|
Akzo Nobel Surfactants America produces industrial chemicals known as surfactants. Surfactants are a class of chemicals that, when mixed with water or other chemicals, change the surface of materials. For example, your laundry products contain surfactants to remove dirt and stains and make your clothing soft to the touch. Your shampoo has surfactants to clean and condition your hair. The oil in your car’s engine contains surfactants to keep vital parts clean, so your engine burns clean and lasts longer. Surfactants are an important group of chemicals that touch our every day life. We start with natural fats and oils, including the oils from soybeans and coconuts and tallow to produce our products.
|
|
Surfactants America Research is located at Akzo Nobel's Dobbs Ferry, New York, facility which hosts product and process research for several Akzo Nobel Business Units. The campus-like facility is on thirty-four forested acres off the Saw Mill River Parkway.
Surfactants America chemists and engineers utilize a sophisticated array of analytical instruments, lab and pilot scale process equipment, and support functions. Surfactants America process research provides the crucial link required to commercialize products and processes developed in the laboratory. Our staff works in efficient multidisciplinary teams to develop the process know-how for manufacturing new or improved products, to prepare pilot samples of new products from market development, and to enhance existing process technology. Our personnel have extensive experience in conducting plant trials and participating on plant start-up teams. Significant attention is given to further development of Akzo Nobel technologies in fatty nitrogen derivatives, ethoxylates, sugar derivatives, water-soluble polymers, and ester quaternary salts.
Supporting the efforts of Surfactants America research and other Business Units research is the Analytical Services Department. Experienced research chemists utilizing state-of-the-art analytical equipment provide information on product quality, purity, morphology, structure, composition, and thermal characteristics. In addition, support is provided for regulatory requirements in product safety, hazards and environmental concerns. The analytical chemists work together with Surfactants America Research and Customers to solve problems, provide technical consultation and develop new analytical methods.
Mainly responsible for R&D support in the Western Hemisphere and Asia, Surfactants America Research works together with colleagues throughout Akzo Nobel Surfactants to exchange information and to provide continual improvement in areas of global interest.
|
