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Innovation as a growth driver
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With their extensive expertise and ability to create next-generation products, work with customers on innovative applications and design ever more efficient processes, Arkema’s R&D teams are critical drivers of our growth strategy.
Breaking the ground for the chemical industry of tomorrow
Arkema’s R&D competencies are unquestionably one of our most valuable assets, comprising an international base of six research centers in France, the United States and Japan, the skills and expertise of 1,350 researchers, and funding equivalent to 3% of our revenue. Our R&D spending is an investment in our future, tailored to the demands of each field, with a special emphasis on high-value-added activities, especially Performance Products, to which nearly half the budget is allocated.
Our strong research capabilities propel us into the future through disruptive developments that break the ground for next-generation processes and products. Notable examples include nanostructured materials and their advanced technology applications, the development and use of bioresources in support of sustainable development, and the utilization of fluoropolymers to make membranes for fuel cells.
Materials designed to perform
Arkema is a world-class innovator in several high-performance application fields, in particular carbon nanotubes and technical polymers.
Carbon nanotubes to reinforce composite materials
A pilot facility to produce GraphistrenghTM carbon nanotubes is up and running at our Lacq research center, to explore applications for carbon nanotubes and increase our store of knowledge about their physical, chemical and toxicological properties, so that they can eventually be manufactured on an industrial scale.
In this field, Arkema has partnered with Zyvex, a U.S. company that is the global leader in nanomaterials applications. Zyvex markets formulations that enhance the mechanical and electrical properties of polymers by selectively transferring the built-in properties of carbon nanotubes to composites for use in the sporting goods, aerospace, defense and automotive industries.
Technical polymers for fuel cells
Our King of Prussia research center in the United States is developing fluoropolymer membranes in partnership with other manufacturers, in order to produce fuel cells that will supply clean, efficient fuel for the transportation industry of tomorrow. The research program has been awarded funding by the U.S. Department of Energy for a period of three years.
Molecular sieves for medical use
Patients suffering from respiratory insufficiency need a permanent source of oxygen-enriched air. Arkema’s subsidiary CECA has developed new grades of Siliporite® molecular sieves specifically for oxygen concentrators that enrich ambient air to produce a more than 90% pure flow of oxygen. The system works by filtering room air through zeolite, a porous mineral whose nanometer-size cavities separate the nitrogen and oxygen molecules.
Oxynitrox®
Arkema also pursues its development drive in other fields, including catalysis. Oxynitrox® S100 is a new organic oxidization catalyst, produced industrially by a patented process. The result of Arkema’s innovation, this new oxidization catalyst makes its own contribution to the requirements of tomorrow’s chemistry, with environmental protection as a prerequisite. Its applications concern primarily the pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, fragrance, food and electronics markets.
Partnerships with customers
Arkema aims to be a force for innovation, by emphasizing the development of new products and applications in synergy with customers. At the same time, we are stepping up our presence and visibility in our markets, through top-of-mind initiatives designed to heighten awareness of partnered brands.
In the athletic gear market, Arkema’s Pebax® was selected by sporting goods manufacturer Lotto for a revolutionary soccer shoe, the first without laces, and by Japan’s Asics for its new upscale running shoe.
The remarkable properties of Arkema’s Kynar® PVDF and the technology of Zotefoams, a British company that manufactures foam using a nitrogen gas expansion process, have spawned a new family of PVDF-based foams with remarkable mechanical, insulation and acoustic properties and excellent fire resistance.
