AkzoNobel boosting innovative power of UK research hub
AkzoNobel is investing almost €10 million to further boost the innovative power of the UK site where performance coatings which now protect many of the world's iconic structures and ships were first developed.
A fire protection testing laboratory and a polymer lab for powder coatings are being added to the existing R&D infrastructure at the company's Felling site in north-east England, which pioneered products used on landmarks such as Sydney Harbor Bridge, the London Eye, the Olympic Water Cube in Beijing and famous vessels including the Queen Mary 2 and the HMS Ark Royal.
The investment will help further transform the location into a research hub focused on innovation and the development of new performance coatings technology.
"The fact that we are continuing to invest despite the current economic climate gives a clear indication of the importance we attach to advancing our technological expertise," explains Leif Darner, AkzoNobel's Board member responsible for Performance Coatings. "The new facilities will provide us with a state-of-the-art center of excellence which will significantly improve our ability to develop and bring new products to market."
Due to be completed early next year, the testing lab will be used by the company's Marine & Protective Coatings (M&PC) business in its development of fire protection coatings. This particular market is growing rapidly due to increasingly stringent fire protection regulations worldwide, with demand expected to double by 2018.
The new polymer lab will allow AkzoNobel Powder Coatings to optimize the 20 years of experience it has in building and commercializing polymers at Felling. Expected to be completed by the end of the year, the facility will enable researchers to handle and develop new materials and will also include scale-up capability and an application line.
Felling - which currently employs more than 260 R&D employees - is already established as a key AkzoNobel innovation center. Existing facilities include a Marine and Yacht lab and a Central Analytical and Technology Center operated by the M&PC business, while Powder Coatings already has labs dedicated to color science, effects science and application science, including the ground-breaking Particle Management Technology.
Source: Corporate Media Relations, tel. +31 20 502 7833

Heat-resistant adhesive for building work
06 Jan 2010 - The "Parasols” in Seville feature components that are designed to be glued instead of bolted together. To prevent the adhesive from melting, it needs to withstand temperatures of up to 60 degrees. Researchers have optimized the adhesive's resistance to high temperatures.
The Metropol Parasols will be the new centerpiece of Plaza de la Encarnación in Seville. As well as being an eye-catching work of art, the mushroom-like structures are also playing host to some pioneering construction techniques, with even the load-bearing structural components consisting of finely-wrought laminated veneer lumber beams. With mechanical joining methods ruled out for structural reasons, the beams are instead joined together by means of glued-in threaded rods. However, the high temperatures and relentless sunshine of a typical Seville summer could pose a significant challenge to the adhesive, in the worse-case it loses its ability to hold the components together.
The type of adhesive used in Seville is designed to withstand temperatures of up to 60 degrees, so researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research WKI have been working on behalf of the building inspection authorities to determine how close the thermal load is likely to come to this limit. "We ascertained the temperatures that might occur at the site and used simulations to determine the temperature this would trigger within the construction materials,” explains Dirk Kruse, head of department at WKI. "Our results revealed that the temperatures in the adhesive could potentially reach almost 60 degrees, which is obviously too close to the limit for comfort.” Subsequent tests carried out on three specimen components in a climate chamber confirmed their findings, giving rise to a stark choice: either the adhesive would have to be improved, or the building inspection authorities would be forced to bring building work to a halt. Fortunately, there is a method of improving the adhesive's resistance to high temperatures, namely by "tempering” the structural components: "Once the components have been glued in place, they are heated up again,” Kruse continues. "This causes post-curing reactions to occur.” And the result? The adhesive is less likely to take on a liquid form and maintains its stability up to a temperature of 70 degrees. This gives a safety margin over and above the thermal stress that is actually expected to occur, which means that the building work can now be continued as planned and Seville will soon be featuring a brand new landmark.
"These are the kinds of solutions that will help to firmly anchor adhesive technology within the building industry,” Kruse states. While adhesive bonding is widely used in the aircraft industry, the use of adhesion for structural applications in the building industry is still in its infancy. Yet the method opens up a whole new wealth of possibilities for architects.

Ashland announces resin and gelcoat price increase for EMEA
08 Jan 2010 - Ashland Performance Materials, a commercial unit of Ashland Inc., is increasing the price of its complete portfolio of resins and gelcoats produced and sold in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) by €130 per ton effective immediately, or at the earliest possible time depending on individual customer contracts.
This price increase is primarily driven by the recent rise in the cost of styrene, and a tightened supply of glycols due to higher demand for de-icing products across Europe.

European Federation of Chemical Engineering:
New leadership for a new decade
08 Jan 2010 - The start of 2010 has brought changes at the European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE) with a new President and Executive Vice President taking office. The new officers bring a useful mix of industry and academic experience to the Federation.
Professor Richard Darton has succeeded Professor Jiri Drahos in the position of President. A Fellow of Keeble College, Darton currently heads the Department of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford – a department that he established in 1991, following a successful career with Shell, in the Netherlands. Prominent in the international chemical engineering community, Darton has spent periods as a visiting lecturer at the Mendeleev University and Kurnakov Institute in Moscow and at the University of St. Petersburg. He has also worked at the University of Sydney, Australia and at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. Darton is an Honorary Member of the Czech Chemical Society and a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. He is a Past President of the Institution of Chemical Engineers. His research areas include dynamic surface effects at gas/liquid interfaces and he chaired the EFCE Working Party on Fluid Separations from 2001 – 2007. Darton is also a leading thinker in the concept of sustainable development.
Dr. Wridzer Bakker follows Professor John Garside in the position of Executive Vice President; he will assume the role of EFCE Treasurer. Bakker is recognised in the Dutch process industries as a forward thinking innovation practitioner. He currently leads the Dutch Separation Technologies Institute following a successful career with Akzo Nobel.
Darton and Bakker were both elected for a two year term at the EFCE General Assembly, held in Frankfurt in May 2009.

Spying on Plastic Production
On-line Monitoring of Particle Growth in Catalytic Polyethylene Slurries
08 Jan 2010 - Real-time monitoring of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) production is now possible. In an article in the journal Macromolecular Reaction Engineering, Professor Rolf Mülhaupt and his student Rainer Xalter of Albert-Ludwigs University in Freiburg, Germany, describe how they use a combination of laser reflectance measurements and video monitoring to follow the polymerization of ethylene in slurries in standard commercial-scale reactors. They watch the slurries as the plastics grow under different conditions, and are able to use the results to explain variations in efficiency and product range.
HDPE, the most common form of polyethylene, is produced in catalytic slurries. Current methods for monitoring these types of reactions have involved off-line monitoring or the use of special cells without stirring. Stirring is necessary in commercial polyethylene production, but it plays havoc with standard particle monitoring techniques, and it is the particles that must be under constant surveillance if the reaction is to be followed closely.
In slurries, polyolefins are made using supported Ziegler and metallocene catalysts, which assist the small olefin, or alkene, molecules to break bonds and join together into polymers. The polymer (or plastic) particles grow on a macroscopic scale as, simultaneously, the catalyst breaks up. According to the authors, "This very complex interplay of polymer particle growth and catalyst particle fragmentation governs polymerization kinetics and as well as polymer particle morphologies and bulk densities.” In gas-phase reactions, optical microscopy has been combined with video to effectively monitor particle growth in-line. Rainer and Mülhaupt have taken this basic idea and developed it to a new level to enable it be applied to stirred slurries, which are far more complex environments to observe.
The new technique involves using a LasentecTM "Particle Vision and Measurement” (PVM) probe developed by Mettler-Toledo GmbH, which, the authors explain, "makes video microscopic images of moving particles technically feasible via CCD camera-mediated imaging using a pulsed light source”, combined with a Lasentec "Focused Beam Reflectance Measurement” (FBRM) probe developed by the same company. The FBRM probe "employs a rotating focused laser beam which is scattered back at individual particles at or close to the focal point of the laser beam.” Mathematical evaluation of the duration and intensity of the backscattered light is used to determine particle size distributions.
As the scientists explain, "While the FBRM technique delivers well-founded statistical data regarding the evolution of the particle size distribution over time, the PVM probe yields high-quality images providing detailed information on size and shape of the particle species being present in the respective stages of the polymerization process.” Methods for correlating the results with reaction kinetics were developed, and results from both probes compared well with those obtained from off-line monitoring for a variety of reaction scenerios. Although only polyethylene was investigated in this paper, application to other polyolefin slurry systems is expected to be straightforward. Application to copolymerization reactions is expected to yield exciting results.

Albemarle Announces Custom Manufacturing Agreement With ExxonMobil Chemical
Agreement provides 15,000 metric tons per year of high viscosity polyalphaolefins production
11 Jan 2010 - Albemarle Corporation announces the successful start-up of a new unit to produce SpectraSyn(TM) polyalphaolefins (PAO), a high viscosity basestock for lubricants, for ExxonMobil Chemical. The plant's 15,000 mt/yr capacity was successfully rate tested in November.
Albemarle's custom manufacturing business unit, Fine Chemistry Services (FCS), designed and built the facility using a combination of new and existing equipment at Albemarle's Pasadena, Texas production site.
"This project is held up as a model within our company for the speed and technical success achieved by the team. The timeline from the initial feasibility study to a successful rate test was only two years, which included the design, construction and start-up of the facility. Albemarle's FCS business model, focused on speed-to-market services with the highest quality results, drove this project to fruition," said Ron Gardner, Albemarle's vice president of fine chemicals.

New solvent technologies to replace use of harmful toxic acids
Chemists at the University of Leicester receive grant to develop environmentally sustainable solvent technologies
12 Jan 2010 - Scientists at the University of Leicester are spearheading the development of new ways to replace harmful, carcinogenic, toxic acids and electrolytes which are currently used in many commercial metal finishing and energy storage processes.
A team of academics, PhD students and PostDoc researchers from the University of Leicester's Department of Chemistry has received over €1 million funding to develop and apply environmentally friendly solvents.
The researchers have developed ionic liquids solvents which provide a safe, non-toxic, environmentally friendly alternative to harmful solutions. These new liquids can act as "drop-in" replacement technology, and perform as well as, or even better than, existing processes.
Overseeing the project is senior lecturer Dr Karl Ryder, who said:
"One of our aims is to improve the working environment for people within the manufacturing industry by replacing unpleasant acids or caustic processes with ionic liquids. The user experience is very similar for both and no additional equipment or training is required, but the user benefits from a more pleasant and safer working environment."
The funding obtained will drive forward an on-going programme of research in the Department that was started 4 and a half years ago by another EU project that aimed to develop new ionic liquid solvent technologies to transform metal finishing.
The grants will go towards three new major projects:
POLYZION is funded under the EU Seventh Framework Programme worth a total of €3.5 million with 9 University and Industrial partners. The concept of this project is to create an environmentally friendly and affordable rechargeable battery for electric vehicle applications. It will develop a more sustainable technology that is light-weight, cheaper and more attainable as the batteries currently used are heavy, expensive and potentially harmful to the environment if damaged.
RECONIF uses environmentally sustainable ionic liquid solvents to extract metals form solid waste, instead of strong acids or caustic alkalis. The project will focus on recovering heavy metals from domestic battery waste and is funded by the EPSRC/ Technology Strategy Board.
ASPIS will start in 2010, and seeks to develop a new technology for surface treatment of circuit boards which are found in many electronic devices. The commercial processes currently in place are problematic, with failures expensive to industry, and ASPIS will aim to provide an alternative method with funding also from the EU Seventh Framework Programme.
Dr Ryder commented:
"The funding we have received will carry forward certain key promising aspects of work started with IONMET. Key aspects we will develop are the new battery technology and new surface finishing for circuit boards.
"The battery project is the most exciting for me, as it brings together two research themes I've had side by side for a long time, representing the culmination of two areas of work. I am confident it will be as good as it promises to be.
"It's nice to be involved with both the academic side and the cutting edge of industrial processes. This represents a very challenging combination of fundamental and applied science."
The three projects provide the opportunity to apply ionic liquid technologies to the manufacturing industry, providing a safer, more environmentally sustainable alternative to current commercially used methodologies.

