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10 years on... UK AND WORLD NEWS • SUPPLY CHAIN • electric vehicles • big interview • periodic table • drug discovery
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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
www.chemicalindustryjournal.co.uk
| welcome |
Welcome
It’s all elementary in this issue Ellen Rossiter Editor in chief
Editor Ellen Rossiter ellen.rossiter@distinctivepublishing.co.uk
Design Distinctive Publishing, 3rd Floor, Tru Knit House, 9-11 Carliol Square, Newcastle, NE1 6UF Tel: 0191 580 5990 www.distinctivepublishing.co.uk
Advertising Distinctive Publishing, 3rd Floor, Tru Knit House, 9-11 Carliol Square, Newcastle, NE1 6UF Tel: 07813 874 970 email: john.neilson@distinctivegroup.co.uk www.distinctivepublishing.co.uk
Welcome to our latest issue of the Chemical Industry Journal. You’ll see we have a fresh look and a new section - ‘elementary’ – in which we hope to report as much news from our sector as possible. Keep us updated on developments in your part of the industry. The periodic table is central to this edition, which is fitting for a publication with a preoccupation with chemicals and chemistry. Over at Stamford, a team has developed an artificial intelligence program that has recreated the periodic table, a tool they hope to use to discover or create new materials – we’ll keep you posted on developments. We also celebrate ten years of the Periodic Table of Videos, which have made worldwide stars of the team of presenters and technicians behind the films. What began as a summer project quickly became a social media phenomenon, which has since had an incredible 182,840,933 views and clocked up a total viewing time which equates to 1,100 years. What better way to promote science and inspire the next generation of scientists? Speaking of the next generation, we salute the winners of the Rising Stars Awards 2018 – including five women making their mark in the spheres of science and engineering. We also raise our cap to those distinguished scientists that have been elected to the Royal Society and pay tribute to Nobel Prize winner Paul Boyer. Few issues of the Journal have been published in recent years without concerns being raised about the impact of Brexit on the industry and those concerns are evident here too, but there is also optimism. The latest survey from the
Distinctive Publishing or Chemical Industry Journal cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies that may occur, individual products or services advertised or late entries. No part of this publication may be reproduced or scanned without prior written permission of the publishers and Chemical Industry Journal
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Chemical Business Association shows that order books, current sales, and sales margins have all remained positive since their last update three months ago. But what of future growth? Industrial digitalisation could be worth as much as £455 billion to the UK over the next decade, so said the Made Smarter review published last Autumn – but what is being done to realise this potential? In this issue, we hear how The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has awarded £11.4 million to seven projects which aim to create digital tools, techniques and processes that will support the translation of digital capabilities into the manufacturing sector. In addition, a new report commissioned by WMG at the University of Warwick has estimated that the UK electric vehicle battery industry could be worth £2.7 billion. The report, which brought together experts (and data) from both the chemical and automotive industries, highlights a massive opportunity for UK manufacturing. In fact, batteries play a significant part in this edition. Ever found your mobile’s run out of power? Well, those days could be numbered. An international team of researchers, led by the University of Lancaster and the Jilin University, has created a new type of carbon that could make the batteries we utilise in everyday items, quicker to charge and longer lasting too. Process safety and risk management are always top of the agenda in our industry, as they should be, and in this issue, we hear from a number of industry experts about best practice in their spheres of work - turn the page to find out more.
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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
features
The Periodic Table of Videos is 10 years old
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18 UK electric vehicle battery industry could be worth £2.7 billion per year for UK chemical companies Stanford AI recreates chemistry’s periodic table of elements
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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
| contents |
contents www.chemicalindustryjournal.co.uk / issue 11 / summer 2018
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Introduction/Foreword
4-5
Contents
6-7 Elementary News from our sector
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Contributors
9-16 News
New projects to harness UK’s digital manufacturing potential CBA Trends Survey Growing concerns on EU market access post-brexit CBA industry award winners announced Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre announces first partners
18-19 20-21 26-27
28-29 40-41 44-45
Electric Vehicles
UK electric vehicle battery industry could be worth £2.7 billion per year for UK chemical companies Gear up for the electric car revolution
Big Interview
We speak to Simon Thompson, Managing Director and Chemical & Life Sciences Practice Leader at Marsh, about the evolution of insurances broking, the issues of importance to the chemical industry today, and the some key risks emerging for the industry
Periodic Table of Elements
Stanford AI recreates chemistry’s periodic table of elements The Periodic Table of Videos is 10 years old
Drug Discovery
UK Institute to harness disruptive technology to transform drug discovery Leeds is key partner in Rosalind Franklin Institute
48-49 News
New carbon could signal step-change for the world’s most popular batteries DOE backs materials study for batteries and beyond
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UK Institute to harness disruptive technology to transform drug discovery
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| elementary |
| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
ELEMENTARY
Calling female STEM Students
The changing shape of DNA
Infrastructure for renewable energy?
Leading technology career platform Honeypot, has released a study revealing the best opportunities for aspiring female STEM students. The data shows the percentage of female STEM graduates in 41 OECD countries, and with no nation able to boast a 50/50 female to male ratio, the study aims to encourage aspiring female students to consider a career in the tech field.
The shape of DNA can be changed with a range of triggers including copper and oxygen – according to new research from the University of East Anglia. The structure of DNA is widely accepted to exist as a double helix, but different DNA structures also exist. New research just published points to a range of triggers that can manipulate its shape. Applications for this discovery include nanotechnology - where DNA is used to make tiny machines, and in DNA-based computing - where computers are built from DNA rather than silicon.
The $1.6bn Swansea Bay tidal lagoon has been rejected by the UK government. Tidal barriers for the Severn Estuary in the UK have been studied for 100 years. It has been suggested the electricity produced would be too expensive even if the costs were spread over decades. Following 18 months of analysis, ministers have decided that the renewable energy project will not receive any subsidy support.
Atomic-scale ping-pong
Dangerous climate change is likely
Solving a country’s energy crisis
New experiments by researchers at the National Graphene Institute at The University of Manchester have shed more light on the gas flow through tiny, angstrom-sized channels with atomically-flat walls. Published in Nature, this new research shows that the channels allow gas through them at rates that are orders of magnitude faster than expected from theory. This will not only be important for fundamental studies on molecular flows at nanoscale but also for applications such as desalination and filtration.
A new study has revealed sensitive regions of the world are still at risk from the dangerous and potentially irreversible effects of climate change; even if we meet the target of not increasing global temperature above 1.5°C over the next 100 years.
A student from Pakistan, who is studying for her PhD at the University of Chester, has made it her career goal to play her part in helping to solve her country’s energy crisis.
Greener roads of domestic waste
Hazardous chemicals in everyday items
Tackling emissions at city level
Scientists at Aston University have converted mixed household waste into road surfacing material for the first time. The new industrial process can use food waste, plastic, paper and textiles to produce a tarmac-like substance. Is this the beginning of the end for carbon-coughing bitumen? Study authors say ‘bio-bitumen’ is cheaper and greener to manufacture.
Scientists at the University of Plymouth have shown that a combination of the growing demand for black plastic and the inefficient sorting of end-of-life electrical equipment is causing contaminated material to be introduced into everyday products as manufacturers are using recycled electrical equipment as a source of black plastic. The study is published in Environmental International and was conducted by Dr Andrew Turner, a Reader in Environmental Science at the University.
Countries seeking to meet Paris Agreement targets on CO2 emissions must get a grip on the amount of pollution produced at city level, according to researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA). In a new study, published in Science Advances, the researchers set out a framework for gathering and analysing local information about how cities contribute to pollution levels, and show how these insights could be used to target climate mitigation initiatives effectively.
Latvia, the Netherlands and Finland currently offer the best opportunities for prospective female STEM students.
The research, led by The Open University in collaboration with the University of Sheffield, reviewed the targets set in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement and concluded that regions of the world, such as the Arctic and South-East Asian monsoon region, could be damaged irreversibly.
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Mubashra Latif, who is 30 and from Lahore in Pakistan, is based at Thornton Science Park in Cheshire, within the Faculty of Science and Engineering, where she is investigating alternative feedstocks to turn into energy.
| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
| elementary |
ELEMENTARY
Eco-Innovation Cheshire and Warrington
Water can be very dead, electrically speaking
Chloromethanes capacity in Frankfurt to grow
Cheshire and Warrington-based SMEs are being encouraged to join the Eco-Innovation initiative, while European funding is in place. Eco-Innovation Cheshire and Warrington (EICW) is a project led by the University of Chester in partnership with Lancaster University. The project is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund. Its aim is to link SMEs to the research capabilities of the universities for facilitating R&D (Research and Development) leading to new low carbon products and services.
Published in Science, a team of researchers at The University of Manchester has found that on a microscopic scale water behaves very differently when only a few molecules thick and its thin layers lose any polarizability, becoming electrically dead. Such water was previously predicted to exhibit a reduced electric response but it remained unknown by how much. The new study shows that atomically thin layers of water near solid surfaces do not respond to an electric field, a finding that has very important implications for understanding many phenomena.
AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals has started design work for a second expansion of chloromethanes capacity at its site in Frankfurt, Germany. The project will take place in several steps over the next five years and will raise total capacity by up to 50%, supporting growth of customers that use chloromethanes in the manufacture of products such as pharmaceuticals.
‘Clean hydrogen energy from waste plastic’
Global registration initiatives
Biochemists to see proteins in remarkable detail
PowerHouse Energy Group plc (“PHE”), a UK technology company pioneering clean energy production from waste plastic and end-of-life tyres, together with the University of Chester, has announced a milestone development. Its demonstration clean energy generation plant has been used to provide electricity for the Energy Centre at the University’s Thornton Science Park microgrid for the first time.
BASF has started the global registration initiatives for two new herbicide active ingredients. The company submitted the regulatory dossier for Luximo™ herbicide in the European Union (EU) and in Australia and for Tirexor™ herbicide in Australia as well. These steps are important milestones in expanding BASF’s global herbicide portfolio.
UCLA biochemists have achieved a first in biology: viewing at near-atomic detail the smallest protein ever seen by the technique whose development won its creators the 2017 Nobel Prize in chemistry. That technique, called cryo-electron microscopy, enables scientists to see large biomolecules, such as viruses, in extraordinary detail.
Novel fungicide development
EU chemicals sector continues to grow
Sumitomo Chemical and BASF, two of the world’s leading chemical companies, have announced that under an existing joint development framework, Sumitomo Chemical has submitted a registration application in the EU for the novel fungicide compound with the ISO common name metyltetraprole[1]. The fungicide, discovered by Sumitomo Chemical, will be trademarked as Pavecto®.
With the Eurozone economy cooling down, the EU chemicals sector is growing at a slower pace, so says The European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC), in their latest chemicals trends report. Chemicals output was up 1.2% between January and April 2018, while chemicals prices surged 2.3% during the same period. Chemicals exports jumped 3.3% in Q1, whereas imports were up 1.7%. The trade surplus was up by €0.8 bn in Q1.
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Short story or article to share? Send them to our Editor, Ellen Rossiter, at ellen.rossiter@distinctivepublishing.co.uk
| biodigestables contributors | |
Peter Newport Chief Executive of the Chemical Business Association (CBA) CBA is a not-for-profit business organisation representing the independent chemical supply chain in the UK. Its member companies distribute, pack, and blend over four million tonnes of chemicals each year with a market value of almost three billion euros. Peter is a key industry advocate to governmental and regulatory authorities in the UK and Europe. He is also a board member and current Treasurer of the European Association for Chemical Distributors (Fecc) and a board member of the International Chemical Trade Association (ICTA).
| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
Ian Peach Account Director
Simon Thompson Managing Director, Marsh
OAMPS Hazardous Industries has more than 30 years’ experience arranging bespoke insurance solutions for fuel distributors, which made the addition of chemical companies in the last decade a natural transition.
Simon is head of Marsh’s Chemical and Life Sciences practice, UK & Ireland. He is responsible for leading the firm’s insurance broking and risk consulting industry practitioners in delivering advice, project management and insurance solutions to clients.
With over 30 years experienece in the industry, Ian started at OAMPS in 2004. As most of his career has been in customer facing roles, Ian uses his experience, passion and personable approach to provide a quality service to customers.
The practice helps chemical industry businesses identify, mitigate and quantify risk, using analytical techniques and insurance market experience, it delivers to the clients the lowest Economic Cost of Risk. The practice designs novel solutions to difficult risk issues for businesses from small start-ups to FTSE 100 and global companies.
Dr Julian Hought Managing Director, HFL Consulting
Carolyn Nicholls Operations Director at RAS Limited
Dr Carol Treasure Co-Founder and CEO, XCellR8
Julian is a chartered engineer with over 25 years’ experience in the chemical industry, covering design, construction, operation, maintenance and modification of hazardous processing facilities. At HFL Consulting, he has developed and manages a group of consultants and consulting engineers, helping businesses to bring about long-term improvements in operational and process safety performance.
Carolyn leads a team of risk and hazard management consultants and has been instrumental in creating the company’s assessment methodologies.
Carol leads the team at award-winning lab XCellR8. The company offers in vitro safety testing services to chemical ingredient manufacturers, which are 100% animal-free. XCellR8 has received regulatory recognition for its innovative animal-product-free adaptations of existing safety tests such as those for skin sensitisation, and Carol is passionate about developing new testing methodologies that are both scientifically and ethically sound.
Carolyn has experience of working with a large number of UK COMAH sites to develop safety reports and provide support in all aspects of risk management.
Contributors
Mark Kenrick Chief Executive, px group & Chairman of the North East Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC)
Philip Aldridge Chief Executive, North East Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC)
Mark is Chief Executive Officer of Teessidebased, px group and in April 2018 appointed Chairman of NEPIC. Prior to stepping up to this role in 2017, Mark was the group’s Director of Safety, Health, Environment (SHE) and Risk Management and brought with him over 35 years’ experience in the chemicals and processing industries.
Before being appointed Chief Executive in April 2018, Philip worked for NEPIC for 6 years helping deliver ERDF projects and serving its pharmaceutical members. Prior to his time with the Cluster, Philip held roles at the Centre of Excellence in Life Sciences and technical management positions within GSK in the UK and US.
