News release
Saltigo at Informex 2007,
February 13-16, 2007, San Francisco, CA, USA,
The Moscone Center West, Stand no. 710
Saltigo – A full command of "challenging
chemistries"
Saltigo GmbH
Contact: Ilona Bolz
LANXESS AG
Corporate Communications
Trade & Technical Press
51369 Leverkusen
Germany
Phone +49 214 30-61684
Fax +49 214 30-44865
ilona.bolz@lanxess.com
Core competencies in custom manufacturing
Leverkusen – For companies that supply exclusive syntheses, it is absolutely essential that they have a full
command of the complex reactions and reagents they are working with. Handling these “challenging
chemistries” is one of the core competencies of Saltigo GmbH, which is specialized in working with corrosive,
explosive, readily flammable and toxic substances and in carrying out highly exothermic reactions that can only
be performed safely by skilled and experienced staff who are fully versed with the necessary safety
precautions. At Informex 2007, Saltigo will present its service portfolio for challenging chemistries. The globally
operating LANXESS subsidiary has many decades of experience in the fields of chemistry and process
engineering, and has also put together a comprehensive and modern technology portfolio.
Such critical substances and reactions play a particularly important role in the synthesis of pharmaceutical
intermediates and active ingredients. According to Saltigo's estimates, challenging reactions and reagents
account for around a quarter of the company's sales, which amounted to some EUR 400 million in 2005.
In many cases, no alternatives exist to such reactions – at least none that can compete with them on a
technical level. Frequently, they shorten the synthesis process, produce higher yields, purer products or fewer
by-products, and, as a result, have economic or ecological advantages. Carrying out such reactions safely and
without risk nevertheless calls for experienced staff and suitable equipment. Saltigo has both. It therefore opts
for such reactions whenever they are superior to the alternative processes so that it can offer its customers
optimal synthesis solutions.
One example is phosgene, without which many large-scale syntheses would be almost inconceivable. This
colorless, highly toxic gas is normally produced "on site" from chlorine and carbon monoxide and then directly
reacted. It is an important building block in efficient industrial syntheses, e.g. of isocyanates, chloroformic
esters, polycarbonate plastics, ureas and heterocycles.
Page 1 of 3
News release
Other examples of hazardous substance reactions carried out at Saltigo in the field of custom manufacturing
include reactions with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride on a 100-kg scale, and reductions of several kilograms of
substrate with diborane on a 10-liter scale.
Reactions like these performed on such a large scale represent a special challenge because particularly large
volumes of hazardous substances are involved or because so much reaction heat is released. Saltigo is an
experienced partner for scale-up and full-size production with such processes. A typical example here is the
production and processing of organolithium or Grignard reagents in reactors with a capacity of up to 6,300
liters. It is also involved in process optimization – for example, the development and application of continuous
phosgenation as an alternative to the conventional batch process.
Modern concepts of continuous micro-reaction technology open up here (and elsewhere, too) attractive
alternatives to the batch processes that are still commonly used in pharmaceutical synthesis. Saltigo's experts
have been working intensively for years in making highly exothermic reactions even safer with the aid of such
methods – to the benefit of the customers and the employees.
Highly exothermic batch reactions can best be controlled with the help of effective and in some cases
redundantly designed cooling systems. In this way, lithiation with reaction volumes of up to 2,500 liters can be
safely carried out in one batch. Saltigo's new low-temperature capabilities at its multi-purpose site in
Leverkusen extend the range of possibilities it has for carrying out such reactions at temperatures down to
minus 100 °C.
To be able to perform such challenging reactions and handle them on a laboratory scale or in process
development, Saltigo has installed specially equipped laboratories, e.g. for calorimetric examinations, and pilot
plants. It has also developed special equipment in-house, enabling miniature series testing under pressure
using hazardous substances such as phosgene or hydrogen. The tests can be carried out in parallel and
automatically in a cost and time-effective manner.
Because Saltigo has an effective safety structure, specially trained employees, and a corporate culture in
which safety always takes center stage, it is able to prevent hazardous situations arising in the first place and
keep accidents to a minimum. This applies to any chemical reaction, irrespective of its risk potential. Saltigo's
customers can thus be certain of having selected a competent outsourcing partner and of receiving its order on
time.
A deep-rooted understanding of all possible risks, highly developed risk management, state-of-the-art technical
equipment and a complete awareness of safety, quality and environmental protection ensure that Saltigo's
production facilities comply with the highest national and international safety standards.
Page 2 of 3
News release
Saltigo employs some 1,400 people around the world and achieved sales of approximately EUR 400 million in
2005. Further information on the company’s entire service range and comprehensive technology portfolio can
be found at www.saltigo.com.
Information for editors:
All our news releases and photos can be found on the LANXESS homepage at www.lanxess.com under the
”Press” button.
Leverkusen,
sdt
February 2007
(2007-0012E)
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by LANXESS AG management.
Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results,
financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. The company assumes no liability
whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.
Page 3 of 3