Paper strips can quickly detect toxin in drinking water
12 Jan 2010 - A strip of paper infused with carbon nanotubes can quickly and inexpensively detect a toxin produced by algae in drinking water.
Engineers at the University of Michigan led the development of the new biosensor.
The paper strips perform 28 times faster than the complicated method most commonly used today to detect microcystin-LR, a chemical compound produced by cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae. Cyanobacteria is commonly found on nutrient-rich waters.
Microcystin-LR (MC-LR), even in very small quantities, is suspected to cause liver damage and possibly liver cancer. The substance and others like it are among the leading causes of biological water pollution. It is believed to be a culprit of mass poisonings going back to early human history, said Nicholas Kotov, a professor in the departments of Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering who led the project.
Water treatment plants---even in developed countries---can't always remove MC-LR completely, nor can they test for it often enough, Kotov said. The biosensor he and his colleagues developed provides a quick, cheap, portable and sensitive test that could allow water treatment plants and individuals to verify the safety of water on a more regular basis.
"The safety of drinking water is a vital issue in many developing countries and in many parts of the United States," Kotov said. "We've developed a simple and inexpensive technology to detect multiple toxins."
The technology could easily be adapted to detect a variety harmful chemicals or toxins in water or food.
The sensor works by measuring the electrical conductivity of the nanotubes in the paper. Before the nanotubes are impregnated in the paper, they are mixed with antibodies for MC-LR. When the paper strips come in contact with water contaminated with MC-LR, those antibodies squeeze in between the nanotubes to bond with the MC-LR. This spreading apart of the nanotubes changes their electrical conductivity.
An external monitor measures the electrical conductivity. The whole device is about the size of a home pregnancy test, Kotov said. Results appear in fewer than 12 minutes.
To adapt the biosensor for other toxins, Kotov said, scientists could simply replace the antibodies that bond to the toxin.

Lonza streamlines its operations in chemical manufacturing
Closure of Riverside, Shawinigan and Wokingham sites
19 Jan 2010 - End of October 2009 Lonza Group Ltd announced its intention to adjust the organization to the more volatile market environment, to reduce fixed cost in the range of CHF 60-80 million in the next 18-24 months and to review the detailed business unit strategies.
The economic pressures of the past 18 months have clearly accelerated the cost reduction efforts of the pharmaceutical industry. In response to that Lonza is strengthening its platform in Asia and will close the sites of Conshohocken (Riverside), PA (USA), Shawinigan (CDN) and Wokingham (UK) in 2010. This step complements Lonza’s existing platform in Nansha (CN) and is the response to customer needs for mature regulated products at competitive conditions in a new market segment for Lonza.
The closure of the sites will affect 175 employees. Lonza has put in place a comprehensive severance package in consultation with local employee representatives and authorities. Lonza is committed to treat all employees in a fair and transparent manner. The total restructuring cost amount to approximately CHF 140 million of which 75% account to restructuring activities in small molecules. The amount also includes impairments of assets and other restructuring activities and will be booked into 2009, 70% of the charges are non-cash.
The Riverside plant will cease its activities in Q4 2010. Lonza is in contact with all Riverside customers to offer tailored solutions that will strengthen the supply security of their individual drug substances by transferring the projects into other operations within Lonza’s global network.
The pilot scale plant for the vitamin K3 activities in Shawinigan will cease its activities by the end of March 2010 after having completed the full technical development of this new, proprietary, environmentally friendly technology. Lonza will evaluate further opportunities to provide its customers with chromium-free vitamin K3 from another site in the future.
As part of a modernisation and streamlining initiative within the Lonza Bioscience supply chain, the offices and warehouse in Wokingham (UK) will be closed and the activities will be transferred to Verviers, Belgium. The Verviers facility already supplies all other countries in Europe and can readily handle orders from UK and Irish customers, while maintaining an equivalent level of service to that enjoyed by customers today.
"The closure of the three sites will help to optimize our global operational network and further increase the competitiveness for our customers. The re-engineering project is a key element in our endeavour to bring Lonza back to a sustainable growth”, comments Lonza CEO Stefan Borgas. "We will continue to drive this project throughout the year and we will see many initiatives rising from it. We are confident that we are on the right track and that the identified measures support the Lonza strategy.”

Scott Bader Joins New UK Project Group To Discover Alternative Composites Production
19 Jan 2010 - The North East Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC) is leading a new sustainable resources project group, made up of industrial companies in the UK plus research academics from Surrey, Teesside and Newcastle Universities. The aim of this 30 month project is to identify new commercial opportunities for full-scale chemicals manufacturing from a range of alternative sustainable biomass resources, such as feedstocks.
Scott Bader, who’s R & D team has been working for over two years on a number of green projects to develop alternative composites resins from renewable resources, sees the NEPIC project as an ideal way to collaborate with other companies and academics also committed to discovering sustainable, environmentally friendly alternatives for chemical products. Mr Roy Phillips, Technical Director for Scott Bader commented: "Over the next 30 months the R & D team will work closely with members of the Group to share ideas and expertise. This is a significant commitment of our R & D resources, which Scott Bader believes it must do in order to find viable renewable options within the chemical industry for the future.”
The project, named ABC (Assessing Biomass to Chemicals), is being partly sponsored by DEFRA and also enjoys support from a range of interested industrial parties as well as Scott Bader, namely AkzoNobel, Growhow, Jacobs Engineering, Graphite Resources and Link2Energy. The intended project outcome will be to produce estimated capital and operating costs for the best and most technically feasible processing options.

Scripps Research team wins global race to achieve landmark synthesis of perplexing natural product
Compound's complexity had confounded chemists since discovery in 1993
18 Jan 2010 - In 1993 researchers discovered a chemical compound in a sponge off Palau, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, that has shown anticancer, antibacterial, and antifungal pharmaceutical promise. But that wasn't its greatest allure, at least not for chemists.
This compound, called Palau'amine, is so chemically complex that finding a way to produce it in the laboratory became the most hotly pursued synthetic chemistry goal in modern history. Groups around the globe dedicated millions to the challenge, but it is a team of scientists from The Scripps Research Institute that has finally completed the quest.
Anonymous reviewers of the team's paper describing the achievement, which will be published as the cover article of an upcoming edition of the international journal Angewandte Chemie, called the work variously "a masterpiece," "spectacular," "a landmark," and "a spectacular synthetic achievement including unprecedented and previously 'unthinkable' transformations."

An Exquisite Target
Synthesizing Palau'amine is a daunting task because of two main features. First, it has a molecular framework with inner connections so bizarre that chemists have been taught in graduate school that they can't exist in nature. The most striking feature is a combination of two carbon rings sprinkled with nitrogen atoms that bond in a way that puts phenomenal strain on the molecule.
"It's so contorted that you wouldn't expect it to be possible," says Scripps Research chemist Phil Baran, Ph.D., who led the team that made the breakthrough.
To add to the fun, Palau'amine is exceedingly fragile. For instance it falls apart if exposed to the wrong pH level. All told, developing a synthesis method proved to be the chemical equivalent of a treasure hunt through booby-trapped terrain where one false move sends the quarry up in smoke.
Baran's lab had been working on the Palau'amine challenge ever since he arrived at Scripps Research as a faculty member more than six years ago. During that time, the group developed techniques to synthesize several compounds related to Palau'amine, but the ultimate goal remained elusive. Numerous attempts, however, added important information and techniques that would ultimately prove critical.

The Quest Heats Up
Increasingly desperate and working with handheld molecular models, Baran and his team eventually hit on the idea of a molecule dubbed macro-Palau'amine that he felt his group could create. If so, he became convinced it could be transformed into Palau'amine. As work to create macro-Palau'amine heated up, graduate students, including the new paper's first authors graduate student Ian Seiple and Research Associate Shun Su, Ph.D., would eventually set up a cot in the laboratory and begin to work around the clock.
"It was the Scripps Hilton for a long time," says Baran, "and when it was finally done we were all elated, as you might imagine."
The group's earlier trials produced intermediate compounds that took them part of the way to Palau'amine, but there was still much to do. One of the most significant later advances that allowed them to succeed was the invention of an oxidation reaction helped along by silver. The reaction could place an essential group of oxygen and hydrogen atoms known as a hydroxyl at a particular spot on an emerging molecule with seemingly laser-guided precision. The reagent that the Scripps Research team developed for this purpose, silver picolinate, has now been commercialized by Aldrich.
"The technique had no precedent, but we knew that if it could be invented it would dramatically simplify everything," says Baran and it did.
This silver-mediated oxidation stabilized an intermediate molecule enough to allow five final steps to macro-Palau'amine. Once the team had that, the final transformation to Palau'amine proceeded as predicted and with such simplicity it seemed almost anticlimactic macro-Palau'amine had only to be treated with acid and the quest was finally complete. The Baran group had synthetically produced Palau'amine for the first time ever.
Next Steps
Given the difficulty of the task, the synthesis would have been impressive at any length. But, with 25 steps currently involved, it would be difficult to make substantial quantities of Palau'imine for commercial purposes. So the Baran team has already devised a scheme that could shave as many as ten steps from the overall synthesis process and hopes to ultimately provide substantial quantities of the compound to other researchers and commercial partners that will pursue Palau'amine's pharmaceutical potential.
To Baran, the project has already led to substantial benefits regardless of whether the compound or some derivative of it ever shows commercial success. Pharmaceutical companies are already using the silver oxidation technique to produce other potential drugs, students have received an invaluable, and other lessons learned about synthesizing challenging compounds will ultimately be applied in numerous other quests.
"I see those types of advances as being the most useful things to come out of endeavors like this," says Baran.
Palau'amine tops a string of achievements for the Baran lab, most recently solving the two-decade old riddle of how to synthesize a compound called vinigrol that lowers blood pressure in rats. Results of this work were published in October 2009 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
While Palau'amine had achieved a special and rare prominence as an apex challenge, it's just one in a sea of other opportunities according to Baran, all with important potential benefits of their own.
"In my opinion there are a lot of treasures out there like Palau'amine," he says, "There are so many amazing challenges in chemical synthesis waiting to be solved."

Iowa State researchers part of $78 million national effort to develop advanced biofuels
19 Jan 2010 - Two teams of Iowa State University researchers will receive a total of $8 million over three years from a $78 million U.S. Department of Energy program to research and develop advanced biofuels.
Victor Lin – professor of chemistry, director of the Institute for Physical Research and Technology's Center for Catalysis at Iowa State and chief technologist and founder of Catilin Inc. – will lead a team embarking on a $5.3 million study of biodiesel production from algae.
And Robert C. Brown – an Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Engineering, the Gary and Donna Hoover Chair in Mechanical Engineering and the Iowa Farm Bureau director of the Bioeconomy Institute – will lead a $2.7 million study of the thermochemical and catalytic conversion of biomass to fuels.
"These grants to Iowa State University researchers demonstrate the breadth and strength of our programs in advanced biofuels," said Sharron Quisenberry, Iowa State's vice president for research and economic development. "We have researchers who can help this national effort to develop clean, sustainable and cost-effective sources of energy. These grants are two more examples of how Iowa State translates discoveries into viable technologies and products that strengthen the economies of Iowa and the world."
The Iowa State research projects are part of a Department of Energy effort supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The program creates two national research groups charged with finding ways to break down barriers to the commercialization of advanced biofuels (such as green gasoline) while using the existing fuel marketing and transportation infrastructure:
- $44 million (plus $11 million in non-federal, cost-share funding) creates the National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts led by the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, Mo.
- And $34 million (plus $8.4 million in non-federal, cost-share funding) creates the National Advanced Biofuels Consortium led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash.
Lin's research team is part of the National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts. It includes researchers at Catilin Inc., a catalyst technology company that Lin founded in 2007 with the help of Mohr Davidow Ventures of Menlo Park, Calif.
The researchers will study how silica nanoparticles developed by Lin – and produced by Ames-based Catilin Inc. – can be used to selectively extract and sequester fuel-related, high-value compounds from a mixture containing lipids from algae. The rest of the algal oil will be converted to biodiesel using Catilin's commercially available T300 catalyst.

"Our technology is instrumental in several key steps of the algae-to-biofuels supply chain as the efficient oil-extraction and solid catalyst provides a cost effective conversion route," Lin said.
Brown's research team is part of the National Advanced Biofuels Consortium. It includes Brent Shanks, the director of the Center for Biorenewable Chemicals based at Iowa State and professor of chemical and biological engineering; James Dumesic, Steenbock Professor of chemical and biological engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Linda Broadbelt, professor and chair of chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.
The researchers will investigate the chemical reactions of fast pyrolysis (a process that uses heat in the absence of oxygen to decompose biomass into a liquid bio-oil). They'll also study the catalytic upgrading of bio-oil to transportation fuels.
"The Department of Energy organized these consortia for the purpose of accelerating the development of advanced biofuels through a coordinated research program among biofuels researchers across the United States," said Brown. "We are pleased that the Bioeconomy Institute was selected to be part of this national effort."