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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
| news |
New projects to harness UK's digital manufacturing potential Digital, autonomous and intelligent technologies are transforming global manufacturing. The industry-led Made Smarter review, chaired by Siemens Chief Executive Juergen Maier, stated that industrial digitalisation could be worth as much as ÂŁ455 billion to UK manufacturing over the next decade. Embracing digital capabilities to transform industries across the UK economy was emphasised in the government's modern Industrial Strategy, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) being one of the Grand Challenges, in which the UK can lead the world in years to come. In the recently published Artificial Intelligence Sector Deal, it was confirmed that AI has the potential to solve complex problems fast, and in so doing, free up time and raise productivity. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has awarded ÂŁ11.4 million to seven projects which aim to create novel digital tools, techniques and processes that will support the translation of digital capabilities into the manufacturing sector. This activity was led by EPSRC's Manufacturing the Future and Digital Economy themes. This investment marks the continuation of EPSRC's longstanding commitment to foster inter and multi-
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disciplinary collaboration and support business innovation via digital transformation. It arose out of work conducted by the Connected Everything Network Plus, which was established to create a multidisciplinary community focused on industrial systems in the digital age. Working with a wide range of industrial partners, the projects will tackle different challenges in this space, including the improvement of processes in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries; developing methods to capture and predict impact from the introduction of digital technologies for improved manufacturing performance; the integration of revision control in digital-physical models; the improvement of modelling for analysis of dynamic loading in engineering and manufacturing; and the development of low-cost digital tools for SMEs. EPSRC's Executive Chair, Professor Philip Nelson, said: The adoption of advanced ICT techniques in manufacturing provides an enormous opportunity to improve growth and productivity within the UK. The effective implementation of these new technologies requires a multidisciplinary approach and these projects will see academic researchers working with a large number of industrial partners to fully harness their potential, which could generate impact across many sectors.
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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
Order books and sales remain positive, future sales margins negative Order books, current sales, and sales margins have all remained in positive territory since the last CBA Trends Survey three months ago (March 2018). Current sales margins are weak and the outlook, over the next three months, for future sales margins has turned negative. Employment levels are forecast to increase over the next three months. The CBA’s latest on-line Trends Survey was conducted during the two weeks, 4-18 June 2018, and is based on responses from 50 member companies.
ABOUT THE SURVEY CBA’s Supply Chain Trends Survey asks companies to provide information on order books, sales, sales margins, and employment, on a ‘better–worse–same’ basis. To measure short-term trends, the analysis ignores responses answering ‘same’ and focuses on the positive or negative balance provided by the difference between the ‘betterworse’ responses.
CURRENT ORDER BOOKS – POSITIVE TREND CONTINUES
SALES VOLUMES – CURRENT SALES STABLE; FUTURE SALES LOSING MOMENTUM Respondents are asked to compare their current sales volumes with the preceding three months and indicate their expectations for the next three months. Current sales volumes continue to show a positive balance of +27% marginally lower than three months ago (+29%). Future sales trends, though remaining in positive territory, have lost momentum at +17% - similar to levels reported in March 2018 (18%).
SALES MARGINS – CURRENT MARGINS WEAK, OUTLOOK NEGATIVE Companies are asked to compare their current sales margins with the preceding three months and forecast their trend over the coming three months. Current sales margins remain weak though generating a positive balance of responses, at +8%. Margins are expected to weaken over the next three months generating a negative balance of -8%.
EMPLOYMENT – FIRMLY POSITIVE Member companies were asked if their employment levels and investment in training would be higher, lower, or remain the same over the next three months. Trends for employment at +28% remain firmly positive.
Members are asked if their order books are better, worse, or the same than in the previous three months. The June survey shows a positive balance of +32%, marginally higher than the positive balance in the March 2018 survey (+27%). These figures remain low by the standards of previous surveys.
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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
| advertorial |
The merge to Dura-ID Solutions As of the 1st of February 2018 – IML Labels & Systems, Longcombe Labels and Leedmarque Concepts merged to become Dura-ID Solutions. The deal created a combined company with just over 100 members of staff, 5 sites and annual revenues of £14m+. As experts in the field of specialist labelling, tagging, plastic mouldings and printing solutions, the merger follows a highly successful year of sales for the 3 businesses involved. All of which have been owned as separate entities by Goonvean Holdings. Together, Dura-ID Solutions aims to further revolutionise identification solutions across all its key sectors and will continue to focus on supplying high quality products and services to its client base. Dura-ID are happy to announce that the full workforce has been retained and everyone
is excited for the opportunities to continue the good work started over 80 years ago! Now with sites in Sheffield, Paignton, Mansfield, Cambridge and Aycliffe, Dura-ID will be able to offer a larger selection of products, have a larger customer reach and greater capacity to help keep lead-times down. Shaun Higgins, Managing Director at IML Labels & Systems said “We are very enthusiastic about the new opportunities that this merger brings to our company. The staff at both businesses are passionate about what they do, and it felt right to go through this change. Becoming Dura-ID Solutions means that we will be able to offer a more extensive product range to every industry we specialise within. We are all looking forward to our unified future as Dura-ID Solutions.”
Paul Harris, General Manager of Longcombe Labels says “This news comes from a keen interest in wanting to provide complete identification solutions for every industry, and as Dura-ID Solutions we can achieve that. Here at Longcombe Labels, all staff are proud to be joining forces and we look forward to what the future has in store for Dura-ID Solutions.” Dura-ID offer a wide range of GHS and BS5609 approved labelling and printing solutions for the chemicals industry and our specialist team of chemical experts can offer advice and guide you to the right solution for your application. From exclusive deals with American printer manufacturer Neuralog to partnerships with well-known chemical compliance company, UL Safeware Quasar – Dura-ID are here to solve your labelling problems.
THE ZEBRA 220Xi4 With over 40 years experience within the chemical market, Dura-ID Solutions are a registered reseller for the Zebra range of printing solutions. Keep your chemicals identifiable with the Zebra 220Xi4. This large format industrial printer is ideal for labelling chemical drums with both thermal transfer and direct thermal capabilities. The rugged, all metal construction of this machine has proven its reliability in harsh environments and is designed for fast, on-demand printing.
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| news |
| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
Growing concerns on EU market access post-brexit The Chairman of the UK’s leading organisation for the chemical supply chain, the Chemical Business Association (CBA), has underlined the industry’s growing concerns about securing continued access to European Union markets post-Brexit. Speaking to more that 1,150 members and their guests at CBA’s Annual Lunch on 25 April, the Association’s Chairman, Mottie Kessler MBE, above, said, “Our member surveys show a clear preference for the UK remaining part of the Single Market and Customs Union. They also show that a significant number of member companies are planning to create subsidiaries in other EU member states or have already done so.” “The commercial rationale behind these decisions is clear,” he continued. “For companies trading with EU member states, regulatory compliance is the key to market access. Authorities in these markets decide the nature and extent of the compliance required. Compliance is non-negotiable. Failure to comply is a barrier to market access. Without market access there is no trade.”
CBA has no desire to engage with the politics of Brexit. It is focused on accurately representing the views of its member companies and offering an evidence-based position on the potential impact of the UK leaving the European Union. Mottie Kessler said, “CBA warmly welcomed the commitment in the Prime Minister’s Mansion House speech to explore ‘associate membership’ and pay for continued access to the European Chemicals Agency and, by extension, to ensure that UK chemicals remain within the provisions of REACH and other key aspects of the industry’s existing regulatory framework.” He added, “This, of course is an intention, not a certainty. Like most other business associations, CBA remains concerned about the on-going uncertainty and its potential impact on commercial transactions, investment, and jobs. It is already clear that some European-based companies are repatriating products from the UK to guard against the impact of Brexit.” He concluded, “Time is short. Decisions have to be made. Our industry requires a higher level of certainty on the commercial and regulatory framework on which its future depends.”
“Our member surveys show a clear preference for the UK remaining part of the Single Market and Customs Union. They also show that a significant number of member companies are planning to create subsidiaries in other EU member states or have already done so.” 12
| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
| news |
Whitchem Limited receiving the overall CBA Responsible Care Award from CBA’s President, Steven Cartlidge (right)
The team from Dakram Materials Limited that won the CBA Community Interaction Award with Managing Director, Kate Mingay
CBA industry award winners announced The Chemical Business Association (CBA) has awarded its annual Responsible Care awards that recognise excellence by its member companies in the operation of its industrywide programme to promote year-on-year improvements in health, safety, security and environmental management. The Awards were presented before an audience of more than 1,100 members and their guests at CBA’s Annual Lunch on 25 April 2018 held at the Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London. This year’s winner for a chemical distributor with an operating site and the winner of CBA’s overall Responsible Care Award was Whitchem Limited. Based in Staffordshire, Whitchem distributes chemicals, minerals and polymers.
The citation for the award highlights the importance of Responsible Care and Product Stewardship in all aspects of the company’s business in addition to its strategy for continuous operational improvement. The CBA Award for Community Interaction was won by Dakram Materials Limited, a Bedfordshire-based distributor of inorganic metal-based chemicals. This award aims to recognise a major contribution to community interaction made by a company, one of its employees, or a group of employees. Despite being a smaller company, Dakram Materials and its employees have fostered a long-term engagement with a wide range of initiatives in the local community as well as charitable projects overseas.
Next generation battery plant to be built in Clitheroe Johnson Matthey, the global leader in science has announced that it is building a demonstration scale plant in Clitheroe, to manufacture next generation battery materials to power electric vehicles. The new, multi-million pound plant will have a capacity of 1,000 tonnes per annum and will be used to provide sample quantities of our market leading eLNOTM battery material to our global customers. The demonstration plant is an important step in the commercialisation of eLNO to support the qualification process with our customers and enable JM to build its market presence in next generation battery materials. JM has used its breadth of scientific expertise to rapidly develop eLNO and this new product is already generating extremely positive feedback from customers during testing. It is designed to enable large scale adoption of pure battery electric vehicles with greater range and lifetime.
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JM has chosen its existing site at Clitheroe to locate the new plant. Nickel is a key component of eLNO and our Clitheroe operations have extensive experience in the scale up and manufacture of nickel-containing products. Commenting on the investment, Robert MacLeod, Chief Executive of Johnson Matthey said: “This investment is an exciting step in the commercialisation of our eLNO technology and our strategy to deliver break out growth in battery materials. The demonstration plant at Clitheroe will enable us to support customers’ development programmes and build our market presence. JM already makes a significant contribution to cleaner air around the world; we’re now applying our world class science to next generation battery materials, enabling the journey to pollution-free roads.” Work is also underway on the design of JM’s first full scale commercial manufacturing plant for eLNO. This will be located in mainland Europe and is due to start production in 2021/22.
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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre announces first partners
The University of Manchester’s recently completed £60m Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) has agreed the first in a series of industrial partnerships to accelerate the commercialisation of graphene in Manchester. First Graphene Ltd, Haydale Graphene Industries, and Versarien PLC have each agreed to partner with the GEIC in order to exploit opportunities to develop and commercialise graphene products and applications. The GEIC, which is housed in the Masdar building near Manchester city centre, was recently handed over to University ownership from contractors ahead of an official opening later this year. Along with the National Graphene Institute (NGI) and the Henry Royce Institute (set to be completed in 2019) the GEIC will be crucial in maintaining the UK’s world leading position in advanced materials. James Baker, CEO of Graphene@Manchester said: “The GEIC is a key component of the University’s strategy for Graphene@Manchester. Our aim is to accelerate the
commercialisation of real-world applications and transition graphene and other 2D materials from the lab to the marketplace. The GEIC will bring in an additional 30 staff in addition to academics to grow community to over 300 graphene-related staff at the University. “First Graphene, Haydale and Versarien are the first companies to sign-up with the GEIC as a ‘Tier One’ partners. We anticipate that Tier One partners are likely to be larger SMEs and multinationals with interests that span multiple application domains.” Tier One partnership benefits include access to worldleading expertise and experience along with specialist equipment within the GEIC to aid projects which will accelerate product and process development and market entry. The GEIC will focus on industry-led application development in partnership with academics. It will fill a critical gap in the graphene and 2D materials ecosystem by providing facilities which focus on pilot production, characterisation, together with application development in composites, energy, solution formulations and coatings, electronics and membranes.
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“FIRST GRAPHENE, HAYDALE AND VERSARIEN ARE THE FIRST COMPANIES TO SIGN-UP WITH THE GEIC AS A ‘TIER ONE’ PARTNERS. WE ANTICIPATE THAT TIER ONE PARTNERS ARE LIKELY TO BE LARGER SMES AND MULTINATIONALS WITH INTERESTS THAT SPAN MULTIPLE APPLICATION DOMAINS.”
| news |
| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
Enzyme boost could hasten production of biofuels and other bioprocessed materials Imperial scientists have enhanced the process of using biology to make products such as fuels, plastics, medicines, and cosmetics. This could lead to cheaper and more environmentally friendly biofuel production and more efficient plastic recycling. Bioprocessing, which uses living cells or their components to make products such as biofuels, plastics, medicines, and cosmetics, is time consuming and expensive. Now, Imperial scientists say they can break down plantbased biomass 30 times faster than currently possible. Dr Alex Brogan, of Imperial College London’s Department of Chemical Engineering, and colleagues modified the glucosidase enzyme, which helps break down complex carbohydrates in biomass, like cellulose from plant cells, into its basic units, glucose. The glucose can then be fermented to make ethanol, a form of biofuel. Releasing glucose from cellulose is currently the most expensive and time consuming part of the process. This is partly because enzymes typically stop working at temperatures higher than 70 °C and when in industrial solvents like ionic liquids. However, if the enzyme could work in higher temperatures and ionic liquids, the conditions would hasten the process. To make glucosidase more robust, Dr Brogan and colleagues altered its chemical structure to let it withstand heat of up to 137 °C. The alteration also meant they could use the enzyme in ionic liquids instead of the usual water, and that they could use one enzyme instead of three.
They found that the combined effect of heat resistance and solubility in ionic liquids increased the glucose output 30-fold. If the technique is taken up on a large scale, fuel-related carbon emissions could fall by 80-100 per cent. The findings have recently been published in Nature Chemistry. Lead author Dr Brogan said: “We’ve made bioprocessing faster, which will require less equipment and will reduce carbon footprint. One major advantage of this will be increased biofuel production – potentially helping biofuels become more widespread as a result.” Biofuels are fuels made from living matter like plants, otherwise called biomass. They are better for the environment than fossil fuels such as coal and gas because they are made from renewable sources and emit far less overall carbon dioxide. Senior author Dr Jason Hallett, also from Imperial’s Department of Chemical Engineering, said: “Using biofuels made from corn starch, trees and other plant matter for vehicles and even electricity generation could massively reduce carbon emissions.” The alteration could be applied to a wide variety of enzymes, for a wide range of applications, such as making fuels from waste and recycling plastics, and can make bioprocessing more efficient. This research was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Diamond Light Source, which is funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and the Wellcome Trust, provided access to the B23 and I22 synchrotron beamlines where researchers measured enzyme thermal stability and structure.
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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
| news |
hfl
consulting Safety Sustainability Profitability
Supporting sustainably safe and profitable operations. Most would agree that good business performance is linked to good operational and process safety performance, built on sound practices and procedures. At HFL Consulting, we provide a unique blend of leadership, management, consulting, engineering and training services, that makes us the natural partner of choice for many of the UK’s most prominent chemical manufacturing and chemical using companies. Find out more about how we can help improve your performance. T 0161 304 5902 E info@hflconsulting.uk W hflconsulting.uk
People Plant Process Productivity 17
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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
UK electric vehicle battery industry could be worth
£2.7 billion per year for UK chemical companies A new report shows that UK companies are well-placed to supply valuable materials needed for batteries to be built in UK – a potential £2.7 billion per year business opportunity. The report commissioned by WMG at the University of Warwick, was launched to the Chemical Industry Association at the Chemistry Growth Partnership meeting in London, chaired by Steve Foots, Chief Executive of Croda, and attended by Richard Harrington MP. The research underpinning the report brought together experts and data from the automotive battery industry and chemicals industry, working in the context of the UK’s Industrial Strategy, points to a large UK battery manufacturing industry opportunity. The report was funded by EPSRC, commissioned and managed by WMG at the University of Warwick acting in their role as the Advanced Propulsion Centre Electrical Energy Storage Spoke, and delivered in partnership with E4tech. WMG’s Professor David Greenwood, one of the report’s authors said: “This report details a massive opportunity to grow a UK battery chemicals industry and related supply chain. The UK’s Industrial Strategy identified battery development and manufacture as one of the four initial Grand Challenges to coalesce industrial activity upon high growth opportunities.
