Evonik Magazine 2/2009 - Evonik Industries

Evonik Magazine
2| 2009
A Polymorphous Plastic
What is VESTAMID?
It’s the first
high-performance
plastic that can
do everything

We design, build and operate district heating supply based
on geothermal heat. Today, we are already among the leaders
in geothermal and biomass energy as well as in power plant
construction. We are the creative industrial group from Germany
active in the fi elds of Chemicals, Energy and Real Estate.
Who utilizes the heat
that comes out of the ground?
We do.
www.evonik.com

PHOTOGRAPHY: EVONIK INDUSTRIES
With Innovations into the Future
Research and development are key levers that will enable Germany’s industrial
sector to emerge from the economic crisis stronger than before
Dr. Klaus Engel,
Chairman of the
Executive Board of
Evonik Industries AG
Dear readers,
As recently as last summer, hardly anyone could have predicted how quickly and
dramatically the financial markets crisis that was triggered by the real estate crisis in the
USA would develop into a global economic crisis. As late as fall 2008, many market
observers still assumed that the sudden and severe downturn in the USA and Europe
wouldn’t last very long. Unfortunately, today we know better. In fact, we’ve learned
this lesson so well that the word “crisis” has become an indispensable component of news
media reports, editorials, and everyday chitchat.
Nonetheless, this is not the time for pessimism. On the contrary, confidence is the key
psychological element we need in order to master the economic crisis. Every crisis can
bring benefits—for example, by forcibly speeding up development in companies and
markets. The present situation also harbors this kind of opportunity. But in order to take
advantage of it we need to be open and curious—and self-confident. Only those who have
faith in their own strengths can develop confidence in their ability to master the future.
Germany’s industrial sector has these qualities. Despite its comparatively high cost of
energy, labor, and raw materials, Germany can remain globally competitive in the long term
if we maintain our innovative strength even in times of crisis, strengthen our research
and development activities, and use these strengths to promote growth and added value.
Innovations and new products are more important today than ever before. And in the future,
they will be key levers that will enable us to emerge from the crisis stronger than before.
In the Chemicals Business Area of the “creative industrial group” Evonik Industries AG, 20
percent of our sales already comes from products, applications, and processes that are
less than five years old. We will continue to enhance this innovative strength in the future.
Many examples demonstrate that Evonik has a vision for the future. For instance, consider
lithium-ion technology: In two to three years our alliance with Daimler will send
electric and hybrid automobiles equipped with our technology rolling off the assembly
line. That will be an innovative leap in terms of automobile development. Another
example is the photovoltaics market: By making photovoltaics, and thus also solar energy,
more economical, Evonik is helping to usher in a clean energy future. Evonik Magazine
will keep you abreast of all the exciting developments associated with these innovations.
In this issue you can find out about the plastic material VESTAMID, which our researchers
have provided with an extremely broad range of qualities. You’ll also get to know
Chlorsilan, a raw material that is not only used in photovoltaics but also makes transmission
via glass fiber cables so fast that it will enable the Internet to make its next quantum leap.
Sincerely,
EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009
EDITORIAL
3

12 VESTAMID
26 MURMANSK
38 BIODIESEL 44 RUHRFESTSPIELE

PHOTOGRAPHY (CLOCKWISE): EVONIK INDUSTRIES/MONTAGE PICFOUR, ACTION PRESS, ARNO DECLAIR, JÖRG BÖTHLING/AGENDA; COVER: EVONIK INDUSTRIES/GRAPHICS: PICFOUR
EDITORIAL
3 Extreme Conditions
EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009
INFORMING
6 At First Glance
Magazine: Interview with US Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, the new blast furnace gas power plant in Dillingen, etc.
World map: The energy report card shows that energy efficiency is decreasing worldwide, but emissions of greenhouse
gases are rising
Guest column: Professor Ferdinand Dudenhöffer talks about the automobility of the future
Debating: Current statements by experts on the question: “What will work be like in the future?”
SHAPING
12 A Master of Metamorphosis
Whether through sports shoes, underwater oil lines, medical appliances, ski surfaces or the bristles of a toothbrush—
everyone has had at least some contact with VESTAMID, the multitalented high-performance plastic. PLUS: Foldout
“Milestones in athletic shoe development”
APPLYING I
26 Graveyard for Nuclear Submarines
Evonik Industries AG is helping with the disposal of Russian nuclear submarines that are threatening to turn the Arctic
Ocean near Murmansk (Russia) into a radioactive garbage dump
APPLYING II
34 Denucleated Power
Dismantling a decommissioned nuclear power plant is a painstaking process. The experts at Evonik Energy Services
GmbH have the requisite know-how—and a reassuring sense of responsibility
DEVELOPING
38 Talented Desert Nut
Biodiesel made of plant oil has already proved its usefulness. But that’s not all: The jatropha plant offers a whole range of
new perspectives and may even convince the severest critics
COMMUNICATING
40 Around the World in 80 Milliseconds
The Internet, a prerequisite for development and growth, is reaching the limits of its capacity. The future lies in extending
the broadband Internet with new fiber-optic technology. Evonik has the resource that’s needed: Siridion
EXPERIENCING
44 Northern Lights Over the Bridge
An overview of the 2009 season of the Ruhrfestspiele in Recklinghausen. Germany’s oldest theater festival is also one of
the most innovative—and this year it will once again showcase international stars such as Ethan Hawke and Rebecca Hall
LIVING
50 “We’re Slowly Getting Closer”
Tom Schimmeck reveals the secret of catalysis
EVONIK GLOBAL
51 A Journey Around the World to International Locations
China: Investments in fine and specialty chemicals as a path out of the crisis
Japan: Ulrich Sieler, reporting from Japan for Evonik, knows what the country needs
South Korea: Evonik penetrates new markets with hydrogen peroxide
USA: In Alabama, ROHACELL is produced for the first time outside Europe
Russia: Oil additives meet higher expectations—Evonik takes over a plant
Poland: Fly ash from coal-fired power plants is a sought-after raw material worldwide
Colombia: A coal-fired power plant at an altitude of 2,500 meters
International: The ultralight Lotus Exige S racing car speeds ahead
You can also find this issue of Evonik Magazine online at www.evonik.com
MASTHEAD
CONTENTS 5
Publisher:
Evonik Industries AG
Christian Kullmann
Rellinghauser Str. 1–11
45128 Essen
Editor in Chief:
Inken Ostermann (responsible for
editorial content)
Coordination Evonik:
Ute Drescher
Art Direction:
Wolf Dammann
Final Editing:
Michael Hopp (Head),
Jane Marie Kähler
Managing Editor:
Roswitha Knye
Picture Desk:
Ulrich Thiessen
Documentation:
Kerstin Weber-Rajab,
Tilman Baucken; Hamburg
Design:
Teresa Nunes (Head),
Anja Giese/Redaktion 4
Copy Desk:
Wilm Steinhäuser
Translation:
TransForm, Cologne
Publisher and address:
HOFFMANN UND CAMPE VERLAG
GmbH, a GANSKE VERLAGSGRUPPE
company
Harvestehuder Weg 42
20149 Hamburg
Telephone +49 40 44188-457
Fax +49 40 44188-236
e-mail cp@hoca.de
Management:
Manfred Bissinger
Dr. Kai Laakmann
Dr. Andreas Siefke
Publication Manager:
Eva Maria Böbel
Production:
Claude Hellweg (Head), Oliver Lupp
Lithography:
PX2, Hamburg
Printing:
Laupenmühlen Druck, Bochum
Copyright:
© 2009 by Evonik Industries AG,
Essen. Reprinting only with
the permission of the publisher. The
contents do not necessarily reflect
the opinion of the publisher.
Contact:
Questions and suggestions on the
contents of the magazine:
Telephone +49 201 177-38 31,
Fax +49 201 177-29 08,
e-mail magazin@evonik.com
Questions about orders or
subscriptions:
Telephone +49 40 68879-139
Fax +49 40 68879-199
e-mail magazin-vertrieb@hoca.de
DEPRAMAX ® , PLEXIGLAS ® , ROHACELL ® ,
SEPARION ® , Siridion ® , TROGAMID ® ,
VESTAMELT ® , VESTAMID ® , VESTOSINT ®
and VISCOPLEX ® are protected brands of Evonik
Industries AG or its subsidiaries. Except for
Siridion ® , they are set in capitals in the text

6
SOURCE: SIEMENS AG, PICTURES OF THE FUTURE, WWW.SIEMENS.DE/POF
INFORMING
EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009
Three questions for US Energy Secretary Steven Chu
“Real Danger”
In 1997, Steven Chu, 61,
received the Nobel
Prize in physics. Chu is
Secretary of Energy
in US President Barack
Obama’s cabinet
EVONIK MAGAZINE Are we on the brink of a climate catastrophe,
or is the danger being exaggerated?
CHU Climate change is a real danger. What would happen if the
average temperature increased by two, four, or six degrees Celsius?
The glaciers would melt and raise the sea level by between seven
and ten meters. Even more species would become extinct, just because
of the rapid pace of the climate changes. We don’t know what temperature
would have to be reached for the permafrost of the Siberian
tundra and in Canada to thaw and release the CO 2 it contains. If
that happens, bacteria would release more greenhouse gases than
the world’s entire population is producing now.
EVONIK MAGAZINE What can be done about global warming?
CHU The single most important measure would be to determine a
price for carbon. The basis for that could be trade in emission
rights, a tax or something similar. We should have mandatory
requirements for the improved energy efficiency of computers and
household appliances. And before a home can be sold or rented,
the owner should be required to provide documentation regarding
its electricity and gas consumption for the preceding 12-month
period. At least one year before the sale or rental of the property,
homeowners would have to repair areas where heat escapes,
improve the structure’s insulation, and install more efficient heating
and air conditioning systems.
EVONIK MAGAZINE Which technologies could help to ensure a
sustainable energy supply?
CHU Geothermal energy is underestimated. We know with
certainty that regardless of where you are, if you drill deep enough
into the earth you will find heat—which is a very clean form
of energy supply. In most regions the ground is cooler than the air
in summer and warmer in winter. Well, heat pumps could be
developed for cooling homes in the summertime and heating them
in the winter. Photovoltaics and solar power are also gaining
momentum, as are biofuels. In addition, I think that in the long
term we’re going to see artificial photosynthesis systems that will
convert the energy of sunlight into new fuels.
PHOTOGRAPHY: THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX/LAIF
Quote of the month Evonik in figures
“It looks
like a car and
drives like
a car—but it
doesn’t emit
exhaust”
Dr. Andreas Gutsch talking about his vision
of the vehicles of the future—powered by
lithium-ion batteries
Environmental sector specialists
Renewable Energy
Studies Program
23 patent families protect the
SEPARION separator, a component
of battery-powered cars.
35 million spam e-mails
are blocked by the Evonik data
center every month.
90% less energy is used by
the solar silicon facility in Rheinfelden,
compared to conventional
solar silicon production.
2,350 meters underground
is the heat Evonik has
supplied to buildings for ten years.
Germany is still the country with the most wind power capacity, and it has installed
the most solar power systems. That’s why it needs lots of well-qualified specialists,
particularly engineers and mechanical engineers. Universities are responding by
offering special courses of study. More than 30 master’s, bachelor’s, and certificate
programs focus on the environmental sector, in addition to distance-learning
courses for continuing education. The Technical University of Berlin and Stuttgart
University are currently offering a course called “Renewable Energies,” which
deals with photovoltaics, wind power, and biomass. The students have outstanding
prospects: According to forecasts, the number of jobs in the sector will double by
2020 from about 250,000 today.
ILLUSTRATION: PICFOUR
63,900
82,100
84,300
56,800
95,400
96,100
25,100
40,200
50,700
Wind Biomass Solar
power
Employment in the renewable energy
sector in Germany
9,500
9,400
9,400
Hydroelectric
power
2004
160,500
jobs
1,800
4,200
4,500
* 2006 2007*
235,600
jobs
Geothermal
power
249,300
jobs
Total number of jobs
3,400
4,300
4,300
* estimated
Public/
non-profi t
sector jobs
SOURCE: BMU PUBLICATION RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES IN FIGURES —NATIONAL
AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, KL III 1, AS OF: JUNE 2008

PHOTOGRAPHY: RAPHAEL MAASS (LEFT), BECKER&BREDEL (RIGHT)
Blast furnace gas power plant in Dillingen will soon be feeding the grid
Power from Blast Furnaces
Dillingen in the Saarland region is the
site of one of Germany’s most efficient
steel plants. Together with its wholly
owned subsidiary GTS Industries S.A.
in France, the company Aktiengesellschaft
der Dillinger Hüttenwerke
produces more than two million tons
of heavy plate a year, making it the
leading steel producer in Europe. The
blast furnaces at the Dillingen location
belong to Rogesa Roheisengesellschaft
Saar mbH, a subsidiary in which
Dillinger Hütte and Saarstahl AG
each owns a 50 percent share. The
furnaces are operated by Dillinger
Hütte. A blast furnace produces not
only pig iron but also by-products.
One of them is generated at the ”furnace
throat,” the end of the furnace’s
smokestack: blast furnace gas, which
consists of 45 to 60 percent nitrogen
Plant under
construction
in Dillingen:
The pipes for
conveying
blast furnace
gas measure
three meters
in diameter
and 20 to 30 percent carbon monoxide.
There has traditionally been little
interest in it as an energy source. In
2003, when the blast furnace capacity
in Dillingen was expanded, the site
began to produce more furnace gas.
STEAM POWER
In the early days the blast furnace gas
was simply burned off, but now the
aim was to generate heat from the gas
in the interest of energy efficiency.
That was the idea that led to the planning
of the furnace gas power plant,
which will soon be feeding the power
grid. Evonik New Energies GmbH,
VSE AG, and Rogesa are taking part in
the project, with an investment volume
of about €120 million. Thomas
Billotet, member of the Management
Board of Evonik New Energies GmbH
and of the management team of Gichtgaskraftwerk
Dillingen GmbH & Co.
KG: “In Dillingen we are truly protecting
the environment because the
electricity produced by the power plant,
using superfluous blast furnace gas,
does not have to be supplied by the
larger network, which is being fed
at least in part by fossil fuel-burning
power plants.”
The state-of-the-art furnace gas
power plant is expected to burn
about two billion cubic meters of blast
furnace gas annually, generating
570 million kilowatt-hours of electricity
and 400,000 tons of steam. In
theory, that’s enough electricity to
meet the needs of 142,500 homes.
Plans call for the plant to initially
provide the energy supply for Zentralkokerei
Saar GmbH (ZKS), Dillinger
Hütte, and Rogesa in the form of
electricity, process steam, and recycled
water. The water treatment facility
that is involved can provide 560 cubic
meters of partly desalinated water
per hour for the steel plant network.
In the center of the facility is the
steam power plant, in whose boiler
the blast furnace gas is burned. This
produces steam under 120 bar of
pressure and at a temperature of 540
degrees Celsius, which powers
a steam turbo generator set that can
generate 95 megawatts of electricity.
A total of 110 tons of process steam
per hour can be drawn from the
steam turbine. The amount of energy
produced by the process is determined
by the availability of the gas, not by
the demand for electricity or steam.
Surplus electricity is fed into the public
grid, which in turn supplies power
to the plant when it is needed.
“A particularly challenging aspect of
developing the power plant concept
was that its operation would be
dependent on the availability of the
furnace gas,” says Thomas Billotet.
This puts considerable demands on
the plant’s flexibility and control
technology. Evonik Industries AG was
the lead technology provider during
the plant’s construction, and it will
be responsible for managing the plant
after it is commissioned.
7
Management Board member Thomas
Billotet: “true environmental protection”

