special report ICIS INNOVATION AWARDS

All set for the
big reveal
Who will win the ICIS Innovation Awards this year?
Seventeen entries across six categories are in therunning, as revealed in the shortlist below. The
winners will be announced in mid-October, but until
then you are free to choose your own favourites!
JOHN BAKER LONDON

Cultura/REX/ShutterstockTwww.icis.com

he panel of seven leading industry
innovation experts has been busy
since the end of June deadline for
entries to this year’s ICIS Innovation
Awards. They have assessed a near-record
number of entries and drawn up a strong
shortlist of contenders to go forward to thefinal judging session in early September.
They will select a winner in each category
and an overall winner for 2017.
The quality and range of entries to thefour categories for companies have as usual
been impressive and have presented thejudges with a difficult, but hopefully stimulating task. Many thanks to them for bringing all their expertise to bear to the process.
For the second year running, ICIS and thelead sponsor of the Awards, Elsevier’s R&D
Solutions, have also sought to reward individual innovation excellence, through two
categories introduced last year – the Alpha
Innovator of the Year categories.
In addition to Elsevier’s R&D Solutions as
the overall sponsor, the ICIS Innovation
Awards continue to enjoy the support of
distributor U.S. Chemicals and ExxonMobil
Chemical as category sponsors. They are
joined this year by global management consultancy Accenture.
ICIS is grateful to all four companies andtheir interest and support in the Awards,
designed to recognise and celebrate the best ofinnovation in the chemical industry.
The range of innovations in the shortlist
is as usual extensive, emphasising thedepth and breadth of innovation of which
the chemical industry is capable. The categories cover product and process innovation, as well as innovations by small andmedium-sized enterprises (SME) and inno- ❯❯11-17 August 2017 | ICIS Chemical Business | 27

special report ICIS INNOVATION AWARDS❯❯ vations that have benefit for the environment and sustainability.
You can read details of each of the shortlisted entries below. I am sure you will haveyour favourites, but will they match those
selected by the judges? And which will
emerge as the best innovation of the year?
All will be revealed on 13 October in thepages of this magazine and on our web site,
http://www.icis.com/awards.
All that remains for me to do is to wish theshortlisted candidates the very best of luck.
May the best innovations win!

BEST PRODUCT INNOVATIONSPONSORED BY ACCENTURE
AkzoNobel
David Moore
Interline 9001
Interline 9001 is an advanced coating system for ship’s cargo tanks, which in 2016enabled AkzoNobel to take a greater thanhalf share of total global new-build volume.
The coating is based on patented BiModal
technology, formulated at lower stoichiometry than conventional epoxy amine systems. It undergoes initial conventional cureat room temperature before being subjected
to a high temperature post-cure, which
induces homopolymerisation of unreacted
epoxy groups in the presence of a catalyst.
This delivers very high conversion andresults in a very highly cross-linked network which is the basis of the step change
in chemical resistance performance of Interline 9001. The superior performance ofInterline 9001 can be attributed to very low,
often zero, cargo absorption, which is significantly lower than comparable products.
It is also recognised as a sustainable coating
solution due to the unique easy-clean properties and performance longevity. Interline
9001 is thus a significant advance in coatings technology for cargo tanks.

Dow Chemical and Total
Nadjet Khelidj and Carin Bove (Dow) andNicolas Champagne (Total)
UCON oil-soluble polyalkylene glycols(OSPs)
To combat climate change, many countries
have established mandates to reduce CO2
emissions and improve fuel efficiency intransportation. Through significant researchand development (R&D) collaboration, Dow
and Total have developed lubricants that provide significant efficiency gains in the drive
train (engines, axles, and transmissions)through the use of Dow’s UCON OSP products. Engine testing has shown these improvefuel economy by as much as 4% over conventional materials and up to 1% over typicalsynthetic formulations. In addition to fuelefficiency performance, lubricants using
UCON OSPs as performance additives alsodeliver improved engine cleanliness throughthe detergency provided by the unique OSP
backbone. The collaboration has resulted in acontract to produce engine oils for a leading
automobile manufacturer. This accomplishment represents a significant milestone andadvancement of UCON OSP technology inengine oils.
TeijinProfessor Yoshiro Tajitsu, Faculty ofEngineering Science, Kansai University;
Tomoyoshi Yamamoto, manager, Solution
Development Center, Teijin; Dr Tetsuo
Yoshida, manager, Film Development Center,
Teijin Film Solutions
PLA piezoelectric materials
Japan’s Kansai University and Teijin havedeveloped piezoelectric materials based onpolylactic acid (PLA). The bioplastic’s flexibility and lightness mean it can be used inlarge, light-weight applications that are difficult to achieve with conventional piezo-electric materials such as lead zirconate