Battery pack manufacturing for electric vehicles (EVs) will logically take place close to the point of vehicle assembly since packs are hard to transport. This in turn implies that the battery cells which make up the packs will best be manufactured in (or close to) the UK. This could also mitigate the loss of vehicle engine production.” “However for cell production to occur in the UK, the supply chains of chemicals would need to be reconfigured, since most cell production and chemicals supply is currently in Asia. Whilst such components could be imported, to capture the most value cell production and the related chemical and process equipment supply would need to come from UK suppliers.” The report notes that the UK manufactured 1.7m cars in 2016, around 80% of which were exported (SMMT 2017). Assuming that 50% of the vehicles manufactured in 2030 are electrified vehicles (EVs and PHEVs), and taking into account the expected fall in battery cost, the corresponding value of cell materials per car will be £3,200, worth £2.7bn per year to the UK chemical industry just for UKbuilt cars, with export potential to Europe of ten times that.
This would see a UK vehicle battery industry requiring these volumes of materials in any one year: Cell material
Annual UK value (£ million)
Annual UK volume
Cathode active material
1,040
69,000 t
Anode active material
538
48,000 t
Separator
394
263 million m2
Electrolyte
359
27,000 t
Anode copper foil
215
18,000 t
Electrode binders, solvents and additives
72
10,000 t
Cathode aluminium foil
72
10,000 t
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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
| feature |
The report makes a range of observations and recommendations that would be key to ensuring that the UK can capitalise on this significant opportunity. The battery chemicals supply chain is a highly additional opportunity for the UK chemicals sector. Seizing it will require the automotive battery and chemicals industries to work very closely, guided by the Faraday Challenge. UK battery manufacturers find that sourcing process equipment from outside the UK is not a problem but sourcing materials, especially those used for conventional lithium ion batteries, poses supply security issues. UK battery technology developers are currently sourcing their materials from outside the UK and are not facing particular challenges from a supply chain point of view, given the small scales and novel materials Conducting joint R&D with technology developers could be a way into the battery supply chain for UK chemical companies, provided they can supply battery-grade materials at scale Companies are unclear on exactly what products the battery industry will require, on what scale and when but research such as this can help them plan for a clear future. Under current conditions, companies are looking at strategies to enter the battery supply chain that minimise risk, such as adapting existing products, developing new products that can have multiple applications, or conducting R&D activities co-funded by public grants
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Only a few UK companies are already supplying the battery industry at scale. Those who are not will need time, once the business case is made, to develop new products and the necessary production capacity as the typical time to market for new products in the chemical industry is in the order of 2 years Many indicated building close partnerships with developers of new battery technology as their preferred strategy, allowing them time to grow and gain competitive advantage over suppliers to current battery technology manufacturers Certainty in the UK battery market is essential to enable investment in chemical production plants In addition to support for EV adoption and battery manufacturing, perceived risk in the development of the chemicals and process supply chain also needs to be addressed. Support provided should last long enough for the supply chain to reach critical mass Supporting the growth of our smaller / SMEs companies could ensure resilience within the UK economy. Funding is required (potentially through Faraday) to engage with these industries to help them de-risk and make the transition into this new sector
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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
Gear up for the electric car revolution
As the world’s leading chemical companies, that for decades have made catalysts that remove polluting substances from vehicle exhausts, switch their focus to become key players in powering electric cars of the future, we look at the efforts in place to ensure the UK is at the forefront of this transformation and the supply chain opportunities it presents. Worldwide sales of pure electric vehicles grew by 45 per cent last year and the International Energy Agency estimates that there will be between 9m and 20m electric vehicles on the road by 2020 and between 40m and 70m by 2035 - by which point it is estimated to be a £5bn market opportunity in the UK and £50bn across Europe. Big chemical players, such as Umicore in Belgium, chemical giant, BASF, and UK-listed Johnson Matthey are now
preparing for the eventual decline of traditional internal combustion engines. All three hopes to capture the growth in demand for components used in rechargeable lithiumion cells and are planning to explain production of cathode materials, critical in increasing the amount of power a battery can deliver. Most recently, UK-based chemicals group, Johnson Matthey – which is one of the world’s largest suppliers of catalytic converters - announced plans to build a battery materials demonstration plant in the UK with double the originally expected production capacity, as well as a £200m commercial plant in Europe with the aim of commercial production by 2021.
THE POST-BREXIT OPPORTUNITY Electric vehicles have been identified as a key post-Brexit manufacturing opportunity for the UK, with one in five electrical vehicles driven in Europe produced in the UK.
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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
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“Battery technology is one of the most game-changing forms of energy innovation and it is one of the cornerstones of our ambition, through the industrial strategy and the Faraday Challenge, to ensure that the UK leads the world, and reaps the economic benefits, in the global transition to a low carbon economy.” Several manufacturers have sizable facilities including Nissan in Sunderland and Jaguar Land Rover in the Midlands. In November 2017, Greg Clarke, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, announced £80m of funding to establish a National Battery Manufacturing Development Facility. As part of the Automotive Sector Deal included in the recent Industrial Strategy, the battery facility is part of efforts to place the UK at the forefront of the global energy storage market. It will be responsible for turning the most promising early and mid-stage research and development practices into scalable and commercially viable propositions. Mr Clarke said: “Battery technology is one of the most game-changing forms of energy innovation and it is one of the cornerstones of our ambition, through the industrial strategy and the Faraday Challenge, to ensure that the UK leads the world, and reaps the economic benefits, in the global transition to a low carbon economy.” Further monies will be injected to tackle the biggest challenges including key technologies such as the development of battery materials and cell manufacturing; design and production of modules and packs including advances in thermal management and battery management systems and of course, recycling and the recyclability of battery packs.
CHEMICAL SUPPLY CHAIN FOR BATTERY MANUFACTURE
WORLDWIDE SALES OF PURE ELECTRIC VEHICLES GREW BY 45 PER CENT LAST YEAR AND THE INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY ESTIMATES THAT THERE WILL BE BETWEEN 9M AND 20M ELECTRIC VEHICLES ON THE ROAD BY 2020 AND BETWEEN 40M AND 70M BY 2035 - BY WHICH POINT IT IS ESTIMATED TO BE A £5BN MARKET OPPORTUNITY IN THE UK AND £50BN ACROSS EUROPE.
The rise of battery manufacturing in the UK will lead to a significant number of opportunities in the supply chain. These opportunities will cover several key areas – some specific to battery manufacturing and other more generic in terms of process design, control and instrumentation, engineering and other service and support functions. The battery specific opportunities are likely to focus around chemicals supply, injection moulding, waste disposal and software development. Lithium-Ion Battery (LIB) is a generic term for batteries whose electric and chemical properties depend on lithium. LIB cells are comprised of four main components – cathodes, anodes, separators and electrolytes – inserted in various container types. Cathodes, anodes and separators take the form of sheets, and wound or stacked to form alternating layers of cathode-separators-anode, with ions flowing between the cathode and anode sheets via an electrolyte solution. LIB’s are primarily utilised in consumer electronics applications due to their high energy density and lifecycle. Their high potential power output also makes them wellsuited to automotive applications. Its value chain comprises of raw and processed materials; electrodes; cells and battery pack – which together generate quite a shopping list of common chemicals, materials and processes.
THE FARADAY CHALLENGE The Faraday Challenge is a £246m commitment from Government to battery development for the automotive electrification market opportunity. Over the next four
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years it will provide a new ‘application-inspired’ research programme coordinated at national scale and an innovation programme to support collaborative research and development with co-investment from industry. Furthermore, a scale-up programme to allow companies of all sizes to rapidly move new battery technologies to market. The UK has world class expertise across a range of areas in battery science and has already built a significant number of research networks and pilot facilities upon which this challenge will build. Compatible infrastructure and a unified transport and energy system are also critical to electric vehicle uptake. The recently launched £20 million Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) competition seeks to support this by funding projects which aid the interaction between electric vehicles and the grid, paving the way for widespread adoption of electric vehicles. This is a comprehensive research, innovation and scale up programme, focussed on batteries from their raw materials and electrochemistry to end of life treatment, encompassing cell manufacture, modules, battery pack design and assemblies, and vehicle application. By any scale this is a game changing investment in the UK and will make people around the globe take notice of what the UK is preparing for in terms of electric vehicle introduction. The movement from the internal combustion engine to an electric vehicle is transformative. It’s entirely different technology and at present an entirely different cost structure. This poses both risks but also huge opportunities for the UK economy. The programme will develop safe, cost effective, durable, lighter weight, high performing and recyclable batteries which will power the next generation of electric vehicles. This will involve businesses with a wide range of materials and manufacturing capabilities from across different sectors, creating a new supply chain to support battery production in the UK at scale. Alongside this there is legislation moving through Parliament, the Vehicle Technology and Aviation Bill, which will pave the way for autonomous and connected driverless cars. The UK is at the forefront of legislative and regulatory change in order to enable this technology to be deployed in the UK which will be based on electric and Ultra Low Emission vehicles. Over the coming months NEPIC will continue to work closely with the Chemistry Growth Partnership, Innovate UK, Warwick Manufacturing Group and the Faraday Challenge to ensure our members are geared and ready to take advantage of this significant opportunity. www.nepic.co.uk
| advertorial |
| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
The Process Safety Training Standard encouraging a safety culture In 2010, writes Neil Smith, Cogent Skills and the Chemical Industries Association (CIA) identified the need from customers and members for an integrated programme of process safety management (PSM) training. They shared a vision to create a framework of PSM training standards tailored to each level in the organisation, sponsored by the key trade bodies, and supported by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). After further consultation, the Process Safety Management Competence Programme Board was established including Cogent Skills, CIA, HSE, UKPIA, Unite the Union, IChemE, with representation from senior industrialists across the sector with experience, expertise and interests in PSM. The research showed that the bulk of existing training was aimed at process safety specialists, with minimal support available at the senior executive level, or for that matter for process operators and supervisors. Consequently, the board committed to the development of a suite of PSM Training Standards, with an initial focus on the competence at board and site director level in organisations that must manage the risks and potential for catastrophic incidents. Process Safety Leadership for Senior Executives was launched in 2011, followed by Process Safety Management Foundations in 2012, for operational managers and supervisors, and Process Safety management for Operations in 2013 for front line operators and maintenance personnel. The purpose of these Training Standards is to provide a clear knowledge and understanding of the principles of process safety management across an organisation, and help organisations to develop and maintain a strong process safety culture.
to meet monthly with the aim of constantly building awareness and engaging new businesses and industry sectors; stakeholders support the independent quality assurance process for all course providers; and Board members have shared their vision through speaking at numerous industry events including three Process Safety Management Summits, in 2012, 2015 and 2018. The initial goals have long been exceeded, and the programme has now successfully engaged 182 Upper and Lower-Tier COMAH sites and 115 non-COMAH sites, with >10,000 individuals trained – with around 1500 of these in Leadership roles. It is however clear, that there is still a long way to go in engaging and convincing industry leaders of the importance of their role in demonstrating visible Process Safety Leadership, hence the focus of the Health & Safety Executive on Leadership as a strategic topic from 2019 onwards. If you want to find out more, contact Cogent Skills on 01325 740900 or email industry@cogentskills.com, alternatively visit www.cogentskills.com.
The commitment shown by the founder members of the PSM Competence Programme Board to continue to drive forward this agenda is outstanding. The Board continue
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SHAPE YOUR PROCESS SAFETY CULTURE AND INCREASE YOUR BUSINESS PERFORMANCE We understand the challenge when it comes to managing Process Safety, and when it is managed well you will get results with increased productivity asset lifetime and reduced business risk
The Cogent Process Safety Management programme courses focus in on Leadership within Process Safety Management and look internally at organisations culture to help develop essential leadership thinking. We can help you to improve your process safety culture and improve leadership within industry. From vision to execution, Cogent Skills Services provides proven, integrated and comprehensive bespoke Process Safety Management training solutions for the entire workforce; based on industry developed National Standards. Process Safety Leadership for Senior Executives
Process Safety Management Foundations
Process Safety Management for Operations
OVER 10,000
DELEGATES HAVE NOW PASSED THROUGH THE PROCESS SAFETY MANAGEMENT TRAINING PROGRAMME!
Launching Key Elements of Process Safety Management Systems
Cogent Skills Process Safety Management courses are designed by industry, for industry, with content meeting key industry regulatory standards
Courses are developed by an industrial Board and key stakeholders, trade bodies and hold endorsements of regulatory bodies
The Process Safety Management Programme is described by the HSE as ‘unique and fully meeting the levels that they expect to see in a high hazard business’ in the BRE.
If you have any training requirements that you would like to speak about you can contact a member of the Cogent Skills team on 01325 740900 or email industry@cogentskills.com
| news |
| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
Chemicals industry looking to source more renewable energy The European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the RE-Source Platform. The RE-Source Platform, founded by SolarPower Europe, WindEurope, The Climate Group and CDP (RE100) and WBCSD, is a European alliance of stakeholders representing clean energy buyers and suppliers for corporate renewable energy sourcing. The platform pools resources and coordinates activities to promote a better policy framework for corporate renewable energy sourcing, at EU and national level, whilst raising awareness and facilitating business opportunities. Marco Mensink, Cefic Director General said: “Industry will need massive amounts of renewable energy in the future. Corporate sourcing of renewable electricity can offer an attractive solution for chemical companies to secure clean and affordable energy with a longer time horizon. We look forward to working with the RE-Source platform to ensure the European chemical industry does not miss this key opportunity.”
Giles Dickson, WindEurope CEO said: “Corporate renewable PPAs all started with the ICT sector sourcing renewables for their data centres. Now energy-intensive manufacturing sectors such as chemicals are signing them too. The RE-Source Platform aims to help spread the PPA model throughout Europe so that more industrial consumers can benefit from it. Having Cefic onboard will pave the way for more PPA deals in the chemicals sector, providing them with the clean, reliable and cheap power that renewables provide.” James Watson, CEO of SolarPower Europe said “The signing of this MoU proves the awareness that is growing in energy intensive industries of the benefits of utilising renewables to meet their electricity demands. Cefic are an early mover and we are very pleased to see the European chemical industry support this important initiative to promote renewable energy through onsite generation and power purchasing agreements. We hope that more sectors will seize this opportunity and take the initiative to join the RE-Source platform and drive the uptake of renewable energy.”