8
World Map: The Energy Report Card
Among other things, greater energy effi ciency means needing less energy to produce the same amount of goods,
heat, or electricity. One indicator of this is energy intensity, which measures the amount of primary energy
consumed per unit of GDP. Although energy intensity has been declining slowly worldwide, emissions of greenhouse
gases are still increasing because growing demand for energy has so far offset gains in effi ciency
Contribution of greenhouse gases to the anthropogenic
greenhouse effect
Halocarbon
compounds
(e.g. CFC)
10 %
INFORMING
The greenhouse effect
Methane (CH 4)
20 %
Nitrous oxide (N 2O)
6%
Carbon dioxide (CO 2)
64 %
BESIDES CO 2 , METHANE is another gas putting a strain
on the atmosphere. It is 20 times more damaging to the climate
and, like nitrous oxide, mainly generated by agriculture.
The increase of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) in the atmosphere
has slowed. CFC is used as a refrigerant and propellant.
Global trend
When viewed globally,
energy intensity is dropping,
since less fuel is being
consumed in comparison to
gross domestic product. As
energy intensity drops, energy
efficiency rises, and vice versa.
EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009
North America 6,652 megatons (Mt)
Of which USA 5,697 Mt
SOURCE: IEA KEY STATISTICS 2007/2008; ILLUSTRATION: PICFOUR
USA
ENERGY INTENSITY IN
INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES
Primary energy consumption per
unit of gross domestic product
(GDP). In tons of oil equivalent per
thousand US$(2000) of GDP
> – 2.00
1.80 – 1.99
1.60 – 1.79
1.40 – 1.59
1.20 – 1.39
1.00 – 1.19
0.80 – 0.99
0.60 – 0.79
0.40 – 0.59
0.20 – 0.39
0.00 – 0.19
No data
Rising
Falling
Unchanged
Mexico
Latin America 972 Mt
Of which Brazil 332 Mt
Brazil

UK
Algeria
Germany
South Africa
Turkey
Zimbabwe
Iraq
European Union, Norway and Switzerland 4,064 Mt
Of which Germany 823 Mt
Successor states to the Soviet Union 2,395 Mt
Africa 854 Mt
Of which
South Africa
342 Mt
Of which Russia 1,587 Mt
Russia
India
China
Thailand
Australia 394 Mt
Malaysia
Missed climate targets
Around 750,000 megatons of CO 2 have accumulated
in the atmosphere to date, with almost 30,000
megatons added yearly. Half of this is emitted in the
USA, Japan, and Europe (all members of the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development,
or OECD), which account for only one-fifth
of the world’s population. Some 97 percent of the
additional greenhouse gases come from developing and
emerging markets, especially China and India.
Asia (incl. Middle East) 11,346 Mt
Of which China 5,648 Mt
Australia
New Zealand
9

10 INFORMING
PHOTOGRAPHY: DPA
Guest Column
Electric Recharging Stations
and Battery Recycling
If Prof. Ferdinand Dudenhöffer is to be believed, the
attainment of electric mobility will depend not only on
battery technology but also on the infrastructure
THE CONCEPT of using electricity
to power vehicles is nothing new, since
Gustav Trouvé introduced the world’s
first electric car (a three-wheeler)
back in 1881. In 1882 Werner von
Siemens presented an electric carriage
that was connected to a catenary, and a
stunning 33,800 electric automobiles
were built at the height of the electric
car craze in 1912. But although the
beginnings were auspicious, the electric
car subsequently sank into oblivion.
The reasons for this failure are still
valid today: limited range, long charging
times, and heavy lead batteries.
Time and again, small networks of recharging
stations were tested in places
such as La Rochelle, France, where
the utility company Electricité de France
Prof. Ferdinand
Dudenhöffer is the
Director of the Center for
Automotive Research
(CAR) at the University of
Duisburg-Essen, where
he also holds the Chair for
Business Administration
and Automotive Economics
EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009
(EDF) set up such an infrastructure
in the 1980s for supplying electricity
to a test fleet of Peugeot-Citroën
subcompacts. However, the system
proved to be uncompetitive due to
the low cost of gasoline, the heaviness
of the batteries, the short ranges, and
the long charging times.
The success of electric drives for
road use will ultimately depend on the
effectiveness of onboard systems for
the storage and generation of electricity.
The development of fuel cell systems
and hydrogen tanks ten years ago
appeared very promising. However,
the costs of the fuel cell cars and of the
associated hydrogen infrastructure
limited this venture to a research project.
More hopeful was Toyota’s development
of series-production hybrids,
of which it has built more than 1.3
million to date. The development is systematically
progressing toward plugin
hybrids, which obtain electricity not
only from the recovery of brake energy
but also from power sockets. The key
factor for this development is
battery technology. Lithium-ion batteries
now allow compact cars such as the
VW Golf to travel extended distances
purely on electric power. Innovations
in battery technology are enabling
developers to overcome a limitation that
had previously posed a serious obstacle
to electric drive systems: their range.
However, before the systems can be
used on a large scale, problems associ-
ated with the price and durability have
to be solved as well. Not until plug-in
hybrids and electric cars cost about as
much as diesel vehicles will series production
be feasible. We estimate that it
might be possible to reduce the price
of lithium-ion batteries capable of
electrically propelling a Golf for about
100 kilometers to €2,000 by 2015.
Such an achievement would pave the
way for the widespread use of seriesproduced
hybrids and electric vehicles.
The illustration shows that the transition
to electric drive systems will proceed
in three phases. First comes the
discovery phase, which Toyota ushered
in with its parallel hybrid system. We
are now in phase two, in which major
advances are being made with battery
technology. The third phase will
be decisive, since it will involve major
cost improvements that will make the
technology suitable for series production.
The attainment of electric mobility
is therefore only a matter of time.
CAN GAS STATIONS
BE MODIFIED?
As important as the battery technology,
its costs, and the electric car are, they
are only the basic requirements for the
success of electric mobility. The other
essential requirement is the infrastructure.
The creation of such an infrastructure
raises many important questions:
How can the power supply grids be
made adequate to the task? Where
should the charging stations be located?
How can the networks be set up and
funded without leading to the formation
of monopolies? How can a recycling
system be created for lithium-ion batteries?
Which safety issues, such as
those involving battery fires, still need
to be resolved? Is there any possibility
of integrating the current gas station
infrastructure into the new network?
How can electric cars be integrated into
a transportation system with several
different modes of transport, and which
types of payment systems are best?
These issues show that whereas batteries
and electric cars are required components,
the right infrastructure is also
Sales of new vehicles with hybrid
and electric drives in Europe
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Toyota
era
80,000
Innovation
leap due to
lithium-ion
battery
1.5
million
Lower costs and series
production of
lithium-ion batteries
15
million
2009 2010–2015 2016–2030
SOURCE: CAR, UNIVERSITY OF DUISBURG-ESSEN, ILLUSTRATION: PICFOUR

In issue 1/2009 of
Evonik Magazine,
Christoph Peck and
Klaus Jopp reported
on the cooperation
between Evonik
Industries AG and
Daimler AG regarding
the development of
lithium-ion batteries
needed to get the system going. And
this infrastructure is far more than just
the interaction between a carmaker and
a power utility company. Although
both are important, they are insufficient
for solving the infrastructure tasks. After
all, the infrastructure problem cannot be
solved by simply setting up a few
charging stations and selling electricity.
PILOT PROJECT IN
RHINE-RUHR REGION
The creation and testing of the infrastructure
first requires the running
of a pilot project that covers not only a
big city but also rural areas with a
wide range of different topographies.
This diverse range of requirements
is almost perfectly represented by the
Rhine-Ruhr region, which extends
from Cologne and Düsseldorf to Duisburg
and the Bergisches Land. The
region’s automakers, energy providers,
municipal utility companies, research
institutes, and an almost unlimited
range of available traffic data make it
possible to run a pilot project which
will serve as the basis for the development
of a future infrastructure.
Conclusion: Electric mobility will
allow Germany to demonstrate its
innovative power. The preconditions
for realizing the vision of electric
mobility already exist. We only have
to want this vision to become
a reality and keep working at it. <
Debating
What Will Work Be Like in the Future?
Today’s work processes are very different from those of the past. Home
offi ce systems, online video conferencing, Instant Messenger, and
mobile Internet access are taking offi ces into the most remote corners of
the globe. Millions of people are now teleworkers who rarely get to
see their colleagues and supervisors face to face. Is this the wave of the
future for offi ces? And if so, what are the resulting requirements?
Steve Ballmer (Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft Corporation) “I believe that we’ll
no longer be using paper in offices ten years from now. When exactly this will be the case is
a question of innovation. How fast can we develop computer software and hardware that
is as good as paper? If you want to have your office in your pocket, it can be done. And if you
want to use the entire office wall for a projection or hold a meeting with several other
people, that can be done as well. Eventually, it will be perfectly normal for people to use
three big screens on which they can view large amounts of data.”
PHOTOGRAPHY: DPA Pocket-size Offices Will Become Possible
Disease”
Prof. Lothar
Seiwert (ex-
pert for time
management)
“The fax machine
ushered
in a new era of speed. It was followed
by voicemail, e-mail, text
messaging, MMS, and so on.
However, the various technologies
didn’t replace one another;
they were added to the existing
ones. As a result, you now need
to check five or six different
communication channels simultaneously
to see what’s happening.
The resulting “Blackberry
disease” is the feeling of always
having to be online.
PHOTOGRAPHY: DPA The “Blackberry
PHOTOGRAPHY: PR
Digital Selforganization
Prof. Ewald
Wessling (business
consultant)
“The days of the
old-style office
with an anteroom
and a secretary are over. Today’s
young people learn about
digital self-organization in online
communities, through computer
games, and with cell phones. They
will no longer be able to deal with
the analog world of old-style
offices. Administrative tasks of all
types will increasingly be standardized
and automated. Hierarchies
will become flatter and
work will be organized in projects
instead of departments.”
Hubs
PHOTOGRAPHY: PR Knowledge
11
Dr. Wilhelm Bauer
(Director of the
Fraunhofer Institute
for Industrial
Engineering)
“Collaboration will
play an increasingly important role
in the world of work. Companies
are obtaining creativity, ideas,
and expertise from all over the place,
and people are joining forces to
collaborate across businesses and
borders. As a result, offices are
being turned into hubs of the
knowledge society. Only companies
that can quickly bring innovations
to market will be able to survive in
the struggle against their international
competitors.”

12
A Master of
Metamorphosis
It’s used in everything from sports shoes and underwater oil lines to medical appliances, ski surfaces and
Decorative layer for skis
Fiber-optic cables

EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009
toothbrush bristles—everyone has some contact with Vestamid, the “multitalented” high-performance plastic
Gas pipes
PHOTOGRAPHY: EVONIK INDUSTRIES, PHOTOMONTAGE: PICFOUR
VESTAMID
TEXT KLAUS JOPP
WHAT DO tiny gear wheels, petroleum
pipelines, and modern carving skis have in
common? All of these products consist at
least in part of VESTAMID from Evonik Industries
AG. VESTAMID is a plastic that belongs
to the class of polyamides—which also
includes the well-known fibers nylon and
Perlon, which wrote fashion history during
Germany’s “economic miracle” era. Today
Evonik is the world’s largest manufacturer
of polyamide 12, which is also designated
by the chemical abbreviation “PA 12”. The
“12” stands for the number of carbon atoms
in the initial building block, which is called a
“monomer.” In the case of PA 12, this monomer
is a compound with the difficult name
laurinlactam, which Evonik manufactures
itself using a multi-stage process at the Marl
Chemistry Park. “We’re profiting from our
back-integrated production here,” says Michael
Beyer, Vice President Market Development
High Performance Polymers (HP)
at Evonik.
With its special nomenclature, formulas,
and symbols, the field of chemistry is
for many an unfamiliar world, and for some
even inaccessible. And yet it plays a dominant
role in our everyday lives: At home or
on the road, while enjoying sports and other
pastimes, or in medicine and technology, we >
Michael Beyer is
Vice President
Market Development
High Performance
Polymers at Evonik
SHAPING
13

14
PHOTOGRAPHY/ILLUSTRATION: EVONIK INDUSTRIES, PHOTOMONTAGE: PICFOUR
How much VESTAMID is in a car?
Hydraulic
clutch lines
Bowden cable
sheath
Fuel filter
Plug-in couplings
for fuel systems
Decorative film for
exterior and interior
trim
Metal brake lines
coated with VESTAMID
Multilayer gasoline lines,
or high temperature-resistant diesel lines
Door lock casing of plastic-rubber
composite
Compressed-air
suspension lines
Plastic optical fiber sheath
Windshield washer lines
Windshield wiper bearings
Vacuum lines
for power brake
Multilayer coolant lines
EXTENSIVE USE IN AUTOMOBILES: VESTAMID is used especially in single- and multi-layer cable and pipe systems, such as fuel lines, but also in
decorative fi lms and injection-molded products like bearings for windshield washer systems. This and other plastics from the same polyamide family are used
extensively in automotive parts. For example, VESTAMELT is used to bond textile parts and seat heaters; the coating powder VESTOSINT helps to ensure
safety when used in seat belt brackets; and TROGAMID is used for injection-molded parts that are subjected to mechanical and thermal stresses, such as the
red switch of the hazard warning lights.
Pneumatic brake line

are surrounded by materials and solutions
that owe their existence to the inventiveness
of chemists. This is especially true of polyamide
12 from Evonik, a plastic with a variety
of properties that make it suitable for a
very broad range of uses. The attributes of
the polyamides are determined to a significant
degree by the concentration of the amide
groups in the macromolecule. The amide
group, a special constellation of atoms
of the elements carbon, nitrogen, oxygen,
and hydrogen, is the linking point at which
the monomers are joined together in a long
chain. This structure holds the secret of the
polyamides, because the chains are linked
to one another by special bonds—chemists
refer to them as “hydrogen bridges.”
These help explain the desired characteristics,
which include strength, chemical resistance,
and a high melting point.
In PA 12, the concentration of the amide
groups is the lowest of all the commercially
available polyamides—and this special
feature gives the Evonik plastic its very own
characteristic set of properties. “And that
definitely includes the very high resistance
to fats and oils, fuels and hydraulic fluids,
solvents—and even solutions of salts such as
zinc chloride, which can cause stress cracks
in other plastics,” reports Beyer. This is why
Evonik is the leader in the global market for
plastic systems used in multilayer fuel lines;
EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009
the exterior layer of such lines always consists
of the tried-and-true material VEST-
AMID. For the inner layer and the barrier
between the layers, there are various solutions—now
for biofuels as well, which are
known to be particularly demanding. The
new types of fuel line systems are tested under
the harshest conditions: Gasoline at 80
°Celsius, consisting of up to 85 percent aggressive
ethanol, is pumped through them
for 5,000 hours. A direct comparison has
shown that the condition of fuel lines subjected
to these stresses remained unchanged
from that of new lines.
IMMUNE TO THE EFFECTS OF
OIL AND SALT WATER
Extreme conditions also are prevalent in
offshore oil production: The salt water is
as corrosive as the oil itself; and the equipment
must also contend with factors including
pressure and temperature, which
play a major role at underwater depths of
2,000 meters and more. The famous Lloyd’s
Register has given the modified material
(VESTAMID LX9020) its “blessing,” so it is
VESTAMID is used as a material for lines in
offshore oil production—where both strength
and fl exibility are needed
VESTAMID
SHAPING
Plastic developed for
2,000 meters under water
approved for use in the production of flexible
oil transport lines. “Several years of research
and development went into achieving
this major goal. The new material is
based on our VESTAMID polymers for fuel
and brake lines, which are both big successes
in the automotive sector,” explains
Dr. Christian Baron, Vice President Strategic
Projects at HP.
These materials are processed in an extruder
at 250 °Celsius. At this temperature,
however, their viscosity had previously not
been high enough for the new application. In
the extrusion process, the plastic is melted
by applying heat and then pressed through a
die to give it the desired shape. Making pipes
of a larger diameter therefore requires use
of a molding compound that has a much
higher melt stiffness. Ultimately it was possible
to “grow” a new type of molding compound
that gives VESTAMID the requisite
melt stiffness, without any loss in mechanical
strength. And the strength is absolutely
essential. Without it, it would be impossible
to lay the lines in one piece from production
platforms at the water surface down to
a borehole at a depth of 2,000 meters. With
these lines, it is necessary to achieve the
proper balance between mechanical stability,
sufficient flexibility, and long service
life. In offshore applications, for example, a
service life of over 20 years is required. And
15
>

