Clariant confirms three-pillar approach

11/10/2011
Leather chemicals manufacturer Clariant has adopted a three-pillar formula to innovation. The three pillars are: the effect that any new development will have on the environment, its economic impact and viability, and the demands of the customers.

“In terms of environment, innovation needs to produce high yield with a minimum use of resources; in terms of economy, there is a need for increased process efficiency in production; to meet customer demand, we need to achieve desired quality at a reasonable cost,” explains Harald Bauer, global head of marketing and sales for the company’s leather services business unit.

The business unit’s head of application development for wet end chemicals, Roberta Gamarino, has said she believes Clariant’s EasyWhite Tan process, based on its Granofin Easy F-90 product, represents a good example of the three-pillar formula. She says: “We knew what needed to be removed—chrome, aldehydes, phenols and various other agents—but we had to find an organic material that could do the job. EasyWhite Tan is the result.”