“Industry will need massive amounts of renewable energy in the future. Corporate sourcing of renewable electricity can offer an attractive solution for chemical companies to secure clean and affordable energy with a longer time horizon.”
UK should stay close to REACH Speaking at a public hearing organised by the House of Lords, on June 27th, Cefic executive director Product Stewardship Peter Smith said the UK should stay closely in touch with REACH and operate with the European Chemicals Agency in Helsinki. Smith pointed out that industry across the EU had invested heavily in REACH, developing an outstanding database of chemicals helping to ensure that all uses of chemicals are safe. Were the UK to leave the EU and ECHA, it would need to create an equivalent organisation to ECHA, he added. “The European Chemicals Agency is the best organisation in the world to ensure we offer the benefits of chemicals
while maintaining safety for the general public and the environment”. Smith also referred to the recent public commitment made by Cefic with ECHA to continue to work more closely to ensure the knowledge base is maintained.
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CHEMICAL COMPANIES FROM OAMPS Our more than 30 years of experience with fuel distributors made the addition of chemical companies in the last decade a natural transition. Over the last few years we have been developing our offering and we now provide specialist insurance services to the full range of chemical industries. We won’t just arrange standard commercial insurance for you, our core package includes cover for risks unique to the chemicals sector: - Crisis-management and media protection - Cost of Stock Debris Removal - Clean-up of Own Land (following a sudden & unforeseen spillage of product) up to £250K as standard - Stock Cost Fluctuation (to manage product cost variations) 15% uplift - High Public Liability limits of indemnity available - Statutory Environmental Protection up to the Public Liability limit of indemnity - Rehabilitation Services Clients of OAMPS will automatically benefit from Level 2 & 3 Environmental Response Service in the event of a spillage 24/7; we offer Level 1 Environmental Response Service at a discounted rate. We can also offer specialist driver training in ADR and CPC at a discounted rate via our parent company.
WHAT TYPE OF BUSINESSES DO WE WORK WITH
CONTACT
Companies who manufacture, blend, wholesale, import/export, store and/or haul chemicals across a diverse range of industry sectors
T: 01372 869700 E: info@oamps.co.uk
OAMPS is a trading name of Pen Underwriting Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA 314493) Registered Office: The Walbrook Building, 25 Walbrook, London, EC4N 8AW, Registered in England and Wales. Company Number: 5172311
| big interview |
| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
Simon Thompson
How deeper collaboration can create opportunities for improved business resilience In this issue, we speak to Simon Thompson, Managing Director and Chemical & Life Sciences Practice Leader at Marsh, about the evolution of insurances broking, the issues of importance to the chemical industry today, and the some key risks emerging for the industry. THE BACKGROUND With a heritage dating back almost 150 years, Marsh has a long and distinguished history of assisting chemical and other industry clients with their insurance. It is now a global leader in risk management, insurance broking and advisory services. While headquartered in the New York, Marsh has over 20 offices in the UK and a network presence in 120 countries. The firm’s UK client portfolio includes start-ups, established national businesses, FTSE 100, and global companies. “I’ve been in the risk business for over 30 years and enjoyed serving clients in a wide range of industries globally before specialising in chemical and life sciences in 2001.’’ Simon notes. “Currently I lead our practice in the UK, working closely with my industry counterparts globally. We use our combined experience and data to assess and benchmark risk, raise best practice and drive improvements in risk and insurance solutions. This industry specialisation has proven to be a key benefit to our clients, and a differentiator for Marsh.”
It is notable to observe how clients’ needs have changed in recent years. From being a ‘once a year’ outsourced insurance procurer negotiating and servicing insurance needs, increasingly brokers are required to act as a strategic advisor using a more intimate understanding of our clients’ businesses. Clients engage not only with our brokers but our chemical engineers, actuaries, forensic accountants and legally qualified claims specialists. We’ve become a trusted business advisor and, increasingly, an integral part of our clients’ risk teams.” Typically, Marsh’s clients now engage them further up the ‘risk chain’, including: Identification
Building risk registers
Mitigation
Validating risk management frameworks & executing projects
Quantification
Risk scenario testing and evaluating financial consequences
Retention
Modelling the financial tolerance and appetite of the business
Transfer
Designing optimum insurance programme to transfer risk
Service and At head office and subsidiary levels claims support worldwide
HOW DO CHEMICAL CLIENTS ENGAGE INSURANCE BROKERS?
Simon explains: “This closer engagement enables us to create data-driven bespoke solutions with ‘fit for purpose’ insurance cover, and allows our claim specialists to drive the optimum response from the insurance policies, should a loss occur.
“Our focus is all about helping clients to reduce risk, and reduce the impact of an event if it happens,” explains Simon. “We specialise in creating novel solutions to address each client’s unique risk challenges. Working closely with clients we analyse their risk profiles in detail, before recommending fit for purpose insurances.
For example during a recent forensic programme review, we integrated the results of a retention study (to actuarially model the client’s risk tolerance), a natural catastrophe study of their key sites and a policy coverage review. The outcome for the client was a redesigned insurance programme achieving higher (necessary) policy limits,
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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
| big interview |
a lower corporate retention (deductible) and broader coverage – at a lower premium.”
Stepping up the risk management agenda This broader approach also empowers smaller businesses to get on to the risk management ladder for compliance and governance, helps larger firms develop their existing risk strategies, and guides the risk management departments of the largest companies when dealing with less familiar new or emerging risks.
WHAT ARE IMPORTANT ISSUES FOR THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY TODAY? “Working with over 1,000 chemical clients globally, we regularly detect issues of concern to the industry. Three issues are of particular note right now.”
The importance of accurate insurance values “While not limited to the chemical industry, in the aftermath of the devastating hurricanes last year, it has become apparent that many firms are inadequately insured. No financial director wants to learn their claim settlement will be reduced due to underinsurance.” says Simon. “Many businesses use historical asset valuations, adjusted annually for insurance purposes. This model has its shortcomings. Replacing machinery, or other assets, with new machinery and equipment that meets current industry, technology, environmental or regulatory requirements can have a higher cost than the existing asset value. Conversely, an asset which may not be replaced at all following a loss should be insured for its actual value only, not the replacement value. This means that some firms can be over insured and are paying more premium than necessary. Declaring accurate asset values is fundamental to avoid unwanted surprises.”
Hidden supply chain exposure “The risks posed by complex supply chains are another chief concern. Most businesses take supply chains into account, but some don’t look far enough down the chain to quantify how the business would be financially impacted by disruption in the second or third tier. We are helping clients in the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors to assess and quantify those risks more accurately. We also challenge the risk management and availability of alternative sources and challenge the ‘down time’ our clients expect to validate the insured business interruption indemnity periods. More confidence in the risk management of the entire chain also encourages insurers to provide broader cover, which may be critical in a complex chain.”
Facilitating acquisitions “In the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, we are supporting a high level of acquisitions. From mega-mergers, to smaller technology acquisitions, we work with clients to assist the due diligence process to mitigate the risks involved and provide support with integration projects. In 2018, one frequent request from clients has been for warranty and indemnity solutions to remove some feared but unknown liabilities, such as those surrounding tax or environmental issues, from the transaction. This can provide the buyer with an enhanced status over its competitors during the negotiation and, in many cases, ultimately helps facilitate the transaction.”
2.78 million work-related deaths and 374 million non-fatal work-related injuries and illnesses each year, this has never been more important. Many of our clients are seeking the ISO 45001 occupational health and safety (OHS) accreditation. This is the new ‘gold standard’ and will be critical for firms competing for tenders and contracts, as well as increasing their level of claims defensibility when practised. Efficient delivery of an ISO 45001 project requires cohesion among a wide range of stakeholders in the business. Marsh can help by undertaking a high-level readiness assessment of an organisation’s OHS using our knowledge of the ISO 45001 standard. This not only identifies nonconformities, but provides a clear roadmap with prioritised recommendations for aligning the organisation with the new standard, setting it on the right track for its final audit.”
Strengthening Cyber security One of the greatest emerging risks that has now become a reality is the cyber threat. Compliance with the new General Data Protection Regulation is a top priority, but the cyber threat reaches way beyond data loss to operational safety and business disruption. “Some businesses have for some time considered that the industry is not a specific target but NotPetya has upended this belief’’ Simon cautions.’’ Several large chemical and pharmaceutical businesses were interrupted by this industry-agnostic intrusion, one with disclosed losses close to US$1billion.’’ Marsh is complementing clients’ own security breach risk processes with loss scenario quantification of potential losses to the business and analysis of existing coverage. “We then structure policies to supplement existing cover and close the gap for the specific client requirements. The insurance market has now matured and significant policy limits are available. For smaller organisations an ‘off the shelf’ cyber policy can be extremely useful. Insurers provide security breach response services in addition to insurance cover. This means smaller firms can have experts on hand to help with all aspects of crisis management, from the technical aspects of getting the business up and running again, to media management – so that the business suffers the minimum of disruption.”
Brexit ‘future proofing’ “In common with all industries, the uncertainty surrounding Brexit is an issue for the insurance market, with matters of business continuity and regulatory compliance chief amongst concerns. The ability of insurers to be able to continue offering compliant EU-wide cover and provide cover for prospective new trade outside the EU is the minimum clients should expect. We are helping our clients future-proof existing insurance arrangements now, to provide the best chance of avoiding interruption before the finer details of the Brexit agreement are revealed.”
IN SUMMARY Insurance brokers are using ever more innovative ways to support their clients in the management and transfer of risks to protect their businesses. They address traditional and emerging risks to help reduce their impact and increase business resilience to survive and thrive.
WHAT ARE THE KEY RISKS EMERGING FOR THE INDUSTRY?
Simon concludes “Our overall objective is to lower the economic cost of risk for each client. This begins with understanding the unique risks that they face. The more informed we are, the more value we can bring.”
ISO45001
simon.thompson@marsh.com
“Our clients put safety first in all things; with The International Labour Organisation estimating that there are
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| feature |
| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
Stanford AI recreates periodic table of eleme By Ker Than
In a first step toward generating an artificial intelligence program that can find new laws of nature, a Stanford team created a program that reproduced a complex human discovery – the periodic table. It took nearly a century of trial and error for human scientists to organize the periodic table of elements, arguably one of the greatest scientific achievements in chemistry, into its current form. A new artificial intelligence (AI) program developed by Stanford physicists accomplished the same feat in just a few hours. Called Atom2Vec, the program successfully learned to distinguish between different atoms after analyzing a list of chemical compound names from an online database. The unsupervised AI then used concepts borrowed from the field of natural language processing – in particular, the idea that the properties of words can be understood by looking at other words surrounding them – to cluster the elements according to their chemical properties. “We wanted to know whether an AI can be smart enough to discover the periodic table on its own, and our team showed that it can,” said study leader Shoucheng Zhang, the J. G. Jackson and C. J. Wood Professor of Physics at Stanford’s School of Humanities and Sciences. Zhang says the research, published in the July 25 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is an important first step toward a more ambitious goal of his, which is designing a replacement to the Turing test – the current gold standard for gauging machine intelligence. In order for an AI to pass the Turing test, it must be capable of responding to written questions in ways that are indistinguishable from a human. But Zhang thinks the test is flawed because it is subjective. “Humans are the product of evolution and our minds are cluttered with all sorts of irrationalities. For an AI to pass the Turing test, it would need to reproduce all of our human irrationalities,” Zhang said. “That’s very difficult to do, and not a particularly good use of programmers’ time.”
Zhang would instead like to propose a new benchmark of machine intelligence. “We want to see if we can design an AI that can beat humans in discovering a new law of nature,” he said. “But in order to do that, we first have to test whether our AI can make some of the greatest discoveries already made by humans.” By recreating the periodic table of elements, Atom2Vec has achieved this secondary goal, Zhang says. Potassium is to king as … Zhang and his group modeled Atom2Vec on an AI program that Google engineers created to parse natural language. Called Word2Vec, the language AI works by converting words into numerical codes, or vectors. By analyzing the vectors, the AI can estimate the probability of a word appearing in a text given the co-occurrence of other words. For example, the word “king” is often accompanied by “queen,” and “man” by “woman.” Thus, the mathematical vector of “king” might be translated roughly as “king = a queen minus a woman plus a man.” “We can apply the same idea to atoms,” Zhang said. “Instead of feeding in all of the words and sentences from a collection of texts, we fed Atom2Vec all the known chemical compounds, such as NaCl, KCl, H20, and so on.” From this sparse data, the AI program figured out, for example, that potassium (K) and sodium (Na) must have similar properties because both elements can bind with chlorine (Cl). “Just like king and queen are similar, potassium and sodium are similar,” Zhang said. Zhang hopes that in the future, scientists can harness Atom2Vec’s knowledge to discover and design new materials. “For this project, the AI program was unsupervised, but you could imagine giving it a goal and directing it to find, for example, a material that is highly efficient at converting sunlight to energy,” Zhang said. His team is already at work on version 2.0 of their AI program, which will focus on cracking an intractable problem in medical research: designing just the right antibody to attack antigens – molecules capable of inducing an immune response – that are specific to cancer cells. Currently, one of the most promising
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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
chemistry’s ents approaches to curing cancer is cancer immunotherapy, which involves harnessing the antibodies that can attack antigens on cancer cells. But the human body can produce more than 10 million unique antibodies, each of which is made up of a different combination of about 50 genes. “If we can map these building block genes onto a mathematical vector, then we can organize all antibodies into something similar to a periodic table,” Zhang says. “Then, if you discover that one antibody is effective against an antigen but is toxic, you can look within the same family for another antibody that is just as effective but less toxic.” Other Stanford co-authors include graduate students Quan Zhou and Shenxiu Liu, and postdoctoral researcher Peizhe Tang. Funding for the research was provided by the U.S. Department of Energy.
