Innovation in the entire product chain
Ercros's innovation and technology activity focuses on developing new products with high added value, searching for new uses for existing products and improving production processes in order to reduce the environmental impact generated by its industrial activity and increase the performance of its production facilities, as well as improving technical and commercial assistance.
The company has four R&D centres located at the facilities at Aranjuez, Monzón, Sabiñánigo and Tortosa that serve the Pharmaceuticals, Plastics, Basic Chemicals and Intermediate Chemicals divisions respectively.
Development of new products
- Research on new materials based on PLA (polylactic acid) that are printable with the greatest possible range of 3D printers on the market and comply with special requirements such as high temperature resistance, improved mechanical properties compared to the base material and distinguishing characteristics. This project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union under the ERDF Operational Program in Catalonia 2014-2020 with a grant of 63,312.59 euros.
- The submission of the patent application for the technology to manufacture self-plasticized PVC polymers and co-polymers.
- The different formula to manufacture new bioplastic materials, produced with annually renewable and biodegradable or biocompostable raw materials, which make up the portfolio of ErcrosBio®, a trademark registered by Ercros.
- The project to increase the productivity of the microorganisms with which the different active pharmaceutical ingredients are prepared by fermentation, from process strains owned by the company.
- A line for the manufacture of oxidants and water treatment products with substances that contain active oxygen.
- The range of ErcrosGreen+ resins with a very low formaldehyde emission, which includes the new melamine-formaldehyde resins to manufacture decorative laminates; urea-formol resins to manufacture plywood; and the phenolic resins destined to the isolation sector.
Improvements in processes and new uses of existing products
- The program in the pilot plant for obtaining chlorine and caustic potash through zero-gap membrane technology, according to the program agreed with Asahi Kasei.
- The optimization of the morphology and uniformity of all types of PVC manufactured in different polymerization reactors.
- The increase in production and improvement of energy efficiency in the process of obtaining polyols and moulding compounds.
- The development of a fusidic acid extraction process that decreases the use of solvent. Work has been carried out at the laboratory and pilot plant scale.
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Collaboration agreements