titanate and polyvinylidene fluoride. In
2012, they produced the world’s first binaryblended PLA multilayer film, which has
been used in piezoelectric fabrics whichmonitor elaborate human actions. In 2016,
the world’s first load-dependent and sustained-voltage piezoelectric roll was developed. The latest development was made in2017 in the form of piezoelectric wearable
sensors in the shape of braided cords known
as kumihimo. Kansai University and Teijin
are convinced PLA piezoelectric materials
will contribute to the development of augmented-reality applications and expand theuse of sensing and actuating devices inhealthcare, apparel and other fields.

BEST PROCESS INNOVATION
Clariant Oil and Mining Services
Paul Gould
Veritrax
Chemical management in the oil and gas
industry has long relied on human presence to monitor chemical inventory, pumpcontrol, analytics and more. Volatility ofoil prices has many oil and gas companies
changing their operating business model:
updating production processes and leveraging automation to reduce costs are twovery active areas. Veritrax is a true intelligent Chemical Management System, designed to streamline previously manual
processes and promote adoption of costeffective technology. The Veritrax systemincreases production efficiency, advances
safety and improves transparency, throughreal-time data flow. All chemical management tasks, such as dispatch, dosing, monitoring, analysis, orders and invoicing, arecontrolled automatically with continuous
real-time information delivered directly toa laptop or smart phone. Veritrax has been
designed to provide many benefits throughadvanced functionality.

CATEGORY SPONSOR U.S. CHEMICALSPRACTISING SUSTAINABILITY and respect for the environment
U.S. Chemicals, a Maroon Group
company, is an organisation dedicated to enriching the lives of its
employees and community bypractising sustainability and respect for the environment. U.S.
Chemicals is pleased to sponsor,
for the ninth consecutive year, theInnovation with Best Benefit toEnvironment or Sustainability category of the ICIS Innovation
Awards.
U.S. Chemicals is a diversified
chemical distribution company that

supplies quality chemicals atworld-wide pricing. For customers
and supply partners U.S.
Chemicals is a trusted collaborator, whose nimble team is dedicated to leveraging decades ofexperience, relationships and acan-do attitude to assess risk,
thus making decisions quickly andacting boldly and accurately.
U.S. Chemicals is set apart by

28 | ICIS Chemical Business | 11-17 August 2017

the speed, flexibility and innovativeness of its employees. The
team leads customers in identifying the best solutions for each opportunity and business challenge,
grasping suppliers’ and customers’ needs and solving problems.
In addition to a variety of sustainability programmes – recycling,creation of green space/organic
gardening, heating/lighting efficiency initiatives, paperless initiatives and wellness programmes at
the headquarters in Darien,

