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Halterman, The right chemistry

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Manufacturing in Action, Source : The Manufacturer
Published : December 2001

As new technologies come forward, the chemical industry is responding to the demands of the economy. Olivia Greaves reports on Halterman

The chemical industry, wherever it is to be found, is characterised by its sheer scale. Processing plants are big and in many ways impressive structures. Networks of pipes link far-flung tanks where magic is worked by chemists and technicians who speak a language that is alien to the rest of us. To keep the whole thing fed, fleets of tankers stream into and out of the factory gates, bringing in the raw materials and ferrying out the products that the world demands. Whereas once, the industry might have been regarded a valuable, today it is an absolutely vital element in the modern economy. Just a look around the average supermarket will show how dependent we are upon it.

The world's largest contract chemical manufacturer is Haltermann Custom Processing, a German company that continues tradition within the field. The group is an amalgamation of a number of other companies including Chemoxy and Pentagon and although its heart remains in Europe, it also conducts operations in North America.

The company headquarters are still in Germany, where it also has three other plants. Across Europe, Haltermann has plants in Belgium, France and a further two in Denmark. Heading north, the company has businesses in Norway and Sweden and waiting to join the EU is Romania, where Haltermann also has an office. Across the Atlantic, the company is to be found in Houston, Texas where it works alongside the petrochemical companies. In Houston it also benefits from being located close to the Houston ship canal and other major communication links.

Within these shores, Haltermann has built up a dual site operation. The first of which is the All Saints Refinery that is located in Middlesborough in the centre of the industrial Northeast. Across the country, there is another plant at Workington in Cumbria. The choice of having two separate processing plants in the UK highlights the importance of the industry to the British economy.

The Teeside plant is actually two production sites that cover some 26 acres. The investment in the region is such that facilities in Middlesbrough include 10 batch reactors and eight fractionation columns. The teams working here specialise in batch and continuous fractionation as well as a few other processes. The Workington site is about half the size of its Teeside cousin but still has 14 reactors in glass and stainless steel.

The list of chemicals that Haltermann is able to work with is exceptionally comprehensive. Beginning with alcohol and running through to surfactants, these chemicals are destined for a number of markets. Obviously a major customer is the industrial chemical and petrochemical industry, but the Haltermann client database is much more diverse than just these buyers. Plastics processing and metalworking companies avail themselves of the company's services, as do the printing and automotive industries. Haltermann also helps those of us who are determined to look and smell our best by working with the cosmetics and fragrances companies. The chemical industry is certainly reaching into some very strange areas of our lives.

As a contract chemical manufacturer, Haltermann has worked to become the preferred partner for a large number of international companies who have come to regard its chemical partner as an extension of their own operations. One of the reasons why these companies feel able to work so closely with Haltermann is because of the very strict adherence to client confidentiality that forms part of the contract. By acting as if it were almost a disinterested observer, Haltermann is able to sell its services to a number of customers who in the normal run of things would be seen to be in competition.

To encourage further research and progress within the industry, Haltermann has instigated a biennial prize to recognise the efforts of scientists and postgraduate research students, with the hope that this recognition will further encourage work in the field. The award, called the Haltermann Innovation Prize, is a new scheme having been set up in 1998 to mark the centenary celebrations within the company. The latest recipient is Dr Peter Wasserscheid who won it for his paper, "'Ionic Liquids with Hexafluorphosphate Ions - New Environment-friendly Solvents for Two-phase Catalysis and Mass Transfer". While this may mean little or nothing to most of us, we are assured by the jury foreman, Dr Peter von Foerster that, "The fundamental research in the field of catalysis and its application to the optimisation of chemical reactions, represents a milestone in current chemistry and chemical technology." As well as the kudos that goes with the award, Dr Wasserscheid also picked up 25,000 DM. Second and third places prizes were also awarded.

Being a contract chemical manufacturer does not preclude Haltermann from bringing forward its own product range and it has now issued a catalogue listing an expanded list of Oxygenated Solvents. All of these solvents are designed to have a considerably lower level of toxicity than the more usual alternatives. Not only does this factor make them easier to work with, they are far less likely to have an adverse impact on the environment. These solvents will be used in a range of applications but the intended markets are printing inks, release agents and adhesives. As well as providing a useful reference point for Haltermann customers, the brochure also contains a guide to assist them in selecting the most appropriate product for their particular needs.

By producing an array of solvents with a reduced toxicity, Haltermann is continuing with its tradition of being environmentally aware. The philosophy of the company makes it clear that it sees every employee as having a role to play in protecting the environment. As the company's literature makes quite clear, the overall aim of the business is not merely to comply with the letter of the law, it is also to ensure that it will apply the regulations to which it is subject in the spirit with which they were drafted. The Europeans are still far ahead of many others in this respect, so there are lessons that we could all learn.