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Evonik targets €1 billion+ in circular economy sales

Evonik has revealed that it aims to generate at least €1 billion/year in additional sales a year from circular products and technologies, both in its own processes and support its customers in the transition to circular applications. The company’s strategy in this arena is based on multiple initiatives in which it claims that it is already contributing to the circular economy, notably:

* Further strengthening its activities in additives and specialities for the circular economy

* Making greater use of raw materials based on recycled materials, biomass and CO2

Feature article - Solutions for solvent sustainability

Paul Vanden Branden, director and product manager at laboratory equipment supplier SciMed, examines the potential of supercritical CO2 to supplant environmentally harmful solvent in extractions and separations

The environmental and financial challenges associated with widely used organic solvents are severe. To reach sustainability goals, laboratories around the world must wean themselves off these long relied-upon hydrocarbons and pursue greener alternatives.

Sasol advances with iron catalysts

Researchers from Sasol and the Catalysis Institute at the University of Cape Town (UCT) have announced advances in the use of commercial iron catalyst in CO2 hydrogenation at rates above 40%. This produces ethylene and light olefins, which can be used as chemical feedstocks and in jet fuel much more cheaply and efficiently than cobalt catalysts.

Feature article - Advances in clean hydrogen multiply

We sum up the latest developments in one of the industry's hottest fields

There have been multiple recent announcements across the world about investments in cleaner forms of hydrogen. These mainly refer to ‘green hydrogen’ produced by electrolysis, though also ‘blue hydrogen’, which is made from natural gas in a reforming process, in which CO2 emissions are captured for storage.

Personal care materials from CO2

Skin care giant Beiersdorf and Evonik have agreed a research partnership to develop sustainable raw materials for personal care products via artificial photosynthesis, using CO2 as the starting material, along with water, solar energy and bacteria. The two companies described this part of their ongoing efforts to reduce their carbon footprints and becoming carbon-positive.  

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