The national research effort is aimed at building a domestic bio-industry, creating jobs and reducing the country's dependence on foreign oil, according to Steven Chu, the U.S. secretary of energy.
"Advanced biofuels are crucial to building a clean energy economy," Chu said. "By harnessing the power of science and technology, we can bring new biofuels to market and develop a cleaner and more sustainable transportation sector."

Ozone detection
15 Jan 2010 - Researchers in Freiburg have developed a highly-sensitive, miniaturized mobile ozone sensor which can be used not only in air, but also in water and in the vicinity of explosive gases.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF in Freiburg is developing improved chemical sensors that are not prohibitively expensive. One particularly important area of application involves the regular measurement of ozone content in air and other media. This gas is a powerful oxidizing agent and can cause a wide range of symptoms in humans, including lacrimation, irritation of the mucous membranes in the mouth, throat, and bronchial tubes, headaches, coughing and even deterioration in lung function. The main sources of ozone pollution are industrial and transport emissions; particularly in warmer weather, these react with intensive UV radiation to form ground-level ozone. But laser printers and copiers, machines so prevalent in modern-day offices, can also emit ozone. The European Commission has announced its intention to cut the guideline value for ozone in the air from the current level of 90 parts per billion to 60 parts per billion by 2010, and when this new regulation comes into force, there will be an increased demand for inexpensive ozone sensors. But as project manager Dr. Volker Cimalla of the IAF explains: "Since ozone is, at the same time, an agent with high application potential, novel sensors are required, which have to be compact and affordable.” Sensors are essential equipment in industrial settings such as wastewater treatment facilities and water sterilization units, where they are used to monitor the ozone concentration – firstly to ensure the required concentration for the relevant application is maintained, and secondly to guard against exceeding hazardous thresholds for humans.
Project manager Cimalla says: "The ozone sensors currently available on the market employ extremely laborious and complex measuring procedures such as UV absorption and are therefore very expensive. By contrast, the more affordable ozone sensors have to be heated up to 300 degrees Celsius and produce inaccurate readings or only work in limited areas of application. We’ve done away with the need for heating by instead applying blue/violet light radiation to trigger the chemical process necessary for regeneration on the sensor surface – this allows the sensors to operate at room temperature.” The scientists built on the existing knowledge that molecules absorbed on the surface of a sensing layer alter its electrical resistance – and can also be removed again by light irradiation. The result is a highly-sensitive, miniaturized sensor capable of measuring the low ozone levels that occur in environmental and ambient air monitoring just as accurately as the high levels associated with industrial process control. And since the sensor is extremely small, it can even be integrated into mobile equipment.

BASF and Linde cooperate: Flue gas carbon dioxide capture
18 Jan 2010 - BASF and Linde-KCA-Dresden GmbH (LKCA), a Linde Group subsidiary, will jointly market licenses and plants for the capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) from flue gases in the future. The companies signed the cooperation agreement.
Within this cooperation BASF will be responsible for the chemical processes for capturing CO2, while LKCA will provide engineering and design as well as the construction of the facilities. The cooperation will focus mainly on the Middle East region, where the demand for purified CO2 is increasing, for example to raise yields in crude oil production (by means of enhanced oil recovery) and in urea production.
"In a situation where energy production around the world relies predominantly on fossil materials and where this share is expected to increase further, we will concentrate precisely on these energy sources in our cooperation,” said Dr. Andreas Northemann, head of the gas treatment business in BASF’s Intermediates division, and added: "By pooling the two companies’ expertise we can provide our customers with integrated engineering solutions and even complete CO2 capture plants.”
"Through this cooperation we will contribute to capturing and transporting climate damaging CO2 in a controlled manner for recycling in purified form or final sequestration,” said LKCA Managing Director Jörg Linsenmaier.

Wacker to consolidate production of pyrogenic silica
Kempten Site Closure Planned For 2011
15 Jan 2010 - Wacker Chemie AG announced that it is consolidating pyrogenic silica production in the context of previously announced structural improvement measures at its WACKER SILICONES division. As a result, Wacker plans to close its Kempten site during 2011. The Munich-based chemical company intends to transfer Kempten’s production volumes to Burghausen and Nünchritz, optimizing capacity utilization at these sites’ high-volume facilities. The planned closure has led to impairments on fixed assets of some €3.5 million and to a €5.5 million provision. Wacker has recognized both amounts in its consolidated financial statements for 2009. Currently, Wacker has about 50 employees at Kempten.
"Our goal is to close Kempten without layoffs - and I see a very good chance we’ll succeed,” said Wacker’s Personnel Director Dr. Wilhelm Sittenthaler. Measures include offering employees jobs at Burghausen and Nünchritz. "We’ll need additional people there in coming years, especially due to the expansion of our polysilicon business. And we will, of course, primarily consider our existing staff for these jobs,” stressed Sittenthaler. As a result, he said he was confident that the closure could be implemented in a socially-acceptable manner via natural fluctuation, phased early retirement and severance packages.

Agrium enters into Agreement to supply urea for production of Diesel Exhaust Fluid
15 Jan 2010 - Agrium Inc. announced that it has entered into an exclusive agreement to supply Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) grade prilled urea from its Borger, Texas nitrogen facility for the production of DEF with Old World Industries. Old World Industries is a privately held corporation based in Northbrook, IL and is a manufacturer of antifreeze in the United States. Old World Industries is taking a leading role to establish DEF supply at a national level with its BlueDEF branded DEF. The tonnage supplied from the Borger facility will start from a small base and is expected to grow at a rapid rate over the next five to ten years.
DEF will be added to the exhaust gas of most heavy duty diesel engines made after Jan. 1, 2010. This is in response to the Environmental Protection Agency mandate to reduce harmful NOX emissions from diesel engines by over 90 percent. By using DEF, the NOX will be converted into innocuous nitrogen gas and water. The market for DEF across North America is expected to exceed 1.5 million tons of urea equivalent (1 billion gallons of DEF) by the year 2020.

BASF brings world scale plant for sustainable chelating agent Trilon M on stream ahead of schedule
15 Jan 2010 - After 18 months of construction, the new plant expansion for BASF's chelating agent Trilon® M has now been brought on stream at the BASF site in Ludwigshafen, Germany. Expansion of the Trilon M plant has created 18 new jobs in Ludwigshafen.
"This world scale plant – which is fully integrated in the BASF Verbund – has been brought on stream three months ahead of the scheduled completion date," executive director Dr. John Feldmann announces. "This achievement is another example of the excellent cooperation at BASF that enables us to execute complex investment projects in record time – from plant development, planning, and construction by BASF engineers, right through to successful startup."
From now on, BASF has at its disposal a global annual production capacity of 120,000 tonnes for chelating agents.
"The capacity expansion is BASF's response to the increasing global demand for modern chelating agents," Feldmann comments. BASF expects double-digit percentage growth rates for environment-friendly chelating agents. Apart from Ludwigshafen, BASF also manufactures chelating agents in Lima, Ohio, USA, and Guaratinguetá, Brazil. Trilon M can be manufactured in Lima, as well as in Ludwigshafen, ensuring global availability.

New Head of the Care Specialties business unit of Evonik
14 Jan 2010 - As of January 1, 2010 Dr. Dietmar Moll, previously head of the Skin Care Product Line of Evonik Stockhausen GmbH, has taken charge of the Care Specialties business line of Evonik.
After completing his studies in nutritional and food sciences, Dr. Dietmar Moll embarked on his professional career in 1986 as a technical advisor for pesticide customer service at the Detia Group. In 1989, he moved to the research and application technology unit of the Enzymes division at Evonik Röhm GmbH in Darmstadt. Here, he subsequently served as head of product management for Enzyme technology, Head of marketing & sales for Pharma Polymers, and eventually head of the Pharma Polymers business unit. From 2001 to September 2006, he directed the Pharma Polymers business line within the Specialty Acrylics business unit, before being responsible for the Skin Care Product Line.

Dr. Stefan Beckmann is the new head of Care Chemicals and Formulators Europe at BASF
14 Jan 2010 - Since January 1, 2010 Dr. Stefan Beckmann has been head of the Care Chemicals and Formulators Europe unit at BASF. He succeeds Dr. Friedrich Seitz, who will be taking charge of BASF’s Competence Center Chemicals Research & Engineering.
Beckmann was born in 1963 in Ostercappeln (Lower Saxony), Germany. He started his BASF career in 1992, after obtaining a degree in chemistry and subsequently gaining a doctorate in Organic Chemistry at the Westfaelische Wilhelms-Universitaet Muenster, Germany, and spending a postdoc period at the University of California, Berkeley, USA. Initially he worked in what was then BASF’s Colorants Laboratory. From 1997 to 1999 Beckmann was deputy plant manager in the Dispersions and Pigments division. After that, he was delegated to BASF Petronas Chemicals in Malaysia for four years as general manager. Another delegation followed in July 2003, this time to BASF YPC Chemicals in China, where he was responsible for Marketing and Sales. In January 2006 Beckmann finally returned to Ludwigshafen and from then on was responsible for part of global procurement of raw materials.

REACH Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern for Authorisation Grows
14 Jan 2010 - The European Chemicals Agency has added 14 chemical substances to the Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) for authorisation. Companies manufacturing or importing these substances need to check their potential obligations that result from the listing. The substances which ECHA added on the Candidate List are listed below. Decisions on whether the substances need to be subject to authorisation will be taken later.
Companies may have legal obligations resulting from the inclusion of substances in the List. These obligations can apply to the listed substances on their own as well as in mixtures and in articles. A short summary of the obligations is available on ECHA´s website.
1) Anthracene oil (292-602-7 90640-80-5): Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic; Very persistent and very bioaccumulative; Carcinogen, category 2
2) Anthracene oil, anthracene paste, distn. lights (295-278-5 91995-17-4): Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic; Very persistent and very bioaccumulative; Carcinogen, category 2; Mutagen, category 2
3) Anthracene oil, anthracene paste, anthracene fraction (295-275-9 91995-15-2): Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic; Very persistent and very bioaccumulative; Carcinogen, category 2, Mutagen, category 2
4) Anthracene oil, anthracene-low (292-604-8 90640-82-7): Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic; Very persistent and very bioaccumulative; Carcinogen, category 2, Mutagen, category 2
5) Anthracene oil, anthracene paste (292-603-2 90640-81-6): Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic; Very persistent and very bioaccumulative; Carcinogen., category 2; Mutagen, category 2
The substances are mainly used in the manufacture of other substances such as anthracene and carbon black. They may also be used as reducing agents in blast furnaces, as components in bunker fuel, for impregnating, sealing and corrosion protection.
6) Pitch, coal tar, high temp. (266-028-2 65996-93-2): Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic; Very persistent and very bioaccumulative; Carcinogen, category 2
Pitch, coal tar, high temp. is mainly used in the production of electrodes for industrial applications. Smaller volumes are dedicated to specific uses such as heavy duty corrosion protection, special purpose paving, manufacture of other substances and the production of clay targets.
7) Aluminosilicate Refractory Ceramic Fibres (Aluminosilicate Refractory Ceramic Fibres are fibres covered by index number 650-017-00-8 in Annex VI, part 3, table 3.2 of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, and fulfil the two following conditions: a) Al2O3 and SiO2 are present within the following concentration ranges: - Al2O3: 43.5 – 47 % w/w, and SiO2: 49.5 – 53.5 % w/w, or - Al2O3: 45.5 – 50.5 % w/w, and SiO2: 48.5 – 54 % w/w; b) fibres have a length weighted geometric mean diameter less two standard geometric errors of 6 or less micrometers (µm)): Carcinogen, category 2
Refractory ceramic fibres are used for high-temperature insulation, almost exclusively in industrial applications (insulation of industrial furnaces and equipment, equipment for the automotive and aircraft/aerospace industry) and in fire protection (buildings and industrial process equipment).
8) Zirconia Aluminosilicate, Refractory Ceramic Fibres (Zirconia Aluminosilicate Refractory Ceramic Fibres are fibres covered by index number 650-017-00-8 in Annex VI, part 3, table 3.2 of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, and fulfil the two following conditions: a) Al2O3, SiO2 and ZrO2 are present within the following concentration ranges: - Al2O3: 35 – 36 % w/w, and - SiO2: 47.5 – 50 % w/w, and - ZrO2: 15 - 17 % w/w; b) fibres have a length weighted geometric mean diameter less two standard geometric errors of 6 or less micrometers (µm)): Carcinogen, category 2
Refractory ceramic fibres are used for high-temperature insulation, almost exclusively in industrial applications (insulation of industrial furnaces and equipment, equipment for the automotive and aircraft/aerospace industry) and in fire protection (buildings and industrial process equipment).
9) 2,4-Dinitrotoluene (204-450-0 121-14-2): Carcinogen, category 2
2,4-dinitrotoluene is used in the production of toluene diisocyanate, which is used for the manufacture of flexible polyurethane foams. The substance is also used as gelatinizing-plasticizing agent for the manufacture of explosives.
10) Diisobutyl phthalate (201-553-2 84-69-5): Toxic for reproduction, category 2
Diisobutyl phthalate is used as plasticiser for nitrocellulose, cellulose ether, polyacrylate and polyacetate dispersions, and as a gelling aid in combination with other plasticisers, which are widely used for plastics, lacquers, adhesives, explosive material and nail polish.
11) Lead chromate )231-846-0 7758-97-6): Carcinogen, category 2; Toxic for reproduction, category 1
Lead chromate is used for manufacturing pigments and dyes, and as a pigment or coating agent in industrial and maritime paint products or varnishes. Further potential uses may be associated with the formulation of detergents and bleaches, photosensitive materials, the manufacture of pyrotechnic powder or the embalming / restoring of art products.
12) Lead chromate molybdate sulphate red (C.I. Pigment Red 104) (235-759-9 12656-85-8): Carcinogen, category 2; Toxic for reproduction, category 1
Lead chromate molybdate sulphate red (C.I. Pigment Red 104) is used as a colouring, painting and coating agent in sectors such as the rubber, plastic and paints, coatings and varnishes industries. Applications comprise the production of agricultural equipment, vehicles and aircraft as well as road and airstrip painting.
13) Lead sulfochromate yellow (C.I. Pigment Yellow 34) (215-693-7 1344-37-2): Carcinogen, category 2; Toxic for reproduction, category 1
Lead sulfochromate yellow (C.I. Pigment Yellow 34) is used as a colouring, painting and coating agent in sectors such as the rubber, plastic and paints, coatings and varnishes industries. Applications comprise the production of agricultural equipment, vehicles and aircraft as well as road and airstrip painting. The substance is further used for camouflage or ammunition marking in the defence area.
14) tris(2-chloroethyl)phosphate (204-118-5 115-96-8): Toxic for reproduction, category 2
Tris(2-chloroethyl)phosphate is mainly used as an additive plasticiser and viscosity regulator with flame-retarding properties for acrylic resins, polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride and other polymers. Other fields of application are adhesives, coatings, flame resistant paints and varnishes. The main industrial branches to use TCEP are the furniture, the textile and the building industry.
Further information: http://echa.europa.eu/chem_data/authorisation_process/candidate_list_obligations_en.asp