Connecticut – U.S. Chemicals
seeks suppliers, principals andlogistics providers that have sustainable programmes and processes in place. Our business partners
are vetted to ensure that standards are met.
Social responsibility and givingback have long been part of U.S.
Chemicals’ corporate culture andthe company has an extensive history of supporting organisations in
the environmental, educationaland health arenas. ■www.icis.com

special report ICIS INNOVATION AWARDS

Dow ChemicalMark Siddoway
Fluidised catalytic dehydrogenation(FCDh) process
Dow Chemical has developed fluid catalytic
dehydrogenation (FCDh) technology to
improve production of propylene from abundant US shale gas resources by increasing selectivity. The new technology is based on commercialised fluid catalytic cracking (FCC)
technology and uses a proprietary catalyst anddesign to achieve 45% propane conversion at
93 mol% selectivity to propylene. The system’s simplicity enables >20% capital savings
and reduces energy requirements. FCDh canalso be easily integrated into existing or new
ethylene crackers enabling increased production or tailoring the facility for the desired
amount of ethylene and propylene production.
Additionally, the technology can be used in
new or retrofitted ethylbenzene-to-styrene dehydrogenation facilities, butane to butene, or
isobutane to isobutene plants. C4 dehydrogenation units can be integrated into refineries to
upgrade butane or isobutane for use in thealkylation section to produce alkylate.
Versalis
Francesco Pasquali
ABS ONE STEP
Versalis owns continuous mass technology
for acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS),
high impact polystyrene (HIPS), general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) and styrene acrylonitrile (SAN) manufacturing, as well as
many other elastomers technologies. Basedon this, it has developed the ABS ONE STEP
technology, a breakthrough technology thatsets new rules for advanced styrenic polymers
manufacturing. ABS manufacturing starts
from elastomer bales, which – after reaction
solvent removal, water drying and packaging– are sent to the ABS production site, groundand dissolved into ABS monomers. The ONE

STEP technology links the elastomer synthesis section with the ABS production plant bymeans of a proprietary-design solvent exchange section capable of removing rubber
reaction solvent and replacing it continuouslywith ABS reaction monomers. The new technology overcomes constraints on elastomer
structure as well as applying Versalis’ living
radical polymerisation (LRP) technology forrubber functionalisation. The innovative process design leads to significant reduction incosts due to the process integration of elastomer and ABS and to a reduction in the total
investment cost for a new plant. The most relevant improvement, though, lies in a broad
enlargement of the product portfolio.

BEST INNOVATION BY AN SME
SPONSORED BY EXXONMOBIL CHEMICAL
Avertana
James Obern
Refining steel industry waste into valuable
raw materials for everyday products
Avertana has developed a proprietary process to refine valuable industrial minerals
and chemicals from industrial waste
streams. The technology offers significantly
lower manufacturing cost and environmental impacts than existing routes. The company’s current focus is on slag from the steel
industry. The process refines this solid waste
into raw materials used to manufacture
products like paint, paper, fertilizers andbuilding materials. The company is working
to develop its first commercial plant in New
Zealand and then plans to deploy the technology globally through partnerships withexisting producers. Avertana’s process uses
sulphuric acid to convert metal oxides in theslag into sulphates, which are then selectively crystallised and filtered, yielding four
separate products: TiO2 pigment for paints
and coatings; alum for water treatment andpapermaking; Epsom salts for fertilizer ❯❯CATEGORY SPONSOR EXXONMOBIL CHEMICALBROAD PORTFOLIO OF EXPERTISE
EXXONMOBIL CHEMICAL is
one of the largest chemicalcompanies in the world. Our
unique portfolio of commodity
and specialty businesses
generates annual sales ofmore than 24m tonnes ofprime products.
The commitment by
ExxonMobil Chemical tomaintain a leadership position in technology is fundamental to our continued
success. We have a broad

www.icis.com

portfolio of proprietary process, product and productapplications expertise.
Now, more than ever, chemicals are the building blocks ofmodern life. Chemicals play a
key role in fields integral tohuman progress, includingtransportation, agriculture,pharmaceuticals, medical