16 SHAPING VESTAMID EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009
>
New designs from the
chemistry lab
VESTAMID LX9020 has yet another advantage
to offer: The material is very stable
when processed and can be extruded right
from the package, without further pretreatment
and without predrying.
It is also possible to use PA 12 for gas
pipes, which in municipal gas mains have
to withstand pressures of between ten and
20 bars. At present, all existing gas mains
are made of steel. In cooperation with operators
of gas distribution networks, Evonik
has now demonstrated the suitability of PA
12 for this application in long-term tests.
The pipes designed for these purposes
have an outside diameter of 110 millimeters
and a wall thickness of ten millimeters.
“If you consider that stability and flexibility
are prominent features of the VESTAMID
pipes, they are also very well-suited to ‘relining,’
which is a method of refurbishing
pipes from the inside,” says Baron.
There also are very challenging demands
to be satisfied on ski slopes—especially due
to the crowded conditions around ski lifts.
To ensure that skis and snowboards retain
their attractive appearance, their outermost
layer consists of a durable VESTAMID decorative
film. The material also shows off its
“sporty” side in running shoes—in this case,
the utmost performance is required of the
material used for soles, in particular.
Polyamide 12 elastomers have proven ideal
for achieving the required balance between
strength and damping—the PA components
create the right hardness, while soft polyether
elements absorb impacts and protect
the joints of the person wearing the
shoes. The right degree of resilience also is
required in toothbrush bristles, which are
made of VESTAMID D (a polyamide 612,
which is produced from different starting
compounds than those of PA 12). Automakers
use a very similar material for hydraulic
lines and plug-type connections (quick
connectors) for such systems. These product
examples illustrate the broad range covered
by the polyamides.
RAISING THE MELTING POINT
The creative “designers” at Evonik use two
adjustment mechanisms to endow their
plastics with the ideal properties for the task
in question. Using the chemical modification
approach, they can insert other components
into the polyamide chains, which
by their nature always consist of the same
links. For instance, catheters used in medicine
consist of a PA 12 in which short-chain
Until now, gas pipes have been made of steel;
today engineers can lay fl exible VESTAMID
pipes that are no less sturdy
polymers are integrated. “Catheters have
to be stiff enough when being inserted, but
once they are in the body they have to be
very flexible and rather soft, to ensure that
they don’t injure the blood vessels,” explains
Beyer. This balancing act is accomplished
by achieving a glass transition temperature
of about 38 °Celsius, meaning
that the change in properties is triggered
through body heat. For some tasks, plastics
must be made more thermally stable. The
“design kit” of chemical building blocks can
offer help here too—the melting point rises,
for example, as soon as aromatics or shortchain
amides are inserted into the chain.
This was the technique used to create
VESTAMID HTplus, which will only melt
at temperatures above 300 °Celsius. It can
therefore be used for parts that are subject
to high temperatures in the engine compartments
of automobiles, for example. In
recent years automotive engineers have improved
vehicle features that boost pedestrian
safety, while preventing aerodynamic
drag from rising. The reduction in available
space under the hood caused a significant
increase in the temperature around the engine.
“We have to respond to this trend with
our materials,” argues Beyer. And VESTA-
MID HTplus also is appropriate for applications
in which there is direct contact with
drinking water and food. Thanks to its high
>

PHOTOGRAPHY: EVONIK INDUSTRIES, PHOTOMONTAGE: PICFOUR, ILLUSTRATION: DR. DIETER DUNEKA
The plastics market
SYMBOLS AND FORMULAS:
Chemistry has developed its
own language for the complex
world of molecules; it is
defined by the International
Union of Pure and Applied
Chemistry (IUPAC). PVC, for
example, stands for polyvinyl
chloride, and PET means
polyethylene terephthalate.
Often the abbreviations are
used in place of these complex
terms. At the same time,
trade names like PLEXIGLAS
are also used (for polymethyl
methacrylate, PMMA).
Structural
plastics
5,700,000 tonnes/year
€ 3.50–15/kg
Standard
plastics
131,000,000
tonnes/year
€ 2–8/kg
High-temperature
plastics
250,000 tonnes/year
€10–100/kg
PMMA
ABS
PVC
PAR
PS
PES
PMMI
PI
PAI
PPSU
PEI
PMI
PSU
Transp. PA
PC
PPE
> 300°
> 150°
> 100° Thermal stability
SAN
PP
PE
Siemens fi ber-optic cable
THE PLASTICS PYRAMID: There are many varieties of “plastic.” They can be sorted according to their capabilities, their price per kilogram, or their
internal structure. The molecules of amorphous plastics (left side) are entangled like cooked spaghetti. In contrast to this, however, chain molecules can also
sometimes lie parallel in places—like spaghetti in a package. Such plastics are crystalline (right side). Plastics for mass-produced articles, like polyethylene
for plastic bags, control over 95 percent of the market. Structural plastics like polyamides account for approximately four percent. The extremely heat-resistant
plastics at the top of the pyramid represent less than one percent of the total amount of plastic produced, but their price is by far the highest.
PEEK
FPs
LCP
PPS PPA
PA 4.6
PA 11
PBT
POM
PA 12
Polyamide 12
PA 612
PET
PU
PA 6/PA 66
Amorphous Crystalline
PEAK PERFORMANCE
A diverse group of plastics for special
applications in automotive
construction, aerospace, medicine,
and household products, these
materials can be used at operating
temperatures of over 300 °Celsius.
The group also includes PEEK
and PPA from Evonik. These plastics
have special properties and are
also frequently lighter and cheaper
than other materials.
TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS
Among other materials, the structural
plastics include polycarbonate
(PC), which is used to make
CDs and other data-storage discs.
The large family of polyamides
(PA) is used primarily in mechanical
engineering and for pipes, cables,
and fibers. PET is increasingly
being used to make bottles.
MASS-PRODUCED GOODS
Inexpensive plastics are used in many
everyday products. Polyethylene
(PE), for example, is used to make
plastic bags, and polystyrene (PS) is
found in plastic foam or yoghurt
cups. There is also a great deal of
diversity among the polyurethanes
(PU), which are used
to make paints as well as
mattresses and shoe soles.

PHOTOGRAPHY: EVONIK INDUSTRIES, ILLUSTRATION: DR. DIETER DUNEKA
The plastics construction kit
Nanotubes
Long glass fi bers
Tefl on/graphite
Plasticizers
Glass beads
Short glass fi bers
Carbon fi bers
Physical additives Chemical additives
Electrically conductive plastic—housings
for measuring instruments, telephone and
radio parts, fans for electric motors
Very rigid plastic—snap connectors
for fuel lines
Low-friction plastic—tracks,
sliding bearings
Very soft plastic—packaging fi lms,
pneumatic brake lines
Mechanically stable plastic—housings
for gears and shift valves, gear wheels,
pump parts
Impact-resistant plastic—plug connectors
for fuel lines
Impact-resistant, mechanically stable
plastic—athletic equipment, medical products,
aerospace components
Low-friction, thermally stable
plastic—precision components
for gear systems, gear wheels,
and worm gears
Very soft plastic with low
melting point—fl exible
tubular fi lms for impact-resistant
packaging
Mechanically stable, transparent
plastic—eyeglass lenses and
frames, medical equipment
Impact-resistant plastic with high
melting point—components for use
in automobile engine compartments
Polyamide 12/Vestamid
ONE BASIC MATERIAL WITH MANY VARIANTS: Chemists at Evonik have developed a whole range of plastics with tailored properties based
on the polyamide 12 with the trade name VESTAMID. In general, there are two approaches to creating such new materials: On the one hand, additional
polymers can be integrated chemically into the base plastic (right column). On the other hand, the desired attributes of the materials can also be
achieved by physical modifi cations (left column)—e.g., admixture of glass fi bers, Tefl on, or graphite. For special requirements, it is also possible to use
both approaches (compounds in the middle). In this way, Evonik can satisfy almost all customer needs with various VESTAMID types.
Low-noise gears
Hard plastic—toothbrush
bristles, hydraulic clutch
lines
Temperature-resistant
plastic—electronic parts,
drinking water pipes
Transparent plastic—
scratch-resistant and
printed decorative fi lms
Plastic with low melting
point—thermoplastic
adhesive
Plastic with high melting
point—fuel lines, fi lters,
switches and housings
C6/polymers
Aromatics
Polyethers
Short amides
Aromatics

dimensional stability and wear resistance,
the product also is a first-rate material for
the electronics industry, where the ongoing
trend toward miniaturization is making
ever greater demands on raw materials.
Making use of the available range of
polymer building blocks is one possibility;
the other option involves physically
influencing the properties of a material.
Evonik has a wide range of tactics available
here also: Glass and carbon fibers in
various lengths; glass beads; fillers like
Teflon, graphite, and mica; carbon black;
emollients, and flame retardants all help
to improve mechanical stability, stiffness,
or durability. Bearings and screws, for example,
should ideally operate without any
friction—a “pinch” of Teflon or graphite ensures
outstanding antifriction properties.
Housings of switches, lamps, and other devices
must be electrically conductive to
ensure that static charges do not build up.
Differences like this have the potential to
trigger sparks, and thus even explosions,
in chemical systems—which is why the antistatic
equipment is so important.
So far, the basis for the various types of
VESTAMID has been the use of butadiene,
a hydrocarbon produced from petroleum.
In the interest of sustainable development,
Evonik has augmented its polyamide family
with a new group named Terra, which com-
EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009
prises materials based partially or entirely
on renewable raw materials. The parent
compounds required for these materials are
made from castor oil. This oil is extracted
from the seeds of the flowering plant of the
same name, which is mostly native to tropical
and subtropical countries. The countries
that grow the most castor oil plants are India,
Brazil, and China.
THE GAME GOES ON
On the other hand, Evonik is also strengthening
its production capacity for laurinlactam.
As recently as 2006, the facilities at the Marl
location were expanded to 26,000 tonnes
per year. And work is now underway on
another expansion to be completed in mid-
2009. Evonik is investing millions of euros
in this increased production capacity.
“We’re taking the steps that are necessary
to bolster our leading position in the
global market for polyamide 12,” says Dr.
Klaus Engel, Chairman of the Executive
Board of Evonik. The world of polyamides
opens up a tremendous range of possibilities,
which is why Evonik supports its cus-
“Achieving major goals”: Dr. Christian Baron
is Vice President Strategic Projects in the
business unit High Performance Polymers
VESTAMID
SHAPING
A pinch of Teflon can
do the trick
tomers with a comprehensive range of services—from
the initial design to completion
of the product in series production. “That
includes state-of-the-art equipment for injection
molding, extrusion, plastic-rubber
composites, and fiber production,” explains
Beyer. The analytical labs of Evonik are likewise
open to these customers. The close cooperation
between the materials specialists,
on the one hand, and the producers, on the
other, is indispensable today; this is where
new ideas for solutions are born. And we
know with certainty that the range of possible
uses of VESTAMID has not been exhaustively
explored by any stretch. So the
“game” with the chemical building blocks
goes on. <
SUMMARY
• Evonik is the largest manufacturer of the
“polyamide 12” VESTAMID, which is
produced in Marl in a multi-stage process.
• VESTAMID has a broad range of
properties and is used in everything from
sports shoes to offshore oil lines.
• The variety of special-purpose features
can be achieved in the lab through
chemical and physical modifications—the
plastic is thus designed to fit the need in
question.
19

20 SHAPING
VESTAMID EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009
PHOTOGRAPHY: EVONIK INDUSTRIES
High-tech for High Performance
Success in sports requires the perfect interplay between physical fi tness,
athletic technique, and optimal equipment. In the production
of athletic shoes, plastics play a major role in ensuring the latter
TEXT ANDREAS BRANNASCH over the world to become better and
SPORTS INVOLVE running, jumping,
throwing, and scoring goals. Sports also
involve high-tech materials, which is
why hundreds of biomechanics, sports
physicians, and technicians work in the
research labs of athletic shoe manufacturers
like Adidas, Asics, Nike, and Puma.
Together with athletes and coaches,
these staff members analyze pressure
distribution and flexing action, test new
materials, and measure thousands of feet.
The goal of all of these activities, which
are supported by universities and industry,
is to develop equipment that helps
professional and amateur athletes all
more successful in their sports.
Athletic shoes must optimally support
the highly complex interaction between
26 bones, 13 joints, numerous
muscles, tendons, and ligaments, and a
dense network of nerves. Also to be considered
when designing such shoes are
the approximately 600 sweat glands per
square centimeter that each foot contains.
Top-of-the-line athletic shoes can
absorb rough impacts and stabilize and
guide feet. Their soles can also withstand
the stresses of constant pounding
against surfaces. The development of a
well-functioning athletic shoe is a difficult
undertaking that results in a work
Optimal running shoe properties through molding compounds based on polyamide 12
of art, whereby the artistic achievement
lies in perfectly aligning the shoe’s many
components with the demands of the application
in question.
Major advances in this field have been
achieved with high-quality plastics and
sophisticated technologies, which turn
what were formerly mere visions into
technical realities. For example, apparent
contradictions—such as low weight
versus the highest possible stability—
have now been resolved through the
utilization of state-of-the-art materials.
Whereas leather soles fill with water
when worn on wet surfaces, polyamides
create a long-lasting light shoe sole. Shoe
manufacturers put an extraordinarily
large amount of effort and expense into
the development of running and soccer
shoes, the mass markets for which promise
the highest sales.
The material used in athletic shoe
soles plays a key role in development activities.
For running shoes, the most important
attributes are shock absorption
and flexing qualities, while soccer shoe
development focuses on the sole and its
varying number of studs and spikes, since
a good grip can make the difference between
victory and defeat on the field.
That’s because soccer is a stop-and-go
sport in which players have to sprint rapidly,
change direction at lightning speed,
and get a firm grip when they set up to
score a goal. Goalie shoes, on the other

The shoe body, sole, and heel section are brought to the bonding temperature in a heating chamber before being joined together on a last
hand, are equipped with a larger number
of studs on the outer part of the sole, which
ensures greater stability when jumping.
Given all these facts, it’s not surprising
that a plastic like VESTAMID (chemical
designation: polyamide 12 elastomer)
from Evonik Industries AG is extremely
popular among athletic shoe manufacturers.
Marc Knebel, a key account manager
at Evonik’s High Performance Polymers
Business Unit, has customers that
include sports industry companies. Himself
an avid jogger, he describes the plastic’s
benefits as follows: “VESTAMID
reconciles seemingly contradictory attributes
such as flexibility, low weight,
and stability, and is also largely resistant
to temperature fluctuations.” Such characteristics
ensure an extraordinarily high
level of stability for products such as highend
soccer shoes like the Adidas Predator
TRX FG. A slightly altered mixture of
VESTAMID is also used in various types
of athletic shoes in order to bring different
attributes of this versatile plastic to the
fore. One example of this involves achieving
a high level of elasticity to ensure that
the midsole always returns to its original
shape, even after being exposed to major
stresses.
Several years ago, Evonik and Framas
Kunststofftechnik GmbH (Pirmasens)
achieved a quantum leap in soccer
shoe development by creating a springelastic
clip holder for studs. Framas is
now the world market leader for special-application
athletic shoe soles, producing
five to six million pairs of them
each year. The use of a particularly rigid
glass fiber-reinforced plastic mixture
for the clip holders in the Predator ensures
that the shoe’s studs can no longer
be pressed upward against the player’s
sole, while the highly firm material also
prevents the holders from breaking off.
The idea of developing a system for clipping
on cleats rather than having to screw
them in is actually quite old. However,
only after plastics with the required stability
were developed did it become possible
to implement such a clip system. In
this case, cooperation between the raw
materials supplier, processing partners,
and athletic shoe manufacturers functioned
perfectly.
IMPACT SHOCK OF
THOUSANDS OF FOOTFALLS
Along with all of its great functional properties,
VESTAMID also possesses another
important attribute: “VESTAMID
is color-neutral and can be dyed easily—
and it’s also possible to paint it and print
on it,” Knebel reports. For these reasons,
according to Adidas spokesman Oliver
Brüggen, “This material is an absolute
must for out Predator Powerswerve TRX
FG, as its unmatched stability and robustness
make it an irreplaceable component
of the shoe.”
Various types of VESTAMID compounds
can be found in running shoes whose
soles are designed to ease the burden on
joints. Running shoes are supposed to
give the wearer a feeling of lightness on
the one hand, while at the same time absorbing
the shock of many thousands of
footfalls, which, depending on running
speed and surface makeup, can equal
the equivalent of two to three times the
body’s weight being brought down upon
the feet. The different types of VEST-
AMID used in midsoles and lower soles
can meet all these requirements, as the
material absorbs energy during deformation,
some of which it gives back
to the runner through a spring effect.
High-performance plastics from Evonik
are also employed in the production of
cycling and fencing shoes.
Still, it should also be noted that the
1950 Indian national soccer team opted
out of participating in the World Cup in
Brazil that year after its players were told
they wouldn't be allowed to play barefoot.
There’s also the South African runner
Zola Budd, who in 1984 at the age of
17 caused a sensation by setting a new
world record in the women’s 5,000meter
race—barefoot. Another barefoot
runner was Abebe Bikila from Ethiopia,
who set a new marathon record at the
1960 Olympics in Rome. It thus appears
that equipment sometimes does not play
a role in sports—but only sometimes. <
25