Huntsman Announces Chinese Polyols Joint Venture with Jurong Ningwu Chemical Co.
14 Jan 2010 - The Polyurethanes division of Huntsman Corporation announced the creation of a new, China-based, joint venture with Jurong Ningwu Chemical Co. Ltd, to research, develop, manufacture and sell base polyether polyol products.
The joint venture company will be known as Jurong New Ningwu Chemical Co. Ltd, and will be located in Jurong City, in the south of Jiangsu province. It will be run as a standalone operation, led by Mr. Ying Jun, General Manager of the joint venture.
"We are committed to the long-term development of our business in China and the joint venture with Ningwu is the latest step in our program to build capability in this dynamic growth market”, said Tony Hankins, President of Huntsman’s Polyurethanes division.

Chemical engineering medal winners announced
13 Jan 2010 - An international line-up of chemical engineers has been recognised by IChemE (the Institution of Chemical Engineers) in its 2009 medals programme. The IChemE medals are presented every year to recognise important contributions in key aspects of the profession. The medal recipients are determined by representatives of IChemE’s awards committee and Subject Groups.
The Council medal – awarded to the person who has given exceptional service in a special project – was awarded to IChemE Fellow Stephen Puckett (Tri-Zen International, Singapore). He was recognised for his work in connection with IChemE’s Singaporean activities and in particular, his work as Chairman of the Singapore branch.
The Arnold Greene medal - awarded each year for the most meritorious long-term contribution to the progress of IChemE – was awarded jointly to IChemE Fellow John Parkinson for his valuable contribution to IChemE for over 40 years, at national and more specifically at regional level within the Midlands Branch, and IChemE staff member Beverley Garratt on completion of 30 years of service at IChemE.
Guan Heng Yeoh (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Australia) and Jiyuan Tu (RMIT University, Australia) were awarded the Brennan medal for their publication, Computational techniques for multiphase flow, 1st edition. IChemE Fellow Allen Ormond (Safety Consultancy Group, ABB Engineering Services) was awarded the Franklin medal in recognition of his active role within the IChemE Safety & Loss Prevention Subject Group over the last 15 years as well as his general contribution to the discipline.
The Hanson medal was awarded jointly to IChemE Fellows Jon-Paul Sherlock (AstraZeneca R&D) and Martyn Poliakoff (University of Nottingham, UK), alongside David Lathbury (AstraZeneca R&D) and Steven Howdle (University of Nottingham, UK) for their article ‘Ten things chemists should know about chemical engineers (and vice versa)’ published in the December 2008/January 2009 edition of The Chemical Engineer magazine.
Michael Prince, Margot Vigeant and Katharyn Nottis (all Bucknell University, USA) were joint recipients of the Hutchison medal for their paper ‘A preliminary study on the effectiveness of inquiry-based activities for addressing misconceptions of undergraduate engineering students”, published in IChemE journal Education for chemical engineers in July 2009.
The Moulton medal was awarded to IChemE Fellow William Zimmerman (University of Sheffield, UK), Buddhika Hewakandamby (University of Nottingham, UK) Václav Tesar (Institute of Thermomechanics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic), Hemaka Bandulasena (University of Sheffield, UK) and Olumuyiwa Omotawa (University of Sheffield, UK) for their paper, ‘On the design & simulation of an airlift loop bioreactor with microbubble generation by fluidic oscillation’ published in IChemE journal Food and bioproducts processing (FBP).
The Donald Medal – awarded for outstanding service in biochemical engineering - was presented to IChemE Fellow Nigel Slater (University of Cambridge, UK). The Frank Lees Medal was presented to IChemE Fellow Haroun Mahgerefteh (University College London, UK) for his paper ‘CO2 pipelines – material and safety considerations’ presented at the Hazards XXI conference. And finally, the Jack Loftus Medal was presented to IChemE Fellow Trish Melton (MIME Solutions Ltd) for her efforts to promote the education and understanding of project management.
IChemE CEO, David Brown congratulated all of the medal winners: "These medals recognise key contributions to the chemical engineering profession in 2009 and in many cases, over a much longer period. The recipients should be very proud of their work and the chemical engineering community recognises their important input.”

Zeon Increases Global Nitrile Capacity
13 Jan 2010 - To increase NBR capacity, Zeon Corp. in Japan is investing $1 million dollars to improve production procedures at its acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) production facility in Tokuyama. The improvements will increase Zeon’s NBR capacity in Japan up to 55,000 tons from 45,000 tons previously.
The change is part of a re-evaluation of global production structure. The increased production capacity will allow for the transfer of 10,000 tons of NBR previously manufactured in the USA for Zeon Chemicals L.P. under a toll production agreement.
Zeon Chemicals L.P. will continue to operate as normal at its three North America plants in Louisville, KY, Hattiesburg, MS and Houston, TX. All three plants produce oil- and heat-resistant specialty elastomers. The Louisville plant produces specialty NBR and HyTemp® poylacrylate rubber, while Zeon’s Hattiesburg plant manufactures epichlorohydrin rubber under the Hydrin trademark and the Texas facility produces hydrogenated nitrile polymers under the Zetpol® name.

'Nanodragster' races toward the future of molecular machines
13 Jan 2010 - Scientists in Texas are reporting the development of a "nanodragster" that may speed the course toward development of a new generation of futuristic molecular machines. The vehicle - only 1/50,000th the width of a human hair - resembles a hot-rod in shape and can outperform previous nano-sized vehicles. Their report is in ACS' Organic Letters.
James Tour, Kevin Kelly and colleagues note that the ability to control the motion of small molecules is essential for building much-anticipated molecular machines. Some of these machines may find use in manufacturing computer circuits and other electronic components in the future. Scientists have already made strides by designing nano-sized vehicles, including a "nanocar" with wheels made of buckyballs - spheres of carbon containing 60 atoms apiece. The car can scoot around a gold surface when exposed to heat or an electric field gradient. But control of its movement is limited. These drawbacks prevent its widespread use. But the most limiting factor is the nanoscopic resolution tools available for studying their range of motions and capabilities.
The new vehicle addresses some of these problems. The front end has a smaller axle and wheels made of special materials that roll easier. The rear wheels sport a longer axle but are still made of buckyballs, which provide strong surface grip. These changes result in a "nanodragster" that can operate at lower temperatures than a regular nanocar and possibly has has better agility, paving the way for better molecular machines, the scientists say.
Original publication: Guillaume Vives, JungHo Kang, Kevin F. Kelly and James M. Tour; "Molecular Machinery: Synthesis of a "Nanodragster”; Org. Lett., 2009, 11 (24), pp 5602-5605

Singh named to lead Ashland Performance Materials operations in India
14 Jan 2010 - Vivek Kumar Singh has been named general manager in India for Ashland Performance Materials, a commercial unit of Ashland Inc., effective Feb. 1. He will fill the position formerly held by Bharat Chhabria who was recently named director of new venture planning for Ashland Inc. Singh will report to Stefan Osterwind, commercial director, Ashland Performance Materials, EMEA and India, and will continue to be located in Ashland’s Navi Mumbai, India, office.
Singh began his career with Ashland in 1995, joining the Valvoline/Cummins Ltd. joint venture. He later became a member of the core leadership team and has served in various roles of increasing responsibility. He has served as head of Ashland’s financial and administrative functions in India and is managing director, Ashland India Private Ltd.

Quantum computer calculates exact energy of molecular hydrogen
Groundbreaking approach could impact fields from cryptography to materials science
13 Jan 2010 - In an important first for a promising new technology, scientists have used a quantum computer to calculate the precise energy of molecular hydrogen. This groundbreaking approach to molecular simulations could have profound implications not just for quantum chemistry, but also for a range of fields from cryptography to materials science.
"One of the most important problems for many theoretical chemists is how to execute exact simulations of chemical systems," says author Alán Aspuru-Guzik, assistant professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Harvard University. "This is the first time that a quantum computer has been built to provide these precise calculations."
The work, described in Nature Chemistry, comes from a partnership between Aspuru-Guzik's team of theoretical chemists at Harvard and a group of experimental physicists led by Andrew White at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. Aspuru-Guzik's team coordinated experimental design and performed key calculations, while his partners in Australia assembled the physical "computer" and ran the experiments.
"We were the software guys," says Aspuru-Guzik, "and they were the hardware guys."
While modern supercomputers can perform approximate simulations of simple molecular systems, increasing the size of the system results in an exponential increase in computation time. Quantum computing has been heralded for its potential to solve certain types of problems that are impossible for conventional computers to crack.
Rather than using binary bits labeled as "zero" and "one" to encode data, as in a conventional computer, quantum computing stores information in qubits, which can represent both "zero" and "one" simultaneously. When a quantum computer is put to work on a problem, it considers all possible answers by simultaneously arranging its qubits into every combination of "zeroes" and "ones."
Since one sequence of qubits can represent many different numbers, a quantum computer would make far fewer computations than a conventional one in solving some problems. After the computer's work is done, a measurement of its qubits provides the answer.
"Because classical computers don't scale efficiently, if you simulate anything larger than four or five atoms -- for example, a chemical reaction, or even a moderately complex molecule -- it becomes an intractable problem very quickly," says author James Whitfield, research assistant in chemistry and chemical biology at Harvard. "Approximate computations of such systems are usually the best chemists can do."
Aspuru-Guzik and his colleagues confronted this problem with a conceptually elegant idea.
"If it is computationally too complex to simulate a quantum system using a classical computer," he says, "why not simulate quantum systems with another quantum system?"
Such an approach could, in theory, result in highly precise calculations while using a fraction the resources of conventional computing.
While a number of other physical systems could serve as a computer framework, Aspuru-Guzik's colleagues in Australia used the information encoded in two entangled photons to conduct their hydrogen molecule simulations. Each calculated energy level was the result of 20 such quantum measurements, resulting in a highly precise measurement of each geometric state of molecular hydrogen.
"This approach to computation represents an entirely new way of providing exact solutions to a range of problems for which the conventional wisdom is that approximation is the only possibility," says Aspuru-Guzik.
Ultimately, the same quantum computer that could transform Internet cryptography could also calculate the lowest energy conformations of molecules as complex as cholesterol.

