free of known skin sensitizing monomers such as Isobornyl Acrylate (IBOA). IBOA is known in that medical community for causing patient skin reactions when used in wearables.

”At Henkel, we are committed to providing our customers with innovative adhesive solutions that meet the highest safety standards,” said Philipp Loosen, Vice President and Head of Industrials EIMEA and Global Key Accounts Medical at Henkel. ”With the introduction of our new medical grade wearable device light cure adhesive, we are addressing the growing need for safe and effective adhesives in the medical industry. Our adhesive is ISO 10993 tested and formulated with patient comfort and safety in mind, ensuring its suitability for use in medical device bonding and medical wearables.”

Henkel's wearable device light cure adhesive offers various benefits for medical applications. Its light cure capabilities allow for quick and efficient bonding, reducing production time and increasing productivity. The adhesive also provides excellent adhesion to a wide range of substrates commonly used in medical devices and wearables, ensuring robust bonding and sealing performance after drop impact or bathing.

Furthermore, the adhesive's formulation meets FDA & EU MDR recommendations for wearable medical devices regarding sensitizing and CMR ingredients. Henkel is committed to meeting regulatory requirements and delivering safe and reliable adhesive solutions to its customers. The focus on removing all known skin sensitizing monomers further reduces the risk of skin sensitization making the adhesive suitable for prolonged skin contact in medical applications.

With the trend of the integrated and connected devices, medical wearables look to incorporate advanced technologies and data-driven approaches into the healthcare industry. Henkel offers a broad material solutions portfolio for medical wearables, including low-pressure molding technologies, skin bonding, assembly adhesives, circuit board protection, and printable conductive/functional inks for biosensors.

We remind, Henkel acquired the US-based Critica Infrastructure (“Critica”), a specialized supplier of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) composite solutions for the world’s most critical infrastructure such as oil and gas transmission as well as municipal water supply systems. Critica is active in many countries with a strong focus on North America and is expected to reach sales of around 100 million euros (around 110 million USD) in 2023.

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Brazilian petrochemical companies Braskem and Indorama Ventures IOD - Oxiteno announce a partnership to supply bio-attributed ethylene from renewable sources, said the company.

Bio-attributed ethylene, certified by ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification), will be used by Oxiteno to create new sustainable solutions.

This raw material is the first bio-attributed chemical product produced by Braskem from the certified mass balance approach. The concept co-processes traditional carbon sources with recycled or renewable components to develop chemical solutions with a sustainability attribute, maintaining properties and quality compared to conventional solutions. Furthermore, it contributes to reducing the use of fossil raw materials and greenhouse gas emissions.

“Braskem and Oxiteno have aligned sustainability initiatives and this partnership is of great importance for the growth strategy of both, being one more step for the industry towards a sustainable future. The initiative should define new paths for sustainability in our petrochemical sector”, Marlisa Reche explains, Chemicals - Olefins and Aromatics Business Director at Braskem.

“There is a significant connection between our innovation strategy and our sustainability objectives. This initiative aligns with our main guidelines of decarbonization and promoting eco-efficiency in our operations. This partnership further underscores our company's mission to 'Reimagine Chemistry Together to Create a Better World,' enabling us to develop innovative and sustainable products while ensuring our organization is prepared for the future”, explains Andrea Campos Soares, Sr VP Business, Marketing & Innovation at Oxiteno.

We remind, Braskem, the leading global biopolymer producer, announced the opening of its Representative Office in Tokyo, Japan one of the key markets for Braskem's I'm greenT bio-based Polyethylene (PE), said the company.
This expansion reinforces our continuous commitment to the Japanese market and the continued development the biopolymer solutions based on renewable feedstock.

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Henkel acquired the US-based Critica Infrastructure (“Critica”), a specialized supplier of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) composite solutions for the world’s most critical infrastructure such as oil and gas transmission as well as municipal water supply systems, said the company.

Critica is active in many countries with a strong focus on North America and is expected to reach sales of around 100 million euros (around 110 million USD) in 2023.

With aging infrastructure and the increasing relevance of sustainability, demand for repair solutions that extend asset life is gaining importance. Therefore, maintenance and repair solutions for industrial and municipal applications are becoming increasingly significant. While Henkel has been expanding its portfolio for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) solutions over the past years, the acquisition of this attractive adjacent business adds a large, innovative and certified portfolio of composite repair and reinforcement products for the industrial and municipal infrastructure market.

“As part of our strategic growth agenda, compelling acquisitions play a key role in actively shaping our portfolio. This transaction is an important step to significantly strengthen our maintenance, repair and overhaul portfolio in a dynamically growing market by expanding our offering through innovative solutions in adjacent application areas. Our aim is to create a new platform that will enable us to add further adjacent businesses, stimulate further growth and enhance our position as global leader in the adhesive technologies market,” said Henkel CEO Carsten Knobel.

In fiscal 2023, the acquired business is expected to report sales of around 100 million euros (around 110 million USD). The company employs around 250 people and has eight production sites, most of them in the US. The business supplies products to about 3,000 asset owners, contractors, and distributors. The portfolio comprises composite wrap and reinforcement solutions as well as insertion valves for oil and gas transmission, refining, chemical, and water supply systems. The solutions are marketed under the brands CSNRI®, Advanced Valve Technologies®, Fyfe FRP and GeoTree Solutions.