GRAPHIC: GOLDEN SECTION GRAPHICS
No nails
Rule Number 14,
which was published
by the English Football
Association back in
1863, stated: “No
player shall be allowed
to wear projecting
nails, iron plates or
pieces of gutta-percha
(rubber-like material
produced from the
sap of the rubber
tree) on the soles or
heels of his boots.”
Milestones in athletic shoe development
From Leather Safety Boot to High-end Soccer Shoe
While many things may have once been
better, athletic shoes certainly weren’t.
The road from the first leather soccer
boots to the current Predator model
from adidas was a long one.
In the past, the weight of the heavy
leather boots doubled in the rain; today
1925
Adolf “Adi” Dass ler
applies for a
patent for soccer
boots. The company
he operates
together with his
brother Rudolf
develops soccer
boots with studs
and track shoes
with spikes.
1928
The Bahn all-around
athletic shoe produced
by the Dassler brothers
makes its debut at
the Olympic Games
in Amsterdam (Netherlands),
where it is
worn by athletes
competing on grass,
sand and ash.
shoe properties are entirely independent
of the weather. What at the start of the last
century was a handcrafted leather soccer
boot intended primarily as a safety shoe—
with a steel cap—is now the product of
years of development work. Running shoe
research is every bit as intense: High sales
1930
The soccer boot produced
in Germany by the
Dassler brothers’ joint
company for the first
Soccer World Cup in
Uruguay. Nailed leather
studs provides secure
footing; the high shank
protectes the ankle.
1948
Shoemaker Albert
Bünn submits a patent
application for
“screw-in soccer
studs.” Unfortunately,
however, he is unable
to market them.
volumes beckon here just as they do with
that other popular sport, soccer. Until the
jogging craze in the early 1970s, the shoes
you wore to run through the woods were
the same ones you laced up to play volleyball.
Since the introduction of running
shoes, particular attention has been paid to
1949
The first adidas
soccer shoe with
a sole having a
multitude of rubber
nubs instead
of individual
studs or leather
strips. The innovation
improves
comfort to the
wearer when
playing on hard
sand pitches.
1952 / 53
Rudolf Dassler, the
brother of Adolf
Dass ler, begins series
production of shoes
whose characteristic
feature is their screwin
studs. The soccer
club Hannover 96
wins the German
championship with
them in 1954. The
brothers decide to go
their separate ways
in 1948, forming the
companies Puma
(Rudolf) and adidas
(Adolf).
1952
Wearing adidas Marathons, Emil
Zátopek wins gold medals in the 5,000
meters, 10,000 meters and the
marathon at the Olympic Games in
Helsinki (Finland). The innovations that
make the shoe so special include an
absorbent insole, a padded tongue, and
a heel strap for a firm fit.
various functions, including cushioning,
support and guidance. Heel wedges,
which for a while were extremely high,
have become flatter in recent years for orthopedic
reasons. In other words, things
have in many ways come back almost full
circle to the models from the ’70s.
1958
The Puma form strip makes
its debut as a distinctive
trademark at the Soccer
World Cup, which takes place
in Sweden. Brazil and a
wbecome World Champions
in Puma shoes.
The miracle of Berne
1961
The New Balance
Trackster is the
word’s first running
shoe that boasts
a rippled sole and
can be purchased in
different widths.
The Trackster
becomes the most
popular running
shoe with college
students and within
the YMCA fitness
program in the USA.
It was a revolution when the German
national soccer team took the
pitch at the World Championships
in Switzerland wearing slim,
interchangeable nylon studs. The
Sepp Herberger-coached team
managed to defeat the Hungarians,
who were top favorites, 3-2 on
soggy turf in the final game of the
1954 World Championships.
The shoes worn by the German
team in Berne weighed 360
grams—almost half the weight of the shoes worn by their
Hungarian opponents (top shoes today weigh less than 250
grams). The screw-in studs developed by Adolf Dassler
gave the German players decisive advantages:
a better first step and surer footing. The
surprising victory over the Hungarians
in their old-fashioned shoes is
considered to be the birth
of the modern soccer shoe.
1964
adidas introduces
the lightest
running shoe of
all time. The
Tokio 64 weighs
135 grams.
PHOTOGRAPHY: PR (20), ULLSTEIN (3), PICTURE-ALLIANCE/DPA, EVONIK INDUSTRIES (2)
1968
adidas Achill: Long before
the first jogging craze,
the first shoe developed
in Germany specifically
for running is hitting the
streets. It features a
cushioned midsole and
later also acquires a heel
wedge. Runners had
previously put their faith
in normal athletic shoes.
1970
One of the first running shoes
is the Brütting Roadrunner.
It features a cushioning layer
in the midsole; the forefoot
and rearfoot are located
on the same plane. Brütting
handmade athletic shoes
are still being manufactured
in Germany today using
the original lasts.
The intelligent shoe
The adidas 1, which hit the market in the year
2004 uses a magnet sensor system in order to
automatically adapt to different conditions. A
microprocessor calculates whether the cushioning
is too hard or too soft for the wearer
of the shoe. Roughly 1,000 measurements
are performed each second and forwarded
to the microcomputer in the
shoe. Adjustments are made
via a motor-powered cable
system that ensures optimal
cushioning while the
wearer is running.
1980
adidas Marathon
Trainer: Good
cushioning, a grippy
sole profile, a very
comfortable fit and
mesh upper material
that provides excellent
ventilation make
this model a great
success story for the
manufacturer.
The athletic shoe turns pro
1987
Asics GT II:
The first running
shoe that comes
with gel cushioning.
This liquid
replaces solid
materials in the
midsole and
inspires a whole
new generation of
running shoes.
In 1979, the Nike Tailwind becomes the first running shoe
with cushioning provided by a gas mixture in the midsole—a
pioneering development from the USA. The first Air
models are intended primarily for people interested in road
runs on hard
asphalt. They are
therefore too
soft for the average
central European
runner, who runs
primarily in the
woods and in parks.
Nike later adapts
the shoe for the
European market.
Joschka Fischer
becomes a state
Environmental
Minister in
1985—wearing
Nike basketball
shoes

1991
Puma Disc: The
disc system makes
it possible for
athletes to close
their shoes
without the need
for laces.
1989
adidas Torsion:
Splitting the sole
allows for a natural
rotation between
the rearfoot and
the forefoot
from the heel to
the ball when
setting down the
foot. It also offers
light support
for the arch.
1994 World Cup:
Jürgen Klinsmann wears
the fi rst Predator model
as Germany defeats
Belgium 3-2 in the USA.
1993
Nike Air Fuego M:
The first soccer shoe
with air cushioning.
This marks the first
transfer of the cushioning
technology
proven in more than
ten years of successful
use in running shoes
to soccer.
1994
adidas Predator:
The scale-like upper
material made of a special
rubber blend has been
designed with an eye on
improving the player’s ball
control. Shark skin is later
proposed as a material, but
never actually makes it to
the series production stage.
The idea of scale-like ribs
on the top of the shoe is
pursued further using synthetic
materials, however.
1996
Puma Cell:
The cell cushioning
technology is based on
air chambers in the
shoe’s sole. Air can flow
back and forth within
these chambers through
narrow ducts, and it
is this exchange of air
that cushions and stabilizes
the foot.
1997
Puma Cellerator:
The first cushioned
soccer shoe offered
by Puma. The honeycomb
shape of the
sole compensates for
blunt impacts on
uneven surfaces.
2002
adidas Predator Mania:
Snap-in rather than screw-in studs
are a revolutionary development
and require the use of a material
offering the utmost in shatter
resistance. VESTAMID, a plastic
developed by Evonik, satisfies this
criterion.
Final vs. Brazil: The Germans wear the
new Predator Mania at the 2002 World
Cup held in South Korea and Japan.
2006
Nike Air Max 360:
The first running shoe
with no conventional
cushioning material in
the midsole makes its
debut. Instead, the sole
comprises a completely
transparent air element.
2008
adidas Predator
PowerSwerve:
State of the
art—Evonik’s
VESTAMID
remains the
material of
choice for the
stud snaps.
A Layover on our Journey into the Future
Today’s soccer shoe is a high-tech product in which plastics such as VESTAMID
play a greater role than ever before
THE HEEL CAP is a plastic
shell, with soft plastic on the inside
for comfort and a hard component on
the outside for stability. The reinforced
shank provides additional support.
Pressure on the Achilles tendon is
greatly reduced.
SNAP-IN
STUD SYSTEM:
The studs of the adidas
Predator exert the least possible pressure
against the foot, provide the optimal amount
of grip on a grass pitch and are extremely
easy to replace when necessary. This
technology is made possible by the use
of VESTAMID. This polyamide 12
elastomer containing 23 percent
glass fi ber exhibits extraordinary
rigidity.
PLASTIC IS ALMOST
ALWAYS FOUND in the following
parts of professional soccer shoes:
sole system, cushioning elements,
insole, spray-on shank elements,
studs. There are also models made
entirely of plastic. Plastic cushioning
elements play a lesser role than
with running shoes because they
require space. A higher stance
also adversely affects ball feel. The
mechanical properties of the
plastic soles are unaffected by cold,
heat and moisture; their elasticity
provides the cushioning that reduces
wear on the joints.
IN THE SWERVE ZONE
on the side of the adidas Predator,
fi ne rubber and silicone strips provide
improved swerve when shooting
and act like an antislip system
to ensure that the ball—
which at the professional
level is also made of
plastic—“sticks” to the
foot as long as
possible.
ASYMMETRIC
LACING on the
outside of the shoe.
Advantage:
Contact between
the foot and the
ball is more direct
when shooting
and is not impaired
by the shoe laces.
THE SPLIT PLASTIC OUTSOLE
of the adidas Predator reduces weight signifi cantly
and enables a natural set down and rolling of the foot.
A removable insole variant of the shoe also includes
a PowerPulse element fi lled with 10 grams of
tungsten powder. When shooting, the powder slides
forward in a plastic tube and comes to a sudden
stop, providing additional energy for the shot.

26 APPLYING I MURMANSK EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009
PHOTOGRAPHY: ACTIONPRESS
Nuclear submarines
from what used to be
the world’s biggest
fl eet await scrapping
near Murmansk
Graveyard for
Evonik is helping with the disposal of Russian nuclear submarines that are threatening to

Nuclear Submarines
turn the Arctic Ocean into a radioactive garbage dump
27

28
The war is over—
but not entirely
The Russian military operates important
bases near Murmansk. At the bay
that remains ice-free in winter, the remains
of the Second World War are still being
disposed of—by hand

EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009
PHOTOGRAPHY: CONTRASTO/LAIF
MURMANSK
TEXT HARALD CARL
APPLYING I
HAVE YOU EVER HAD the feeling that
the sun would never rise again? Or that
night might forget to fall? For two months
every winter, the Kola Peninsula is continually
engulfed by the legendary darkness
of the polar night, with the skies only lit
slightly by the northern lights. Then, in June
and July, the same peninsula is transformed
into a completely different place, where it
remains light under sunny polar skies more
or less around the clock. People here aren’t
afraid of the long nights—but they are uneasy
about something.
Russia’s border with Scandinavia runs
from the Gulf of Finland for approximately
1,300 kilometers along Finland and Norway
all the way up to the Barents Sea. In this
area—Russian Scandinavia—lies the city of
Murmansk, at latitude 68° 58’ north and
longitude 33° 05’ east. Murmansk, the largest
city north of the Arctic Circle, has a population
of around 450,000. During the Cold
War era, Murmansk was a hub of military
activity and secrets—and the region surrounding
it was home to the colossal nuclear
weapons potential of the Soviet Union’s polar
fleet. It’s a city that has felt the effects of
war and also was designed for war. The Cold
War may be over—but it can still be seen and
felt in one of the numerous bays located 60
29
>

30 APPLYING I
MURMANSK EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009
History is being disposed of in
Murmansk—by experts
At a dock in Murmansk: Weapons are removed from a submarine
PHOTOGRAPHY: PICTURE-ALLIANCE/ZB
>
kilometers north of Murmansk, where 120
decommissioned nuclear submarines sit idly.
As a specialist for nuclear and construction
technology, Evonik is participating in the
planning and construction of a long-term
storage facility and a nuclear disposal center
to ensure proper storage and disposal of
these radioactive hulks.
EWN AND EVONIK: STRONG
PARTNERS FROM GERMANY
The rusting submarines are not only a threat
to the environment; they also pose a security
risk, because the radioactive materials they
contain must not be allowed to fall into the
hands of terrorists. This aspect is also one
reason why a Global Partnership Against the
Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass
Destruction was established by heads of
government at the Global Economic Summit
in Kananaskis (Canada) in June 2002.
The 21 member countries of the partnership
pledged to jointly eliminate chemical
and nuclear hazards in Russia by 2012. This
very technologically demanding project is
being managed on behalf of Germany’s Economics
Ministry by the government-owned
company Gesellschaft Energiewerke Nord
GmbH (EWN), an expert with nearly two
decades of experience in the dismantling of
nuclear facilities. EWN is currently dismantling
nuclear power plants in Lubmin (near

PHOTOGRAPHY: PICTURE ALLIANCE/DPA, SCHMIDT-WALTHER/DDP (ABOVE)
Dilapidated war
ships from the
Russian Arctic
Fleet rust away on
the shores of the
Kola Peninsula
near Murmansk
Greifswald) and Rheinsberg, in what is the
largest project of its kind in the world. It is
also responsible for taking apart the AVR
test reactor in Jülich and the WAK nuclear
reprocessing plant in Karlsruhe, with portions
of these projects requiring pioneering
work in the nuclear field.
EWN commissioned Evonik Energy Services
GmbH to manage technical implementation
of the project in Murmansk. The two
companies are well acquainted with one another
thanks to years of close cooperation in
the above-mentioned EWN projects, so it
was only logical that they should take on the
challenges in Murmansk together.
Evonik’s assignment here was to plan and
construct a long-term interim storage facility
for radioactive waste and a disposal center
for the decommissioned nuclear subs,
“including all construction planning, as well
as detailed planning for the nuclear facilities
and the approval processes,” according
to Ludger Richter, who shares project
management responsibilities with Dr. Go-
An employee of Energiewerke Nord Lubmin (EWN) points to a submarine reactor compartment
swin Schreck. Richter and Schreck initially
focused on the long-term interim storage
facility for housing 150 reactor compartments,
two complete nuclear submarines,
and 26 additional nuclear compartments
from nuclear icebreakers, cruisers, and
service ships. Along with the actual storage
surface—a concrete slab—their project team
also had to plan and build the entire infrastructure,
including piers, rail lines, access
roads, and building site and surveillance facilities.
The concrete slab’s thickness ranges
from 80 to 120 centimeters, and it covers an
area of around 5.5 hectares, making it about
as large as five soccer fields. Working conditions
have been unusual, to say the least,
as Richter reports: “In some cases, workers
here were pouring concrete at temperatures
as low as minus 20 °Celsius—you really have
to admire them for that.”
The submarines are now being successively
towed from the storage facility site to
the Nerpa shipyards around 25 kilometers
away, where they are lifted out of the water
on a floating dock. The core unit containing
one or two pressurized water reactors is
then separated from the sub, while the side
sections are conventionally disassembled,
and their materials used as scrap steel. The
reactor compartments are then returned to
the storage facility on the floating dock. “We
studied several options for transporting the
31
>