Eastman Increases OXO Alcohols Prices on Feb. 1, 2010
13 Jan 2010 - Eastman Chemical Company is increasing prices on the following products effective Feb. 1, or as contracts allow. These increases are due to elevated operating costs, particularly in raw materials.
EASTMAN™ 2-Ethylhexanoic Acid: Off-list price increase of $US 0.03 /lb ($US 0.066/kg) in North America and Latin America.
EASTMAN™ 2-Ethylhexanol: Off-list price increase of $US 0.03 /lb ($US 0.066/kg) in North America and Latin America.
EASTMAN™ n-Butyl Alcohol: Off-list price increase of $US 0.03 /lb ($US 0.066/kg) in North America and Latin America.
EASTMAN™ Isobutyl Alcohol: Off-list price increase of $US 0.03 /lb ($US 0.066/kg) in North America and Latin America.

AkzoNobel positioned for progress says CEO in annual address
AkzoNobel CEO Hans Wijers says the company's ability to adapt to the new world reality has put it in a strong position to reinforce its status as a global industry leader.

During his traditional New Year's speech to employees, Wijers admitted that 2009 was an extremely tough year, but added that AkzoNobel's quick and decisive response to the downturn had enabled the company to maintain its competitiveness.

"We faced a unique challenge, but we toughed it out," he said. "We proved our ability to adapt to the new reality and we have put ourselves in a strong position to take full advantage of any opportunities that may present themselves."

Looking back on a year punctuated by "very difficult decisions which resulted in unavoidable job losses", Wijers put particular emphasis on the company's operational effectiveness. Driven by a successful focus on customers, costs and cash, this skilful management of the various businesses was handled alongside other key strategic activities, such as the acceleration of the ICI integration. The CEO also highlighted the continued investments which have been made to support the company's commitment to sustainable growth.

"As well as making significant funds available in the field of innovation and R&D, we also invested heavily in capital expenditures such as plants, sites and equipment and made acquisitions across our portfolio. So even though we were in the middle of a deep economic crisis, we continued to invest in the future of our great company.

"However, it's important to realize that the world we knew pre-2008 will not come back in a hurry, because the economy and the world itself has structurally changed. We will therefore need to maintain our focus on customers, costs and cash and adopt different agendas for low and high growth areas. In the low growth regions of North America and Europe it will be essential to fight cost inflation, while in emerging markets such as Asia and Brazil we will be bolder and invest in profitable growth."

Acknowledging the valuable contribution made by employees around the world, Wijers went on to stress the importance of sustainability and further safety improvements to the company's continued success. He also singled out the start-up of AkzoNobel's new multi-site in China as one of 2009's key developments.

"The Ningbo site is a shining example of our commitment to sustainable growth in emerging markets," he said. "The start of production at the new chelates facility was a major milestone and I am already looking forward to the formal opening, which is expected to take place towards the end of this year once the new ethylene amines facility is on stream."

Concluded Wijers: "We were determined to emerge from the crisis even stronger and our achievements in 2009 have put us in a good position. The year 2010 is likely to be another challenging year, but we will continue to put all our energy into focusing on our customers and delivering Tomorrow's Answers Today."

AkzoNobel will publish its full year and Q4 2009 results on February 18, 2010
AkzoNobel is proud to be one of the world's leading industrial companies. Based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, we make and supply a wide range of paints, coatings and specialty chemicals - 2008 revenue totaled €15.4 billion. In fact, we are the largest global paints and coatings company. As a major producer of specialty chemicals we supply industries worldwide with quality ingredients for life's essentials. We think about the future, but act in the present. We're passionate about introducing new ideas and developing sustainable answers for our customers. That's why our 58,000 employees - who are based in more than 80 countries - are committed to excellence and delivering Tomorrow's Answers Today(TM).

5th WORLD WATER FORUM INTRODUCES OECD REPORT
His Imperial Highness The Crown Prince of Japan Delivers Key Note Speech
ISTANBUL , TURKEY: The second day of the 5th World Water Forum, a weeklong summit aimed at pushing the worldwide water crisis onto the international agenda, focused on global change, risk management and government oversight. Experts today discussed topics such as Efficient Water Use, Progressive Water Management and Effective Financial Planning.

The Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, a group that brings together the governments of countries committed to democracy, launched the second day of the Forum with its report on water pricing and financing. Presented jointly with the World Water Council, the report presented findings showing that aid for water supply and sanitation has risen since 2001, after a temporary decline in the second part of the 1990s. The report also outlined aid commitments to the water sector and sanitation, broken down by country, generally showing renewed commitment to the sector and its issues.

The presenter, Angel Gurría, Secretary-General for the OECD, called for adding freshwater to political focus on finances, fuel, and food, and for using tariffs, taxes and aid transfers for sustainable cost recovery. Stressing the links between demand and supply policies and between pricing and financing of water, Loïc Fauchon, President of the World Water Council, proposed that future discussions focus on developing specific approaches for financing sanitation, and energy for water.

As the day progressed, His Imperial Highness (HIH) The Crown Prince of Japan, Naruhito, delivered a keynote speech stressing that in order to manage river basins for sustainability, it is imperative to learn from past emergency experiences as well as to bring creative minds together to chart out a long term vision for the management of each particular basin. HIH The Crown Prince of Japan, Naruhito also attended the day’s closing ceremony for the World Water Youth Forum, a gathering of 16 to 26-year-olds from around the globe who are actively engaged in water-related issues.

Following HIH The Crown Prince of Japan, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation presented its initiatives in the fields of integrated and sustainable water resource management, with Prince Albert II in attendance.

Afternoon sessions focused on water disasters, with a session on "Managing Water-Related Risks and Climate Change," hosted by World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Korea Water Forum and Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs (MLTM) Korea , which urged shifting from reaction to prevention of disasters-the key to the future. In this session, political decision makers were encouraged to create policies that anticipate disasters, rather than concentrating on relief efforts. Panellists highlighted the likelihood of increased water-related disasters due to climate change. Prof. Chris Zevenbergen of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization-IHE, institute for water education, emphasized that while extreme events may lead to disaster, disaster is in fact created by human response to extreme events.

Two regional sessions complemented the day, one on the Americas and one devoted to Europe . Each day of the Forum will highlight the water situation in specific regions. The Americas regional session was chaired by Benedito Braga, Vice-President of the World Water Council. During an initial panel, governmental representatives from each of the Americas sub-regions presented, including North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America . Central America and the Caribbean strongly emphasized their vulnerability to climate change and stressed that they would need support from developed countries.

Presenting the European session, “The Way Forward in the 21st Century,” Tom Vereijken, Chair of the European Water Partnership, introduced the European water vision, a water stewardship and awareness program, and the realization of a European water-house to share technologies and best practices. Representing Spain , Water Director Marta Moren discussed water scarcity and drought in the European Union, touching on the European Water Directive for sustainability. Noting that no part of Europe is immune from water scarcity, Jacqueline McGlade, Director of the European Environmental Agency, criticized supply-led management as unsustainable.

Day Two came to a close with an event celebrating Istanbul ’s journey to becoming a European Capital of Culture. The term “European Capital of Culture” first emerged in the 1980’s when the Greek Culture Minister at the time, Melina Mercouri, persuaded the European Union Ministerial Council to highlight cities’ cultural lives and advances. Istanbul, with its geographical location and cultural heritage spanning thousands of years, has a privileged position among world metropolises with its young and dynamic population that brings creative energy, turning Istanbul—a mirror of Turkey—into one of the world’s most dynamic cities.
For more information about the World Water Forum, please visit www.worldwaterforum5.org

About the World Water Forum
The World Water Forum is the international meeting place where the world comes together to share concrete solutions for water issues. It is organized every three years by the World Water Council and the host country’s government, and is the result of more than two years of preparation involving people from all regions, sectors and backgrounds. Previous Fora have been held in Morocco (1997), the Netherlands (2000), Japan (2003) and Mexico (2006). For more information on the World Water Fora and the World Water Council, please visit www.worldwaterforum5.org.

Caltex CEO earns new chemical engineering post
Desmond King, CEO of Australian oil refining and marketing company, Caltex has been confirmed as IChemE’s (Institution of Chemical Engineers) Deputy President 2009-10.

He will officially assume the post at the Institution’s AGM in May and succeed current Deputy President, Ian Shott as IChemE President in 2010.
King has a degree in chemical engineering from Imperial College London, UK and a PhD from Cambridge University, UK. He has spent much of his career at Chevron, working his way from process researcher via refinery manager to key roles in technology, marketing and strategic planning.
King has been CEO of the Chevron subsidiary, Caltex since 2006, prior to which he was general manager of Chevron’s Pembroke refinery in Wales.
“I truly feel honoured to be elected Deputy President,” says King.

IChemE CEO, David Brown has welcomed the appointment: “Des is an ideal person to fulfil the role of President, with a distinguished career in the energy industry following experience as an academic, combined with a strong international profile having worked in North America, Europe and now Australia.”

IChemE is an international membership organisation for chemical engineers and has offices in Australia, Malaysia and the UK. With almost 30,000 members across more than 120 countries, King will become the latest high-profile figure to assume the Institution’s presidency.

Previous Presidents include former Director General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in India (CSIR), Ramesh Mashelkar (2007-08), President of Shell Global Solutions International, Greg Lewin (2006-07) and current President of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE), Robin Batterham (2004-05). Related links IChemE 2009 AGM. Des King at Caltex.com/au

About chemical engineers
Chemical, biochemical and process engineering is the application of science, maths and economics to the process of turning raw materials into everyday products. Professional chemical engineers design, construct and manage process operations all over the world. Pharmaceuticals, food and drink, synthetic fibres and clean drinking water are just some of the products where chemical engineering plays a central role.

About IChemE
IChemE (Institution of Chemical Engineers) is the hub for chemical, biochemical and process engineering professionals worldwide. With a growing global membership of some 30,000, the Institution is at the heart of the process community, promoting competence and a commitment to best practice, advancing the discipline for the benefit of society, encouraging young people in science and engineering and supporting the professional development of its members. For more information, visit www.icheme.org

AkzoNobel Science Award 2009 Winners Announced
05 Mar 2009 - Two Swedish professors have been named as the winners of this year's AkzoNobel Science Award, which is presented annually in recognition of groundbreaking interdisciplinary research. The honor will officially be handed over later this month to Professor Carl Borrebaeck and Professor Thomas Laurell, who both work at Lund University.

Professor Borrebaeck has been recognized for his research into antibody engineering for the generation of human antibodies as biological pharmaceuticals useful for human therapy. Professor Laurell - one of the pioneers in Sweden of so-called "lab-on-a-chip" technology - has been honored for his research into new microchip technologies in the area of biomedicine, biochemistry and nanobiotechnology, with a focus on nanoproteomics.

Carl Borrebaeck is a professor and prefect at the Department of Immunotechnology at Lund University. His research has made it possible to design microarrays enabling the diagnosis of complex diseases, such as cancer. This opens up novel possibilities to diagnose cancer earlier and with much improved accuracy, as well as predicting tumor relapses in some cases. This means that appropriate therapies can start at an earlier stage, improving the chances for increased survival.

Thomas Laurell is a professor at the Department of Measurement Technology and Industrial Electrical Engineering, Division of Nanobiotechnology, at Lund University. His research has helped to advance lab-on-a-chip technology to detect extremely low levels of substances and other biomarkers that correlate to diseases. In addition, he has conducted groundbreaking work on the separation of different blood components and types of cells using a unique ultrasonic method.

U.S. business magazine FORTUNE:
BASF is the world's most admired chemical company
10 Mar 2009 - BASF is the world's most admired chemical company according to a survey carried out by the U.S. business magazine FORTUNE. The full results of the survey are published in the current edition.

In the 2009 list of the "World's Most Admired Companies," BASF is ranked the top company in the chemical industry, up one place compared with 2008. Industry experts voted BASF into top position in the chemical industry in eight of nine categories, which included product and service quality, innovation, global competitiveness, financial soundness and quality of management.

For the survey, FORTUNE and its partner Hay Group selected approximately 700 companies worldwide, which were then ranked by more than 4,000 directors, executives and managers in the respective industries.

LyondellBasell confirms its participation in the development of an integrated Petrochemical complex in Western Kazakhstan
12 Mar 2009 - LyondellBasell Industries, a partner with SAT & Co. and KMGEP of Kazakhstan Petrochemical Industries Ltd. (KPI), reaffirmed its ongoing participation in the development and construction, of an integrated petrochemical complex and a Gas Separation Unit in the Atyrau region of Kazakhstan.

