Discover here a series of products and processes that illustrate the dynamism and spirit of Innovation that have always been present at Solvay during its 145 year existence.
Ultra-performance plastics for implants
Developments announced by Strategic Business Unit Specialty Polymers at the “Kunststoffe 2007” international plastics fair in Düsseldorf (Germany) last October included high-performance plastics for medical implants, marketed as Solviva™. These represent a significant medical advance.
Already active for 30 years in the medical sector, Solvay Advanced Polymers is currently expanding its presence in this market with innovative products for medical prostheses and other implants. An aging population, more active lifestyles and the improved health of western populations are all driving the very sustained growth of this market, as are the improved properties of so-called biomaterials, that in this case are permitting new applications and less invasive surgery. On top of this, increased reimbursement levels are leading to the increased placing of implants.
Growing market despite the obstacles
Although use of these polymers is forecast to grow by 25% a year, due largely to the replacement of metal in orthopaedics, a number of factors act as a brake on growth. Among them are the cost and difficulty of bringing these new products to market, as well as greater use of preventive measures, non-surgical treatments and bone regeneration techniques. At the same time, the legal and moral liability inherent in marketing medical products continues to limit the number of suppliers, to the benefit of companies ready to take these risks and enter this market.
Targeted partnerships
Solvay Advanced Polymers is entering this market with a very clear strategy. It can count on its technical expertise to ensure the very highest levels of manufacturing quality. Potential sales levels are carefully analysed in a risk management perspective. Finally, Solvay is working in well-controlled partnerships with implant manufacturers.
This collaborative approach to developing new applications in this area is specific to Solvay and gives us a major strategic advantage over our competitors.
Chemistry is adapting brilliantly with Epicerol®
The growing production of biodiesel, stimulated by the public authorities, in particular in Europe, is bringing onto the market large quantities of natural glycerine. Using the Epicerol® process developed and patented by Solvay (35 patent applications to date, certain already granted in various parts of the world) this by-product can now be used for producing epichlorohydrin. Epichlorohydrin in turn serves also for producing epoxy resins (used in cars and boats, wind turbines, leisure equipment etc.), strengthening paper (teabags) and water purification. This is a high demand product, with global production capacity set to be fully used by 2010. This makes it an opportunity to seize.
A renewable raw material
Traditionally epichlorohydrin has been produced from chlorine and propylene. But the rising cost of oil to which the price of propylene is linked, has placed question marks against the profitability of this production. Parallel to this Solvay has been tracking the market for natural glycerine from biodiesel production. Solvay has been interested ever since it understood that it could develop a technology to produce epichlorohydrin from this raw material. Natural glycerine is a renewable raw material, which is important at a time when Solvay is making sustainable development one of the Group's strategic objectives. Where sufficient sources are available, natural glycerine has also the advantage of being more independent of the oil price.
What future for biofuels?
But how reliable in the long term is the availability of natural glycerine from biodiesel?
For Solvay, biofuels and biodiesel in particular have a promising future. Over the entire biodiesel production and consumption chain, from field to car fuel tank, the CO2 savings are 50% or more compared with fossil diesel. This analysis takes into account studies by Unesco, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and others that show that large tracts of farmland are still available and that agricultural yields are going to continue to improve, providing that agriculture once again finds its right place on the agendas of many emerging countries. Deforestation, which releases large quantities of CO2, can therefore be avoided, whilst still meeting mankind’s need for food and fuels. In buying its glycerine, Solvay strongly requests suppliers to comply with sustainability criteria, optimizing its global environmental footprint in the Epichlorohydrin field.
The availability of natural glycerine can therefore be seen as assured, so permitting the development of the Epicerol® process for the production of what is, in a sense, “green” epichlorohydrin. With other benefits besides. Compared with the existing process, Epicerol® produces one eighth of the volume of chlorinated by-products, which are increasingly difficult to make economic use of, and consumes one tenth of the amount of water and half the amount of chlorine. What more could you want?
Influvac® and the cell culture alternative
Solvay Pharmaceuticals has been prominent in the area of influenza vaccines for more than 55 years. Influenza affects all age groups and can cause moderate to severe illness, absenteeism and complications such as pneumonia, hospitalizations and thousands of deaths worldwide.
Among the world’s major producers
With Influvac®, Solvay is one of the world’s major influenza vaccine producers. Influvac® was introduced on the market in the early nineteen fifties. Since 1983 Influvac® has been a sub-unit vaccine. This means that it contains only those parts of the influenza virus that are needed for effective vaccination. Influvac® contains purified surface antigens, haemagglutinin and neuraminidase prepared from certain selected strains of the Influenza virus and distributed by the World Health Organization, on the basis of their latest recommendations.
Innovative cell culture instead of chicken eggs
For the production of Influvac®, Solvay is dependent on millions of chicken eggs each year. Solvay Pharmaceuticals has been early in recognizing the urgency for an alternative production method to become less dependent on the availability of chicken eggs. From its own Research & Development it has developed an alternative production technology making use of mammalian cells. These cells are cultured in Solvay facilities. Solvay Biologicals will be among the first to go into large-scale production, with a new cell-culture manufacturing facility in the Netherlands expected to begin producing vaccine in the near future.
Quicker response in the event of a pandemic
Influvac® is used in more than 60 countries worldwide and over 200 million doses of Influvac® sub-units have been sold to date. Influvac® has a good reputation by its proven safety and efficiency. Influenza vaccination is the most effective measure for the prevention and control of Influenza. The company's cell-culture plant will provide greater production capacity and allow for a quicker response in the event of a pandemic.
Start-ups in Research & Development Centers
The concept:
Solvay welcomes Innovation in Brussels Research and Technology centre.
In line with a 145 year-old culture and a strategy open to sustainable technology developments, Solvay is encouraging entrepreneurship by opening a large Group R/D site to start-ups.
The achievements:
- October 2005: Artelis, a major leap towards the development of high yield or high efficiency cell culture in the world of the disposable plastic factory. More information on : www.artelis.be
- January 2008: 2Ingis, Combining 3D-imaging, new materials and advanced technologies, 2Ingis brings a new concept in dental implantation to patients. More information on : www.2ingis.eu
- July 2008: Brucells develops the technology of dentritic cell culture as a major vehicle of therapeutic vaccines. More information on : www.brucells.com
Downloads: Leaflet: EN - FR - Presentation: EN - FR
Contact: innovation.world@solvay.com
