From the Sector

• SGL Carbon receives €42.9 million funding under IPCEI for graphite anode materials (GAM) in lithium-ion batteries
• Funding in the amount of €42.9 million to 2028 for SGL Carbon GmbH from the German Federal Government and the Free State of Bavaria
• SGL Carbon project aims at European production of innovative anode materials as a key value-added step in electromobility

SGL Carbon, a leading supplier of graphite and carbon products, today received a funding notification for the development and industrialization of innovative anode materials made of synthetic graphite for use in lithium-ion batteries. The funding program is part of the second European IPCEI (Important Project of Common European Interest) / EUBatIn (European Battery Innovation) program, which aims at a competitive European value chain for lithium-ion batteries based on innovative and sustainable technologies.

SGL Carbon is one of a few manufacturers of synthetic graphite for anode materials in Europe. The company’s contribution to the IPCEI project ranges from the development of anode materials with increased performance, energy-efficient and sustainable manufacturing processes to novel recycling concepts. It also includes scaling them up to pilot scale and finally mass production. Over the project lifetime until 2028, the goal is to also establish a closed cycle for this cell component. SGL Carbon has already created a solid foundation for the project through previous investments such as the battery application laboratory at its Meitingen site. The German federal government and the Free State of Bavaria provide funding for the SGL Carbon project totaling €42.9 million, which can be drawn down over the duration of the project.

"With our development and industrialization project for new innovative anode materials and processes, we make an essential contribution to establishing a sustainable and competitive European value chain and circular economy for lithium-ion batteries. In turn, this enables us to support our customers with tailored materials and services in their innovation and industrialization process. We are very pleased about the support from the federal and state governments in this important task and would like to express our sincere thanks," explains Burkhard Straube, President Business Unit Graphite Solutions at SGL Carbon.

"In order to produce competitive, high-performance and particularly environmentally friendly batteries in the future, we need innovations. The companies participating in the IPCEIs base their battery materials, cells and systems pursued in the projects on their own research - in cooperation with their partners. This way, we ensure that the battery ecosystem being created in Germany and Europe will also place us among the world leaders in terms of technology," says Elisabeth Winkelmeier-Becker, Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology.

"The funding ensures value creation in a central high-tech segment with great future potential, which is ideally suited to Bavaria as a business location. In the course of the project, 25 jobs will be secured or newly created in Meitingen. SGL Carbon is an important company for the entire region and a major employer," says Hubert Aiwanger, Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs and Bavarian Deputy Minister-President.
 
Synthetic graphite is utilized as anode material for lithium-ion batteries in many fast-growing applications such as electric vehicles, stationary energy storage systems and mobile consumer devices. Compared to natural graphite, synthetic graphite has a better performance, higher quality consistency and easier production scalability, as well as a better profile in terms of environmental footprint and safety in manufacturing. In the project described, SGL Carbon builds on its core competencies in the development and mass production of synthetic graphite.

In a roundtable discussion during the recent Innovate Textiles & Apparel (ITA) textile machinery exhibition, imogo Founding Partner Per Stenflo and representatives from a number of like-minded European companies discussed the opportunities for new spray application technologies for the dyeing and finishing sector.

These technologies can achieve tremendous savings for manufacturers compared to traditional water-intensive processes it was explained at the event, held online from October 15-30th.

Pioneer
imogo – one of the latest companies to join TMAS, the Swedish Textile Machinery Association – is one of the key pioneers in this area with its Dye-Max system. Dye-Max spray dyeing technology can slash the use of fresh water, wastewater, energy and chemicals by as much as 90% compared to conventional jet dyeing systems. This is due to the extremely low liquor ratio of 0.3-0.8 litres per kilo of fabric and at the same time, considerably fewer auxiliary chemicals are required to start with.

Obstacles
Such technologies, however, face a number of obstacles to adoption and during the ITA discussion it was agreed that 2020 has not provided the ideal climate for adventurous investors. “The textile industry is quite conservative and is definitely in survival mode at the moment and it is not the time to be a visionary,” said Stenflo. “Day to day business is about staying alive – that’s the reality for many of our customers.” Nevertheless, all of the panellists agreed that sustainable production will remain top of the agenda for the textile industry in the longer term and spray technologies for dyeing and finishing processes will be a part of it.

“Any investment in something new is a risk of course, and we have to be able to explain and convince manufacturers that there’s a good return on investment, not only in respect of sustainability, but in terms of making good business sense,” said Stenflo. “Here we could use the help of the brands of course, in putting pressure on their suppliers to be more sustainable. Governments also have a role to play, in providing incentives for producers to move in the sustainable direction. Sustainability alone will never cut it, there has to be a business case, or it won’t happen.”