32
Floating dock
Cleaning and
coating hall
Management
and staff
building
Loading hall
Long-term storage facility
Reactor compartments
Sayda Bay Disposal Center
Storage depot
A reactor compartment is transported to the interim storage facility on a keel block carrier. Bottom: The Sayda Bay Disposal Center (EZS), scheduled
for completion in 2014, is being built north of Murmansk, right next to the long-term storage facility
PHOTOGRAPHY: EWN; GRAFIK EZS

ILLUSTRATION: DR. DIETER DUNEKA
>
Assignment in the
restricted zone
North Cape
NORWAY
50 km
FINLAND
RUSSIA
Barents Sea
Murmansk
Kola Peninsula
reactor compartments back onto land, and
in the end we decided to use keel block carriers,”
Richter explains. Germany is supplying
a total of 50 of these heavy load transporters.
Each of them has a 400-ton carrying
capacity and can be moved via rail lines that
were laid not only at the shipyard and docks,
but also on the long-term interim storage facility’s
concrete slab. The long-term storage
facility is nearly completed, and 29 reactor
compartments, each around ten meters
in diameter and weighing up to 1,600 tons,
have already been placed on the gigantic
concrete surface. They will remain there
for at least 70 years. At that point their radioactivity
will have dissipated to such an
extent that it will be possible to disassemble
them for final storage with relative ease.
EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009 MURMANSK APPLYING I
33
PHOTOGRAPHY: KARSTEN BOOTMANN
Planning the next steps: Evonik Energy Services GmbH project
managers Ludger Richter (left) and Dr. Goswin Schreck
Until that time, the reactor compartments
will be cleaned and given a new protective
coating once every ten years or so in a new
cleaning and coating hall that Evonik has already
built.
IF THERE’S A PROBLEM, YOU
CAN’T JUST DROP IN FOR A VISIT
For Schreck and Richter, the long-term interim
storage facility is “only” one milestone
in a major project—and they’re already
working at full speed on the next phase: construction
of the Sayda Bay Disposal Center
(EZS) for conditioning and storing low and
medium-level solid radioactive waste. The
radioactive materials to be shipped to Sayda
Bay will come from former and existing military
bases in the northwestern part of the
Russian Federation.
The EZS is designed along the lines of
EWN’s Interim Storage North facility, which
is located directly adjacent to the decommissioned
Lubmin nuclear power plant, and it
contains waste and residual materials from
the former plant’s five reactor blocks. Richter
and Schreck expect it will take five years
to build the EZS: “Construction will start
later this year, and we anticipate completion
by the end of 2014,” says Schreck. The
two are already aware of the difficulties involved
in reconciling the different ideas the
Russians and Germans have about project
concepts. “Reaching agreement on administrative
matters takes up as much time as
technical issues,” Schreck reports. While
overall project management is the responsibility
of EWN, only specially approved Russian
firms that operate in accordance with
Russian standards and laws are allowed to
carry out the work onsite. Moreover, Sayda
Bay is still a tightly guarded and restricted
military zone. “You can’t just drop in for a
visit if there’s a problem,” says Richter. In
view of this situation, it’s all the more remarkable
what the two sides have already
achieved—and what is still to come in the
service of the environment and the people
who live in Murmansk and the surrounding
region. <
SUMMARY
• 120 nuclear submarines are awaiting
disposal near Murmansk. Many have already
been dismantled into floating blocks that
hold environmentally hazardous uranium.
• At the 2002 Global Economic Summit,
the G8 nations agreed to pay the
approximately €300 million it will cost
to ensure safe disposal.
• Evonik Energy Services GmbH and Energiewerke
Nord (Greifswald) are responsible
for building a long-term storage facility and
a new disposal center.

34 APPLYING II
DISMANTLING EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009
Denucleated Power
Dismantling a decommissioned nuclear power plant is a painstaking process. But the experts from
Evonik Energy Services GmbH have the requisite know-how—and a reassuring sense of responsibility
TEXT MICHAEL KÖMPF
IT TAKES MORE than just a demolition
ball to dismantle a nuclear power plant. The
entire facility has to be taken apart piece
by piece, working outward from the core,
and in compliance with safety procedures
that can be more stringent than those governing
construction of a new nuclear facility.
“Dismantling is not the same as demolition,”
says Dr. Goswin Schreck, Head
of Nuclear International D&D at Evonik
Energy Services GmbH, based in Essen. The
company is involved in the decommissioning
and dismantling of nuclear facilities worldwide,
often under contract to state-owned
Energiewerke Nord GmbH (EWN), a specialist
in this field. “We don’t just rush in and
knock the place down. All kinds of special installations
have to be erected before you can
take a nuclear power plant apart,” Schreck
explains.
Take the project for dismantling the AVR
experimental reactor at the Research Center
Jülich, for example, where engineers had to
first build before they could even begin dismantling
the facility. “In order to remove the
reactor vessel, we had to erect a special enclosure
around the reactor building,” says
Schreck. That’s because the reactor is to be
removed as a complete unit and then taken to
an interim storage facility until radioactivity
PHOTOGRAPHY: RWE
levels have subsided. The enclosure serves as
a material airlock for the reactor’s removal.
Engineers from Evonik Industries AG not
only planned and supervised construction of
the enclosure; they also are serving as general
planners for the entire project and have
devised the systems for lifting and transporting
the huge steel reactor vessel. That’s by
no means an easy job: As Schreck explains,
the reactor vessel, weighing a mighty 2,300
metric tons, must first be lifted and then
tipped on its side. And the entire licensing
procedure is managed by Schreck’s team—
Experts verify that components are free of
contamination before scrapping can take place
all of whom have many years of experience
in nuclear power and have already taken
apart a number of reactors. The dismantling
of the Jülich facility, which will return it to
“green field” status, is scheduled for completion
in 2013.
120 POWER PLANTS AWAIT
DISASSEMBLY
Independent of any political decisions concerning
the future of nuclear power, there
are currently 120 decommissioned nuclear
power plants awaiting disassembly at locations
around the world. In other words, this
is already a major issue for plant operators—
and developers of new facilities—as well as
a major market for companies that provide
this kind of service.
For more than 25 years, in Germany and
in other nations, there have been intensive
efforts to investigate, develop, optimize, and
certify—in consultation with the relevant authorities—appropriate
strategies and techniques
for dealing with decommissioned
power plants. Some of the efforts have had
the support of Germany’s Federal Ministry
of Education and Research (BMBF) and the
European Commission. “The prime objective
of all the measures is to protect the immediate
environment and local population
against exposure to radiation and to keep
this exposure to an acceptable minimum for
>

Work on dismantling
the nuclear power plant
in Mülheim-Kärlich
began in summer 2004.
The project will
take around ten years
Externally located components, such as the condensate tank for the power plant’s secondary loop, are also dismantled
35

36 APPLYING II
DISMANTLING EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009
PHOTOGRAPHY: RWE
Workers expertly cut up the heat exchanger in the cooling systems
> the people carrying out the work,” explains The nuclear technology specialists from
Schreck.
Evonik also served as general contractor on
The disassembly of research reactors and the project to dismantle Frankfurt Univer-
nuclear power plants therefore demands desity’s FRF research reactor, thus clearing
tailed planning to ensure that all components the way for construction of an entirely new
can be safely removed in succession. “To dis- residential development, complete with
mantle a reactor, you start with the less ra- hotel, swimming pool, and retail outlets.
dioactive components and move progres- “When you see the Rebstockgelände area
sively on to the more radioactive ones. In the of Frankfurt today, it’s difficult to believe
process the reactor is basically gutted,” ex- there was once a nuclear reactor there,”
plains Josef H. Platzköster, Head of Nuclear says Schreck.
Technologies at Evonik Energy Services
GmbH.
CONTINGENCY STRATEGIES
There is an important distinction here be- The FRF research reactor, a neutron source
tween contaminated and noncontaminated
parts of the facility, since most of the latter
built in the 1950s for experimental pur-
components, the nonradioactive ones, can
be removed as soon as the plant has been decommissioned.
As Schreck explains, around
92 percent of the waste material from a de-
Consensus on
atomic power
commissioned nuclear power plant is com- The terms for Germany’s withdrawal
pletely normal and can be recycled after a from its nuclear energy program were
final safety clearance. The steel, for exam- set by the “consensus on atomic power”
ple, might turn up later in screws, turbines, reached by the German Federal Govern-
or knives, while the concrete rubble can be ment and the power companies in
used in road construction, for instance. Be- June 2000. This agreement specifies the
tween five and six percent of the waste mate- maximum amount of power that can
rial rejoins the nuclear cycle, where it might be generated by each individual nuclear
be melted down to make storage containers power plant in Germany before the
for radioactive waste. That leaves between facility must be shut down permanently
one and two percent of the total volume to be
transported to a permanent repository.
and then dismantled in a safe manner.
Drilling and
sawing—under
exceptional
conditions
poses, was decommissioned toward the end
of the 1970s. Work on dismantling the facility
began in 2005. As general contractor,
the Nuclear Technologies unit of Evonik Energy
Services was responsible, along with a
partner, for dismantling the nuclear parts
of the facility.
Because the Evonik unit is a provider of
comprehensive engineering services, it is
not only responsible for planning projects
but also for commissioning specialist companies
to carry out the “hands-on” work. In the
case of the Frankfurt facility, this first of all
meant removal of the reactor interior. “All the
steel parts were taken out and safely stored
in appropriate containers,” says Schreck.
Then specialists cut up what is known as the
“bioshield.” This was made of high-density
concrete and protected reactor workers from
exposure to radioactivity.
There is nothing new about the techniques
used to dismantle the reactor. “Basically
it’s just drilling and sawing; familiar
work like that,” confirms Schreck. “But you
do have to take into account the exceptional
conditions.” That means using robots or remote-controlled
construction equipment in
critical areas.
The safety requirements are incredibly
demanding—but absolutely essential. “We
have a tremendous responsibility, and that
must be reflected in the planning of each

A view of the spent fuel pool in the reactor of the Mülheim-Kärlich nuclear power plant
step,” explains Platzköster. For this reason
the experts also develop strategies for dealing
with a possible failure of equipment. If,
for example, a drill becomes stuck in a contaminated
place, it’s just not an option for
somebody to go in there and free it up. “We
need to have a thoroughly reliable recovery
plan in case of such events,” reports Schreck.
As Platzköster confirms, such a procedure is
laborious but necessary because of the responsibility
involved.
ONLY THE SHELL REMAINS
According to Schreck, once the radioactive
parts of the FRF reactor were removed, a
testing crew checked “every square centimeter
of the walls, floors, and ceilings of the
reactor building for radioactive contamination.”
Only after it was confirmed that the
facility was in compliance with all the legal
limits was it removed from the purview
of the Atomic Energy Act. “Then we could
give a green light for the heavy equipment
to move in with the demolition ball.”
Another project involving engineers from
Evonik has some way to go before it reaches
this stage. Work on dismantling the decommissioned
RWE nuclear power plant in Mülheim-Kärlich
only started in summer 2004.
According to the power company, most of
the work at present is taking place inside the
reactor building, where kilometers of wiring
have already been removed, along with
numerous pumps, containers, pipes, and
other fixtures. Preliminary work is now being
conducted in preparation for gutting the
turbine hall. A few years from now all that
will remain of the building will be the shell.
According to RWE, of the almost 300,000
metric tons of material that were used to
build the concrete-encased reactor building,
around 16,000 metric tons have been exposed
to radioactivity. RWE says that much
of this material can be cleaned and then recycled,
following appropriate checks. That
will leave approximately 3,000 metric tons
of waste—according to RWE, this will be
low- and medium-level radioactive waste,
Radioactively contaminated surfaces
are cleaned with a high-pressure hose
which is to be stored for the long term in
Schacht Konrad, an authorized permanent
repository in Salzgitter.
Unlike the FRF reactor, the project to
dismantle Mülheim-Kärlich—a large power
plant with a rated output of 1,300 megawatts—is
being carried out in a number of
stages. Engineers from Evonik are involved
in planning some of the steps and supervising
the work directly on site. Aside from the
Mülheim-Kärlich project, the company is
also on planning teams and involved in preliminary
work for the dismantling of other
decommissioned reactors in Germany.<
SUMMARY
• Evonik Energy Services GmbH is involved
in the dismantling of nuclear reactors worldwide.
This includes planning, supervision,
waste transport, and licensing procedures.
• Plants are dismantled in stages, working
outward from the core.
• Conventional components are removed
first. Ninety-two percent of the components
are not radioactively contaminated,
and most of this material is recycled.
• The prime task is to protect the environment
and employees against radiation exposure.
Safety requirements are very high.
• A lucrative market: 120 nuclear power
plants worldwide are awaiting disassembly.
37

38
Talented Desert Nut
Rapeseed and soybeans are being supplemented as sources for biodiesel by a very undemanding plant:
the jatropha physic nut, which offers huge potential from both an ecological and a social viewpoint
A handful of Jatropha curcas:
Oil from the physic nut will be used
to power engines in the future