As planned the petrochemical complex will include a world-scale ethane cracker, a propane dehydrogenation unit, a polypropylene plant and two polyethylene production facilities using LyondellBasell's latest polyethylene and polypropylene process technologies. The three world-scale plants are scheduled to begin operations in 2014.

"I am delighted about the excellent collaboration with our partners and truly impressed by the progress made by KPI on the project, in spite of recent difficulties facing the global petrochemicals industry," said Just Jansz, President of LyondellBasell's Technology Business. He added: "We are pleased to confirm our continued commitment and ongoing support to the KPI project."

KPI has successfully completed the feasibility study for this large green field project, and plans to issue in the very near future invitations for construction bids for the Integrated Complex, the GSU and the connecting pipelines. In August 2008 KPI selected the polyolefin technologies that will be used to produce materials at the site.

AkzoNobel wins prestigious paint contract for Dutch rebranding project
AkzoNobel's Car Refinishes business has been chosen to supply paint systems for the rebranding of Essent Network, the distribution arm of Dutch energy supplier Essent (now operating under the name Enexis).

Car Refinishes will supply its high quality VOC-compliant Sikkens® Autocoat BT paint solutions to leading Dutch branding specialists RGN, who are managing the rebranding of Essent Network's fleet of 1,100 vehicles. Various other objects and surfaces are also being rebranded to meet with the recently introduced Enexis livery and house style requirements. "We're absolutely delighted to have been selected for this project, which is one of the largest of its kind in recent years," said Jim Rees, Managing Director of AkzoNobel Car Refinishes.

"Enexis need the entire vehicle rebranding operation to be focused on providing the fastest, most efficient and consistent paint solutions so that they can get their vehicles back on the road as quickly as possible." RGN's decision to select Sikkens was not only based on the strength and quality of the product and service package. They also took into account the business' track record as a reliable partner with a wealth of global experience in providing customer focused paint solutions, particularly for re-imaging projects and vehicle fleet owners.

Added RGN's Managing Director, Erwin Scholten van Agteren: "In a highly competitive market such as energy, a complex undertaking such as a rebranding has to be completed quickly and effectively. In this instance, it means highly professional project management and top quality coatings and services. We firmly believe the partnership of RGN and AkzoNobel Car Refinishes will deliver highly competitive, top quality paint solutions, minimizing vehicle off road time and maximizing customer profitability." In terms of customer profitability and service, Marc Spekreijse, manager Car Refinishes the Netherlands, commented that in Sikkens Autocoat BT, Enexis can rely on Car Refinishes delivering a product which is designed specifically for the commercial vehicles market. It is also at the cutting-edge of sustainable technology, providing consistent product quality and color accuracy to agreed standards. "Our coatings expertise and track record is geared towards providing our partners and customer base with custom-made sustainable solutions," he said. "We're committed to putting our customers first by providing them with the very best future-proof products, the fastest possible turnaround times and top quality service through a dedicated key account approach." The target date for the completion of the Enexis project is the end of June, 2009.

AkzoNobel is proud to be one of the world's leading industrial companies. Based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, we make and supply a wide range of paints, coatings and specialty chemicals - 2008 revenue totaled €15.4 billion. In fact, we are the largest global paints and coatings company. As a major producer of specialty chemicals we supply industries worldwide with quality ingredients for life's essentials. We think about the future, but act in the present. We're passionate about introducing new ideas and developing sustainable answers for our customers. That's why our 60,000 employees - who are based in more than 80 countries - are committed to excellence and delivering Tomorrow's Answers Today(TM).

AkzoNobel Car Refinishes is one of the world's leading suppliers of paints and services for the car repair, commercial vehicles and automotive plastics markets. It sells coatings for car body refinishing, or recoating, to customers including bodyshops, distributors, fleet owners, automotive suppliers and major bus and truck producers. Brands include Sikkens®, Lesonal®, Dynacoat®, Wanda®, and Sikkens Autocoat® BT. Operating in more than 60 countries, Car Refinishes has specialists around the world who understand local markets and can serve local needs. Its state-of-the-art customer services, color and technology solutions include offering technical and logistical support and the delivery of training programs. Internet: http://www.akzonobel.com/cr Note to editors - not for publication For more informationAkzo Nobel Car Refinishes Name, Marc MichelsenTel: +31 6 229 471 38
Email: marc.michelsen@akzonobel.com
Source: Akzo Nobel NV /AEX: AKZA /ISIN: NL0000009132

Air Products to Acquire German Epoxy Additives Maker S.I.Q.
12 Mar 2009 - Air Products announced it has reached an agreement to acquire S.I.Q. - Beteiligungs GmbH, a manufacturer of epoxy additives based in Marl, Germany. The transaction, terms of which are not being disclosed, is subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions.

"The acquisition of S.I.Q. gives us complementary product lines for the construction and coatings markets," said Mike Hilton, senior vice president and general manager, Electronics and Performance Materials, for Air Products. "S.I.Q.'s line of epoxy resin/hardeners and reactive diluents will mesh nicely with Air Products' epoxy curatives and broaden our offering to thesemarkets."
S.I.Q. was founded in 2000 and since 2001 has been led by Karlheinz Schoennagel.
"We are delighted Air Products sees our epoxy business as a valuable growth platform for their global epoxy additives business," said Schoennagel. "We look forward to ensuring a smooth transition to Air Products."

DSM opens new engineering plastics compounding plant in India
12 Mar 2009 - Royal DSM N.V. announces that it has opened a new manufacturing facility for producing engineering plastics compounds in India.

The plant, located at a 25 acre site at MIDC Ranjangaon industrial zone, about 60 kilometers from Pune, triples capacity for the production of Akulon® PA6, Arnite® PBT and PET and Stanyl® PA46 in India. It is also the largest polyamide and polyester compounding facility in the country, according to the company. Materials produced by the facility are used in manufacturing molded components for the automotive, electrical and electronics and consumer goods industries.

An increased presence in emerging economies is one of the key strategic drivers of DSM's Vision 2010 strategy. India, with an average GDP growth of nearly 7% in the past ten years, is an important part of this strategy.

"This investment is an important step forward in increasing our presence in India. It also confirms our long term commitment to the country. We are impressed with the growth of our Indian operations and this facility will help to achieve further profitable growth in the future", said Nico Gerardu, member of the Managing Board of DSM.

Air Products and Technip Extend Global Alliance
11 Feb 2009 - Air Products and Technip announced a long-term extension reaching beyond the year 2020 for the global business alliance that has already designed, constructed and is operating 30 hydrogen and synthesis gas production plants worldwide. According to the companies, the alliance extension ensures the continued delivery of industrial gas plants providing a reliable and safe supply of hydrogen and synthesis gas to an ever-growing number of customers in the fields of refining, chemicals and petrochemicals, as well as continuous product development to improve efficiencies and cost effective solutions for the industry.

Technip provides licensing for its proprietary technologies, design and engineering services for steam methane reformers while Air Products provides the gas separation technology. Air Products, through its extensive operating network, and Technip, from its large reference base, also bring effective operational and engineering knowledge to "design-in" high reliability and efficiency. The plants are operated and maintained by Air Products under long-term agreements with customers.

"This alliance has been a very successful one for both companies and the customers we so reliably serve," said Jeff Byrne, Air Products' vice president and general manager, Tonnage Gases. "Working together we have provided our customers with superior plant technology, performance, and world-class safety using competitive plant design, faster bid responses and shorter project schedules. This alliance has been of great importance in assisting the refining industry meet its increased hydrogen needs to comply with clean transportation fuel regulations, without the extensive upfront engineering and capital costs involved with buying, owning and operating plants."

Wacker plans to set up new polysilicon production facility in the United States
02 Mar 2009 - Wacker Chemie AG has mid-term plans to construct a new hyperpure polycrystalline silicon facility in the US and has purchased land in the State of Tennessee for this purpose. The land in Bradley County covers approximately 550 acres (220 hectares), offering adequate space for a new integrated silicon-based manufacturing site. The purchase price totals almost $20 million. Wacker expects a mid-term investment in the Cleveland, Tennessee area of around $1 billion to set up the new plant, thereby creating about 500 new jobs. The size of the site, the availability of reliable power from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), over-the-fence supply of chlorine from the adjacent OLIN Corporation facility and excellent transportation infrastructure made this an attractive site location.

"We expect polysilicon demand from the solar and semiconductor industries to further increase in coming years," explained Rudolf Staudigl, President and CEO of Wacker Chemie AG. "Purchasing the land is an essential prerequisite to quickly build up additional production capacities outside the euro zone in line with the projected market trends and growth in demand."

According to Staudigl, this site was chosen not only for its well developed infrastructure but also due to the outstanding support and cooperation made available by the Bradley County government offices, Bradley-Cleveland Chamber of Commerce and local businesses and the State of Tennessee. The package of incentives connected with the land purchase includes provisions for necessary transportation access and a reliable source for water and electric-based energy which are key resources associated with the production of hyperpure polycrystalline silicon. In addition, electrical energy costs in Tennessee are uniquely affordable, only about half the rated experienced at comparable sites in Germany.

"Government officials at all levels, agencies and business associates from the State of Tennessee and Bradley County were extremely attentive to our business requirements, cooperative, and made every endeavor to support our plans," continued Staudigl.

Wacker and Dow Corning start raw material production at China's largest integrated silicone site
18 Nov 2008 - Wacker Chemie AG and Dow Corning Corporation officially started production in the first stage of their new pyrogenic silica and siloxane plants in Zhangjiagang (China). The new plants are key facilities of an integrated silicone manufacturing site developed by both companies to produce materials used in industries including construction, beauty and personal care, power and automotives.

Total investment from both companies for the site is estimated at approximately 1.2 billion U.S. dollars. Covering an area of 1 million square meters, the site located in the Jiangsu Yangtze River Chemical Industrial Park, Zhangjiagang City, Jiangsu Province, is China's largest facility of this kind and among the world's largest and most advanced integrated production complexes for silicones, according to the company.

The combined capacity for siloxane and pyrogenic silica is planned to be approximately 200,000 metric tons per year. It is expected that full operational capacity will be phased in by the end of 2010. Through their Zhangjiagang production complex, WACKER and Dow Corning intend to serve growing customer demand for silicone materials in China and throughout the Asian region.

The first phase of siloxane and pyrogenic silica production facilities, which now has been successfully completed, is an important step toward integrated production loops at the Zhangjiagang site. The siloxane plant will supply chlorosilane for the production of pyrogenic silica as raw material, while the pyrogenic silica plant will send back its by-product hydrogen chloride (HCL) for the production of siloxane.

Wacker to further Expand Polysilicon Production Capacity
New production plant with annual capacity of 10,000 metric tons at Wacker's Nünchriz site
21 Oct 2008 - Wacker Chemie AG plans to construct a new polysilicon production plant at its Nünchritz site (Saxony, Germany) with a nominal annual capacity of 10,000 metric tons. The Munich-based chemical company announced this decision. The first batch of polysilicon from this "capacity expansion phase 9" project is scheduled for Q1 2011. The new plant is expected to achieve full capacity by the end of 2011. Wacker has budgeted some €760 million for this project, which should create around 450 new jobs. The company has additionally decided to raise the nominal annual capacity planned for Burghausen's "expansion phase 8" (currently under construction) from 7,000 to 10,000 metric tons. Thanks to these and other ongoing expansion measures, WACKER's polysilicon capacity by year-end 2011 will reach 35,500 metric tons annually, compared to today's 10,000 metric tons.

Output expansion will enable WACKER to meet the accelerating global demand it expects for hyperpure polycrystalline silicon, according to the company. For coming years, WACKER anticipates continued double-digit annual growth in polysilicon demand by the solar-industry. The company likewise expects higher polysilicon demand from the electronics industry.

LyondellBasell confirms its participation in the development of an integrated Petrochemical complex in Western Kazakhstan
12 Mar 2009 - LyondellBasell Industries, a partner with SAT & Co. and KMGEP of Kazakhstan Petrochemical Industries Ltd. (KPI), reaffirmed its ongoing participation in the development and construction, of an integrated petrochemical complex and a Gas Separation Unit in the Atyrau region of Kazakhstan.

As planned the petrochemical complex will include a world-scale ethane cracker, a propane dehydrogenation unit, a polypropylene plant and two polyethylene production facilities using LyondellBasell's latest polyethylene and polypropylene process technologies. The three world-scale plants are scheduled to begin operations in 2014.

"I am delighted about the excellent collaboration with our partners and truly impressed by the progress made by KPI on the project, in spite of recent difficulties facing the global petrochemicals industry," said Just Jansz, President of LyondellBasell's Technology Business. He added: "We are pleased to confirm our continued commitment and ongoing support to the KPI project."

