CECA, the Specialty Chemicals subsidiary of Arkema, has been designated winner of the ICIS Innovation Awards 2009, Best Product Innovation category, for its CECABASE® RT additives for “greener roads”. Additionally, the jury awarded the prize for best overall innovation to this project from a record number of entries. This is the first year that the ICIS Innovation Awards have selected an overall winner.
This double prize rewards the environmental advantages and economic benefits of CECA’s formulations. These surfactant additives added in small amounts to the bitumen/aggregate mix help significantly reduce energy consumption (up to 50%) by allowing a 40 to 50°C decrease in production temperatures. They also notably improve working conditions and environmental impact in terms of emissions of carbon dioxide, dust, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and nitrous oxides, in both the production and the application phases. These benefits can be achieved while keeping the end-properties of the bitumen constant or even improving them at reduced temperature: the workability of the mix when laid, the porosity of the compacted layer and its adherence are kept stable, while resistance to water of the asphalt mix is improved. This can be achieved without the need for clients to invest in additional equipment.
Christophe Villain, CECA’s General Manager, comments: “We are very proud of this prize which pays tribute to all of our CECABASE® RT’s environmental advantages: besides generating energy savings and VOC reductions, it contains 60% renewable sources and makes for easier recycling of road aggregates. It also rewards the work of our research and development team”.
The Innovation Awards winners are to be unveiled in the ICIS magazine dated 19-25th October, which features a 3-page article on CECABASE® RT.
Arkema also participated in these awards with a further two projects: Pebax® Rnew, its “cold weather” thermoplastic elastomer of renewable origin, and Reverlink™, its new material derived from supramolecular chemistry. This latter project was selected by the judges from the “best entries” shortlist.
Created in 2004, the ICIS Innovation Awards are designed to recognize companies that have made significant steps forward in technological and business innovation, with tangible results. The awards cover four categories: Best Product Innovation, Best Innovation by an SME, Best Business Innovation, and Best Innovation in CSR. They are open to companies around the world, reflecting ICIS's global coverage of the industry. ICIS magazine is a leading global provider of news and information for the chemical and energy sectors.
CECA, a subsidiary of the Arkema Group, is a world player in Specialty Chemicals. CECA constantly strives to improve its customers’ performance by creating and developing adsorbents, chemical intermediates, and additives. CECA operates an extensive network of industrial facilities in Europe, together with two research centres (GRL and CRRA) dedicated to Customer innovation.
A global chemical company and France’s leading chemicals producer, Arkema consists of three businesses: Vinyl Products, Industrial Chemicals, and Performance Products. Arkema reports sales of 5.6 billion euros. Arkema has 15,000 employees in over 40 countries and six research centers located in France, the United States and Japan. With internationally recognized brands, Arkema holds leadership positions in its principal markets.
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