PHOTOGRAPHY: (FROM LEFT) JÖRG BÖTHLING/AGENDA (2), IMAGO/XINHUA
TEXT THOMAS LANGE
INTRODUCING Jatropha curcas, a plant
of the spurge family that’s been around for
70 million years. The plant was used as a laxative
in the past, but will soon be taking on
new tasks—for example, helping to improve
the climate. It’s also something of a pioneer
plant that can put down roots on otherwise
barren land. Its use will also help conserve the
earth’s fossil fuel reserves, making it a true
ray of hope for the future.
And this hope is by no means unfounded,
as this physic nut is set to join rapeseed, soybeans,
and coconuts as a raw material for the
production of biodiesel. That alone may be
nothing special—but the jatropha plant also
offers a huge range of benefits that go far beyond
anything the other plants can deliver.
Public perceptions about jatropha are
dominated by the key fact that cultivation of
the plant does not compete with food production:
The physic nut is inedible and does not
need to be grown in the type of soil used for
food crops. In fact, it grows mostly in tropical
and subtropical areas and even in desert-like
conditions. Barren land could thus be used to
create jobs in many of the world’s structurally
weak regions. What’s more, because jatropha
plants are often more than two-and-a-half
meters high, they protect other plants from
wind and water erosion. Finally, after just one
EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009
The economic viability of cultivating
jatropha is being examined at a test farm in
Bhavnagar (Gujarat State, India). The
fruit from this evergreen plant has an oil
content of 25 to 35 percent. Assuming
a distance of 2.5 meters between plants, and
depending on soil properties and climate,
it would be possible to harvest two to four
tons of the oily nut per hectare
year of jatropha plant cultivation, food crops
can be planted in between them.
Like all other plants, jatropha has a neutral
CO 2 balance because its combustion releases
only the same amount of CO 2 that the
plant absorbed while it was alive. The combustion
of one ton of biodiesel thus generates
savings of 2.7 tons of CO 2 compared
to fossil diesel. Use of machines to harvest
jatropha would, of course, lead to the emission
of additional CO 2 . Until now, however,
jatropha has only been harvested by hand.
DOMESTICATING THE NUT
Professor Klaus Becker from the University of
Hohenheim in Stuttgart is a jatropha expert
who has been studying the plant for nearly
20 years. “When I got started, the price of
oil was still very low and public agencies saw
no necessity for conducting research into
the jatropha plant,” Becker recalls. Michael
Markolwitz and André Noppe from Evonik
Industries AG took a different view: The two
have been interested in the physic nut for
quite some time now. Markolwitz, a product
manager, and Noppe, a sales director, work
in Lüls dorf near Cologne, where they are involved
in the production of alcoholate catalysts.
These materials make manufacturing
biodiesel a worthwhile undertaking. After all,
because pure plant oil congeals into a solid
mass at cool temperatures, it is necessary to
BIODIESEL
DEVELOPING
chemically modify the oil. By adding methanol,
it is possible to keep the plant oil in a
liquid state in winter as well, while catalysts
from Evonik ensure an efficient bonding of oil
and methanol. “We are monitoring jatropha
research very closely.” says Noppe. “And we
have already tested our catalysts with oil from
the jatropha plant.” The result: “They functioned
100 percent.”
Market potential for jatropha is huge:
According to Daimler AG, some 30 million
hectares of land worldwide are suitable for
jatropha cultivation; BP and D1 Oils plan to
convert around one million hectares into jatropha
plantations by 2012. However, before
the nut can be used for industrial purposes,
it needs to be domesticated. “Until now, the
yield has varied from plant to plant, and has
ranged from nothing to satisfactory,” says
Becker. Still, researchers have successfully
removed the toxins normally contained in
the jatropha plant. “Flour from jatropha can
thus now replace soy flour, which means it
can be used as animal feed,” says Becker.
Markolwitz is always pleased to hear about
progress made in jatropha research. And he
retains close contact with the subject in the
form of a jatropha plant he has been growing
in his office. The plant has yet to produce
any seeds. But that doesn’t matter: Becker has
learned to be patient after studying jatropha
for 20 years. <
39

40 COMMUNICATING
SIRIDION EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009
Around the World in 80 Milliseconds
The Internet is increasingly becoming crucial for development and growth—but it is reaching
the limits of its capacity. The future lies in extending the broadband Internet with the new fi beroptic
technology. Evonik has the resource needed for this expansion; it is called SIRIDION
Researchers call children
who grow up with Internet
access “digital natives”

41
LEFT PHOTO: EVAN BADEN; RIGHT PHOTOS: IMAGO (3), PICTURETANK/AGENTUR FOCUS (4), PICFOUR (14), MASTERFILE, LAIF (4), BILDSTELLE, EPD-BILD (4), ZEFA, WESTEND61

42
TEXT THOMAS LANGE
FROM EUROPE to Australia in 0.28 seconds.
Impossible? Definitely not anymore.
The Internet is connecting entire continents
with one another in next to no time
and generating a torrent of new applications
that seemed unimaginable before. They include
video conferences, live streams, or
online games in which thousands of persons
across the whole continent are simultaneously
linked together as players.
But this growth has bounds, and further
innovation depends on the speed of the Internet
data streams. DSL technology is already
reaching its limits, because the electric
signals cause mutual interference in copper
transmission lines. But the data traffic continues
to grow inexorably. In what is called
the “Web 2.0,” there has been an increase
in the numbers of both the passive users
and the active users who design and shape
content. By 2012, the US network specialist
Cisco Systems, Inc. expects monthly Internet
traffic to multiply to about 44 exabytes,
or 44 quintillion bytes.
Many countries therefore see the expansion
of the broadband Internet as an opportunity
to achieve economic growth—particularly
now, during the economic crisis:
new jobs, the advantages of improved infrastructure
for companies and rural communities,
innovative broadband services and an
increase in the quality of life are expected
to provide a boost to the economy. In Germany,
for example, 75 percent of all households
are expected to have Internet connections
with a capacity of at least 50 megabits
per second by the end of 2014. There are a
number of technologies available for achieving
this objective, including satellite connections,
wireless networks or DSL. But which
solution is the best? The German Federal
Optical waveguides and fiber-optic cables—the new lines
Fiber-optic cable
How VDSL works
The future depends on a glass wire
Core
Protective
Cladding sheath
Cladding
Side view of an individual fiber Sleeve with several fibers
Conversion of the signal
Electrical signal Optical signal
Electrical signal
60
40
20
0
Laser
Growth of broadband connections
Photodiode
The core diameter of a fiber is between 50 and 1,500 millionths of a meter (μm).
At the start of the communication link, light-emitting or laser diodes convert
digitized electrical signals into light pulses. At the end, photodiodes convert the
optical signals into electromagnetic pulses again. Copper lines operate with
electric signals, fiber-optic cables with photons.
Local exchange Customer
At the roadside
Protective sheath
Fiber-optic cable Cable
Copper cable
DSLAM distribution box
VDSL is a hybrid network of fiber-optic cables and existing copper lines. Data
travels via fiber-optic cables from the local exchanges to the DSL switching
centers (DSLAM), which each serve 100 households. From the cable distribution
boxes (local terminal boxes) at the roadside, copper cables run a few hundred
meters directly to the user. The fiber-optic lines cover the long transmission path.
EU country comparison 2008 Trend in Germany
VDSL
modem
EU average
31
22
13
38
45
55
61 62
74 74
60
40
20
0
+16 %
+35 % 58
+37 % 50
+55 % 37
+49 % 27
18
RO GR IT PL ES DE LU GB NL DK ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08
(COLUMNS SHOW BROADBAND CONNECTIONS PER 100 HOUSEHOLDS. DIFFERENCE FOR DE DUE TO DIFFERENT DATA BASIS
The number of broadband connections in the European Union (EU) is growing rapidly.
Behind Scandinavia, even eastern European countries are making great strides.
Core
Sleeve
SOURCE: RAG, STEINKOHLE ISSUE 4/2009
SOURCE: WWW.ELEKTRONIK-KOMPENDIUM.DE
SOURCE: EUROSTAT

PHOTOGRAPHY: FROMMANN/LAIF
Government has already made a decision. A
strategy paper of the German Federal Ministry
of Economics and Technology states:
“Fiber-optic connection technologies are
the optimal broadband technologies when
the greatest bandwidths must be provided
with high levels of service quality.” However,
the investment costs required to set
up a widespread fiber-optic infrastructure
are high. The Internet revolution cannot be
achieved overnight, in other words—but it
seems inevitable in the long run. “It’s not a
matter of if but when,” says Dr. Hans-Jürgen
Höne, head of the Optical Fiber group in the
business unit Advanced Silanes at Evonik Industries
AG.
There are only about three dozen producers
of fiber-optic cable in the world—
and almost all of them buy from Evonik.
The Group is the leader in the production
of chlorosilanes, the essential raw material
needed to make the fiber-optic conductors.
Under the name SIRIDION, Evonik sells the
chlorosilane silicon tetrachloride (STC) to
Asia, North and South America, and within
Europe. This clear, colorless liquid is manufactured
from silicon and hydrogen chloride.
The advantage is that silicon is available in
practically unlimited quantities—in contrast
to copper, which is required by the competing
DSL technology. Merely in terms of appearance,
SIRIDION STC is indistinguishable
from water, but there is more to it than
meets the eye: SIRIDION STC is more than
99.9999 percent pure—and this is the decisive
factor behind the quality, performance
and conductivity of the optical fibers. Even
the smallest impurities adversely affect the
optical conductivity of the fibers.
The core of the fibers consists of two
glass films and is so thin that it can hardly
be seen with the naked eye. Surrounding the
glass core are two layers of plastic that give
EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009
the fibers stability. During the production of
the glass elements, the silicon tetrachloride
is vaporized and converted to silicon dioxide.
The “silicon dioxide dust” that results
from this process is then melted into transparent
quartz, and from the glass body thus
created, the ultra-thin fibers are then pulled
and wound on a drum. A transmitter later
converts electrical signals into light signals
that shoot through the cable.
The market for fiber-optic cables is huge.
Last year alone, approximately 150 million
kilometers of fiber-optical cable were produced—a
trend which is on the increase. Despite
the current economic crisis, there has
so far been no significant drop in demand.
On the contrary: “From a long-term perspective,
the crisis could even be an opportunity
for our business,” says Sebastian
Wandel, marketing assistant at Advanced
Silanes.
CLOUD COMPUTING WITH
GLASS FIBERS
Although there are other broadband technologies
besides fiber-optic cable, they are often
incapable of the highest speeds: not all broadband
is created equal. Satellite connections or
UMTS, for example, are significantly slower
than DSL. Wireless networks like W-LAN are
indeed fast enough, but “it would be wrong
to conclude that broadband connections can
be set up across the whole country through
wireless technologies alone,” says Höne from
Evonik. “The range of the transmission towers
is very limited; only the last few hundred
meters can be bridged via wireless. But how
are the radio towers connected? Exactly—
with fiber-optic cables.”
At the moment, the most promising technology
is VDSL or the next stage, VDSL 2—a
combination of fiber-optic technology and
conventional DSL connections. VDSL makes
SIRIDION
use of the advantages of both technologies:
the fast connection via fiber-optic lines and
the copper infrastructure already in place. In
this combination technology, the fiber-optic
cables are used as the primary lines, while the
copper lines bridge only the last few hundred
meters. The loss in speed thus remains relatively
small. Over the long term, however,
the goal is to establish “fiber to the home” by
laying the fiber-optic cables into the dwellings
themselves. The reason is that DSL and
VDSL do have one important drawback: uploading
files is about ten times slower than
downloading. But fiber-optic cables entail no
such constraint. One technology could get an
especially big boost from fiber-optics: cloud
computing. In this style of computing, data
and programs are no longer stored on a local
hard drive but instead reside in a huge data
“cloud” on the Internet—without any limitations
on memory space and accessible from
around the world. In this scenario, a music
collection would no longer be kept in the
form of CDs in the living room but would instead
be accessible at any time via the Internet
from a personal music server. High upload
speeds are essential, however. Thus the
forecast of the German Federal Government:
“Fiber-optic lines will replace the existing
copper network in the long run.” And Hans-
Jürgen Höne likewise feels confident that “we
have a major boom ahead of us.” <
SUMMARY
• DSL technology can no longer cope with
the data flows of the Internet. The most
promising new technology is VDSL—which
combines fiber-optic cables and existing
copper lines.
• The raw material for fiber-optic cable is
SIRIDION. Evonik sells this chlorosilane in a
rapidly growing market—worldwide.
Much in demand:
Internet video conferences
COMMUNICATING
43

44 EXPERIENCING
RUHRFESTSPIELE EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009
Northern Lights Over the Bridge
An overview of the 2009 season of the Ruhrfestspiele in Recklinghausen. Germany’s oldest and
arguably most important theater festival has more international appeal today than ever
August Strindberg—a classic Swedish
author and a revolutionary of the theater
TEXT JAN MÜHLDORFER
IT ALL BEGAN in 1947 as a festival for
workers that was conceived as an exchange
of “art for coal.” Miners from the König
Ludwig coal mine smuggled coal deliveries
past the occupation forces to heat Hamburg
theaters during the winter, and the
theaters expressed their thanks by staging
performances in Recklinghausen. After
all, without the coal they wouldn’t have
been able to heat their buildings. Over the
years, these “Ruhrfestspiele” have become
not only the oldest but also one of the largest
and most significant theater festivals in
Europe. It also has an international outlook
and international glamour. Major contemporary
theater directors stage plays here
with top-level German actors. And that’s
not all—even Hollywood stars feel at home
at the Ruhrfestspiele today.
There’s plenty of evidence for this impression.
Major names from theaters in
Germany and the rest of Europe have often
appeared at the Ruhrfestspiele in Recklinghausen,
but ever since 2005, when
DECLAIR
the theater director Prof. Frank HoffARNO
mann from Luxembourg became the festival’s
Artistic Director, guests from Hollywood
have appeared here on a regular
FLAMMANG,
basis. Last year they were Kevin Spacey,
JEAN
Jeff Goldblum, and Cate Blanchett—and
this year they will include the Oscar-win-
ULLSTEIN,
ning film director Sam Mendes. Mendes
made film history with his very first Hol-
RIGHT: TO
lywood film, “American Beauty,” which
LEFT
won a total of five Oscars in categories
including the most important ones: “Best
FROM
Picture” and “Best Director.” This year he
will be working in Recklinghausen with an
all-star cast of US and British actors such > PHOTOGRAPHY
Daydreams: “A Dream Play” by August
Strindberg in cooperation with the Théâtre
National du Luxembourg; Jacqueline
Macaulay, Ulrich Kuhlmann (left to right)

Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen—
the success story of Europe’s oldest
theater festival
Winter 1946/47
Coal becomes scarce: Theater people from Hamburg
travel to the Ruhr region to beg for coal to heat
their theaters and operate stage hydraulic systems
Norwegian fairytale: The dramatic poem “Peer
Gynt” by Henrik Ibsen in a guest performance by
the Münchner Volkstheater; Maximilian
Brückner, Barbara Romaner (left to right)
45
Summer 1947
The Hamburg theaters express their thanks for the
repeated coal deliveries by presenting performances in
the Saalbau in Recklinghausen. The Ruhrfestspiele
festival in Recklinghausen is born

46 EXPERIENCING
RUHRFESTSPIELE EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009
Maximilian
Schell returns
to the stage
European cooperation:
Josef Bierbichler and
Angela Winkler in “John
Gabriel Borkman” by
Henrik Ibsen
June 1948
Ruhrfestspiele GmbH is founded. Otto Burrmeister,
previously the technical director at the Schauspielhaus
Hamburg, becomes the festival’s director
>
as Ethan Hawke (“Before Sunrise,” “Dead
Poets Society,” “Gattaca,” “Training Day”)
to stage several classics of world literature:
Tom Stoppard’s adaptation of Chekhov’s
“The Cherry Orchard” and Shakespeare’s
“A Winter’s Tale.”
It’s never been possible to reduce
the Ruhrfestspiele to traditional spoken
drama. And the present artistic director,
Frank Hoffmann, is also an advocate of
openness, experimentation, and innovative
ideas, with regard to the presentations
themselves and the structure of the festival
as a whole. As a result, the Ruhrfestspiele
festival offers not only theater but
also dance, music, cabaret, readings, handicrafts
and lots more. In line with Hoffmann’s
approach, it’s as multifaceted as a
contemporary theater festival can be and
should be. Its appeal is not limited to tradi-
A Hamlet musical, “Der Prinz von Dänemark”;
Marietta Meguid, Martin Leutgeb, and
Harald Schmidt in a guest performance by the
Staatstheater Stuttgart (left to right)
June 1950
For the first time, the Ruhrfestspiele festival
includes an art exhibition—a show of contemporary art
from Germany and France
tional theatergoers—it’s open to everyone,
and it also appeals to younger visitors and
new target audiences. It’s a theater festival
for the people.
And that’s another reason why it’s no
longer possible to imagine the Ruhrfestspiele
without its fantastic Fringe Festival.
This spectacular off-theater event presents
the best productions from the independent
theater scene, the most creative
breakaway events, and the most innovative
plays. The presentations take place
not in the huge Ruhrfestspielhaus on Recklinghausen’s
“Grüner Hügel” but all over
the city, on streets and in schoolyards—in
short, wherever people congregate.
Every year there’s an overall theme that
links together the many different productions—more
than 60 of them in 2009 alone.
The theme might be a single great author
May 1959
German President Prof. Theodor Heuss, one of the
most important patrons of the Ruhrfestspiele,
becomes the chairman of the newly founded “Friends
of the Ruhrfestspiele”

