3D rendering of a wind turbine rising above the cloud cover.

Digital edition 1/2022

Wind of Change

How specialty chemicals are helping wind power take off - Recycling: New life for old polyurethane foam mattresses - Efficiency: Microreactors from the 3D printer

Let's go

A close-up aerial view of a wind turbine at sea.

Energy Transition

Ocean Giants: Wind of Change

Huge offshore wind turbines are scheduled to spur the energy transition worldwide. Materials from Evonik are opening up new dimensions of electricity generation

Energy Transition

A Good Wind

Renewable energies are now a mainstay of the global economy. The diagram shows the development.

Photovoltaic power plant with wind turbines (AI-generated image)

Energy Transition

»Renewables are the cheapest type of energy supply«

The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies is a massive endeavor for the economy and society. The engineering scientist Volker Quaschning explains why he believes nonetheless that the transition to wind power and photovoltaics is succeeding

It’s no exaggeration to say that the recycling project that Annegret Terheiden and Michael Ferenz are working on could soon prevent thousands of tons of waste

Circularity

The Dream of Foam

Evonik has developed an innovative method for recycling foam mattresses. The new process achieves a very high yield saving a lot of energy and fossil raw materials. The aim is now to build a pilot plant.

Graphical montage of a brain and an optimized chemical plant.

3D Printing

A Smart Solution

How can chemical reactions be carried out as sustainably and efficiently as possible? A team from Evonik is researching this question in cooperation with external partners and taking advantage of the possibilities of 3D printing

Facts & Figures

Small reactor, big performance

New manufacturing processes allow the construction of small reactors that enable a major leap in sustainable production.

A watercolor-style drawing shows crude oil, plastic shoes and an empty plastic bottle.

Sustainability

It's all about Carbon

For the chemical industry, the carbon atom is irreplaceable—but the fossil sources of carbon are not. Renewable carbon is being utilized more and more, and its proportion in products can now be precisely measured

Foresight

Push-Button Rain

Precipitation by means of electroshocks? Algae that bind carbon dioxide and serve as the basis for fuels? Scientists are now extensively researching a variety of geoengineering technologies that could be vital for humanity’s survival

Evonik Country

Belgium: An anchorage for traditions

Belgium is a meeting point for politicians, businesspeople, and tourists from all over the world—not only because of its delicious pralines. It’s impressive because of its trilingual culture, its historical cities, and its function as the center of European politics. Belgium may be small, but its time-honored traditions combined with its openness to the world give it unique perspectives

In my Element

"We need a large enough quantity to recycle indium"

Dr. Daniel Goldmann expects demand for the element to increase.