Page 166 - CW E-Magazine (11-3-2025)

News from Abroad News from Abroad

NATURAL & RENEWABLE JOINT DEVELOPMENT
AGAE Technologies begins rhamnolipid biosurfactants LG Chem announces Korean partnership to develop

production at retrofi tted plant in Asia adhesives for electronic components

AGAE Technologies, a US-based and pumps had to withstand the above LG Chem will collaborate with HL meeting the key pro-
rhamnolipid production and technology engineering challenges. “Completing Mando, a leading Korean automotive perties, allowing opti-
fi rm, with its partners, has opened a ret- this plant complex was only possi- parts maker, to co-develop adhesives mised processes for its
rofi tted manufacturing plant complex in ble because of the cutting-edge foam for automotive electronic components. partners.
Asia. This complex, covering 41,000-sq.ft., control technologies and the data we This move aims to expand Korean
has the capacity to produce over 1,000-tpa gathered from years of trial and error chemical giant’s presence in the auto- “We are commit-
of rhamnolipids, with room to add at our benchtop bioreactor and fermen- motive adhesive market. ted to developing cus-
production lines as demand rises, the tation pilot plant. With our proprietary tomised solutions and
company informed in a press release. The technologies, we have the competence HL Mando, a Software Defined eco-friendly techno-
location of the plant was not disclosed. and confi dence needed to build a full- Vehicle (SDV) company within the HL logies regarding adhe-
scale manufacturing plant complex in Group, develops core components sives, spanning from
AGAE has been involved in deve- the US,” said Mr. Garrett Holzwarth, for autonomous driving solutions and automotive bodies to
loping technologies for mass production a fermentation scientist at AGAE. vehicle safety. The company also leads various electronic com-
of rhamnolipid since 2011. The company successful completion and operation of Rhamnolipid is a member of glycolipid the standardisation of electronic compo- ADAS control components are char- ponents. We will provide innovative
successfully built a custom modular the retrofi tted plant complex in Asia. biosurfactant family. Rhamnolipid has nents and materials in the HL Group’s acterised by high thermal conductivity and reliable adhesive solutions through
fermentation pilot plant in 2020 in the better water solubility than sophoro- automotive sector. and undergo various torture tests as they our collaboration with HL Mando,”
US. Through an interdisciplinary ap- According to AGAE, scaling up to lipid. Rhamnolipid is a renewable natu- require high reliability. LG Chem has said Mr. Kim Dong-choon, President
proach at the pilot plant scale, AGAE industrial production presented a range ral product, practically non-toxic and LG Chem will conduct joint project the technology to enhance the thermal of LG Chem’s Advanced Materials
solved the long-standing challenges in of technical challenges. Managing completely biodegradable. Its mildness development and application testing conductivity and stability of existing Company.
rhamnolipid production: foam control, the fl ow of thousands of cubic meters and other skin-benefi cial properties are with HL Mando on thermal gap fi llers thermal gap fi llers for better reliability.
low yields, and high costs for down- of compressed air, quickly recycling well-suited for personal and home care for advanced driver assistance system LG Chem is aiming to start mass- The collaboration between LG
stream processing. dozens of cubic meters of ever-increas- products. Rhamnolipid can be used in (ADAS) control components such as producing thermal gap fi llers in 2026. Chem and HL Mando is a response
ing foam, and safely controlling the many other industries as well, such cameras and radars, and insulating to the evolving demands of the auto-
Since then, AGAE has actively looked corresponding pressure were few of as pharmaceuticals, therapeutics, oral adhesives for vehicle steering and braking When it comes to insulating adhe- motive industry, particularly the shift
for partners to scale up domestically and the problems solved. At the same time, care, agriculture, environmental reme- systems. In particular, LG Chem will sives for vehicle steering and braking towards ADAS and the increasing in-
internationally. Its efforts resulted in the all fi lters, valves, sealings, tubes/pipes, diation, enhanced oil recovery, etc. expand the scope of collaboration to systems, it is important to maintain the tegration of electronic components in
include thermal and adhesive materials adhesion and insulation performance to vehicles. These systems require sophis-
PETROCHEMICALS for next-generation electronic compo- endure the high heat generated while ticated electronic components that
LyondellBasell-Sipchem’s proposed cracker nents. the motor is in action. LG Chem’s insu- can withstand operational demands,
lating adhesives feature shorter curing making the role of adhesives crucial in
in Saudi Arabia gets feedstock allocation In general, thermal gap fi llers for times and improved productivity while ensuring their reliability and effi ciency.

The Saudi Arabian government parties to defi ne the technical, fi nancial and LYB will jointly explore carbon German companies expect red tape cuts, lower taxes
has allocated feedstock to support a and commercial confi guration for the management solutions including the
joint feasibility study for a world-scale project. Construction of the joint pro- use of low emission technologies, in German companies expect from “The new federal government must rising foreign competition. According
mixed feed cracker complex proposed ject would result in the manufacturing of support of the parties’ and the King- the next government drastic cuts in urgently tackle this now,” DIHK Presi- to the DIHK study, 95% of companies
to be built by LyondellBasell (LYB) petrochemical products and derivatives dom’s net zero ambitions. bureaucracy, faster and more effi cient dent Mr. Peter Adrian said in the pre- consider the reduction of bureaucratic
and Sipchem and on a 60% (Sipchem): to serve customers both within Saudi approvals, noticeable relief in taxes and sentation of the corporate barometer hurdles to be one of the most important
40% (LYB) ownership basis. Arabia and global export markets. “This feedstock allocation is a vital lower electricity costs, according to the for the election. “A lot of trust has been tasks of the coming government.
step in our collaboration with Sipchem. German Chamber of Commerce and destroyed in the past.”
Sipchem, offi cially known as Sahara The project will benefi t from LYB’s As we move forward with our joint Industry (DIHK). Almost 90% of the “Politics must credibly declare war
International Petrochemical Company, technologies to produce differentiated study, with a long-term partnership in 4,000 companies surveyed said they German business leaders said on bureaucracy,” Mr. Adrian said,
and LYB will assess the viability and grades of polyethylene and polypropy- mind, we further strengthen our com- have seen a deterioration in the busi- Europe’s largest economy could not adding that for every new obligation,
optimal structure for the project. The lene, including the Catalloy product line mitment to Saudi Arabia,” said Mr. ness conditions in Germany over the afford to waste any time as companies at least two existing ones should be
allocation lays the foundation for both of elastomeric polyolefins. Sipchem Peter Vanacker, LyondellBasell’s CEO. past four years. suffer from high costs, red tape and eliminated, “better even three.”

166 Chemical Weekly March 11, 2025 Chemical Weekly March 11, 2025 167

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