equipment, as well as efficient manufacturing and packaging of a wide array of
consumer goods.
As an organisation withtechnological achievementsthat have enriched the lives ofpeople everywhere,
ExxonMobil Chemical ispleased to sponsor the Best
Innovation by a Small or
Medium-sized Enterprise category of the 2017 ICIS
Innovation Awards. ■MEET THE JUDGES
Christina Valimaki
is senior director, chemicals
segment marketing, for Elsevier,a leading provider of information
solutions to science, health and technology professionals. She has an MBA from Harvard
Business School.
David Woods
is opportunity identification
manager, new product platforms, at ExxonMobil Chemical,
based in Baytown, Texas, US. He manages the
pursuit of new product opportunities.
Just Jansz
is an independent board member and advisor, and founderand MD of business and technology management consultancy ExpertiseBeyond Borders. He has 30 years of experience
with LyondellBasell and its precursors.
Mike McKennais chief operating officer for
Maroon Group, a North
American specialty chemical
and ingredients distributor. He is responsible
for operational excellence, global supply partnerships and marketing, and is a member ofthe company’s M&A team.
Peter Nieuwenhuizen
is global research, development
and innovation director, specialty chemicals, at AkzoNobel,
where he is focused on making chemistry bothmore profitable and sustainable. He joined thecompany in 2011 after five years at consultancy
AD Little. He has a PhD from Leiden University.
Pierre Barthelemy
is executive director for researchand innovation at Cefic, representing the priorities of thechemical industry towards the EU institutions
for innovation-related aspects. He joined
Solvay in 1988 and was seconded to Cefic in
2014. He has a PhD from the University ofLiege, Belgium.
PAUL BJACEK
is principal director and lead forAccenture’s chemicals and natural resources strategic research,with over 25 years’ experience in the processindustries, including project activities in manufacturing, marketing and distribution. He has
master’s degree from LSE in London and a BSc
in chemistry and business.

11-17 August 2017 | ICIS Chemical Business | 29

special report ICIS INNOVATION AWARDS❯❯ and papermaking; and a gypsum andsilica blend for building materials.

CelluComp

ALPHA INNOVATORS
Two individuals in each of the Alpha Innovatorof the Year categories have been shortlisted
this year, the second year ICIS has sought toreward individual innovation excellence in association with the overall sponsor Elsevier’s
R&D Solutions.

New Product Development/
Process Optimisation

Dr David Hepworth, Dr Eric Whale andChristian Kemp-Griffin
CurranScotland’s CelluComp has developed andpatented a biobased process and a novel
multifunctional product called Curran, aform of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) produced from waste (or co-product) streams
from root vegetables, such as sugar beet pulp.
It is renewable, biodegradable, nontoxic anddoes not compete for land with food or forest, which gives it environmental and economic advantages compared to MFC fromwood. Curran has been developed to produce sustainable and green alternatives for awide range of markets, such as paints andcoatings, personal care, oil drilling, food,household products, concrete, composites
and paper and packaging. As a multi-functional additive in paint formulations, forexample, Curran acts as a film enhancer,
imparting improved scrub resistance andeliminating macro- and micro-cracking inthick films at all temperatures. A 2% addition of Curran in paper increases its strengthby 10%, allowing lightweighting or greateruse of recycled paper. In personal and homecare products, Curran improves suspension
and rheology. In food, Curran helps reduce
fat and sugar.

Muralidhar Ingale
of Adroit Pharmachem in
Vadodara, India, for his development of a patented process forconverting waste ammonia and carbon dioxide
into phthalocyanine compounds

Thomas Colacotof Johnson Matthey for leadership of the team developing an
atom-economical synthesis of ahighly active palladium coupling catalyst

Environment and Sustainability
Dr Anton Kaiserof Clariant Oil & Mining Services
for his work on building up theenhanced oil recovery technology programme at the company
Dr Mei Li
of Dow AgroSciences for her
work in the design, implementation and commercialisation of
three novel agrochemical products
30 | ICIS Chemical Business | 11-17 August 2017

Genomatica
GENO BG
US-based Genomatica has taken a well-known
chemical – 1,3-butylene glycol (BG) – anddeveloped a better way to make it, biologically,
via fermentation of common sugars. Its GENO
BG process provides a high-quality, natural andsustainably-sourced solution that has thepotential for high appeal in cosmetics and as ahigh-quality product for industrial uses. The
GENO BG process contrasts with the conventional means of making BG starting with acetaldehyde, which is a toxin, an irritant and a carcinogen. Additionally, Genomatica uses thepower and selectivity of biology to produce a
distinctively pure product that is implemented
with a simpler overall process than conventional petrochemical approaches. Together, thisenables additional potential applications forthe butylene glycol produced by their process,including in sports drinks and medical supplements as everyday wellness products. Genomatica’s innovations have the potential for significant industry impact.