“We want to see if we can design an AI that can beat humans in discovering a new law of nature, But in order to do that, we first have to test whether our AI can make some of the greatest discoveries already made by humans.” 29
| feature |
| advertorial |
| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
Do we need to learn to share? Over recent years there seems to be a growing emphasis on cross sector and industry sharing of information, including that relating to the latest in best practise, regulation and incidents and near misses. The benefits of sharing knowledge within industry are clear; everyone can benefit from improvements in process safety. Sharing is facilitated largely by industry based associations and membership organisations who provide support via a number of means including meetings and publications. Despite this, is sharing as effective as we intend it to be? In this article, RAS Ltd explore the shortcomings in industry learning and how we can improve. There are numerous trade associations, working groups and forums out there which are designed to provide an interface between industry and the regulator, and provide support for better regulation and better management of major accidents. They involve representatives of the regulator and their member companies within their specific sector, to share knowledge and best practice and to develop guidance as necessary. Where there are many outlets for information prepared by these groups; conferences, forums and publications for example, it tends only to be received by management who are expected to relay the information from the top down. While this works for information relating to their role, a lot of guidance and best practice relates to plant and process and it should therefore be the engineers on site in direct receipt of the information. In order to ensure this, we need tighter systems on site for sharing information or to provide the workforce with access to these industry organisations. Memberships are expensive, however, and guidance comes at a cost too. With ever tightening budgets, many smaller companies simply cannot afford to keep up.
representative of the industry, though? Often it is the larger corporations we see getting involved, and smaller companies do not seem to have as strong a voice. Being part of these groups takes up a lot of resource both in terms of time and money, and providing this resource is not always possible. There are ways to make working groups more accessible, however. Remote communications such as webinars are making access easier and information more available for other purposes such as training, and they could be applied in this instance too. With the number of industry organisations in existence growing and limited resources being available, it is difficult to know which ones to be a part of, and which guidance to choose when the outputs from different working groups overlap. This could be alleviated by some transparency from the regulator in their preferred sources of information. All in all, it seems like the solution to some of the challenges in communication via industry associations is joining up the key players: the associations themselves, the regulator, and a good representative set of workers from companies throughout the relevant sector. This could include regional networking events, drop in sessions with specialists and inter-company events such as peer audits. Linking these up facilitates the open sharing of information and ensures the latest knowledge and experience in process safety can rapidly reach the right people. Carolyn Nicholls - carolyn.nicholls@ras.ltd.uk Jennifer Hill - jennifer.hill@ras.ltd.uk
This is reflected further when you look at the demographics of industry associations and their working groups. The purpose of working groups is to bring together a representative team from industry to work together to improve regulation and compliance. Are attendees truly
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| news |
| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
Distinguished scientists elected as Fellows and Foreign Members of the Royal Society Automotive industry heavyweights, artificial intelligence pioneers and food bio-fortification luminaries are amongst the fifty eminent scientists elected as Fellows of the Royal Society and ten as new Foreign Members for their exceptional contributions to science. Venki Ramakrishnan, President of the Royal Society, says: “Our Fellows are key to the Royal Society’s fundamental purpose of using science for the benefit of humanity. From Norwich to Melbourne to Ethiopia, this year’s newly elected Fellows and Foreign Members of the Royal Society are testament that science is a global endeavour and excellent ideas transcend borders. We also recognise the cutting edge innovation taking place across industry, with many of this year’s Fellows coming from the thriving tech industry. For their outstanding contributions to research and innovation, both now and in the future, it gives me great pleasure to welcome the world’s best scientists into the ranks of the Royal Society.” Cathie Martin is recognised for her seminal advances in plant sciences and biofortification, including the development of purple tomatoes with enhanced nutritional content. Internationally renowned engineer, inventor and entrepreneur Elon Musk has been elected a Fellow for his contributions to space travel, sustainable electric transportation, solar power, low-cost internet satellites and hypersonic ground transportation. Artificial intelligence researcher Demis Hassabis also joins the Fellowship thanks to his pioneering work merging cognitive neuroscience and machine learning to produce breakthroughs in deep learning that helped master the game of Go with AlphaGo. He joins Irish mathematician Kevin Costello, who has been recognised for his contributions towards creating a mathematically precise formulation of quantum field theory. Theoretical physicist and award-winning broadcaster Jim Al-Khalili has been made a Fellow for his work on the neutron halo as well as his dedicated service to public engagement. Lalita Ramakrishnan has been elected for her pioneering zebrafish model of tuberculosis, which has enabled her to uncover entirely new approaches to treating the disease in humans. Sheila Rowan is recognised for her key contributions to the discovery of gravitational radiation, particularly her innovative work improving the sensitivity of the LIGO (and other) detectors. Michelle Simmons joins the ranks of the Royal Society for her ground-breaking achievements that have opened a new frontier of research in computing and electronics globally, providing a platform for redesigning conventional transistors and for developing a quantum computer. John Speakman, the world’s leading expert in animal energy expenditure, is also recognised. His work has provided key insights into fields as far ranging as ageing, obesity, mathematics and evolution. Palaeontologist Gregory Edgecombe is honoured this year for his research integrating the morphology of Cambrian fossils with evidence from living animals that has resolved the long contested relationships of insects in evolutionary trees. Also joining the list is Ingrid Scheffer, whose advances in our understanding of the genetic basis of epilepsy transformed the way we think and treat the disease.
Sebsebe Demissew has been made a Foreign Member for his lifelong work on promoting Ethiopian biodiversity and the direct benefit this has daily for people in his country, and right across Africa. Jeffrey Friedman also joins the ranks for the discovery of leptin, the satiety hormone. The identification of leptin has uncovered a new endocrine system that radically changes the way we think about obesity, and has led to new treatments for several human diseases. Carolyn Bertozzi also joins the ranks of Foreign Members for her pioneering field of bio-orthogonal chemistry, helping us understand the role sugars play in the development of cancer and inflammation, as well as how to deliver drugs to specific cells in the body. Joachim Sauer is also elected as Foreign Member of the Royal Society for his unique contributions to chemistry, specifically the application of quantum chemical techniques to solid state, surface and catalytic science. Lord Willetts, Privy Councillor and Minister for Universities and Science 2010 – 2014, has been made an Honorary Fellow for his consistent and high quality championing of science. Since leaving Government he has, amongst other things, become a visiting Professor at King’s College London, Chair of the Advisory Board of the Times Higher Education, Executive Chair of the Resolution Foundation and Chair of the British Science Association. The Fellowship of the Royal Society is made up of the most eminent scientists, engineers and technologists from or living and working in the UK and the Commonwealth. Some statistics about this year’s intake are as follows: 14 of this year’s intake of Fellows (12) and Foreign Members (2) are women New Fellows have been elected from across the UK and Commonwealth, including Auckland, Melbourne, Newcastle, Surrey and Toronto, along with those from international institutions in Israel, Ethiopia, Italy and Switzerland
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| news |
| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
WeAreTheCity reveals Top 100 Female Rising Stars across 20 industries WeAreTheCity released the names of its top 100 female Rising Stars, as part of its annual awards programme, to celebrate the female talent pipeline across the UK. The prestigious Rising Star awards, now in their fourth year, aim to showcase the sheer volume of female talent that exists across our industries and to create role models for the future. The awards focus on celebrating the achievements of women under a management level regardless of age. Over the past four years, WeAreTheCity has built up an alumni of 400 award’s winners through its Rising Star Awards in the UK and India and through its TechWomen50 Award. Over 78 of the award’s alumni have since been promoted by their organisations as well as going on to win additional awards. This year’s winners include the British Army’s Ice Maidens, who became the first women to cross Antarctica; Krystal Archer, SuperFoxx, who was one of the first female DJ’s for the Ministry of Sound; and Sophie Ainsworth, Founder of RAiISE (Raising Awareness of Invisible Illnesses in Schools and Education); as well as a number of other inspiring women who continue to push their boundaries in order to achieve their full potential. Thanks to Bloomberg, the awards continue to celebrate Rising Star Champions, recognising the efforts of senior leaders who are actively supporting the female pipeline. Winners of this category include Captain Ellie Ablett MBE, Royal Navy; Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, Women in Leadership Publication; and Zaheer Jaffary, Carlton Bolling High School. The awards also celebrate outstanding organisations in the Company of the Year category. The award, sponsored by CMI Women, recognises the achievements of a company who can clearly demonstrate that it is actively supporting its female talent pipeline through its initiatives, training, development programmes, internal employee relations and diversity network groups. This year’s Company of the Year winner is Barclays. Over 1,250 entries were judged by a panel of 54 independent judges including Stig Abell, Editor & Publisher of The Times Literary Supplement; Wing Commander Sarah Maskell
MBE, Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Royal Air Force; and Emma Cusdin, People Director, Aviva Investors. During the month of May, over 35,000 public votes from 110 countries were received for the 200 shortlisted nominees. Vanessa Valley OBE, Managing Director of WeAreTheCity, said, “It has been a total honour to run this year’s awards and highlight the achievements of so many amazing women. We are exceptionally proud that year on year our Rising Star community continues to grow and most importantly that we continue to uncover and showcase emerging leaders and role models from across the UK. Not only do these awards shine a spotlight on the female talent pipeline, but they should also be seen as a call to action for all organistions to continue to invest in their female talent pool. Myself, my team, our sponsors, judges and supporters are very much looking forward to celebrating with all of our winners at the NewsUK on 12 July”. The top five winners for each category will be celebrated at a prestigious awards ceremony on 12 July at NewsUK’s headquarters in London. Headline sponsored by The Times & The Sunday Times, the awards are supported by leading organisations including 3M, Accenture, Aon, Barclays, Bloomberg, Cancer Research UK, CMI Women, Edit Development, EPAA, Jessica Huie Public Relations (JHPR), Jobbio, Kier, Lloyds Banking Group, Lloyd’s, Northern Trust, PedalSure, Reed Smith, Royal Navy, SAGE and Sodexo.
Rising Stars in Science & Engineering – Sponsored by 3M
Katherine Tobin Tara Shirvani WSP European Bank for Reconstruction & Development
Najwa Jawahar WSP
Helen McGloin Rolls Royce Plc
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Geetha Srinivasan Queen’s University Belfast
Loss of containment Loss of containment incidents are a common threat underlying operations across the chemical process industry. Several thought processes do exist some of which are ‘it’s something that won’t happen to us’ or ‘we’ll deal with it if something happens’ Unfortunately loss of containment incidents can become something very major indeed: Source –
Health & Safety Laboratory Loss of Containment Incident Analysis HSL/2003/07
Uncontrolled releases accounted for 88% of loss of containment incidents. 63.6% of all substances released during incidents were subject to the COMAH regulations. The cause of any incident or accident, including loss of containment, can usually be traced back to a failure of safety management. Analysis revealed that the vast majority of incidents (81%) were a result of the organisation failing to adequately plan and implement procedures for a variety of risk control systems. The loss of containment resulted in 12 fatalities and 379 injuries of which 76 were classed as major injuries and 100 as three day plus injuries under RIDDOR. Chem Resist believes that prevention is the key to minimise the threats that loss of containment pose; our ChemiGuard range of products is designed specifically to manage loss of containment primarily in tanker offloading and dosing applications. Tanker offload connection points – either pressurised or pumped are traditionally open to atmosphere so any failure around this connection can result in an immediate loss of containment.
ChemiGuard offers a safe and effective way to operate when offloading chemicals into bulk storage and IBC’s etc. and the many features include integral bunds & lockable doors allowing safe containment of spillages during operation. ChemiGuard cabinets are made from UV stable material and easily installed or integrated into existing systems. Chem Resist Group Ltd, Britannia House, Lock Way, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, WF13 3SX
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| advertorial |
| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
Starting a business relationship In this edition of Chemical Industry Journal, we speak to Martin Gilmore, left, Head of Partnerships and Business Engagement for Physical Sciences at Lancaster University, to find out about seed funding and facilities available at Lancaster and how businesses are already using those to accelerate innovation. OVER 11,000 PARTNERSHIPS Here at Lancaster University, The Times and Sunday Times University of the Year 2018, we have always welcomed the challenges that businesses provide us. I manage business collaboration in chemistry, physics and engineering as part of an award-winning partnerships and engagement team at Lancaster. Our team is embedded alongside our researchers and has assisted over 11,000 businesses. We have a thriving business community on our 560-acre parkland campus, hosting over 110 businesses. We liaise with all areas of the chemical industry, ranging from multinational oil, chemical and pharmaceutical companies, to a host of smaller enterprises producing new and specialised products.
EXPANDING TEAM OF RESEARCHERS We have an expanding team of researchers at the forefront of their fields, and an extensive array of new instrumentation and equipment to support our innovation activities. Our research strengths are in chemical synthesis, chemical theory and computation, and physical and analytical chemistry. Current research projects include the discovery that a compound in green tea can reduce amyloid plaques in the brain in Alzheimer’s disease, funded by the British Heart Foundation.
EXPANDING SET OF FACILITIES Our £11.4m cTAP building offers managed office accommodation and laboratory space exclusively for industry collaboration, ideally suited to start-up companies, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and R&D teams from established companies. What sets the facility apart is the £7m investment in equipment, across four suites, with dedicated experimental officers whose role is to collaborate with industry in unlocking the potential of the equipment in improving processes and creating new products. We can also provide access to a diverse range of facilities across campus.
SEED FUNDING AVAILABLE We facilitate a wide variety of interdisciplinary collaborative research projects, which include over £30m investment from Europe via structural funding to work with SMEs, and projects funded by the Government’s £725m Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. We also have £140,000 seed funding available for technical support and access to the specialist instrumentation. Right now we are seeking new partners to work with on their exciting innovative projects, with around £10,000 funding available per company.
CASE STUDY 1: PROPERTIES OF POLYMERS INTERNSHIP There are also lots of ways businesses can start a relationship with Lancaster University and benefit from the expertise, ambition and focus of our 4,200 science and technology students. For example, through internships and recruitment services. Chemistry student Callum Wallace did a three-month internship at polymer solutions provider Victrex Plc., based in Lancashire, where he worked in their labs examining the thermal and mechanical properties of a new type of polyaryletherketone polymers. Adam Chaplin of Victrex Plc. said: “We find that interns such as Callum are very useful in driving this sort of work forward by focusing on it, whereas permanent staff typically have numerous other priorities. Callum was very helpful and we couldn’t have completed this research as quickly without his help and the Lancaster University Science and Technology Internship Programme.” Victrex are recruiting more interns this year and funding is available if you have a chemical challenge for our students.
CASE STUDY 2: CROWN PAINTS KTP For more intensive one to three-year research projects, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) is a UK-wide programme, which has been helping businesses for over 40 years to improve their competitiveness and productivity. KTPs form a three-way partnership between a company, an academic, and a graduate. Crown Paints entered into a KTP with the aim of finding innovative solutions for water based paint-manufacturing streams. “Our KTP sees Crown Paints teaming up with a Lancaster University Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Departments’ graduate with a project objective to use chemistry to design and develop processes to reduce, reuse and recycle paint manufacturing and post-use waste, helping to create a circular economy. This is a very exciting collaboration. We have already realised some significant improvements in our waste water process and we are on track with developments to increase our reuse and recycling within the manufacturing process.” Rachel Demaine, Environmental Manager, Crown Paints. www.lancaster.ac.uk/ctap
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Lancaster University: the place to do business £35m cutting-edge chemical laboratories and facilities Work alongside our cuttingedge researchers in a unique collaborative environment. Our £11m cTAP building provides more than 10,000 square feet of space and houses fully equipped lab and low cost shared space for innovation, research and development, ideally suited to start-up companies, SMEs and R&D teams from established companies. Gain flexible access to:
• Equipment and instrumentation
across four suites for experimental development and testing
• Managed office accommodation
with dedicated or hot desk spaces
Do you need to test new materials? Identify or alter compounds? Study the structure or surface of materials?
Mass Spectrometry and Separations: including an extensive range of liquid, gas and gel permeation chromatography and spectrometry devices used to identify and detect individual compounds in complex mixtures.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance: including solid and liquid state NMR devices currently used for the analysis of biological samples and identification of smart materials for energy storage.
Microscopy and Nanofabrication: including atomic force and scanning electron microscopy used to understand the structure and surface topography of materials, alongside a nanofabrication device capable of 3D printing of structures.
