Evonik improves carbon footprint of polyamide 12 VESTAMID® through sustainable energy
- Electricity and steam sourced from biomethane made from waste
- Around 40 percent improvement in carbon footprint
- Audited by German Technical Inspection Association (TÜV)
Essen/Marl. Evonik has started offering its customers a further type of sustainable polyamide 12 molding compounds. Selected commercial VESTAMID® products can now be manufactured using sustainable energy at Evonik’s Marl Chemical Park in Germany. In September 2021, the TÜV Rheinland certified the life cycle assessments of the compounds. These will be labelled with the suffix RFP for "reduced footprint".
Evonik has been producing polyamide 12 at the Marl Chemical Park in North Rhine-Westphalia for more than 50 years and uses the electricity and steam produced there by its own state-of-the-art and efficient combined heat and power plants. By using biomethane generated from waste in these plants, emissions of the climate gas carbon dioxide for VESTAMID® RFP are reduced by an average of 40 percent, while water consumption and land use remain almost the same.
Better life cycle assessment also compared to bio-based polyamide
Since 2009, Evonik has also marketed VESTAMID® Terra molding compounds, which are based on monomers obtained from castor oil. In comparison, VESTAMID® RFP shows a significantly improved eco-balance: the carbon footprint is reduced by 40 percent, while water consumption and land use are more than 99 percent lower.
Evonik develops customized high-performance polymers for demanding applications and is a global leader in the production of PA 12, which is in high demand in attractive markets in the form of VESTAMID® granules. The PA 12 powder VESTOSINT® is used to coat metals in consumer goods, dishwasher baskets and components for the automotive industry. Evonik has also years of experience developing special plastic powders that enable industrial production of high-tech components using 3D printing.
Caption
Comparison of the CO2 footprint, water consumption and land use of conventionally produced polyamide 12, biobased long-chain polyamides and with biomethane-produced polyamide 12.
Please find here the respective photo.
Company information
Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The company is active in more than 100 countries around the world and generated sales of €12.2 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of €1.91 billion in 2020. Evonik goes far beyond chemistry to create innovative, profitable and sustainable solutions for customers. About 33,000 employees work together for a common purpose: We want to improve life today and tomorrow.
About Smart Materials
The Smart Materials division includes businesses with innovative materials that enable resource-saving solutions and replace conventional materials. They are the smart answer to the major challenges of our time: environment, energy efficiency, urbanization, mobility and health. The Smart Materials division generated sales of around €3.24 billion in 2020 with about 7,900 employees.
Disclaimer
In so far as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this press release or where our statements concern the future, these forecasts, expectations or statements may involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment. Neither Evonik Industries AG nor its group companies assume an obligation to update the forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release.