INNOVATION WITH BEST BENEFIT FOR
ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITYSPONSORED BY U.S. CHEMICALSDow Chemical and The Koehler
Paper Group
Brian Einsla
Voided polymer imaging technology forthermal paperBLUE 4EST thermal paper with Ropaque

CATEGORY SPONSOR ACCENTURE

HELPING CHEMICAL COMPANIESTRANSFORM IN A DIGITAL WORLD
Accenture is pleased tosponsor the Best ProductInnovation category of the2017 ICIS Innovation Awards.
In today’s business environment, companies need to continually reinvent themselves. At
Accenture, we take an innovation-led approach to help clients“imagine and invent” their
future. We are always looking
ahead to anticipate what’s next.
We use an innovation-led
approach to help our clientsdevelop and deliver disruptive
innovations, and to scale them
faster. From research, venturesand labs to studios, innovation
centres and delivery centres,
we help companies imagine
the future and bring it to life.
Accenture’s chemical industry group helps chemical com-panies apply innovation,transformational strategies anddigital enablement for growth,differentiation and superior
operations. We have over 30
years of experience working inall segments of the chemicalindustry – including basic andintermediate chemicals, polymers, fibres and elastomers,
agricultural chemicals, paints
and coatings, industrial gases,
and other specialty chemicals– across the value chain.

ABOUT ACCENTURE
Accenture is a leading global
professional services company,
providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy,
consulting, digital, technology
and operations. Combining
unmatched experience andspecialised skills across morethan 40 industries and all business functions – underpinnedby the world’s largest delivery
network – Accenture works at
the intersection of businessand technology to help clients
improve their performance andcreate sustainable value for
their stakeholders.
With approximately 401,000
people serving clients in morethan 120 countries, Accenture
drives innovation to improve
the way the world works andlives.
Go to: www.accenture.com. ■www.icis.com

special report ICIS INNOVATION AWARDS

NT-2900 Opaque Polymer spheres is a newtechnology that eliminates chemical developers and dyes present in today’s thermal
papers. These are widely used for receipts,
tickets, tags and labels: the printed image isformed by heating the paper which contains
a reactive combination of leuco dye andacidic developer, such as BPA (bisphenol-A)
or BPS (bisphenol-S). Dow and Koehler’s
new approach eliminates the chemicaldeveloper entirely. A layer of air-filled, reflecting spheres effectively masks or hides anunderlying coloured layer. When heat is
applied from the thermal print head, it causes localised collapse of the air voids so theopaque layer becomes transparent. Where
the collapse occurs, the underlying coloured
layer is visible, creating an irreversible
image. Ropaque NT-2900 is a patented composition designed with a glass transition
temperature and multi-staged composition
to facilitate collapse during printing, resulting in high print contrast.

EnerkemVincent Chornet
Converting waste to everyday goods
Enerkem is setting a new standard in smart
waste management. By using municipal
solid waste as a feedstock instead of fossilor crop-based products and recycling thecarbon contained in trash to produce renewable chemicals and biofuels, Enerkem’s proprietary technology provides a cost-effec-

tive, sustainable alternative to thechallenges associated with waste disposal
for communities all around the world.
Enerkem’s solution helps accelerate advances toward a circular economy where waste
becomes a resource to make everyday products greener. It equally answers the questionof how to dispose of rapidly accumulating
non-recyclable and non-compostable garbage, while preventing greenhouse gas emissions from waste buried in landfills, andcreating value-added products from otherwise useless trash.