X-Ray Facilities: including single crystal XRD powder XRD and EDXRF, allowing in-depth element analysis of various samples from single crystals through to complex solid and liquid samples.
• Meeting rooms, event space, IT
connectivity, health and fitness, cafes and dining out
For further information please contact Martin Gilmore Head of Partnerships and Business Engagement for Physical Sciences E: m.gilmore@lancaster.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1524 510229 www.lancaster.ac.uk/ctap
| advertorial |
| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
Embrace new technology to fight chemical fires effectively Taking all necessary measures to prevent accidents involving dangerous substances from occurring is a priority for the chemical industry. Where risk is created, responsibilities must be met to manage those risks and ensure that suitable emergency arrangements are in place and work effectively. Knowing that a fire can be put out quickly and effectively, is an integral part of the control of hazards and one of the challenges of providing adequate fire suppressing systems is the power needed to activate them and the time they can take to work. Where additional, mobile firefighting crews are required, more human life is put at risk and more time is taken up, when time is critical, so a reliable built-in system is preferable. Fire suppressant foam is one material often employed to bring fires under control, yet traditionally, it has not always been possible to deploy them quickly enough to put out surface fires effectively, with the majority of the foam burning away before it even reaches the fire, but this is where the application of the latest technology can help.
NEW GENERATION FOAM FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS “We’ve spent the last 3 years developing the fourth generation of this Pressurized Instant (Pi) Foam fire suppressing technology, resulting in a system that is far more efficient and economical than earlier versions,” explains Andras T. Peller, Director of Swiss Fire Protection Research and Development AG (SFPRD). Given the chemical industry requires the use of storage tanks with a large surface area, these developments are to be welcomed. Installing a fire suppressant system that has the capacity to cover a liquid surface quickly and effectively is imperative. The latest generation of Pi Foam technology has just such a capacity, closing off the oxygen supply and bringing a fire under control swiftly.
TIMELINESS IS VITAL Time is of the essence when it comes to fighting fires and unlike other fixed systems, the latest pressurised instant foam fire suppression systems can be used almost instantaneously, because the foam is pre-mixed, ready and waiting. “Traditionally, foam technology has required a large amount of water to make the foam solution and powerful pumping stations to provide the required pressure, but this is where the latest generation of foam systems differ from those that have gone before – they don’t rely on the water source and boosting pumps at the time of the crisis,” explains Andras. Using soluble gas, the foam is mixed a day in advance (rather than when the fire breaks out) and is kept in a pressurised vessel – ready for use when needed, meaning there is no delay whilst the foam is prepared. In addition, the base foam premix lasts well if stored under the prescribed conditions, having been shown to keep its condition and characteristics for at least 10 years.
THE BENEFITS OF PRESSURISED INSTANT FOAM “Using the latest generation of pressurised instant foam fire suppression systems can extinguish a surface fire on a full tank of oil in 3.14 (pi) minutes. We all know that time is critical when fighting fires as within 5 minutes of a fire igniting, the wall of a storage tank above the product level will reach 500 degrees Celsius, so it can incur significant structural damage,” observes Andras. “Installing a fire suppression system that works as quickly as Pressurised Instant Foam, gives you the best chance of being able to protect your storage facility from lasting damage and save the facility from expensive downtime and repair. More importantly, being able to suppress a fire in such a timely manner gives you the best chance of being able to protect both people and the environment from harm.”
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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
| advertorial |
A SELF-PROPELLING AND INDEPENDENT SYSTEM
EFFICIENT FIRE SUPPRESSION
This pre-mixed foam then becomes a self-propelling system that doesn’t require any external force provided by machinery with which to work, you simply open the valve of the storage vessel, the foam expands, with the internal pressure pushing the foam out.
Not only does the most recent Pressurised Instant Foam work quickly, but it also effective in tackling a wider range of fires than was previously the case, this is primarily because the foam is made without the addition of water, thus making it suitable for suppressing fires where water based foams shouldn’t be used, like those where vegetable oil is on fire for example.
Here then, you have another benefit of this foam technology, given it doesn’t require sophisticated machinery in order to work, it is also without the high installation, operation and maintenance costs which go hand in hand with such machinery or the concern that they could potentially fail at a critical moment.
A SIMPLE YET EFFECTIVE SYSTEM The latest generation of foam suppressing systems apply foam directly to the fire, with no spillage and no soil contamination, plus any excess foam can be collected after use, making it a more environmentally friendly too. Moreover, the foams now being developed by SFPRD are not toxic at all, as was previously the case. In essence, the systems are simple, yet incredibly effective, forming a closed system that is not reliant upon external power, water supplies or infrastructure; standing ready at all times with relatively low installation, operating and maintenance costs. All in all, they are both more efficient and more cost-effective too.
SCALABILITY COMES TO THE FORE Pressurised instant foam systems are also scalable; you can achieve much higher quantities of foam in a much shorter timescale and hence adapt the system to meet the needs of your chemical storage facility more easily. The new systems can produce in 3 minutes the same amount of foam that a more traditional system would take hours to produce. There is virtually no limit on the type or size of tank these foam systems can be scaled to fit, from small cone-roof containers to large tanks with floating roofs, protecting all of them equally effectively, and these systems are better able to cope with simultaneous fires too. Conversely, the system can be scaled downwards too, so it has been installed on fire trucks in South Africa and used on the Hungarian Formula One circuit, where the foam has been utilised in hand-held fire extinguishers for example.
In fact, the system can be adapted to meet different needs, with a range of different foams available for use with different products and in different environments, so clients can utilise the one most suited to their needs. The technology has already been adapted for use with oil storage tanks, in airports, on military sites, in mines, petrol stations, factories and for use with vehicles – so it is eminently flexible.
A ROBUST AND VERSATILE SYSTEM Unlike some alternatives, pressurised instant foam fire suppressant systems have the capacity to work in all manner of terrains, temperatures and extreme weather conditions, from 30 below zero to a desert climate, making them a robust choice. Pressurised instant foam systems function entirely independently of the water and electrical network, and don’t require an energy input, making them particularly versatile, and therein lies their great strength, as you won’t need to rely on anything else or anyone else to activate the system. The fact that these systems work entirely independently of outside supplies and human intervention, makes them particularly well-suited to remote sites. One such installation was designed for a site in Libya that incorporated 3 storage tanks in the middle of the desert on an unstaffed site with no water supply – a challenge that few other fire suppressing systems would have the ability to meet.
A TIMELY REMINDER Not long before we go to press news breaks of a fire sweeping through a chemical factory in Shanghai, whilst earlier in May, a fire broke out at a chemical plant in Louisiana – both timely reminders of the necessity of having effective fire suppressing systems in place. Fire is one of the main causes of major losses within the chemical industry, so improving the management of fires where chemicals are stored is a priority and finding a system that is network independent, efficient and cost-effective is key. SFPRD has made it their mission to research, evaluate and improve industrial fire prevention, protection and emergency systems. Find out more at www.pifoam.ch and www.sfprd.com.
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| feature |
| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
The Periodic Table of V They have 1,074,181 subscribers and have won numerous awards, and on Sunday 24th June 2018 the team behind the Periodic Videos celebrated ten years since they posted their very first film on Youtube. Six hundred and thirty nine videos later they will be marking their 10th birthday with a video in which the star of the show, Professor Sir Martyn Poliakoff, from the School of Chemistry at the University of Nottingham, will list his 10 favorite videos over the past decade. For tens of thousands of fans world-wide Professor Sir Martyn Poliakoff is the face of the Periodic Table. He said: “It has been a fantastic and really enjoyable adventure for me and my colleagues. What started as a quick project for the summer has become an on-going educational activity reaching out to a global audience, from young children to Nobel Prize winners. Who knows where it will lead next?” Tables charting the chemical elements have been around since the 19th century - but this modern version has a short video about each one of the chemical elements – accessed via a special interactive Periodic Table www.periodicvideos. com. The person behind the project is video journalist Brady Haran and his videos feature real working chemists at the University of Nottingham. The Periodic Table of Videos (PTOV) exploded on to the social media scene back in 2008 when scientists in the University’s School of Chemistry started working with Brady Haran on their mission to document every single one of the 118 chemical elements in a fun, lively and often unconventional way. The Periodic Videos have made unlikely YouTube stars of its scientific presenters. Since that first video was posted the team has filmed experiments for most of the elements and regularly update the videos with new stories, better samples and bigger experiments.
of Nottingham’s Nanotechnology and Nanoscience Centre as a birthday present for Sir Martyn, it was officially recognised by the Guinness Book of Records the following October. In February 2012 Professor Martyn Poliakoff received two top accolades from the world of science for his work to raise the profile of chemistry. He was awarded the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Nyholm Prize for Education for his work on the Periodic Table of Videos, and was elected as a Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Last year, He was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in recognition of his promotion of science to the public. In 2015 when Professor Poliakoff was Knighted in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours the occasion was marked with a video. And a camera was also on hand the following June when Martyn went to the palace to receive his knighthood. In May 2017, the cult hero of Periodic Videos, technician Neil Barnes, received one of the highest accolades from the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) – the President’s Award for outstanding contributions to the dissemination, advancement or applications of chemical science. Next year will mark 150 years since Mendeleev proposed the first Periodic Table. And to mark the event, UNESCO has declared 2019 as the International Year of the Periodic Table. Periodic Videos will be making the most of the celebrations to make new videos to inspire the next generation of scientists across the world.
By Wednesday 19th June, the videos had attracted 182,840,933 views, with a total viewing time of 579,177,908 minutes - the equivalent of a staggering 1,100 years.
In June 2009 the Periodic Videos team baked a special cake to mark their first anniversary. Because it was cooked in the lab it couldn’t be eaten - so they exploded it! See how they celebrate their 10th anniversary. The video will be available via this link youtube.com/user/periodicvideos.
In December 2010 the team filmed the making of the world’s smallest periodic table. Created by experts in the University
Keep up to date with what’s happening on twitter: @periodicvideos
Recent messages from fans include: A 7 year-old boy called Daigo from Malaysia “Dear Sir Poliakoff, I love your videos and I love when you breathed in helium and had a cute voice. I want to be a chemist like you.” DJB in the USA “I want you to know that your YouTube videos saved my life. I was on a bad path and was lost until I watched a video about heavy water. It was amazing that you took the time to tell me something that I was interested in for free. I could go on and on about how much I respect you and honor your studies. I’m still learning a lot from you and I even turned my life of crime and hopelessness to the man I am becoming today. I just
wanted to say thank you for everything and that words cannot express how much I value your opinion and knowledge.” SL from Malaysia: “My 3-year-old daughter is mysteriously very much in love with chemistry. So much so that she memorised the periodic table just before she turned 3. I pretty much almost failed chemistry in high school, absolutely no help to her, so I gave her free usage of the tablet.. and she found your videos.To cut this rant somewhat short, she told me something bizarre tonight, when I thought she was already sound asleep! She said that she will discover an element lighter than Hydrogen by splitting it, and will make sure it’s not flammable and that its half-life is not like Francium’s… and name it Jette-ium, after herself. God save me!”
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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
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Videos is 10 years old
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| advertorial |
| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
Innovation, Performance and Reliability since 1919 Bowker have been a household name within the In addition to the UK service, Bowker’s AEO status helps with time-sensitive European imports/exports of hazardous Transport Industry since 1919 but you may not goods. be aware of their ever-growing prevalence within the hazardous warehousing sector. We spent PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ACCREDITATION some time with Bowker’s Commercial Director, Dealing with hazardous goods requires specialist knowledge Neil Bowker, who is a member of the family’s 3rd and skills. Ensuring the company is up to speed with the latest information and accreditations is vital to our generation working within the business. WHO ARE BOWKER AND WHAT DO THEY DO?
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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
UK Institute to harness disruptive technology to transform drug discovery Business Secretary Greg Clark has announced funding for a series of ambitious technology projects that will transform the way medicines are discovered, enabling the pharmaceutical industry to develop groundbreaking drugs faster, cheaper and better than ever before. The projects are the first wave of major initiatives for the £103m Rosalind Franklin Institute, that has just been launched at the Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire. New drugs are discovered through a slow and painstaking process of trial and error, often taking ten years and billions of pounds to develop. The Rosalind Franklin Institute (RFI) is investing £6M to create: The World’s most advanced real-time video camera, the key to a new technique that uses light and sound to eradicate some of the most lethal forms of cancer. A new project pioneering fully-automated hands-free molecular discovery to produce new drugs up to ten times faster and transform the UK’s pharmaceutical industry. A ground-breaking new UK facility that will revolutionise the way samples are produced and harness Artificial Intelligence (AI) to generate new drugs for clinical testing within a few weeks.
The RFI will harness disruptive new technologies such as AI and robotics to dramatically improve our understanding of biology, leading to new diagnostics, new drugs, and new treatments for millions of patients Worldwide. It will pioneer new ways of working with industry, as part of the UK’s AI and Data Grand Challenge, bridging the gap between university research and pharmaceutical companies or small businesses. This will build on the Government’s modern Industrial Strategy and put the UK at the forefront of the industries of the future. Business Secretary Greg Clark said: “The new Rosalind Franklin Institute will lead a revolution in drug development and diagnosis to improve the lives of millions of patients. And with over 10 million people in Britain alive today expected to live to 100, now more than ever it is vital that the Government invests in the development of new technologies and techniques which will support people to have healthier lives.” Professor Ian Walmsey, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Research & Innovation at the University of Oxford and Chair of the RFI’s Interim Board said: “The RFI will pioneer disruptive technologies and new ways of working to revolutionise our understanding of biology, leading to new diagnostics, new drugs, and new treatments for millions of patients Worldwide. It will bring university researchers together with industry experts in one facility and embrace high-risk, adventurous research, that will transform the way we develop new medicines.”
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WITH OVER 10 MILLION PEOPLE IN BRITAIN ALIVE TODAY EXPECTED TO LIVE TO 100, NOW MORE THAN EVER IT IS VITAL THAT THE GOVERNMENT INVESTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND TECHNIQUES WHICH WILL SUPPORT PEOPLE TO HAVE HEALTHIER LIVES.
| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
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The namesake of the institute, the pioneering X-ray crystallographer Rosalind Franklin, was one of the key figures in the discovery of the structure of DNA, and used a technique with roots in physics and technology to transform life science. The Institute will follow in this spirit, developing unique new techniques and tools and applying them for the first time to biological problems. The Institute is an independent organisation funded by the UK government through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and operated by ten UK universities. Professor Philip Nelson, EPSRC’s Executive Chair, said: “As EPSRC is the main delivery partner for the Rosalind Franklin Institute, I am extremely pleased to see the Institute officially launched today. Research here at the Harwell hub, and at the universities that form the spokes of the Institute, will help the UK maintain a leading position in the application of engineering and physical sciences to problems in the life sciences.” UK Research and Innovation chief executive Professor Sir Mark Walport said: “The UK is home to a vibrant life sciences research community. The Rosalind Franklin Institute’s strength is in bringing this together with physical scientists and engineers at the heart of a campus that fosters innovation and collaboration. Through its pioneering interdisciplinary research and the development of new technologies, it will support advances including improved drug discovery and the faster development of effective treatments for chronic conditions. Through partnership with industry, it will help ensure its insights are more rapidly translated into impacts and drive growth across the UK’s important life sciences sector.” It operates on a ‘hub and spokes’ model, with a central hub at the Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire, delivered by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).
