AkzoNobel receives one of China’s most influential industry awards

The winners were announced at a ceremony held last week in China during the 2013 Personal Care and Homecare Ingredients (PCHI) trade show, whereby AkzoNobel took home the award for the category of 'Most Innovative Formulating & Processing Technology'.

The purpose of this award is to encourage, acknowledge and reward individuals and companies who have introduced and developed a new idea, a new methodology, product or technology for manufacturing production efficiency, cost effectiveness, and user convenience.

Most influential industry award..​

The patented technology is thought to have taken home the gold due to its solvent free features and use of the electrokinetic (zeta) potential of targeted cell juice fractions to further separate the active intracellular material derived from living plants, resulting in a cleaner and more sustainable process.

“Zeta Fraction technology is a totally fresh approach to plant-derived bioactives. This innovative method for capturing the active ingredients in plants delivers several benefits that are not always obtained through conventional plant extraction technology,​" explains AkzoNobel's Global Sales and Marketing Manager, Heidi Lebel.

Furthermore, the chemical player highlights that the technology provides a more stable and reproducible product and can deliver a much wider range of bioactive cosmetic ingredients from live plants while capturing the synergy that exists within plant cells.

“This technology is an important example of AkzoNobel’s focus on sustainability,” adds Lebel. “With no solvents, it produces more effective, stable and multifaceted ingredients for the personal care industry and for the benefit of the consumer. It allows nature’s potential to be unlimited​.”

Tapping into demand for amines all over Asia​ 

AkzoNobel has in recent years been focusing on its Asian footprint in the surfactants market. It proved this with the acquisition of Shandong-based Boxing Oleochemicals back in 2011, after the company announced it wanted to tap into demand for amines and derivatives in both Asia and China.

At the time, Boxing was a leading supplier of nitrile amines and derivatives which Akzo seen as a prime opportunity to couple with its ambition to accelerate growth in Asia.

“Boxing’s leading market position in amines will complement AkzoNobel’s growing specialty surfactant business in Asia. The acquisition will also provide a strong local manufacturing operation in the region," ​said Rob Frohn, AkzoNobel’s executive committee member responsible for Specialty Chemicals at the time.