KPI has successfully completed the feasibility study for this large green field project, and plans to issue in the very near future invitations for construction bids for the Integrated Complex, the GSU and the connecting pipelines. In August 2008 KPI selected the polyolefin technologies that will be used to produce materials at the site.

New nanoporous material has highest surface area yet
12 Mar 2009 - University of Michigan researchers have developed a nanoporous material with a surface area significantly higher than that of any other porous material reported to date.

"Surface area is an important, intrinsic property that can affect the behavior of materials in processes ranging from the activity of catalysts to water detoxification to purification of hydrocarbons," professor of chemistry Adam Matzger said.

Until a few years ago, the upper limit for surface area of porous materials was thought to be around 3,000 square meters per gram. Then in 2004, a U-M team that included Matzger reported development of a material known as MOF-177 that set a new record. MOF-177 belonged to a new class of materials known as metal-organic frameworks - scaffold-like structures made up of metal hubs linked together with struts composed of organic compounds. Just one gram of MOF-177 has the surface area of a football field.

"Pushing beyond that point has been difficult," Matzger said, but his group achieved the feat with the new material, UMCM-2 (University of Michigan Crystalline Material-2), which has a record-breaking surface area of more than 5,000 square meters per gram.

The researchers used a technique called coordination copolymerization to produce the new material. Previously, they used the same method to create a similar material, UMCM-1, which was made up of six, microporous cage-like structures surrounding a large, hexagonal channel. By using a slightly different combination of ingredients, Matzger's group came up with UMCM-2, which is composed of fused cages of various sizes and does not have the channel found in UMCM-1.

"The new structure is a bit surprising and shows how the coordination copolymerization method has real potential for new materials discovery," Matzger said.

In the quest for new materials capable of compactly storing large amounts of hydrogen, researchers have assumed that increasing the surface area of porous materials will result in greater storage capacity. Interestingly, the hydrogen-holding ability of UMCM-2, while high, is no greater than that of existing materials in the same family, suggesting that surface area alone is not the key to hydrogen uptake. Even so, UMCM-2 is useful for helping define future research directions, Matzger said. "I think we needed this compound to demonstrate that high surface area alone is not enough for hydrogen storage."

Original article: Kyoungmoo Koh, Antek G. Wong-Foy and Adam J. Matzger; "A Porous Coordination Copolymer with over 5000 m2/g BET Surface Area"; Journal of the American Chemical Society March 6, 2009

Twin nanoparticle shown effective at targeting, killing breast cancer cells
12 Mar 2009 - Breast cancer patients face many horrors, including those that arise when fighting the cancer itself. Medications given during chemotherapy can have wicked side effects, including vomiting, dizziness, anemia and hair loss. These side effects occur because medications released into the body target healthy cells as well as tumor cells.

The trick becomes how to deliver cancer-fighting drugs directly to the tumor cells. Brown University chemists think they have an answer: They have created a twin nanoparticle that specifically targets the Her-2-positive tumor cell, a type of malignant cell that affects up to 30 percent of breast cancer patients.

The combination nanoparticle binds to the Her-2 tumor cell and unloads the cancer-fighting drug cisplatin directly into the infected cell. The result: Greater success at killing the cancer while minimizing the anti-cancer drug's side effects.

"Like a missile, you don't want the anti-cancer drugs to explode everywhere," explained Shouheng Sun, a chemistry professor at Brown University and an author on the paper published online in The Journal of the American Chemical Society. "You want it to target the tumor cells and not the healthy ones."

The researchers created the twin nanoparticle by binding one gold (Au) nanoparticle with an iron-oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticle. On one end, they attached a synthetic protein antibody to the iron-oxide nanoparticle. On the other end, they attached cisplatin to the gold nanoparticle. Visually, the whole contraption looks like an elongated dumbbell, but it may be better to think of it as a vehicle, equipped with a very good GPS system, that is ferrying a very important passenger.

In this case, the GPS comes from the iron-oxide nanoparticle, which homes in on a Her-2 breast-cancer cell like a guided missile. The attached antibody is critical, because it binds to the antigen, a protein located on the surface on the malignant cell. Put another way, the nanoparticle vehicle "docks" on the tumor cell when the antibody and the antigen become connected. Once docked, the vehicle unloads its "passenger," the cisplatin, into the malignant cell.

"It's like a magic bullet," said Chenjie Xu, a Brown graduate student and the lead author on the paper. Baodui Wang, a visiting scientist at Brown and now an associate professor at Lanzhou University in China, contributed to the paper.

In a neat twist, the Brown-led team used a pH-sensitive covalent bond to connect the gold nanoparticle with the cisplatin to ensure that the drug was not released into the body but remained attached to the nanoparticle until it was time for it to be released into the malignant cell.

In laboratory tests, the gold-iron oxide nanoparticle combination successfully targeted the cancer cells and released the anti-cancer drugs into the malignant cells, killing the cells in up to 80 percent of cases.

The research builds on previous work in Sun's lab where researchers created peptide-coated iron-oxide nanoparticles that, in tests with mice, successfully located a brain tumor cell called U87MG.

The researchers will test the breast-cancer nanoparticle system in laboratory tests with animals. They also plan to create twin nanoparticles that can release the drug via remote-controlled magnetic heating.

Copper(I) interlocks rings and rods
11 Mar 2009 - Scientists in France have synthesised highly functional [4] pseudorotaxanes utilising the gathering and threading effect of copper(I).

Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Jean-Paul Collin, Valérie Heitz and colleagues from the University of Strasbourg, in France, have prepared a highly functional interlocking system consisting of four independent organic fragments (two bis-macrcycles and two rod-like compounds which are threaded through the rings) and four copper(I) metal centres.

This self-assembly process relies on the formation of coordination chemistry bonds between the copper centres and nitrogen that form easily and quantitatively.

Of particular significance is the high functionality of the system which is due to two zinc complexed porphyrins incorporated as lateral plates, and the rods and rings containing chelating groups.

Originally the motivation to produce assemblies of interlocking rings (catenanes) or rings threaded by string-like fragments (rotaxanes) was the synthetic challenge. However these structures possess new properties that are useful in the fields of photochemistry, photochemical sensors, electron transfer, host-guest chemistry and molecular machines.

'The construction principle in these systems, based on coordination chemistry can be generalised to form more complex edifices towards the fabrication of molecular devices,' says Sauvage.

Original article: Sauvage et. al.; "Quantitative formation of [4]pseudorotaxanes from two rods and two bis-macrocycles incorporating porphyrinic plates between the rings"; Chem. Commun. 2009

Krahn Chemie distributes EVA of Braskem
11 Mar 2009 - Early this year, Braskem Europe BV granted the Hamburg distributor Krahn Chemie GmbH the sales rights for ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA) of the Brazilian holding company Braskem S.A..

The EVA products known under the brand name EVATENO® are marketed by Krahn Chemie GmbH in the segments adhesives, cables, shoes and compounds throughout all of Europe, with the exception of Great Britain and Italy.

Types are currently being offered with a VA content of 19 - 28% and a MFI of 2.5 - 150 g/10min. Higher MFI are currently being developed and shall be introduced midyear.

DSM opens new factory for waterborne acrylic resins in Waalwijk
10 Mar 2009 - Royal DSM N.V. announces that a new factory for waterborne acrylic resins has been opened in Waalwijk (Netherlands). Total investment costs amounted to EUR 30 million.

"This expansion is an important milestone for DSM NeoResins+ as a trusted, innovative partner for the coatings industry. That an important partner and highly valued customer such as AkzoNobel agreed to open this facility underlines this. Even though we find ourselves in the midst of an economic downturn, we continue our strategic commitment to innovation and sustainability as highlighted by this important expansion," Feike Sijbesma, Chairman of the DSM Managing Board said.

DuPont Signs Agreement to Develop Electronic Materials
DuPont conducts research at its Semiconductor Materials Technical Center in Taiwan
09 Mar 2009 - In an effort to develop new semiconductor packaging technologies, DuPont Wafer Level Packaging Solutions, part of DuPont Electronic Technologies, has signed a joint-development agreement with Nippon Kayaku Co. Ltd. (NKC) and its wholly owned subsidiary, MicroChem Corp. Wafer level packaging refers to the technology of packaging an integrated circuit at wafer level, instead of the traditional process of assembling the package of each individual unit after wafer dicing.

The electronic materials developed under the agreement will be new advanced photodefinable epoxy-based materials. They will be directed at wafer level packaging, 3D and through-silicon via (TSV) semiconductor packaging applications that are transforming electronics to make them smaller, lighter weight, more functional and more cost-effective.

"Combining the expertise of Nippon Kayaku and MicroChem in advanced epoxy resins and formulation, with DuPont coating technology, material science and electronic applications knowledge means that we can generate a series of enabling materials faster," said Mats Ehlin, global business manager, DuPont Wafer Level Packaging Solutions. "We're excited about this opportunity to further expand our offering and strengthen our ability to help customers meet their needs for improved performance, form factor and reduced cost."

From wood waste to fuel
Cellulosic biofuels company to safely and efficiently convert wood waste into fuel at Georgia plant
09 Mar 2009 - Second-generation biofuels company Range Fuels has formed a strategic relationship with Emerson Process Management to help bring online the first commercial cellulosic biofuels plant in the United States. Range Fuels selected Emerson as its main automation contractor for the new Soperton, Ga., plant, which will use non-edible biomass such as timber and wood waste generated by nearby forest industry operations to produce more than 100 million gallons of ethanol and methanol annually. Emerson also is the main automation contractor for Range Fuels' existing pilot plant in Denver, which was designed to optimize the proprietary and patented thermo-chemical process that converts timber and wood feedstock into fuel.

"We expect to shorten our project cycles and ramp up to production target levels safely and efficiently with Emerson's assistance," said Bill Schafer, senior vice president, business development, Range Fuels. "Our intent is to replicate this plant and to strategically establish additional plants near feedstock sources in the United States."

Magnetic nanoparticles navigate therapeutic genes through the body
PTB measures the pinpointed transport of therapeutics for cardiovascular diseases
09 Mar 2009 - Health professionals send genes and healthy cells on their way through the bloodstream so that they can, for example, repair tissue damage to arteries. But do they reach their destination in sufficient quantities? Scientists of the PTB have developed a highly sensitive measuring method with which the efficiency of this therapy can be investigated: Small magnetic particles which are situated on the planted gene or on the planted cell can with the aid of an external magnetic field be specifically directed to the location of the damage. There the researchers determine, accurate to the picogram per cell, the quantity of the magnetic material - and thus also the quantity of the therapeutically effective genes or cells. In a joint study with the University of Bonn it became clear: By means of the magnetic method it is possible to dramatically increase the efficiency of the gene transfer in comparison to the non-magnetic method.

Magnetic nanoparticles can support or even enable gene transfer under clinically relevant experimental conditions. For the transduction of human cells, gene carriers were coupled to magnetic nanoparticles and dragged into the cells by magnetic field gradients. The efficiency of magnetic transduction turned out to be much higher than the nonmagnetic procedure. An additional welcome side effect is the "magnetization" of the cells after the incorporation of nanoparticles. This may enable the targeted transport of the cells to regions of interest. A closer look at the underlying mechanism of magnetic gene transfer was taken by the quantification of the magnetic material that was delivered to the cells. The required highly sensitive measurements in the range of a few picogramm per cell were made by PTB using magnetorelaxometry. The good correlation between measurement data and gene transfer encourages to use magnetorelaxometry for monitoring the efficiency of gene and cell transfer, possibly even in vivo.

Original publications: Combined targeting of lentiviral vectors and positioning of transduced cells by magnetic nanoparticles; PNAS 106 (1), S.44-49.

New BASF and Dow HPPO Plant in Antwerp Completes Start-Up Phase
09 Mar 2009 - BASF SE and The Dow Chemical Company announced that the world's largest commercial-scale propylene oxide (PO) plant and the first based on the innovative hydrogen peroxide to propylene oxide (HPPO) technology jointly developed by BASF and Dow has completed its start-up phase and is running stably.

This HPPO complex, with a capacity of 300,000 metric tons PO per year located at BASF's site in Antwerp, Belgium, provides economies of scale, a reduction of wastewater and lower energy usage. PO is a core ingredient for the polyurethanes industry.

In 2003, Dow and BASF began their joint process research program to develop and commercialize the HPPO technology. This joint venture allowed the two companies to combine their innovation strengths and thereby commercialize the technology more rapidly than would have been possible by either partner alone. The HPPO joint venture partners broke ground for the production facility in September 2006.