Marketing
The marketing of sustainable new fibers is comparatively easy for the brands compared to explaining the difficult textile processes and the chemistries involved in fabric and garment production, he added.

“These fibers, however, currently go through all the same dirty processes that we need to get away from, so it must happen,” he said. “In developing our technologies, it has been important for us to avoid disrupting existing supply chains, stick with using off-the-shelf chemistries and dyes, and involve the dye manufacturers who are an essential part in how operations are driven today. “In fact, collaboration across the entire textile supply chain – from the brands right back to the new technology developers – is essential in moving the sustainability agenda forward.

Business models
“We are also looking into new business models in terms of how to reduce or lower the thresholds for investment and minimise the risk for the manufacturers who are looking to be the innovators,” he concluded. Also taking part in the ITA roundtable discussion were Simon Kew (Alchemie Technology, UK), Christian Schumacher (StepChange Innovations, Germany) Tobias Schurr (Weko, Germany), Rainer Tüxen (RotaSpray, Germany) and Felmke Zijilstra (DyeCoo, Netherlands).

European innovations
“It’s fantastic that all of this innovation is taking place in Europe based on established know-how and forward thinking,” said TMAS Secretary General Therese Premler-Andersson.

“Spray application technologies are a perfect illustration of how new digital technologies can lead to more sustainable production, in this case by replacing water-intensive processes with the highly precise and controlled application of dyes and chemistries as vapour.
“There was a major project by the Swedish research organisation Mistra Future Fashion recently, involving many brand and academic institute partners. The project’s Fiber Bible 1 and 2 reports conclude that it’s very difficult to make assumptions that one fiber is better than another, because it’s so much about how fabrics and garments are being produced from them. The study also found that 55% of the chemicals used in a garment comes from the dyeing. This is where a number of TMAS companies can make a difference.
“An organic or recycled cotton t-shirt is not automatically more sustainable than a conventional cotton t-shirt, or even one made from synthetics – the alternative fibers are a good start but you have to consider the entire life cycle of a garment, and that includes the smart technologies in textiles production.
“TMAS members – backed by Swedish brands and advanced research institutes – are playing an active part in pushing forward new concepts that will work, and I have no doubt that digitalisation now goes hand in hand with sustainability for the textile industry’s future.”          

• Clean Green Certified Companies Commemorate Earth Day 2018

U.S. Clean Green certified laundries are marking Earth Day 2018 (April 22) by commending the 250,000+ businesses across the nation that use such certified operations for linen, uniform and facility services.

Selecting a Clean Green certified company reflects concern for maximizing sustainability in a business supply chain. Private- and public-sector organizations who choose such a provider are learning that how their reusable textiles are supplied, laundered and maintained is a factor in their environmental impact.
Clean Green operations use a third party (TRSA) to verify their conservation practices and quantify their compliance with water and energy use thresholds.

Laundered, reusable linens, uniforms, towels, mats and other products provided by the linen, uniform and facility services industry to enhance businesses’ image and provide clean, safe environments for their employees and patrons. Most Americans benefit from the industry at least once per week, either at work or by patronizing restaurants, healthcare facilities, hotels and other retail and service establishments.

Nearly 50 of the industry’s companies are Clean Green certified, serving business customers from more than 150 locations combined nationwide. These launderers work with customers to connect the certification to their efforts to minimize their carbon footprint. Certified operators report to TRSA that customers and prospects ask them about green laundry initiatives. These include environmentally friendly wash chemistry, water reuse and recycling, recapturing heat from hot water headed down the drain and operating efficient delivery routes.

“They are far more likely to inquire about the sum of environmentally friendly practices as opposed to the parts,” observes TRSA President and CEO Joseph Ricci of the industry’s customers. Many document their justification of purchase decisions, though, such as government agencies that profile the winners of contract bids. “Clean Green companies bidding for their work mention the certification in their sales promotion and these profiles reflect it.”

Linen and uniform services conserve water and energy best by using high-capacity, high-efficiency equipment, he pointed out, controlling expenses and thereby aiding efforts to keep service pricing under control. “It is the perfect sustainable business model. Business interests and environmental concerns align. Improving efficiencies reduces costs and reduces the impact on the environment,” Ricci says.

Based on the U.S. Census of the industry’s sales and a TRSA survey of member financial data, the association estimates that nearly 3 million businesses use the industry’s services. Clean Green companies are challenged to capture more of these industry customers. Their collective Earth Day 2018 campaign gives them an opportunity to highlight the extent to which their individual efficiencies have contributed to a nationwide movement. Publicizing their own gains around Earth Day can better qualify and quantify their environmental virtues to encourage detailed comparison with competitors’ efficiencies, Ricci noted.