Bayer with two entries in finals for German innovation prize
New, environmentally compatible processes among the finalists
The German Ministry for Education and Research and the Federation of German Industry (BDI) are presenting the prize for the fourth time. The awards in five categories will be presented in Berlin on December 3. A total of 15 sustainable product and process innovations have made it to the final round. They were chosen from among 97 entries by a jury of experts from industry, academia, the media and government chaired by Klaus Töpfer, the former Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and German Environment Minister.
“Expand on leading role in environmental protection”
According to the organizers, the objectives of the competition are twofold: to expand on Germany's leading role in the areas of climate protection, environmental protection and resource conservation, and to strengthen and honor industry's commitment thereto. At the same time, the prize is also intended to heighten public awareness of pressing climate and environmental protection issues.
The nominated method for the production of chlorine reduces the very large amount of energy required to obtain the basic chemical by as much as 30 percent versus conventional processes. Its widespread use would enable economically significant energy savings. Chlorine is a primary base material in the chemical industry and is needed for around two-thirds of all its products, including plastics, medicines and crop protection agents.
The new oxygen depolarized cathode (ODC) technology was developed by Bayer MaterialScience in collaboration with ThyssenKrupp Uhde/UDENORA. It was recently made available worldwide following successful testing.
Carbon dioxide instead of petroleum
The other finalist is a method for using the greenhouse gas CO2 for the production of high-quality plastics. The CO2 replaces a portion of the fossil fuels, such as petroleum, on which these materials have predominantly been based in the past.
Bayer wrapped up the corresponding research this past summer. The company plans to launch the first CO2-based products as from 2015.
Other news from the department research and development
Get the chemical industry in your inbox
From now on, don't miss a thing: Our newsletter for the chemical industry, analytics, lab technology and process engineering brings you up to date every Tuesday and Thursday. The latest industry news, product highlights and innovations - compact and easy to understand in your inbox. Researched by us so you don't have to.