“We are excited about the opportunity to add this strong innovative portfolio of fast-growing and highly profitable MRO solutions to our Adhesive Technologies business. It is a strong strategic fit to our existing portfolio, adding highly complementary repair solutions, which clearly contribute to shaping the sustainability megatrend. The transaction will enable us to create a growth platform for our MRO business, giving us access to leading maintenance service providers and contractors as well as pioneering and certified technologies for critical infrastructure,” said Mark Dorn, Executive Vice President and responsible for Henkel’s Adhesive Technologies business.

We remind, Henkel introduces new medical grade wearables device light cure adhesives. As a leading manufacturer of advanced adhesive solutions for the medical industry, Henkel has launched a novel medical grade light cure adhesive designed for devices that are to be worn on the body. The new product is formulated without IBOA (Isobornyl Acrylate) or any other known skin sensitizing monomers. The adhesive is also formulated to conform to EU MDR 2017 regulations concerning use of CMR (carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic for reproduction) substances in medical devices making it a robust option for new designs.

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Dow and Evonik are proud to announce the successful start-up and operation of a pioneering hydrogen peroxide to propylene glycol (HPPG) pilot plant at Evonik’s site in Hanau, Germany, said Chemeurope.

Collaboratively developed by Dow and Evonik, the plant uses the distinct HYPROSYN® method to enable the direct synthesis of propylene glycol (PG) from hydrogen peroxide and propylene.

“At Dow, we believe in collaborating with our customers and other stakeholders to create, innovate and find solutions to big challenges. So, I am delighted to see this plant become operational through this collaboration,” said Andrew Jones, global business director for Chlor-Alkali Vinyl & Propylene Oxide, Propylene Glycol, at Dow. “With this innovative technology and flexible asset and business model, we are well positioned to meet our customers’ needs and growing market demand.”

“At Evonik Active Oxygens, we put sustainability at the core of futurizing our business. This relies not only on innovative technologies, but also the ability to scale these up and bring them to market,” remarked Michael Traxler, head of Evonik’s Active Oxygens business line. “That’s where excellent strategic partnerships come into play. The startup of this pilot plant in Hanau thus not only represents a major technological milestone in our efforts to make industry more sustainable, it is also a prime example of how cross-company collaboration, like this partnership with Dow, is essential to driving sustainable solutions.”

The pilot plant will demonstrate the benefits of the novel technology. In contrast to the traditional process, where propylene is used to make propylene oxide (PO), which is converted to PG through hydrolysis, the HYPROSYN® process uses a novel catalytic system to generate PG directly from propylene and hydrogen peroxide. The integration of all key reaction stages in a single reactor eliminates the need for additional investments in PO capacity and lowers capital requirements. The process also enables a reduced environmental footprint, e.g., water consumption is reduced to less than 5% compared to conventional PG methods. In addition, existing PG plants can be retrofitted to benefit from this new technology.

Propylene glycol serves as an essential ingredient such as a high-performing additive, intermediate, or initiator in a wide range of applications — including industrial, food and animal feed, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Over the next few years, the Dow and Evonik teams will continuously evaluate the plant’s operations and capabilities to scale up manufacturing, in support of growing market demand.

We remind, Evonik has signed an agreement to develop, scale up and produce proprietary fixed bed catalysts for mobile applications of Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies’ proprietary liquid organic hydrogen carrier technology based on benzyl toluene.

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Celanese Corporation, a global chemical and specialty materials company, announced a series of new leadership appointments across its Executive Leadership Team (ELT), said the company.

• Scott Richardson has been named Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective November 8, 2023, with responsibility for Engineered Materials, the Acetyl Chain, manufacturing, supply chain, and procurement. Scott has served as the Chief Financial Officer of Celanese since February of 2018. Since joining Celanese in 2005, Scott has also served as Senior Vice President of Engineered Materials, Vice President and General Manager of the Acetyl Chain, Acetyls Global Commercial Director, and in a variety of business, finance, and investor relations roles.

• Chuck Kyrish will join the ELT and has been named Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective November 8, 2023. Chuck is currently serving as Vice President of Corporate Finance with responsibility for accounting, treasury, internal audit, and tax. Since joining Celanese in 2006, Chuck has also served as Chief Financial Officer Acetyl Chain, Vice President Investor Relations, Vice President M&A and Integration Finance, Vice President and Treasurer, and in a variety of other finance roles.

• Anne (Lynne) Puckett will step down from her role Senior Vice President and General Counsel and will serve in a transition role through early 2024 after which she will depart after 5 years with Celanese. Ashley Duffie has been selected to succeed Lynne as Senior Vice President and General Counsel, effective November 8, 2023. Ashley is currently serving as Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer. Since joining Celanese in 2007, Ashley has served as President and General Counsel APAC Region, Vice President of the Integration Management Office, Chief Compliance Officer, and Associate General Counsel Global Litigation and EHS Law. Prior to joining Celanese, Ashley was an attorney with Haynes and Boone, LLP, specializing in environmental law, internal corporate investigations, and litigation.

All other members of the Celanese ELT will maintain their current roles. In addition to supporting Scott in enhancing the earnings growth of the businesses, Lori Ryerkerk, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, will have direct leadership for strategy, M&A, finance, legal, HR, and IT.

We remind, Celanese will idle eight units in its Engineered Materials segment, while running many other plants at reduced rates, the US-based producer said on Monday. Celanese did not specify which units it will idle, what products they make or how long they will remain down. Out of the idled plants, six are in Mobility & Materials (M&M), a business that Celanese acquired from DuPont. The remaining two predated the M&M acquisition.

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