Press release
Corporate Press
September 24, 2008

CyPlus to Install Innovative “Solid-to-Liquid System” for Packaging and Handling at Syngenta in Great Britain

Syngenta Ltd. of Huddersfield, UK, has purchased the innovative packaging and handling system “ Solid-to-Liquid System” (SLS) for producing its active substances used in crop protection products. “Working closely with the employees of our customer Syngenta, we first defined the quality requirements for sodium cyanide and its packaging and handling. This had to be done so that the CyPlus system could be started on site and right on time,” explained Markus Jafeld, the responsible project manager at CyPlus.

As part of the SLS, sodium cyanide or potassium cyanide is transported to the customer as a solid in special containers of varying sizes, which can hold between 500 kg and 20 metric tons, depending on the customer’s needs. An additional dissolution station is set up at the customer’s site. It is custom-tailored to his specific needs and can be programmed for the desired cyanide concentration level. The system then adds water to the contained solid cyanide salt to yield the desired cyanide solution, and the customer can immediately use this solution in his production processes. The SLS meets ever stricter safety requirements for transporting hazardous materials and handling cyanides at industrial sites.

“The dissolution station works and meets our needs completely. It was especially important to us to generate, with the help of the SLS, a thirty-percent cyanide solution that wouldn’t leave any residue in the containers. We’re pleased that the system has makes it even safer and easier than before for our employees to handle cyanide in our processes,” said Jeremy Cuss, a senior scientist who is responsible for managing the project at Syngenta.

The system meets the high quality demands of manufacturers of active substances whose products are supplied to companies producing pharmaceuticals and crop protection products.

Global rise in demand anticipated
CyPlus sees it as essential that cyanides be handled safely and responsibly throughout the product lifecycle. The SLS meets this requirement and rounds off the company’s product portfolio of cyanide technologies in an ideal way. CyPlus anticipates a rise in demand for custom-tailored transportation and handling systems, especially since the delivery quantities in SLS containers are variable and can be flexibly adapted to the batch sizes of users.

CyPlus has been in the business of producing cyanides for more than 100 years, allowing its specialists to draw from vast expertise in the design of the SLS.

About Evonik

Evonik Industries is the creative industrial group from Germany which operates in three business areas: Chemicals, Energy and Real Estate. Evonik is a global leader in specialty chemicals, an expert in power generation from hard coal and renewable energies, and one of the largest private residential real estate companies in Germany. Our strengths are creativity, specialization, continuous self-renewal, and reliability. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world. In its fiscal year 2007 about 43,000 employees generated sales of about €14.4 billion and an operating profit (EBITDA) of more than €2.2 billion.

About CyPlus

CyPlus is a worldwide leading company in cyanides. The wholly owned Evonik Industries AG subsidiary supplies products to customers in the mining, chemical, pharmaceutical, and surface treatment industries. The company meets the extensive and strict requirements of the international gold mining industry as a supplier of cyanides in accordance with the provisions of the "International Cyanide Management Code" (ICMC). Some 100 employees worldwide, production sites in Europe and North America, and sales and distribution offices on all continents provide customers swift and reliable service. CyPlus regards itself as the pacesetter of progress and sustainability in the industry.

Disclaimer

In so far as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this press release or where our statements concern the future, these forecasts, expectations or statements may involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment. Neither Evonik Industries AG nor its group companies assume an obligation to update the forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release.