The hub, opening in 2020, will house a unique portfolio of scientific tools and researchers from both industry and academia. Equipment and researchers will also be located in spokes distributed throughout the partner network of universities. The hub at Harwell is a four storey, £40m build, which is being project managed and delivered by STFC. With the façade of the building reflecting the iconic work of Rosalind Franklin, the hub will house the majority of the technologies produced for the Institute, and will have world leading capabilities in imaging and drug discovery, creating a globally unique centre of excellence in life science. It will be home to 150 researchers from industry and academia, working closely with neighbouring facilities at Harwell including the Diamond Light Source and STFC’s Central Laser Facility. EPSRC and STFC are part of UK Research and Innovation, a non-departmental public body funded by a grant-in-aid from the UK government.
Leeds is key partner in Rosalind Franklin Institute The Rosalind Franklin Institute is a new national body, dedicated to bringing about transformative changes in life science through interdisciplinary research and technology development. The University of Leeds is one of 11 partners of the Institute, which will bring together researchers in life sciences, physical sciences, and engineering – mirroring the University’s own highly interdisciplinary institutional approach to research, demonstrated in areas such as the Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology. Funded by the UK government, the Rosalind Franklin Institute will be home to 150 researchers from academia and industry, working with colleagues at all of the partner universities. They will harness artificial intelligence, robotics and other systems to improve scientists’ understanding of biology, leading to new diagnostics, new drugs, and new treatments for millions of patients. At the heart of the Institute will be new instruments to allow the direct observation of the interactions between drug candidates and target proteins.
WORKING WITH INDUSTRY Professor Lisa Roberts, Leeds’ Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation, said: “Cutting-edge research is increasingly dependent on collaboration and partnerships; our strategy at Leeds focusses on supporting interdisciplinarity and making a step-change in the way we work with industry. Our partnership with the Rosalind Franklin Institute is a prime example of our overall approach to modern research practices. “Our academics have expertise which will play a vital role in developing technologies and approaches that can be applied to different stages of the drug discovery process. “Being a part of the Rosalind Franklin Institute builds on Leeds’ strengths in making a real and telling difference to the world around us, by working across traditional boundaries to find innovative solutions to some of the greatest challenges facing us today.”
“Our academics have expertise which will play a vital role in developing technologies and approaches that can be applied to different stages of the drug discovery process.” 45
| advertorial |
| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
DHI assists industries to unravel regulatory ambiguities With our toxicological expertise and regulatory know-how, DHI is the perfect partner. Not only is choosing the right materials and products crucial. Chemical substances used in products with specific requirements such as medical devices or food packaging materials must be evaluated too. Based on our regulatory know-how, we can help manufacturers to evaluate their products. We can also help with chemical registrations and application for authorisation as set out in the EU chemicals regulation, REACH. This regulation provides the tools to limit the use of substances of very high concerns (SVHCs). However, the interfaces between the different types of legislation are often difficult to detect and sometimes the legislation in one sector may impact on the legislation in another sector. Developing effective and safe medical devices, for instance, is a lengthy process and manufacturers often find it difficult to find their way in the complex legislation.
PITFALLS BETWEEN THE MEDICAL DEVICE REGULATION AND REACH A medical device manufactured in the EU may contain a problematic substance that is subject to authorisation in REACH. If the substance is included in the Authorisation List due to human health concern, authorisation is not required as health and safety are assessed in connection with the Medical Device Regulation (MDR). However, if the substance is subject to authorisation for environmental reasons it will require a specific use permission under REACH. Not all manufacturers are aware of this, and there are many such overlaps and ambiguities in the various regulations.
substances from the list in their current - or planned future - product portfolio. If that is the case, an authorisation is required for continued use. DHI helps manufacturers to assess the toxicity of materials and chemical substances. In addition, DHI carries out biocompatibility evaluations and documentation, performs analyses of possible migration of chemical substances and evaluates the need for further tests. The toxicologists at DHI are also experienced in generating data using in-silico prediction tools and read-across.
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By Brian Svend Nielsen Senior Toxicologist, European Registered Toxicologist (ERT)
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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
New carbon could signal step-change for the world’s most popular batteries Scientists have created a new type of carbon that could make the batteries in our phones, tablet computers and laptops safer, more powerful, quicker to charge and longer lasting. An international team of researchers, led by Lancaster University and Jilin University in China, have announced the first organically synthesised porous carbon, called OSPC-1, in the journal Angewandte Chemie. This new carbon shows exceptional potential as a material for anodes within lithium-ion batteries – the type of batteries that power millions of devices such as mobile phones, laptops, power tools, as well as being used in larger complex situations, such as space satellites, commercial airplanes and electric cars. The industry standard material used for anodes within lithium-ion batteries is a form of carbon called graphite. The scientists compared the performance of OSPC-1 against graphite and discovered that OSPC-1 is able to store more than twice as many lithium ions, and therefore power, as graphite at the same mid-range speed of charging. In addition, OSPC-1 is able to store lithium ions at more than double the rate as graphite – meaning charging speeds can be twice as fast. Discharge speeds can also be vastly improved with OSPC-1, which means it can also be used to power more energy-hungry applications. Uniquely, OSPC-1 has been created at the molecular level using a complex technique called ‘Eglinton homocoupling’. This involves removing silicon from carbon-silicon groups to produce carbon to carbon links. The resulting structure is amorphous, very stable, and, crucially, highly conductive. Another major advantage of OSPC-1 is its safety. It does not form dendrites. These are lithium metal fibres that can form when lithium gets stuck on the surface of graphite. If the dendrites build up and reach across to the cathode they can short circuit lithium-ion batteries and cause them to explode into flames. OSPC-1 also appears to be much more longer-lasting than graphite. The team of scientists tested it over 100 charging and
discharging cycles and there were no signs of deterioration. Graphite expands and contracts each time it is charged and discharged, which makes it susceptible to cracking. The openframework structure of OSPC-1 means it is less brittle and not as prone to these weaknesses. However, graphite is the industry standard because it is very cheap to produce and easily obtainable. The researchers acknowledge that OSPC-1 would be more costly to produce, at least initially. Therefore, the researchers believe the most likely early applications would be for situations where safety is the paramount consideration – such as within space satellites and aircraft. Dr Abbie Trewin of Lancaster University, co-lead author of the study, said: “Our team has used an entirely new method to produce the only porous carbon designed at the molecular level. “This new material, OSPC-1, is a highly promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries with a high lithium capacity, an impressive charge and discharge rate capability, potential for a long lifespan, and for significantly improved safety performance. “We believe OSPC-1 has great potential in those situations where failure could lead to loss of life, or the loss of very expensive equipment in the case of satellites.” The method used by the team of researchers has potential to be extended to other 3D carbon materials, and could see the creation of a new family of porous carbon materials, which could see benefits for energy storage, electronic devices, catalysis, gas storage, and gas separation technologies. The research benefitted from funding from the Royal Society, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council in the UK, the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The researchers are Abbie Trewin, Colin Lambert, Pierre Fayon, Patrick Heasman, Michael Jay and Steven Bailey from Lancaster University; Teng Ben, Ziqiang Zhao, Saikat Das, Guolong Xing and Shlun Qiu of Jilin University; Hiroki Yamada and Toru Wakihara from the University of Tokyo; and Valentin Valtchev of the Universite de Caen-ENSICAEN-CNRS.
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UNIQUELY, OSPC-1 HAS BEEN CREATED AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL USING A COMPLEX TECHNIQUE CALLED ‘EGLINTON HOMOCOUPLING’.
| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
| news |
DOE backs materials study for batteries and beyond By Mike Williams Rice’s Ming Tang earns early career award to further examine electrodeposition of metals Rice University materials scientist Ming Tang is one of 85 “outstanding scientists early in their careers” awarded a prestigious grant by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Early Career Research Program. The agency awarded the competitive grants to researchers within 10 years of earning a Ph.D. who are either tenuretrack professors or full-time scientists at DOE’s national laboratories. The grant program, in its ninth year, backs research by scientists in disciplines supported by DOE including advanced scientific computing, biological and environmental sciences, basic energy sciences, fusion energy sciences, high-energy physics and nuclear physics research. Tang, an assistant professor of materials science and nanoengineering who joined Rice in 2014, will receive a university grant of $150,000 a year for five years. His lab will use the funds to examine morphological instability mechanisms observed during the electrodeposition of active metals. “This is inspired by the work I did with my collaborator, Hanqing Jiang at Arizona State, in which we looked at dendrite growth in lithium metal batteries,” Tang said.
Dendrites are protrusions of lithium that extend from an anode over time, degrading capacity and risking contact with the battery’s cathode that would inadvertently close the circuit with sometimes explosive results. The problem has limited the development of high-capacity lithium metal batteries that would store far more energy than lithium-ion batteries. The earlier research showed that the residual stress generated inside the lithium metal during electroplating causes dendrites to protrude out of the initially smooth metal surface. Tang and his collaborators discovered that relieving the stress helps eliminate these dendrites. Now they want to see if their stress-relief theory applies to other metals as well. “We hypothesize that a group of metals that have relevance to next-generation rechargeable batteries — not only lithium, but also zinc, sodium and potassium — could show similar deposition instabilities because they all have similar characteristics in terms of large atomic mobility and high reactivity with electrolytes,” Tang said. “This project will focus on zinc electroplating to test the hypothesis and get a better understanding of how the instability develops during electroplating for this group of metals.” Tang said that because electrodeposition is common in industry, discoveries about its fundamental properties could have wide influence. “The big picture is not only about batteries, because electrodeposition is a general process,” he said.
“We hypothesize that a group of metals that have relevance to nextgeneration rechargeable batteries — not only lithium, but also zinc, sodium and potassium — could show similar deposition instabilities because they all have similar characteristics in terms of large atomic mobility and high reactivity with electrolytes,”
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| reach |
| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
EU REACH registrations completed while Turkish REACH transition period is just launched Since the last EU REACH Registration deadline, which enabled companies putting low volume substances on the market with the preregistration numbers until 31 May 2018 ended, communications up and down the supply chain have increased enormously. The Transitional period of 10 years has finished which means full REACH compliance is expected. This affected many companies including formulators supplying chemicals from all over the world with price advantages. Companies formulating outside of the EU are in need of concrete proof of REACH compliance for the supplied chemicals that are used in their formulations. It may seem like an easy task, however it is not as easy as it looks, especially when the suppliers are manufacturers outside the EU and when confidential information not to be shared with the customers comes into the picture. Although this was expected and very well known, that all substances in the EU market must be fully registered, some companies are still having difficulty as a result of the increased demand of REACH compliance proof for their products by the EU importers. Meanwhile, Turkish manufacturers putting chemicals on the EU/EEA market are constantly facing the same conditions and obligations to comply with the EU REACH Regulation. On the other hand, both Turkish manufacturers, importers and companies exporting to Turkey have recently faced the obligation to comply with Turkish REACH Regulation, KKDIK. KKDIK officially entered into force on 23rd December 2017 with the purpose of aligning Turkish chemicals regulatory management to that of the EU. Despite the fact that KKDIK is basically the translation of the EU REACH Regulations, some differences need bringing to attention. The major difference between EU REACH and KKDIK is that the pre-registration period is three years until the end of 2020 and a three years time frame is given for registration period until the end of 2023 for all tonnage bands, regardless of the hazard classification of the substance. This clearly means that all substances must be registered during this transitional period. Three years is a short period of time to register considering registration dossiers must be in Turkish, prepared via the online system KKS (Kimyasal Kayıt Sistemi), implemented by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization (MoEU) as a hybrid of REACH-IT and an older version of IUCLID. MoEU is often working on updates to KKS for the online system to cope with all the entries which are currently preregistrations and Classification&Labelling notifications into the online system. EU/EEA had 10 years of transitional period while Turkey has only six years for full KKDIK compliance. All this points out that pre-registrations need to be done quickly and preparations for registration have to start now. Considering that the data requirements are exactly the same with the EU REACH requirements and ownership of the data belongs to the EU Consortia, registration dossier preparations will take quite a lot of commuication with the consortia in the EU and the SIEF members of KKDIK for the same substance. Time is limited so actions to be taken either as a manufacturer outside of Turkey putting chemicals into
Turkish market, or as a local manufacturer, importer must be considered carefully. The organisational structure of the companies and commercial aspects as well as flow of chemicals to Turkey per legal entity must be considered before making a decision to (pre)-register. The Only Representative (OR) role and definition (KKDIK - Article 9) in the regulation is identical with the EU REACH Regulation (Article 8). Non-Turkish manufacturers putting chemicals on the Turkish market must appoint an OR to comply with the obligation to (pre)-register. RGS recommends non-Turkish manufacturers make a thorough investigation when appointing their OR. There are currently many local consultants popping up with no REACH experience at all who are planning to give undervalued local OR services with non-qualified human resources. Companies planning to register substances must join the pre-SIEFs now to get ready for registration and be involved in the establishment of consortia. OR plays a key role, as incorrect interpretation of the Turkish regulations and misleading information, as well as wrong advice on actions to take at the Substance Information Exchange Forums (SIEFs), may lead to loss of money and waste of time. Enforcement and inspections are frequently required when it comes to KKDIK. According to Article 62 of KKDIK, inspections regarding Article 46 (authorization) and Article 57 (restrictions) shall be conducted by the relevant public institutions. It has already been reported that Turkish customs authorities have started sporadic inspections, and some products tested according to KKDIK restrictions have been rejected by the Customs Authorities. Inspections will increase with newly trained inspectors joining, and consequently it appears that Turkish importers are increasingly asking their suppliers for proof of KKDIK preregistration. REACH Global Services S.A. celebrates 10 years of EU Chemicals Regulatory Compliance servicing with hundreds of clients all over the world. Do not hesitate to contact RGS, if you need compliance with Turkish Chemicals Laws or more details on our services and the status of your substances. Dr. Yaprak Yuzak Kucukvar RGS Turkey Branch Manager
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EUROPEAN UNION • TURKEY • JAPAN • CHINA • KOREA • TAIWAN RGS S.A. - Belgium Head Office + 32 (2) 234 77 77
RGS A.Ş. - Turkey Subsidiary + 90 (212) 454 09 93
info@reach-gs.eu
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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
REACH: Just getting started The REACH regulation has reached another significant goal: The registration for phase-in substances had its final deadline at the end of May 2018. The collected data represent one of the largest databases on chemical substance properties in the world. It provides the basis for implementing one of the key goals of REACH: “… ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment”.
