Jan 31 2008
For the seventh time global specialty chemicals supplier Cognis has given its Innovation Award to employees who contributed to outstanding achievements. This internal award recognizes the development of innovative products and concepts which are environmentally sound and have succeeded in the marketplace. This year, two teams received a Gold Award and one team received a Bronze Award. One Gold Award went to the team that developed Dehypon®, rinse aid additives for multifunctional automatic dish detergents. The winning team of the second Gold Award was honored for its innovative split copper solvent extraction circuit concept. The group which developed the tailored advancement of Vegapure® sterol esters for a cholesterol lowering yoghurt drink won the Bronze Award.
The Cognis Innovation Award was established in 2001 and recognizes the achievements of Cognis’ employees who have developed innovative solutions for new products, processes, marketing approaches or other improvements. This time, 17 entries were received and judged by a panel of experts and members of the Cognis’ management board. The criteria for their decision included market success, potential competitive benefits for Cognis’ customers, degree of innovation and compatibility with the company’s sustainability strategy. In 2007, the award was given to three teams. Among the winners were Cognis’ employees from various countries such as Germany, France, Ireland and the USA.
“Modern consumers and manufacturers are becoming more and more discerning,“ says Antonio Trius, CEO of Cognis. “Our goal is to provide specialties that help our customers meet the constantly changing demands of today’s wellness and sustainability markets. We believe that innovation is not only a key factor in the long-term success of our business but also ensures the competitiveness of our customers. The Innovation Award 2007 winning teams show that our employees around the world and from every strategic business unit are motivated to be creative and turn their original ideas into successful products and concepts.”
Gold Award: Dehypon – sparkling results with multifunctional automatic dish detergents
As a result of the global trend towards greater convenience, multifunctional automatic dish detergents – often referred to as 4-in-1, 5-in-1 or even 7-in-1 detergents – have become very popular. They add value for consumers by combining rinse surfactants and water softeners with the detergent in one product. A team from Cognis Care Chemicals developed innovative rinse aids that differ greatly from regular rinse aids when used in automatic dishwashers: They do not dissolve and disappear during the cleaning stage and so are able to deliver their full effect in the final rinse stage of the cycle. At the same time they are environmentally sound because they are readily biodegradable and have very low aquatic toxicity. These benefits are greatly appreciated by consumers, and several major manufacturers are now using Dehypon E types in their automatic dish detergents.
Gold Award: The split copper solvent extraction circuit concept – taking mining technology to the next level
The copper industry is continually looking to reduce its costs while improving copper recovery. The split copper solvent extraction circuit, which is used to process leach solutions obtained by the agitation leaching of copper ores, enables producers of copper to achieve both these aims as it represents a significantly more effective way of recovering copper from oxide ores. The lower costs of treating copper oxide ores containing cobalt result in lower copper and cobalt prices for consumers around the world. There is great demand for this new copper recovery circuit which was developed by a team from Cognis’ strategic business unit Functional Products. It has already been introduced at many plants in two of the most important copper and cobalt producing countries, and offers further proof of Cognis Mining Technology’s status as a global leader in copper solvent extraction.
Bronze Award: Vegapure – well-being in a bottle
Many consumers see drinks containing natural ingredients as an easy first step towards a healthier lifestyle. Plant sterol esters, which have been proven in clinical studies to lower harmful LDL cholesterol, form one such ingredient. Working closely with one of the world’s leading food and beverage brands, a team from Cognis’ strategic business unit Nutrition & Health developed a new sterol ester based on special fatty acids. The aim was to achieve the highest possible product quality while keeping the cost of the ingredient competitive. The latest Vegapure product not only compares favorably with other sterol esters in terms of taste, oxidative stability, ease of transportation, and storage at ambient temperatures, but is also in line with Cognis’ strategy of targeting the wellness and sustainability markets.