Sunlight turns carbon dioxide to methane
09 Mar 2009 - Dual catalysts may be the key to efficiently turning carbon dioxide and water vapor into methane and other hydrocarbons using titania nanotubes and solar power, according to Penn State researchers.

"Recycling of carbon dioxide via conversion into a high energy-content fuel, suitable for use in the existing hydrocarbon-based energy infrastructure, is an attractive option, however the process is energy intense and useful only if a renewable energy source can be used for the purpose," the researchers note in Nano Letters.

Craig A. Grimes, professor of electrical engineering and his team used titanium dioxide nanotubes doped with nitrogen and coated with a thin layer of both copper and platinum to convert a mixture of carbon dioxide and water vapor to methane. Using outdoor, visible light, they reported a 20-times higher yield of methane than previously published attempts conducted in laboratory conditions using intense ultraviolet exposures.

The chemical conversion of water and carbon dioxide to methane is simple on paper - one carbon dioxide molecule and two water molecules become one methane molecule and two oxygen molecules. However, for the reaction to occur, at least eight photons are required for each molecule.

"Converting carbon dioxide and water to methane using photocatalysis is an appealing idea, but historically, attempts have had very low conversion rates," said Grimes who is also a member of Penn State's Materials Research Institute. "To get significant hydrocarbon reaction yields requires an efficient photocatalyst that uses the maximum energy available in sunlight."

The team, which also included Oomman K. Varghese and Maggie Paulose, Materials Research Institute research scientists and Thomas J. LaTempa, graduate student in electrical engineering, used natural sunlight to test their nanotubes in a chamber containing a mix of water vapor and carbon dioxide. They exposed the co-catalyst sensitized nanotubes to sunlight for 2.5 to 3.5 hours when the sun produced between 102 and 75 milliwatts for each square centimeter exposed.

The researchers found that nanotubes annealed at 600 degrees Celsius and coated with copper yielded the highest amounts of hydrocarbons and that the same nanotubes coated with platinum actually yielded more hydrogen, while the copper coated nanotubes produced more carbon monoxide. Both hydrogen and carbon monoxide are normal intermediate steps in the process and as the building blocks of syngas, can be used to make liquid hydrocarbon fuels.

When the team used a nanotube array with about half the surface coated in copper and the other half in platinum, they enhanced the hydrocarbon production and eliminated carbon monoxide. The yield for these dual catalyst nanotubes was 163 parts per million hydrocarbons an hour for each square centimeter. The yield from titania nanotubes without either copper or platinum catalysts is only about 10 parts per million.

"If we uniformly coated the surface of the nanotube arrays with copper oxide, I think we could greatly improve the yield," said Grimes. Grimes also found that lengthening the titanium dioxide tubes, which for other applications increases yield, does not improve results.

"We think that distribution of the sputtered catalyst nanoparticles is at the top surface of the nanotubes and not inside and that is why increased length does not improve the reaction," says Grimes.

Although all these experiments were done with nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide nanotubes, the researchers conclude that the nitrogen did not enhance the conversion of carbon dioxide to hydrocarbons. The catalysts, however, did shift the reaction from one that used only the energy in ultraviolet light to one that used other wavelengths of visible light and therefore more of the sun's energy.

The researchers are now working on converting their batch reactor into a continuous flow-through design that they believe will significantly increase yields. The researchers have filed a provisional patent on this work.

IChemE signs agreement with Singapore Engineers
06 Mar 2009 - IChemE (Institution of Chemical Engineers) has agreed a Memorandum of Understanding with the IES (Institution of Engineers Singapore), paving the way for co-operation in accreditation, conferences and other activities.

IChemE CEO, David Brown signed the MoU in Singapore alongside IES Executive Director, Stephen Chor. IChemE has almost 300 members in Singapore and an active member branch.

"IChemE is an international institution and the MoU will help us stay up-to-date with developments in Singapore and further support the needs of our Singaporean members and stakeholders," said Brown.

Oxea Announces Global Price Increases
06 Mar 2009 - Oxea will increase off-list prices on the following products effective April 1, 2009, or as contracts allow.

Butanol: 0.05 US$/lb (USA, Canada, Mexico) ; 110 US$/mt (South and Central America); 110 US$/mt (Asia, Africa, Middle East)

Butyl Acetate: 0.04 US$/lb (USA, Canada, Mexico) ; 88 US$/mt (South and Central America); 88 US$/mt (Asia, Africa, Middle East)

Propanol: 0.05 US$/lb (USA, Canada, Mexico) ; 110 US$/mt (South and Central America); 110 US$/mt (Asia, Africa, Middle East)

Propyl Acetate: 0.04 US$/lb (USA, Canada, Mexico) ; 88 US$/mt (South and Central America); 88 US$/mt (Asia, Africa, Middle East)
Courtesy: ChemEurope.com

Dow Introduces ECOSURF™ EH Specialty Surfactants
MIDLAND, MI - March 6, 2009 - Three new surfactants have joined the ECOSURF™ brand of specialty surfactants from The Dow Chemical Company. ECOSURF™ EH Specialty Surfactants are a new generation of high performance, readily biodegradable surfactants. They are designed for use in hard surface cleaning, textile processing, inks, paints and coatings, and agricultural chemicals. ECOSURF EH Surfactants have an excellent environmental profile, are biodegradable with low aquatic toxicity and meet the criteria for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Design for the Environment Surfactant Screen. ECOSURF EH Specialty Surfactants are another example of innovative, performance chemistry from Dow.

ECOSURF EH Surfactants are designed to help formulators meet rising expectations for performance and convenience, while at the same time complying with more stringent and demanding environmental safety regulations.

What Are "Surfactants"?
A shortened form of three words "surface-active agent", surfactants stabilize mixtures of oil and water by reducing the surface tension at the interface between the oil and water molecules. Because water and oil do not dissolve in each other, a stable mixture requires a surfactant to keep it from separating into layers.

ECOSURF™ EH-3, 6, & 9 Surfactants
There are three products in the ECOSURF™ EH family. While each has its own unique performance advantages in many different applications, all three ECOSURF EH Surfactants are excellent oil-soluble emulsifiers with fast dynamic surface tension reduction. They are low foaming, have very low odor and a narrow gel range, making them ideally suited for ultra-concentrated formulations.

Hard Surface Cleaning Performance
For hard surface cleaning of cross-linked triglycerides (kitchen soil) and mineral oil (industrial petroleum based grease), ECOSURF™ EH Surfactants have demonstrated exceptional cleaning performance in Dow tests, when compared with other, traditionally used products.

Paints & Coatings Applications
ECOSURF EH Surfactants feature narrow aqueous gel ranges and favorable handling and formulating properties, making them ideally suited for many paints and coatings systems.

Textile Applications
Dow studies have shown that fabrics finished by silicone softeners emulsified with ECOSURF™ EH Surfactants exhibited improved hand-feel. Using real world application testing for textile processing, the wetting times and penetration time for real-use concentrations are much faster for ECOSURF EH Surfactants relative to primary alcohol ethoxylates (PAE's).

Other Applications
ECOSURF™ EH Surfactants are excellent candidates for use in a number of other applications including: emulsifiers for agricultural insecticides and herbicides, paper processing, and oil and gas applications.

About Dow
With annual sales of $58 billion and 46,000 employees worldwide, Dow is a diversified chemical company that combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element" to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. The Company delivers a broad range of products and services to customers in around 160 countries, connecting chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products.
®™ References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.
ResearchInChina, the vertical portal for Chinese business intelligence, announces the release of a new report entitled

China Phenol Market Report, 2008
China, People's Republic of (Press Release) -- Demand for phenol is rapidly growing in China over the past 20 years. In 1990, China's apparent demand for phenol was only 115,000 tons, but in 2002, the figure reached 473,000 tons, an increase of more than three times within 12 years. During 1990-2002, the average annual growth rate of apparent demand for phenol in China was 12%, while the average annual growth rate of China's GDP was only 9.7% in the same period.

In the past five years, as China chemical industry was in the period of rapid growth, caused the demand for phenol grew even faster. The apparent demand for phenol in 2007 reached 1.2 million tons, the annual growth rate was 16.2% during 2002-2007. Import volume and import value both achieved a rapid growth. In 2000, import volume of phenol was 96,900 tons with an imports value of 64 million U.S. dollars. In 2007, import volume increased to 456,900 tons, with an average annual growth rate of 24.8% during 2000-2007, as well as the import value increased to 682 million U.S. dollars, with an average annual growth rate of 40% during the same period, and the average import price was 1493 U.S. dollars / ton during 2000-2007.

With regard to supply, production capacity of phenol in China steadily rises. In 2000, phenol output was only 223,000 tons but in 2007, the figure increased to 545,000 tons, with an average annual growth rate of 13.6% during 2000-2007.

However, due to the global financial crisis, China demand for phenol is getting less in 2008.

Table of Contents

1. Phenol Products and Production Techniques
1.1 Brief Introduction to Phenol Products
1.2 Main Production Techniques
1.3 Phenol Industry Chain

2. Global Phenol Market and Import & Export
2.1 Global Production Capacity and Output of Phenol
2.2 Global Apparent Demand for Phenol, 2004-2010
2.3 Key Global Phenol Manufacturers and Their Future Investment Strategies

3. China Phenol Market
3.1 Development Courses
3.2 Production Capacity and Output of Phenol in China, 2005-2011
3.3 Apparent Demand for Phenol in China, 2005-2011
3.4 Import and Export
3.5 Regional Consumption of Phenol in China, 2000-2011
3.6 Phenol Price Trend in China in Recent Years
3.7 Raw Materials (Supply and Price)
3.8 Planned and In-Process Phenol Projects in China

4. Application Markets of Phenol in China
4.1 Consumption of Phenol Application Markets, 2005-2010
4.2 Bisphenol A Market
4.3 Phenolic Resin Market
4.4 Salicylate Market
4.5 Nonyl Phenol Market and Others

5. Key Manufacturers Analysis
For details of this report please visit http://www.researchinchina.com/Htmls/Report/2008/5597.html

Amino Trimethylene Phosphonic Acid (ATMP)
ATMP has excellent chelation, low threshold inhibition and lattice distortion ability. For_Immediate_Release:
China, People's Republic of (Press Release) November 24, 2008 -- Amino Trimethylene Phosphonic Acid (ATMP)
CAS No. 6419-19-8
Molecular Formula: N(CH2PO3H2)3 Molecular weight: 299.05

Properties of ATMP:
ATMP has excellent chelation, low threshold inhibition and lattice distortion ability. ATMP can prevent scale formation, calcium carbonate in particular, in water system.
ATMP has good chemical stability and is hard to be hydrolyzed in water system.
At high concentration,ATMP has good corrosion inhibition.
ATMP is used in industrial circulating cool water system and oilfield water pipeline in fields of thermal power plant and oil refinery plant.
ATMP can decrease scale formation and inhibit corrosion of metal equipment and pipeline. ATMP can be used as chelating agent in woven and dyeing industries and as metal surface treatment agent.
The solid state of ATMP is crystal powder, soluble in water, easily deliquescence, suitable for usage in winter and freezing districts.
Because of its high purity, ATMP can be used in woven & dyeing industries and as metal surface treatment agent.

Specification of ATMP:
Appearance
colorless or light yellow transparent liquid
White crystal powder
Active acid % 48.0-52.0 95min
Chloride (as Cl-)% 2.0(or1.0) min 1.0 min
pH value (1%solution) 2.0 max 2.0 max
Fe (as Fe3+) (ppm) 20 20
Density (20C)g/cm3 1.33 min -
Colour APHA (Hazen) 40 max -

Usage of ATMP:
ATMP is usually used together with organophosphoric acid, polycarboxylic acid and salt to built all organic alkaline water treatment agent. ATMP can be used in many different circulating cool water system. The dosage of 1-20mg/L is recommended. As corrosion inhibitor, the dosage of 20-60mg/L is preferred.

Package and Storage of ATMP:
ATMP liquid: Normally In 250kg net Plastic Drum, IBC drum can also be used as required ATMP solid: 25kg inner liner polyethylene (PE) bag, outer plastic woven bag, or confirmed by clients.
Storage for ten months in room shady and dry place.

Safety Protection of ATMP:
Acidity, Avoid contact with eye and skin, once contacted, flush with water.

Keywords: ATMP
Related Products: Amino Trimethylene Phosphonic Acid (ATMP)
Penta sodium salt of Amino Trimethylene Phosphonic Acid (ATMP.Na5)
Tetra sodium salt of Amino Trimethylene Phosphonic Acid (ATMP.Na4)
Potassium salt of Amino Trimethylene Phosphonic Acid (ATMP.Kx)

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