KemiraJaakko Ekman, Matti Hietaniemi andMarko Kolari
Recycling starch in packaging board
makingDemand for packaging board is about 200m
tonnes/year and growing. Cellulose fibres canbe easily recycled, but packaging board also
contains a significant amount of starch, up to
4% of board weight. With current technologies, recycling of this starch is not economically feasible and large amounts of new starchneed to be added to achieve desired board
properties. Kemira has developed a two-step
concept called KemRevive for starch reuse.
The core of the invention is to protect starchfrom degradation in the recycling process byutilising a specific inhibitor for amylase
enzymes. Simultaneously, a novel system
improving retention of protected starch into

finished board, is used. FennoSpec 1200, thepatented product for starch protection, contains enzyme inhibitor and a special polymer
component. This product can block amylase
and thus starch degradation can be prevented,
even in typical process conditions with highamounts of bacteria in the water.

Recycling Technologies
Elena Parisi
Turning residual plastic waste into a
resource
UK-based Recycling Technologies has tackled the problem of recycling mixed residual
plastics waste (RPW) by developing a fluidised-bed reactor that converts shredded RPW
into a range of useful products, including
Plaxx, a trademarked family of hydrocarbonbased commodity products with multiple
industrial applications. The RT7000 reactor
is the company’s first generation of commercial processing plant, capable of chemicallyrecycling up to 7,000 tonnes/year of plastic
waste. It is designed specifically to process
RPW, generally recognised as non-recyclable
and therefore sent to landfill or to energyfrom-waste facilities. RPW includes films,
packaging, rigid food containers, pots andlaminates. The modular design of the
RT7000 reactor allows it to be installed on
existing waste facilities, eliminating the needfor transport of low-density plastic waste
and significantly reducing the carbon footprint of the RT7000. ■LEAD SPONSOR ELSEVIER’S R&D SOLUTIONSACHIEVING THAT individual “ALPHA” MOMENTThe future of the chemical industry relies on those who overcome
challenges and drive criticaladvancements in compounds,
formulations, advanced materials,
and production processes.
In the chemicals industry, continuous innovation and process
improvement have been the key tocreating considerable value for customers and investors.
And yet, many accomplishmentsfrom the industry are not as visible
to the market as they could be.
Industrial chemists, for instance,
improve product performance andachieve customer requirements byinnovating at the molecular level anddiscovering the changes in substances and processes that may haveimportant implications to manufacturing, the environment and safety.
The same is true for the engineers working in manufacturing,www.icis.com

where process improvement andengineering design is the focus.
Identifying changes to plant design,
equipment and processes canmeaningfully improve safety, reduce
cycle times and minimise operational disruptions.
Reaching that “Alpha” moment– achieving an important milestone
for the first time – may happen in
an instant, but one does not get
there without unrelenting perseverance, knowledge and skill.
It is therefore important to recognise those who are making thesestrides. With demands for high performance products; faster returns on
innovation investments; lower costsof research and manufacturing; lower emissions; and safer manufacturing, the future of the chemicalindustry relies on those who overcome challenges and drive criticaladvancements in compounds, for-mulations, advanced materials andproduction processes.
For this reason, Elsevier’s R&D
Solutions is honoured to again
sponsor this year’s ICIS Innovation
Awards, celebrating the companies
and individual innovators who havecreated and commercialised notable product and process innovations in the industry.
Additionally we are delighted toco-sponsor with ICIS the second

annual Alpha Innovator of the Yearcategory, recognising two high-performing individuals who haveplayed a critical role in improving
product performance, solving customer problems and making progress towards environment andsustainability goals.
Let us celebrate those who areachieving commercial successthrough innovation while also paving the way for us to pass on a better Earth to future generations.

About Elsevier’s R&D
SolutionsElsevier’s R&D Solutions is a portfolio of tools that integrate data,
analytics and technology capabilities to help chemical companies
more efficiently achieve commercial
success, safety, and compliant
manufacturing for chemical products and processes. ■11-17 August 2017 | ICIS Chemical Business | 31