06-02-2021

Evonik Catalysts India commissions a new pilot plant for scale-up of hydrogenation catalysts for oils and fats (OFC)

At the beginning of January, a pilot plant for optimizing the production processes of hydrogenation catalysts for oils and fats was inaugurated at Evonik's site in Dombivli, India. With the newly opened pilot plant, the production of catalysts developed on laboratory scale can now be efficiently transferred to plant scale and thus tested under industrial conditions. This procedure facilitates compliance with target specifications and the achievement of the desired catalyst performance, which is a challenge during scale-up.

The new pilot plant is equipped with all relevant unit operations. “With this pilot plant, we can now realize a target-oriented, fast and efficient scale-up of catalysts”, explains Jitendra Chinthaginjala, R&D Manager of Evonik Catalysts India. He also explains that “with the pilot plant we can improve our process know-how and thus significantly accelerate the time-to-market for new products. This will also enable our customers to act faster and more flexibly in their respective markets.”

The production site in Dombivli has a dedicated R&D laboratory for three product groups of Evonik's Catalysts Business Line: precious metal catalysts (PMC), activated metal catalysts (AMC) and oil and fat catalysts (OFC). This laboratory is well equipped with various unit operations for catalyst development and testing. With the new pilot plant, Evonik will be able to supply customers with sufficient quantities of the new catalysts for commercial trials.

“The addition of the OFC pilot plant testifies to Evonik’s on-going commitment to the growth region and increasing proximity to customers”, states Sanjeev Taneja, President and Managing Director, Evonik, India Region.

The oil and fat catalysts developed in Dombivli, globally sold under the brand name MONCAT™, are suitable for the hydrogenation of vegetable or animal fats for a wide variety of applications. They are used in the food industry for shortenings and margarines as well as in the production of lubricants, cosmetics and other oleochemicals.