such as Goethe, Lessing or Shakespeare, or
a group of authors, such as the 20th-century
US dramatists that were featured last
year. They ranged from Eugene O’Neill,
Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, and
Thornton Wilder to Sam Shepard, David
Mamet, and Neil LaBute.
THE RUHR NETWORK’S
HOLLYWOOD CONNECTION
The theme of this year’s season is “The
Northern Lights,” as Hoffmann is focusing
the festival on Scandinavian playwrights.
These “northern lights” will be
shining throughout the festival, and that
means the organizers will be doing far
more than simply staging classic works
by Ibsen and Strindberg. “We want to
penetrate the emotional center of the
North—the place where modern theater
“The incarnation of an
epoch”: Maximilian Schell
in Vienna in 2008
June 1961
German President Dr. h.c. Heinrich Lübke lays the
foundation stone of the Haus der Ruhrfestspiele
was born,” says Hoffmann. “The aim is
to draw attention to the tremendous impact
that the half-century between 1860
and 1910 had on the development of theater
in North America and Europe over
the past 100 years. There’s not a single
significant playwright—perhaps with the
exception of Bertolt Brecht—who didn’t
learn crucial lessons from these two major
Scandinavian authors. And of course
we’re expanding the spectrum to include
the Scandinavian successors of these two
classic dramatists, such as Ingmar Bergman,
Per Olov Enquist, and Jon Fosse.
We’re also featuring Finland, and major
actors will be doing a series of readings,
mainly from the texts of Scandinavian authors.
Iceland, Scandinavia’s lonely outpost,
will be presenting a “rock reality revue”
entitled “Here & Now.”
June 1965
Opening of the Festspielhaus on the
“Green Hill” in Recklinghausen
PHOTOGRAPHY FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: ARNO DEC, CECILIA GLÄSKER, CONTRAST/ACTIONPRESS
Hoffmann will be opening a series of his
own productions at the festival with an
unusual—and unusually staged—Strindberg
evening consisting of twin plays: Strindberg’s
“A Dream Play” and the collage “Lieben
Sie Strindberg” (Do You Like Strindberg?),
which explores the multifaceted
image of this famous and influential author.
One of the actors who is returning to the
stage after a long hiatus has been an icon of
film and theater history for decades: Oscar
winner Maximilian Schell.
Just how Hoffmann managed to persuade
Maximilian Schell to perform in
Recklinghausen will probably remain a
secret, even though it’s known that Schell
was in the audience at the Ruhrfestspiele
last year. But it’s clear that Hoffmann and
his team, which is actually very small for
a festival of this size, has expanded the
Ruhrfestspiele network to an unbelievable
extent in recent years. This European
festival is now known in Hollywood, and
Kevin Spacey is not the only US actor who
has appeared in Recklinghausen more
than once.
All of this goes to show just how important
cultural sponsorship is today.
That’s because without the support of reliable
partners such as the festival’s main
sponsor, Evonik Industries AG, playgoers
would have to go to London (UK) or New
York (New York, USA) in order to experience
famous stars live. Hoffmann has
helped the renowned festival to shine even
more brightly.
Readings are also a big draw at the
festival. This year’s small-scale series of
Sunday morning readings on the theme of
“northern lights” will feature not just any
speakers but a star-studded cast of German
actors. Hannelore Elsner will read
Icelandic folk tales, Otto Sander will introduce
Knut Hamsun, Eva Mattes will
present Astrid Lindgren’s “Mio, mein
Mio” (Mio, My Mio), and Edgar Selge and
Franziska Walser will read from works
by Rainer Maria Rilke, Ulrich Matthes,
and John Boyne. Nina Hoss’ reading, “Von
Kötern, Kläffern und feinen Hundedamen”
(Of Mongrels, Yappers, and Snooty >
May 1977
The popular cultural festival is held for the first time
in the area around the Festspielhaus
47

48 EXPERIENCING
RUHRFESTSPIELE EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009
Bridging
continents
May 1981
The Ruhrfestspiele festival forms its own
ensemble (until 1990)
The “Bridge
Project” with
star Ethan
Hawke in
Shakespeare’s
“A Winter’s
Tale”
>
Lapdogs), comes from Jon Fosse’s “Hundemanuskripte”
(Dog Manuscripts).
This season’s intercontinental “Bridge
Project” isn’t a “northern light,” but it
will certainly be a brightly shining star.
The project is being organized by the renowned
film director and London theater
professional Sam Mendes, who lives in
New York, and the talented US actor Kevin
Spacey, who has come into his own as the
Artistic Director of the Old Vic Theatre in
London. The two men have exploited their
fame and excellent connections within the
theater worlds of Europe and the USA on
behalf of the project, which will run for
three years. The aim is to bring together
the traditions of US and British theater and
develop a corresponding repertoire.
With a fixed ensemble of outstanding
English and American actors including
Chekhov and Shakespeare, directed by the
Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes
(“American Beauty”)
May 1984
A second stage for the Ruhrfestspiele is opened in a
former streetcar depot—named, of course, the “Theater
im Depot”
Ethan Hawke and Rebecca Hall (“Vicky
Cristina Barcelona”, “Frost/Nixon”),
Mendes will stage six plays from the classic
theater repertoire. The first two productions—Tom
Stoppard’s adaptation of
Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard” and
Shakespeare’s “A Winter’s Tale”—will be
seen in Recklinghausen after appearing in
New York, Singapore, and Auckland, New
Zealand. They’re sure to be a sensation and
serve as ideal examples of the project’s leitmotif,
“A World Stage.” The Ruhrfestspiele
festival is certainly offering a stage to the
international world of theater—and an outstanding
one at that.
THEATER, MUSIC, AND
A WHO’S WHO OF CABARET
The festival’s traditional opening day is
May 1. This year approximately 100,000
May 1990
The festival is renamed “Ruhrfestspiele
Recklinghausen Europäisches Festival”
and Hansgünther Heyme becomes the
Artistic Director (until 2003)

visitors will be coming to the opening of
this popular cultural event. There will be
theater and music, handicrafts, cabaret,
and walkabout acts. The opening will be
followed by six weeks filled with top-quality
entertainment, brilliantly illuminated
by the “northern lights”—and that’s only
the main show. There will also be an unusually
large number of world premieres
and national premieres—a number that
increases from year to year—as well as a
wide selection of cabaret performances
starring the Who’s Who of the German
cabaret scene, exquisitely poetic circus
artistry (Cirque Éloize), and many more
exciting features. In short, the Ruhrfestspiele
will definitely be as diverse, controversial,
multicultural, global, and regional
as a contemporary theater festival can be—
and should be! <
Rebecca Hall
and Simon
Russell Beale in
Chekhov’s “The
Cherry Orchard”
May 2005
Prof. Frank Hoffmann becomes the Artistic Director of the
Ruhrfestspiele. During the directorship of Frank Castorf,
former head of the Berliner Volksbühne, attendance
figures in 2004 had fallen by more than 50 percent. The
festival’s international orientation is reinforced
PHOTOGRAPHY: JOAN MARCUS (RIGHT AND LEFT), BRIGITTE LACOMBE (CENTER), PICTURE-ALLIANCE/DPA (TOP RIGHT)
Frank Hoffmann
sets high standards
for the
Ruhrfestspiele
“ New Challenges, New Pleasures”
From Luxembourg to the Ruhr: Prof. Frank Hoffmann is a dramatist, director,
theater and festival organizer—and Artistic Director of the Ruhrfestspiele
EVONIK MAGAZINE How do you
manage to persuade renowned actors
and interesting productions to come
to Recklinghausen?
HOFFMANN That’s a new challenge
every year—but every year it’s also a new
pleasure to discover new things. Besides,
the festival is a mirror that reflects current
developments in the theater. And we
want to discover the new trends that still
haven’t made it into the mainstream.
EVONIK MAGAZINE The program also
includes the Fringe Festival, with 12 productions
from nine countries in the city
center as well as numerous open-air events.
Why is the festival no longer merely a
stage for traditional spoken drama?
HOFFMANN In modern theater, the concept
of spoken drama also touches upon
other arts. I like these borderline areas. The
Fringe Festival is a mixture of dance, music,
and independent theater productions.
EVONIK MAGAZINE You are the founder
and Artistic Director of the Théâtre
National du Luxembourg (TNL). What’s
the story behind that?
HOFFMANN After it was founded in
1997, the TNL initially existed only
as a production platform. In other words,
we created productions at various locations
in Luxembourg, including former industrial
May 2006
Under the new Artistic Director, the Ruhrfestspiele
festival posts record attendance figures. William
Shakespeare is the focus in 2006; one highlight is the
international production of “Richard II” with Kevin
Spacey and Greg Wise
production halls and other theaters.
Strengthened by our success, we gradually
started to wish for our own performance
venue. Then the government bought an old
industrial foundry in the city of Luxembourg,
which was remodeled to be our performance
venue, with administrative
offices, rehearsal rooms et cetera. It was
opened in 2005. Of course we also
cultivate our national literature there.
We’ve had an “auteur en résidence”
for three years now. We ask a playwright
from Luxembourg to write a play for us,
and we stage its world premiere. I’m also
convinced that we live at the interface
between German and French culture, and
we have to take advantage of this position
to bring these two countries together at the
level of art.
EVONIK MAGAZINE How do you
manage to organize the Ruhrfestspiele
in addition to fulfilling your roles as
the Artistic Director of this theater and
the father of four children?
HOFFMANN That’s a question I ask myself
every day. I can only answer it by saying
that you have to have very good team. Of
course it’s hardest for a father to delegate
his responsibilities to others. Besides, it’s
one thing to run a festival and another to
direct a play. Directing is still my main job.
May 2009
The transatlantic production of “The Cherry Orchard,”
directed by Sam Mendes, opens the 2009 season of
the Ruhrfestspiele, whose theme is “Northern Lights.”
It marks the launch of more than 230 performances

50 LIVING
EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009
“We’re Slowly Getting Closer”
TOM SCHIMMECK examines the secret of catalysis
CATALYSIS? Sure. We know all about it from chemistry class.
Catalysts make something happen without changing themselves.
We’ve had catalytic converters for years in our cars, haven’t we?
So is catalysis an everyday process that has been completely explained?
Yes and no. It’s certainly common; we find it everywhere.
And it’s older than life on Earth—it was a precondition for life, after
all. In living beings, including us, almost nothing works without
the catalytic power of enzymes: respiration, digestion, and
photosynthesis in plants. Without catalysts we’d have no yogurt,
wine, or beer. All of us have known that for quite a while. The Assyrians
are reputed to have brewed the first alcoholic beverage
more than 5,000 years ago.
But does that mean we fully understand catalysis? Certainly not.
It’s still a riddle to researchers. “The main thing remains to try
things out and see what happens,” says Dr.
Angelika Brückner, who is a lecturer, the
head of a research unit, and a member of
the Board of the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis
at the University of Rostock (LIKAT),
the largest European research institute for
Has the team decoded
catalysis? “No, but we’re
still hoping”
applied catalysis. At the LIKAT laboratory in Berlin, Brückner, a
chemist, is developing increasingly refined methods that will enable
us to “really understand” complex catalytic processes.
This search for understanding goes back almost 200 years. In
1835, Brückner’s Swedish colleague Jöns Jakob Berzelius wrote in
amazement: “The catalytic power actually seems to lie in the fact
that objects can by their very presence...awaken the relationships
that are slumbering at this temperature.” Since then, catalysis research
has ceased to be so mysterious. It has evolved “from a ‘black
art’ to a precise science,” according to the physicist Prof. Gerhard
Ertl, who received the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 2007 for his
precise observations of catalysis. But have its secrets really been
penetrated? “No,” says Brückner.
That’s hard to believe, as catalysis plays a key role in more than
80 percent of all manufacturing processes in the chemicals industry,
for example in the production of ammonia, sulfuric acid, and
methanol. Today the chemicals industry uses enzymes to produce
medicines. And obviously all of these processes work. Yet in many
cases there is still no precise explanation of what’s really happening.
Scientists are therefore trying to look more closely at what goes
on during catalysis. For this purpose, they are using increasingly
fine technologies, including optical methods such as ultraviolet ra-
diation and the laser of a light-conducting Raman spectrometer.
They are also using magnetic resonance and x-ray methods such as
Operando electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR/EPR). In this
context, the LIKAT team has a key advantage: It’s combining several
of these methods in order to approach the secret of catalysis
from a variety of perspectives. “It’s like a puzzle,” explains Brückner.
“We’re developing every piece of it with a different spectroscopic
method. The more complete the picture is, the better are my
conclusions about what’s really happening.”
Only a few years ago, this kind of in situ spectroscopy was still
unknown territory. The first international conference in this area
was held in the Netherlands in 2003. In 2005 Brückner presented
a unique innovation: the simultaneous linkage of three methods in
a single trial system. Has this become a routine procedure? “Not re-
ally,” says the chemist. “This is a very dynamic
field, which is developing rapidly at
the moment.” Of course when she plans an
experiment she has certain hunches and expectations.
“If you get the result you expected,
you’re happy, because that means
your idea was correct.” But things get really interesting if the results
are unexpected, because the team then has to think its way
into the system from a completely new direction.
There’s no trace of an ivory tower here. For a long time now, research
has been inspired by the overarching issues of global politics,
such as the energy crisis. Just a few years ago, the question of
how to come by hydrogen inexpensively was considered esoteric,”
says the researcher with a smile. Other topics of current interest
are the use of CO 2 as a reaction partner and new processes for recycling
renewable raw materials. The researchers’ declared goal
is to quickly “arrive at industrially relevant reaction conditions,”
she explains. “But even in five or ten years we still won’t be complaining
that everything’s already been discovered.”
At the third Operando conference in Rostock in April 2009, Angelika
Brückner and her colleagues once again had progress to report:
In their search for catalysts, they recently managed to link five
different processes by connecting additional devices to the BESSY
II electron storage ring in Berlin. This now also makes it possible
to observe structural changes in metal ions and the characteristics
of crystalline components. Has the team now decoded catalysis?
“No, but we’re still hoping,” says Brückner. “We’re slowly getting
closer, but we’re still far from finished.” <
Tom Schimmeck, 49, fi nds it fascinating to look at the laboratories of the future. He writes for taz, Tempo, Spiegel,
and Die Woche. The illustration is an abstract, computer-generated digital composition.
ILLUSTRATION: DIGITALVISION

Russia
Oil additives
for higher
expectations—
Evonik takes
over a plant
China
Investments
in fi ne and
specialty
chemicals as
a path out
of the crisis
Evonik Global
A journey around the world to international Evonik locations
South Korea
Evonik creates
new markets
with hydrogen
peroxide in
the port city of
Ulsan
Japan
Ulrich Sieler,
reporting from
Japan for
Evonik, knows
what the
country needs
USA
In Alabama,
ROHACELL is
produced for
the fi rst time
outside Europe
Colombia
A coal-fi red
power plant at
an altitude of
2,500 meters
Poland
Fly ash from
coal-fi red
power plants
is a sought-after
raw material
worldwide
United Kingdom
The ultralight
Lotus Exige S
racing car is out in
front—and not
just at Silverstone

