84 Products
Replacement of Critical Substances
In the year under review, ALTANA succeeded in replacing
further critical substances. For instance, BYK developed a new
rheology additive that emits significantly lower amounts of
formaldehyde during production than other products. Moreover,
this additive does not contain any flammable solvents.
A number of other rheology products were optimized so
that no alkylphenol ethoxylate has to be used in the formulation.
These ethoxylates can have negative effects on
human and animal endocrine systems.
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) recently classified
some by-products as critical for a number of products
containing silicone. However, BYK succeeded in complying
with the prescribed limits by implementing technical mea-
sures.
In the reporting year, ELANTAS also developed and
launched several new products containing alternative raw
materials in the formulation. This allows these products
to be classified as less critical under chemical regulations.
Products from Renewable Resources
In 2019, ACTEGA Artística in Vigo, Spain, began replacing
a product based on raw materials from crude oil with a
plant-based resin. This will save about 40 tons of a raw material
from fossil sources after the project is completed.
Meanwhile, BYK developed a new surface additive that
consists of 100 percent renewable plant-based raw ma-
terials. This product is emission-free and suitable as a raw
material for products with sustainability certificates. The
main area of application is care products and polishes for various
surfaces, such as leather and furniture.