TASKS BEYOND REGISTRATION Dossiers and substances are subject to evaluation. Echa has been evaluating dossiers and member states have been evaluating substances for several years already. The Community Rolling Action Plan (Corap) list of substances contained 352 entries as of 12 June 2018, and actions are already ongoing for 21 for the rest of 2018, 44 and 47 are scheduled for 2019 and 2020, respectively. Echa pays special attention to substances that are likely to have hazardous properties and also have the potential for significant exposure as well as substances where hazards and exposure are uncertain. Companies are therefore advised to keep their dossiers up-to-date and check for uses that might not be relevant any more. Further, read-across and QSAR justifications in a dossier should also be checked for accuracy, since this might also be a target that determines further regulatory action. In summary, a registration dossier is not a static piece of work; it needs continuous care.
SUBSTANCES OF VERY HIGH CONCERN In case a substance is identified as a substance of very high concern and listed on the candidate list, there are communication obligations for all participants in the supply chain if concentrations of the substance are above 0.1% in mixtures or articles. For substances and mixtures the standard communication format is the safety data sheet (SDS). For articles declarations are required, however there is no standard form. Substances on the candidate list may become subject to authorisation. Companies need to decide whether they want to apply for an authorisation or whether there is a possibility to substitute the substance with less hazardous alternatives. The authorisation process is a complex, time- and moneyconsuming process without any guarantee of success. REACH can also restrict specific uses of substances in cases where authorities consider uses are not without risk. Registrants and downstream users are therefore advised to keep an eye on changes in the Annex XVII, which lists all restrictions.
REGISTRATIONS Substances that enter the EEA market for the first time at above one tonne/year need to be registered before they can be marketed. If a manufacturer or importer intends to widen its product portfolio, an inquiry at Echa is necessary. The authorities will inform the potential registrant with further information about how to proceed.
CONTINUOUS TASKS Companies remain responsible for the safe use of their chemical substances. Hence, there are tasks that must be continuously undertaken to ensure that the business stays compliant with REACH: check the status of your Siefs and consortia. Will they still exist? If not, for how many substances has the company taken the lead registrant (LR) function? If a company wants to put one of your substances on the EEA market for the first time, Echa will communicate with the LR, who must then negotiate with existing and potential new registrants about the cost for the LoA. Keep your dossiers up-to-date. Importers of mixtures in particular may find that their products might change in composition, which may lead to different obligations like registrations or update of existing dossiers. Is the business about to market new substances? You need to check with Echa about companies that may already have registered these substances. Keep track of your supply chain. There may be suppliers who do not register all of the substances you need and take them off the market. Are there substances in the portfolio that might become subject to further regulatory actions? Do you need to apply for the authorisation for the use of a substance or are there safer alternative substances that can be used? REACH has not ended after 31 May 2018. After the final phase-in registration deadline, only the setup of REACH has been achieved and now let us see what is ahead of us. By Dr. Thomas Berbner Director of Business Development - Industrial Chemicals, EMEA, knoell Germany GmbH www.knoell.com
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Solutions for Global Chemical Compliance Handling chemical products in a way that minimizes the risk to man and the environment is not an isolated local task. Companies selling their products internationally will often face specific regulations for the safe use of chemicals in their target markets. Considerations need to take into account global initiatives and frameworks like GHS, SAICM or TDG but also numerous country specific approaches for the risk management of chemical products. Knoell with its global network of affiliates and partners keeps track of the developments concerning global chemicals management and supports its clients with the most suitable strategy for their products and target markets. Our services include, but are not limited to: » Strategic advice on how to comply with global regulatory duties » Identification of components that require special attention due to their hazard and risk profile » Complete registration services for EU, Switzerland, Turkey, China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, ASEAN countries, USA, Canada, Australia and others incl. local representation » Complete Global Safety Data Sheet management
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| news |
| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL SUMMER 2018 |
In memoriam: Paul Boyer, 99, Nobel laureate in chemistry UCLA Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry Paul Boyer, who won the 1997 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his pioneering research on how adenosine triphosphate, or ATP – the cellular energy that drives all biological reactions – is formed, died June 2 at age 99. Boyer, a member of UCLA’s faculty since 1963, called ATP “the currency of cells.” “It’s an experience of a lifetime,” Boyer had said of winning the Nobel Prize. “The support of basic research by our society makes this kind of work possible. I feel like one of the most fortunate people to have the opportunity to satisfy my own interest in how things work. I just happen to be lucky.” Boyer devoted his research career to the study of enzymes, particularly to the study of oxidative phosphorylation — the process in which the energy that the human body gets from the combustion of food is converted largely to ATP. Every cell function relies on ATP, from the building of bones to the contraction of muscles and the transmission of nerve impulses. ATP absorbs the chemical energy released by the combustion of nutrients, a process that includes photosynthesis in plants and digestion in animals, and transfers it to fuel functions that require energy, such as the growth of cell parts, the contraction of muscles, and the transmission of nerve messages. Substantial quantities of ATP are produced and consumed by the human body each day. The mechanisms by which ATP is made are highly complex and challenged scientists for decades. Boyer’s insights helped illuminate the world’s understanding of these processes. Over several decades, he developed a model of how the various subunits of the ATP enzyme work together as a motor, driving the rotation of a central rotor. Boyer’s model, based on biochemical experiments, was later confirmed by structural studies. Starting in 1948, Boyer’s research was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, with additional funding from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. “Paul Boyer inspired both trust and ambition in his fellow faculty members, and had perhaps the most positive character of anyone most of us have ever known,” said his friend and colleague David Eisenberg, who is UCLA’s Paul D. Boyer Professor of Molecular Biology and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. “He combined true modesty with unstoppable persistence and unmatched personal interactions.”
Paul and Lyda Boyer on the day he won the Nobel Prize When Boyer won the Nobel, Albert Carnesale, who was then UCLA’s chancellor, said, “Professor Boyer is a humble, gracious and dedicated researcher and faculty member who has spent decades working on giving the world a greater understanding of energy storage in cells. Everyone at UCLA is extremely proud of Professor Boyer and this honor he so richly deserves.” Paul Boyer donated a major share of his Nobel Prize award to provide funding for chemistry postdoctoral fellows at UCLA and two other institutions. A native of Utah, Boyer earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Brigham Young University in 1939 and a doctoral degree in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1943. He conducted postdoctoral research at Stanford University and began his independent research career at the University of Minnesota, where he introduced kinetic, isotopic and chemical methods for investigating enzyme mechanisms. He was a member of the University of Minnesota’s faculty for 17 years before joining UCLA’s faculty. Clarke, a subsequent MBI director, said “Paul’s contributions to the biosciences and to UCLA’s biosciences community were truly transformative. Not only was he the heart and soul of the Molecular Biology Institute, overcoming great odds to make the MBI building a reality, but perhaps most of all he succeeded in finding new ways to enhance the research, teaching and mentorship of the 200 or so UCLA faculty in molecular biology. He leaves a lasting mark on UCLA science.” Boyer has donated his brain to UCLA for research on Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
“Paul Boyer inspired both trust and ambition in his fellow faculty members, and had perhaps the most positive character of anyone most of us have ever known. He combined true modesty with unstoppable persistence and unmatched personal interactions.” 54
europium phospho
cerium sputtering target
dielectrics catalog:americanelements.com scandium powder
yttrium granules lanthanum rods
holmium disc 1
1
H
3
2 1
Li
Nd:YAG
4
6.941
2 8 1
Na
yttrium
Beryllium 12
22.98976928
19
K
Mg
erbium fluoride sputtering targets
Magnesium
medicine
2 8 8 1
20
39.0983
Ca
2 8 18 8 1
2 8 8 2
21
22
Ti
44.955912
Calcium 38
2 8 9 2
Sc
40.078
Potassium
37
2 8 2
24.305
Sodium
39
85.4678
2 8 18 9 2
87.62
40
nadium
55
Cs
2 8 18 18 8 1
56
132.9054
Ba
57
2 8 18 32 18 8 1
88
Francium
(226)
2 8 18 18 9 2
La
72
Hf
89
thin film
Ac (227)
Radium
41
Nb
73
Ta
2 8 18 32 18 9 2
104
Rf (267)
Mo
74
W
105
Db (268)
Rutherfordium
2 8 18 13 1
43
2 8 18 32 12 2
Sg (271)
Dubnium
2 8 18 13 2
Tc
75
Ce
59
Pr
2 8 18 21 8 2
60
140.116
140.90765
Cerium
Th
Praseodymium
2 8 18 32 18 10 2
91
Pa
2 8 18 32 20 9 2
Bh (272)
144.242
92
Thorium
ten carbide
231.03588
U
(145)
238.02891
Protactinium
93
Np (237)
Uranium
Neptunium
2 8 18 32 22 9 2
Os
108
Hs (270)
2 8 18 24 8 2
63
150.36
(244)
2 8 18 32 14 2
Plutonium
nano ribbons
77
Ir
46
Pd
109
Mt (276)
47
106.42
Ag
2 8 18 32 15 2
78
Pt
79
195.084
Meitnerium
110
Ds (281)
30
Au
Zn
2 8 18 18 1
48
Cd
Darmstadtium
Rg (280)
2 8 18 2
31
Ga
49
In
112.411
2 8 18 32 18 1
80
Hg
Tl
200.59
2 8 18 32 32 18 1
Roentgenium
112
Cn (285)
2 8 18 3
32
Ge Sn
113
Uut (284)
Copernicium
Eu
64
95
Gd
65
157.25
2 8 18 32 25 8 2
96
Americium
(247)
Curium
Tb
2 8 18 27 8 2
158.92535
Gadolinium
Am Cm (243)
2 8 18 25 9 2
97
Bk (247)
Berkelium
Dy
2 8 18 28 8 2
67
162.5
Terbium
2 8 18 32 25 9 2
66
2 8 18 32 18 3
82
98
Cf (251)
68
2 8 18 32 28 8 2
Californium
99
Es (252)
Er 167.259
Holmium
Erbium 2 8 18 32 29 8 2
Einsteinium
100
Fm (257)
Fermium
2 8 18 18 4
51
Pb
114
Fl (289)
69
Tm
Se
2 8 18 18 5
83
Bi
52
Te
84
2 8 18 32 32 18 5
116
208.9804
115
Uup
2 8 18 31 8 2
(288)
70
alternative energy
35
Br
Yb
53
36
2 8 18 18 7
54
Kr
I
85
2 8 18 32 32 18 6
117
crystal
83.798
Xe
2 8 18 18 8
131.293
Iodine
2 8 18 32 18 6
2 8 18 8
Krypton
126.90447
Xenon
2 8 18 32 18 7
86
cone sit
2 8 18 32 18 8
Po At Rn electrochemistry (210)
Lv (293)
(222)
Astatine
Uus (294)
Livermorium
71
2 8 18 7
niobium
europiu
39.948
Argon
79.904
2 8 18 18 6
2 8 8
Ar
Bromine
(209)
2 8 18 32 8 2
Neon
Radon
titanium
2 8 18 32 32 18 7
Ununseptium
118
Uuo (294)
2 8 18 32 32 18 8
Ununoctium
terbium ingot Lu
2 8 18 32 9 2
cerium polishing powder 168.93421
173.054
Thulium
2 8 18 32 30 8 2
101
Md (258)
174.9668
Ytterbium
2 8 18 32 31 8 2
Mendelevium
102
No (259)
Lutetium
2 8 18 32 32 8 2
Nobelium
103
Lr (262)
2 8 18 32 32 8 3
macromolecu
Lawrencium
nano gels
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2 8 18 6
Polonium
Ununpentium
18
35.453
127.6
2 8 18 32 18 5
2 8 7
20.1797
Cl
Tellurium
Bismuth 2 8 18 32 32 18 4
rod
2 8
Ne
Chlorine
78.96
121.76
Flerovium
2 8 18 30 8 2
34
10
Fluorine
Selenium
Sb
207.2
2 8 18 32 32 18 3
2 8 18 5
2 7
18.9984032
S
Antimony 2 8 18 32 18 4
17
32.065
74.9216
Lead
Ununtrium
164.93032
Dysprosium 2 8 18 32 27 8 2
Ho
2 8 18 29 8 2
As
2 8 6
F
Sulfur
Arsenic
Tin
aluminum nanoparticles
2 8 18 25 8 2
33
118.71
Thallium 2 8 18 32 32 18 2
2 8 18 4
9
15.9994
30.973762
72.64
50
16
Phosphorus
Germanium 2 8 18 18 3
2 8 5
O
2 6
Oxygen
P
He Helium
8
14.0067
28.0855
204.3833
Mercury
15
Silicon
114.818
81
2 8 4
N
2
4.002602
2 5
Nitrogen
Si
Indium 2 8 18 32 18 2
7
12.0107
69.723
2 8 18 18 2
2 4
Carbon
Gallium
Cadmium
Gold
111
Al
Zinc
196.966569
2 8 18 32 32 17 1
14
10.811
Boron 13
65.38
Silver
Platinum 2 8 18 32 32 15 2
2 8 18 1
107.8682
2 8 18 32 17 1
2 8 3
C
26.9815386
63.546
2 8 18 18
6
Aluminum
Copper
Palladium
192.217
2 8 18 32 32 14 2
Cu
B
2 3
nanodispersions
TM
advanced polymers
tering targets
2 8 18 16 1
Iridium
single crystal silicon
rbium doped fiber optics
Rh
29
Nickel
102.9055
Europium 2 8 18 32 24 8 2
Pu
Ni
2 8 16 2
58.6934
Rhodium
151.964
Samarium 94
45
Hassium
62
Promethium 2 8 18 32 21 9 2
2 8 18 32 32 13 2
Bohrium
2 8 18 23 8 2
2 8 18 15 1
190.23
Nd Pm Sm
Neodymium
refractory metals 232.03806
61
76
28
Cobalt
Osmium
107
Seaborgium
2 8 18 22 8 2
Ru
2 8 15 2
58.933195
101.07
186.207
quantum dots 2 8 18 19 9 2
44
Rhenium 2 8 18 32 32 11 2
Co
Ruthenium 2 8 18 32 13 2
Re
27
Iron
(98.0)
183.84
106
Fe
2 8 14 2
55.845
Technetium
Tungsten 2 8 18 32 32 12 2
26
54.938045
95.96
2 8 18 32 11 2
Mn
2 8 13 2
Manganese
Molybdenum
180.9488
diamond micropowder 90
42
2 8 18 12 1
Tantalum 2 8 18 32 32 10 2
25
51.9961
92.90638
2 8 18 32 10 2
Cr
2 8 13 1
Chromium
Niobium
Hafnium
Actinium
58
2 8 18 10 2
178.48
Lanthanum 2 8 18 32 18 8 2
50.9415
Zirconium
138.90547
Barium
Fr Ra tantalum (223)
2 8 18 18 8 2
V
24
2 8 11 2
Vanadium
91.224
Yttrium
137.327
Cesium 87
88.90585
Strontium
23
Titanium
Rb Sr Y Zr rhodium sponges Rubidium
2 8 10 2
47.867
Scandium 2 8 18 8 2
5
surface functionalized nanoparticles
9.012182
Lithium
11
Be
2 2
2
dysprosium metal
99.999% ruthenium spheres
1.00794
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praseodymium
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