Kisuma, the world's largest producer of synthetic hydrotalcite, is gearing up to showcase an enormous array of sustainability progress and product diversification at the upcoming K 2022 show in Düsseldorf upstairs in Hall 7/A28.
The week-long event, starting on October 19, is the world’s leading business platform for the plastics and rubber industry. Stakeholders from around the world will converge to discuss key innovations, trends and challenges, as well as take the opportunity to forge new relationships and set out their visions for the future.
“Our organization has been historically low-profile about our contributions to customers, industries and most importantly to the global communities in which we service. Walking the walk is embedded in our culture. It’s our duty. We do it every day, pragmatically and proudly,” comments Marlus Ferretti, Chief Operating Officer at Kisuma Americas.
“The K 2022 has a particular significance to Kisuma, where many novel technologies and innovative solutions in polymer processing will be revealed. As per our legacy, we are not stepping out of character in big PR announcements. For that, we invite you to visit our booth at Hall 7 - level 1 - A28. Your time will be well spent.”
This year marks the first time that Kisuma will have a booth at the K forum. It promises to be a bustling and busy week, the company arriving in Germany with many stories of progress to tell, as well as one or two hints at what lies ahead in the pipeline.
Making sustainable gains
One such story centers around decarbonizing heavy industry through carbon capture. Since 2010, Kisuma has been heavily involved in a project led by a TNO-backed platform to develop Sorption Enhanced Water Gas Shift (SEWGS) technology - a solution which can be used for reactive separation of H2 and CO2 from syngas sources.
The company has been developing and producing the sorbent used in SEWGS, which is being successfully demonstrated on an industrial scale at Swedish Steel company SSAB. Its initial pilot project named STEPWISE, has been operating at a cyclic capacity of capturing 14 tons of CO2 per day, with plans to expand this by a multiple of five by 2024.
SEWGS will allow industries to eliminate hard-to-abate CO2 emissions and produce blue hydrogen at lower costs than previously possible. So far, we have demonstrated a 30% cost saving versus the next best carbon capture alternative, the highest purity of carbon capture (97.5%) and successful production of blue hydrogen at 400°C.
“Subject to further demonstrations at technology readiness level 8 across 2026 and 2027, we anticipate being ready to scale up to full commercialization by 2028,” added Tim Hauck, General Manager of Sales and Marketing at Kisuma. “We remain open to connecting with new partners on this project and welcome any conversations and enquiries at K 2022.”
In other developments, Kisuma is fulfilling a growing demand for tin stabilizer replacements with Alcamizer, an effective non-toxic acid scavenger for PVC that delivers numerous benefits such as reduced exposure to harmful substances, improved weathering and improved recyclability at end of service life.
Meanwhile, the company continues to make impressive energy efficiency strides across its production processes. Since beginning full operations in 1999, Kisuma has reduced CO2 emissions per ton of product by 55% – a period in which it has also doubled plant capacity.
Non-stop innovation
Additionally, the company has laid the foundations for future waves of innovation. It has just invested in a new, state-of-the-art R&D lab which will support the diversification of product portfolios based on market insights.
In June 2022, Kisuma opened a new facility dedicated to running pilot projects. Designed to bridge the gap between small laboratory testing and bringing products through to commercialization, it will be able to process small and medium batch s to validate and optimize product quality as production volumes scale.
On the product development side, DHT-4 is the trusted acid scavenger designed to replace conventional (often heavy metal based) scavengers in BOPE films.
“This is the strongest acid scavenger available on the market,” said Mathijs Preenen, Business Development Manager at Kisuma. “It irreversibly scavenges acidic catalyst residues through an innovative interlayer capturing process. “Replacing the traditional acid scavenger with DHT-4C allows converters and brand owners to achieve superior surface properties of their BOPE layer, leading to stronger metallization of the film and enhanced surface printing capability.”
Crucially, DHT-4 also represents a fully recyclable solution, enabling customers to enhance their sustainability credentials by introducing completely circular BOPE film products to the market.
Looking ahead to a bright future
Kisuma will not be able to reveal everything at K 2022, however. Some initiatives remain in development, including the company’s ongoing partnership building with academia and hospital networks to see how its products can be used in potential cancer treatments. Meanwhile, the company is lining up sizable investments into more plastic recycling solutions. Hauck commented: “We invite visitors to K 2022 to come and see us upstairs in Hall 7/A28 to learn more about our plans in these areas.
“Whether it’s progress already made or exciting innovations and developments in the pipeline, Kisuma sees a lot of opportunities for the future. We will continue to serve our customers with reliable products that have stood the test of time, and we will also work on the next potentially game-changing solutions for worldwide problems. “We are in a solid position to move forward by investing in our brand, which includes finding the exceptional talent and resources we need to keep moving.”
