Research for the Future

AVENEER®, a new process for producing methyl methacrylate, the PLEXIGLAS® display to the new Microsoft SurfaceTM computer, and ECORAX® S 206, a new carbon black grade, are the winners of the 2008 Innovation Award, with which Evonik Industries distinguishes Chemicals employees for their outstanding research work.

Finger taps instead of mouseclicks

Within the scope of a strategic cooperation agreement with Microsoft Corp., Evonik supplies the projection surface to the Microsoft SurfaceTM, the first ever computer surface display by Microsoft that allows users to interact with digital content by touch or gesture or by placing objects on the tabletop. The projection surface is made of several PLEXIGLAS®-based optical functional layers, functioning as a unit that users can intuitively operate through “hands-on” contact with surface. Keyboard, mouse, and monitor are no longer needed.

For less air-permeable tires

A tire loses about 0.1 bar of pressure each month if you don’t add air. As a result, rolling resistance increases, and so does fuel consumption. The tire is stressed more and so suffers greater wear and tear. According to estimates, in Europe alone, between 15 and 20 million metric tons of CO2 could be saved if all cars were always driven on tires with the right pressure. This is where ECORAX® S 206 from Evonik comes in. The new carbon black makes tires less air-permeable, which in turn keeps them properly inflated longer.

Eco-friendly production process

Under the name AVENEER®, Evonik Industries has developed a new production process for methyl methacrylate (MMA). The process saves raw materials and energy, generates higher yields, and guarantees customers that they can still purchase the basic monomer at competitive prices in the future.

New and ready for the market

With its in-house Innovation Award, Evonik each year honors three teams of employees for outstanding research in the three categories New Products, New and Improved Processes, and New Systems Solutions. To receive an award, a team must prove that its project has successfully made the leap from lab to market. The jury, comprising internal and external experts, assesses the projects on the basis of defined criteria. The developments must be new and ready for the market, or have already been introduced to the market; they must offer economic and ecological advantages; and they must also have a recognizable value for society. Valuable points are also awarded for originality and creativity.