Wacker Honors Researchers for Novel Dispersions
Munich / Burghausen, - Yesterday, Wacker Chemie AG bestowed this year's Alexander Wacker Innovation Award on Christian Daniels, John Boylan and Bruce Gruber. The WACKER researchers have developed two novel dispersions based on vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymers. These kinds of dispersions are increasingly replacing the established coatings for paper applications, especially in the USA. This year's Euros10,000 innovation award focused on product innovation.
The new VINNAPAS® EF 101 and VINNAPAS® EF 575 dispersions are used mainly as coating material in paper processing. The coating ensures that the print on cardboard packaging is particularly durable and vividly colored. Compared to the acrylate-based products often used up to now, VINNAPAS® EF 101 / EF 575 offers customers an alternative technology with significant cost advantages. The developers were able to modify the formulation of these dispersions such that it now has the same application-related properties as the materials previously deployed. Until now, the properties of vinyl acetate-ethylene-based dispersions differed from those of acrylate-based products, especially with regard to viscosity and heat resistance.
"These new dispersions have conquered the North American paper market within a remarkably short period of time. That has changed the rules of the game in this market," remarked WACKER Executive Board member Dr. Wilhelm Sittenthaler in his congratulatory speech. Dr. Sittenthaler presented the award as part of WACKER's annual R&D symposium held in Burghausen (Germany). This year marked the event's fortieth anniversary.
The Alexander Wacker Innovation Award
Since 2005, the Munich-based chemical company has honored employees' outstanding R&D work as part of its annual research symposium. Named after the company's founder, the Euros10,000 "Alexander Wacker Innovation Award" rotates between the categories of product innovation, process innovation and basic research. Next year's research competition focus will be on process innovation.
John Boylan, Bruce Gruber and Christian Daniels, this year's recipients of the Alexander Wacker Innovation Award (from right to left), with Wilhelm Sittenthaler, member of the WACKER Executive Board. (Photo: Wacker Chemie AG)
For further information, please contact: Wacker Chemie AG Media Relations & Information Christof Bachmair Tel. +49 89 6279-1830 Fax +49 89 6279-1239 christof.bachmair@wacker.com The company in brief: WACKER is a globally active chemical company with some 17,200 employees and annual sales of around Euros4.91 billion (2011). WACKER has a global network of 24 production sites, 19 technical competence centers and 53 sales offices.
WACKER SILICONES Silicone fluids, emulsions, rubber and resins; silanes; pyrogenic silicas; thermoplastic silicone elastomers WACKER POLYMERS Polyvinyl acetate and vinyl acetate copolymers in the form of dispersible polymer powders, dispersions, solid resins and solutions used as binders for construction chemicals, paints and coatings, adhesives, plasters, textiles and nonwovens, as well as for polymeric materials based on renewable resources WACKER BIOSOLUTIONS Biotech products such as cyclodextrins, cysteine and biologics, as well as fine chemicals and PVAc solid resins WACKER POLYSILICON Polysilicon for the semiconductor and photovoltaic industries Siltronic Hyperpure silicon wafers and monocrystals for semiconductor components
