Evonik has started up a new hollow-fibre spinning plant for the production of gas separation membranes at Schorfling, Austria, said the company.
The new production capacity enables the company to meet the ongoing strong demand for SEPURAN membranes in biogas, nitrogen, hydrogen and natural gas applications. Evonik invested a low double-digit million-euro amount in the new plant and created around 30 new jobs in Schorfling.
Lauren Kjeldsen, head of the Smart Materials Division, says: “The growth path of the membranes business clearly follows the group’s new sustainability strategy.” Last May, Evonik announced plans to invest €3 billion by 2030 in Next Generation Solutions, products with superior sustainability benefits. The company’s goal is to increase sales of Next Generation Solutions from the current 37% to more than 50% by 2030. The rapid increase in demand for Next Generation Solutions offers above-average growth potential for Evonik. “With our innovations, we support our customers in making their own products more sustainable and improving their own climate footprint. Our membrane technology for efficient gas separation is a living example of how Next Generation Solutions from Evonik contribute to sustainable added value in close cooperation with all market players,” says Kjeldsen.
In the new production plant, a high-performance polymer is processed into fine hollow-fibers in several process steps. They are at the heart of Evonik’s SEPURAN membrane technology. The specialty chemicals company draws on its many years of expertise in polymer chemistry and adjusts key membrane properties already at the development stage of the base material — a high-performance polymer — to produce particularly selective and robust membranes that can withstand extreme pressures and temperatures.
We remind, Evonik is pooling its expertise and integrating its alkoxides business into the Catalysts Business Line. The extensive portfolio of heterogeneous catalysts is thus now complemented by homogeneous catalysts. An international network of production sites and the highly experienced alkoxides team will additionally strengthen the Catalysts Business Line, one of Evonik's growth areas, from January 2023.
mrchub.com