New Product Announcement: Biosurfactant
Specialty chemicals company Evonik recently entered a new era of cleaning with the launch of its new biosurfactant. The new product release arrives after the company committed to a triple-digit million-euro investment to build a new biosurfactant plant in Slovakia.
Once completed at the end of this year, the new plant is expected to manufacture increased volumes of rhamnolipids—the base of the biosurfactant product.
Described as a sustainable rhamnolipid, Rewoferm RL 100 meets the demand from the cleaning solutions market for low-emission, low-impact cleaning products that enable a circular economy.
According to Evonik, the biosurfactant is produced from locally sourced, renewable feedstocks (corn sugar) and is fully biodegradable while providing excellent cleaning performance. This use of biogenic carbon requires no petrochemical raw materials or tropical oils.
“With Rewoferm RL 100 we are entering a new era of surfactants to fulfill our customer needs today and tomorrow. Our unique production process with sustainable, all-natural ingredients, yields a unique product,” said Yann d'Hervé, Head of Evonik's Care Solutions business line.
The Nutrition & Care division is one of Evonik’s three growth divisions and the home of the biotechnology excellence center. With the launch of Rewoferm RL 100, Evonik believes the biotechnology platform will be better leveraged in the industry and that it will support the growth ambition of both the division and business line.
Evonik went on to note in its release that the product is very mild on the skin and has an exceptionally low toxicological and ecotoxicological profile. Rewoferm RL 100 is suitable for use in a broad range of applications including laundry detergents, hard surface cleaners, vehicle care, and cleaning formulations for the food and beverage industry.
The product is also reported to reduce the complexity of cleaning formulations, as it can act as a primary and secondary surfactant.