52 EVONIK GLOBAL
EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009
What Is the Outlook in China?
CHINA At the Boao business forum in southern China, talks focused on moving beyond
the crisis. For Evonik the answer is clear: Invest in fine and specialty chemicals
anaging Beyond Crisis“—the theme
Mof this year’s Boao Forum for Asia
(BFA) was an unambiguous choice. The
three-day business forum, which is popularly
known as the “Davos of Asia,” took
place in the shadow of a crisis-stricken
global economy. All eyes are focusing on
China in particular in its role as a crucial
emerging economy.
How are declining demand in the
West and the ebbing flow of fresh capital
impacting Asia’s strongest engine
of growth? How are the developing economies
of Asia coping with the changing
conditions? These were some of the questions
posed by the forum delegates who
met in April on Hainan Island, off the
southern coast of the gigantic Chinese
land mass. As was the case last year,
Evonik Industries AG once again served
as a forum sponsor, underscoring its
commitment to the Chinese market. Dr.
Klaus Engel, Chairman of the Executive
Forum participants address the issues: Zhang
Xiaoqiang (right) and Fu Chengyu (left) with Dr.
Klaus Engel, CEO of Evonik Industries AG
PHOTOGRAPHY: BOAO FAN//IMAGINECHINA/LAIF
Board of Evonik, took part in a panel
discussion titled “Price Fluctuations and
Emerging Market Strategies.”
During the 20-year period between
1988 and 2008, China’s gross domes -
tic product grew more than tenfold. In
2007 the nation surpassed Germany to
become the world’s third-largest economy,
after the USA and Japan. Until that
point, the Chinese economy was posting
double-digit growth annually. That has
all changed. In 2008 the worldwide crisis
slowed China’s growth rate to 6.8 percent—a
dream figure for Western nations,
but a problem for China. As a result of the
declining growth of production, millions
of Chinese migrant workers have lost
their jobs. The government has reacted
by launching economic stimulus programs
to counteract the decline—most
recently with over CYN four trillion, or
roughly EUR 400 billion.
FAITH IN CHINA’S MARKET
Analysts expect that the Chinese growth
engine will rebound from the crisis faster
than the long-established industrialized
nations. After all, the Chinese economy’s
backlog of demand still remains, and
as a result Evonik’s faith in the Chinese
market is undiminished.
The latest example of this can be seen
in Shanghai, where the Group is building
a plant for the production of preciousmetal
powder catalysts, which are primarily
used in the pharmaceutical and fine
chemicals industries. These catalysts
make the selective, cost-effective production
of pharmaceutical agents possible,
for example. The catalysts are also used in
the industrial chemicals industry to syn-
PHOTOGRAPHY: JAN SIEFKE
A mammoth project in China: “Methacrylates to China”
thesize primary products for polyurethane,
which are processed into foam materials
for car seats and furniture.
Production in Shanghai is scheduled
to begin before the end of 2009. Evonik,
the global market leader, has until now
produced its catalysts exclusively in Germany,
Japan, Brazil, and the USA. With
its regional presence in China, the Group
is now positioned close to a particularly
dynamic sales market in the Chinese
provinces Jiangsu and Zhejiang, where
many pharmaceutical chemicals and
fine chemicals companies are located. In
China this sector has recently posted
above-average annual growth rates and
is continuing to buck the effects of the
global financial crisis.
“The new plant enables us to also
be a local supplier in China and provide
our high-quality precious-metal cata lysts
to the customers here,” explains Dr.
Wilfried Eul, Head of Evonik’s Catalysts
Business Line. “This allows us to profit

(MATCH). The huge plant is already in use
even more from the above-average
growth in China and to strengthen our
world-leading position.”
The new catalyst production facility
is only Evonik’s latest coup. In Nanning in
southern China, Evonik Rexim Pharmaceutical
Co. Ltd. is building a new production
facility for pharmaceutical agents.
Production is slated to begin in early 2010.
Also proceeding at full speed is the
mammoth project called MATCH (“Methacrylates
to China”). At a total volume
of EUR 250 million, this project represents
the second-largest investment ever
made by the Chemicals Business Area.
The project’s first partial manufacturing
unit is already in operation, producing
molding compounds made of polymethyl
methacrylate (PMMA)—which is also
known as PLEXIGLAS.
“Managing Beyond Crisis”? The answer
for Evonik in China is clear: Investments
in the rise of China are continuing
to pay off. <
“You Have to Understand the Market”
JAPAN This country with an ancient high culture and modern high-tech production has
been hit hard by the global financial crisis. Evonik’s Japan region is learning from the crisis
he numbers here speak for themselves:
T The Nikkei stock index plummeted
from 14,000 points in July 2008 to under
8,500 points in April 2009. In the fourth
quarter of 2008 alone, Japan’s gross domestic
product fell 3.3 percent. Exports, a
major pillar of the Japanese economy, have
declined by almost 50 percent since 2008.
One reason for that is the increase of the
yen’s exchange rate value against the euro
and the dollar during the same period.
That poses an unprecedented situation for
Evonik Degussa Japan Co., Ltd., as Regional
President Ulrich Sieler reports.
Mr. Sieler, how are you experiencing
the crisis in Japan?
Evonik had a good year in 2008. Following
many years of double-digit growth, this
year is the first time we are experiencing a
decline in sales. It’s not yet possible to say
exactly how large this decline will be, but it
will certainly have a big negative impact,
that’s certain.
How important is the Japanese market?
Tremendously important. That’s because
of our profitable sales here in Japan, for
one thing, and because many businesses
in other countries base their activities
on our contacts and the related approvals
made in the headquarters of multinational
corporations. To make even better use
of Japanese innovations, we employ technology
scouts to monitor developments
in academic and industrial research. Then
we try to determine where the findings
correspond to our needs.
Are you also investing in Japan itself?
In recent years we have made extensive
investments in Japan. In fact, we’re currently
preparing an important project in
the electronics/photovoltaics field.
CHINA JAPAN
53
Isn’t that an expensive move?
It isn’t always true that Japan is too expensive.
You have to really understand the
market and make full use of the benefits
Japan offers. We’ve had great success with
our investments. We’re also confident that
this project will open up new possibilities
in other markets. If you can meet the very
demanding standards that the Japanese
have when it comes to service and product
quality, you can surely do business with
confidence in other markets.
In 2009 Evonik can look back on 40 years of
business in Japan. How did it all develop?
At the outset we conducted our business
through Japanese trading companies. In
1969 this task was taken over by Degussa
Japan Co., Ltd, which had 30 employees.
Today we are called Evonik Degussa Japan
and employ 350 men and women. In
addition to the trade in products, we are
engaged in a number of joint ventures
with leading Japanese companies. <
Ulrich Sieler, Regional
President Japan of Evonik,
knows how to make the
most of what Japan has to
offer—especially in a
time of crisis
PHOTOGRAPHY: EVONIK INDUSTRIES

54 EVONIK GLOBAL
EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009
PHOTOGRAPHY: EVONIK INDUSTRIES
Tuning for
Lubricants
RUSSIA By investing in Russia, Evonik
is securing a lucrative business and
gaining access to a growing market for
high-quality products
Evonik Industries AG has further expanded
its presence in the Russian market
by acquiring a facility around 500 kilometers
east of Moscow, near Nizhny
Novgorod. The facility purchased by Evonik
RohMax Additives GmbH was responsible
for the lubricant additive business of the
Russian methacrylate manufacturer Dzerzhinskoye
orgsteklo (DOS). The facility will
be operated by a new Russian subsidiary,
whose lubricant additives made from polyalkyl
methacrylate (PAMA) will be marketed
under the DEPRAMAX label. The
acquisition also enables Evonik to expand
the customer base for its own high-performance
additives of the VISCOPLEX series,
which improve the properties of high-quality
lubricants. They do this, for example, by
making transmission and motor oils more
resistant to cold, increasing viscosity at high
temperatures, or preventing the crystallization
of biodiesel. The demand for these additives
is increasing in areas where requirements
are particularly stringent and old
machines and vehicles are being replaced by
more efficient ones. This is increasingly the
case not only in Russia but also in the other
BRIC countries (Brazil, India, and China). <
Lubricants are enhanced with additives
Evonik has been operating on the 160-hectare site in Mobile, Alabama, for more than 30 years
The Lightness of Foam
USA In Alabama, Evonik is for the first time producing the lightweight material
ROHACELL outside of Europe. It was also high time, since the USA is home to several
key customers and offers great business opportunities despite the recession
merican fashions, popular culture, and
Ainventions have influenced people
all over the world. Sometimes, however, the
influence is the other way around. A plant
in Mobile (Alabama) recently began manufacturing
a trend-setting product that will
be indispensable in the future, which was
developed in Darmstadt (Germany). For the
first time ever, the hard foam known as
ROHACELL from Evonik Industries AG is
being produced outside of Germany. Although
the economy is in the midst of a recession,
the Essen-based company spent
around €8 million on the new facility, because
the prospects for ROHACELL are
very good. Demand for this product is high
not only in the USA but worldwide, with
the market having grown at a double-digit
annual rate over the past three years.
A closer look at the product reveals why
this is the case. ROHACELL hard foam is
made of polymethacrylimide (PMI) according
to a secret process in which plates of
polymer are veritably turned into foam, af-
ter which they are precisely cut and formed
in accordance with customer specifications.
The customers subsequently glue various
materials to the two sides of the finished
ROHACELL parts. These materials range
from carbon and aramide fibers all the way
to glass-fiber reinforced plastic, titanium,
and aluminum. The result is a sandwich
component that is extremely light, torsionally
stiff, and usable for a wide variety of
applications.
The list of customers is correspondingly
varied at Performance Polymers, the business
unit responsible for this product at
Evonik. ROHACELL is used wherever components
are meant to be light and stiff,
including Japan’s high-speed Shinkansen
train, Eurocopter aircraft, the new Airbus
A380, state-of-the-art automobile bodies,
X-ray tables for medical applications,
and the skis used in the Winter Olympics.
What’s more, the bicycle that Lance Armstrong
rode to win the 2005 Tour de France
rolled on tires containing ROHACELL. <
PHOTOGRAPHY: EVONIK INDUSTRIES

PHOTOGRAPHY: REUTERS, PICTURE-ALLIANCE/NEWSCOM
Korean Venture Bears Fruit
SOUTH KOREA The harbor city of Ulsan is driving South Korea’s economic
growth. Participating in this upswing is the country’s largest chemicals company SKC,
accompanied by Evonik and Uhde
eople have always been prosperous
Pin Ulsan, South Korea, a fact that is
revealed by the relics of several ancient
cultures. The present-day wealth of the
city’s inhabitants is demonstrated by the
world’s largest car factory, numerous
chemical plants, and the harbor, which
transships more than one fifth of the
country’s goods. Ulsan, which is located
in the southeastern corner of the Korean
peninsula, has one million inhabitants,
who, according to Mayor Park Maeng-woo,
regard themselves as the “driving force of
Korea’s economic growth.”
Until the 1960s, Ulsan was not much
more than a local fishery hub. Then the
government instituted its first five-year
plan, which stipulated that the city’s
harbor should be opened for international
RUSSIA USA SOUTH KOREA
55
trade and the city should serve as a location
for industry. The plan marked the
start of a breathtaking development,
which over a period of almost 50 years has
turned Ulsan into the “center of Korea’s
automotive, chemicals, and shipbuilding
industries,” says Park.
Evonik Industries AG has been producing
hydrogen peroxide in Ulsan for three
years now. Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) is
one of the first products that Evonik began
producing, and, thanks to creative ideas
and lots of entrepreneurial skill, the Group
is now opening up new markets for it in
Ulsan. Evonik is the world’s second-largest
producer of hydrogen peroxide, with an
annual capacity of around 600,000 tons.
The biggest share of this output is used to
make paper and pulp. <
The facilities of the world’s largest shipbuilder extend over a distance of four kilometers in the harbor of Ulsan. Right: Mayor
Park Maeng-woo
In Ulsan, Evonik has now paved the way
for another promising application by
sending the locally produced H 2 O 2 “over
the fence” to the adjacent SKC plant, which
uses it to make propylene oxide. What
makes this plant special is that SKC uses
the innovative HPPO procedure, which
Evonik developed in cooperation with the
engineering firm Uhde GmbH and subsequently
licensed to SKC. The world’s first
facility to use the new technology has
been operating in Ulsan since last summer
with an annual capacity of 100,000 tons
of H 2 O 2 . The new process offers numerous
advantages over conventional procedures,
as it is economical, efficient, and environmentally
friendly, producing no by-products
except water.
The HPPO process is providing Evonik
with access to a huge market. SKC needs
70,000 tons of H 2 O 2 in order to make
100,000 tons of propylene oxide, which it
supplies to the Korean market and neighboring
countries. And the market for propylene
oxide continues to grow, as it is a
starting material for polyurethane foams,
which are used in dashboards and car seat
upholstery, as well as insulation materials
for houses and refrigerators. The global
market volume for propylene oxide is
about seven million tons, and it is expected
to grow by about five percent a year over
the long term.

56 EVONIK GLOBAL
EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009
Warsaw’s Palace of Culture by night: Over 90 percent of Poland’s electricity comes from coal, but Warsaw wants to increase its share of renewable energy
Ash Can Be Precious Too
POLAND A subsidiary of Evonik is one of the market leaders in the commercial
exploitation of fly ash from coal-fired power plants in Poland. The non-combustible
parts of coal are a sought-after raw material far beyond Poland’s borders
coat of arms tells a story for those who
A know how to read it. For the layman,
however, such insignia are often almost
impossible to decipher. But that’s not true
of the coat of arms of the Polish industrial
city of Katowice. Against a yellow background,
it depicts a large gear wheel that
drives a forge hammer against an anvil;
below it is a plank of wood, and at the very
bottom a blue band. Even without any
special knowledge of heraldry, the traditional
study of coats of arms, it is clear
from this that Katowice is a home to industry,
and heavy industry in particular.
As early as the 19th century, mining
and industry put their stamp on this town
in the Upper Silesian coal basin. It still
bears that stamp today, although high-tech
industry and electrotechnology are making
gradual advances—as in the old German
coal-mining districts, for instance.
In Katowice, which has a population of
over 300,000, making it the largest city
in the region, Evonik Energo Mineral
Sp.z.o.o. has found its niche between coal
and advanced technology: This subsidiary
of Evonik Industries AG is engaged in
the disposal of the waste generated in coalfired
power plants. But “disposal” is actually
the wrong term. The reason is that
when coal is burned in modern power
plants, this gives rise to not just energy and
waste gases but also valuable by-products
that can be used elsewhere.
To extract energy, the coal is ground
to a fine powder and burned at approximately
1,200 °C (Celsius) in a boiler. The
composition of the coal varies depending
on its source, however. The main constituent
is carbon, the actual fuel, which makes
up 65 to 95 percent of the coal. In addition,
five to 35 percent consists of non-combus-
PHOTOGRAPHY: GEILERT/GAFF/LAIF
tible accessory minerals which are left behind
from the combustion process as ash.
Because of the relatively low temperature
in the boiler, the ash does not turn to liquid
but instead merely becomes fused. About
85 to 90 percent of these ash particles are
drawn away with the flow of the flue gas.
The particles then cool and form round,
mostly amorphous particles, the hard coal
fly ash. This ash is separated from the flue
gas via multistage electrostatic precipitators
and transported to silos via conveyor
pipes so that it won’t pollute the air.
In modern concrete and cement mixtures,
fly ash from hard coal is a valuable ingredient.
With it, the concrete remains
fluid and smooth, fills in formwork better
Miners exit from the Bytom III coal mine
near Katowice
PHOTOGRAPHY: JAHRESZEITEN VERLAG/FLORIAN BOLK

and can be more easily pumped and compacted.
The quality of the finish is improved,
and the concrete parts become
more robust.
NEW ENERGY MIX FOR POLAND
Evonik takes care of the disposal of fly
ash at eight power plants located throughout
Poland. It is the only service provider
in the market that operates throughout the
country—and that’s a great strength when
it comes to supplying local customers with
high-quality fly ash. Its customers include
cement and concrete companies that are
known all over the world, such as the Irish
firm CRH plc (Cement Roadstone Holding),
the French Lafarge S.A., the Mexican
Cemex S.A. de C.V., and the German company
Heidelberg-Cement AG. Last year
Evonik signed a new ten-year contract
with one of the largest power plants in Poland.
It covers a volume of approximately
230,000 tons of fly ash per year.
But Evonik is more than an intermediary
supplier. At the sites of the power
stations, the company is investing in large
silo systems that guarantee smooth disposal
of the fly ash and, in the process, the
safe operation of the plants. In addition,
Evonik is developing new fields of application
and improved formulas—the competition
doesn’t sleep, nor has the Polish construction
industry escaped the effects of
the economic crisis.
Poland also wants to reshape its energy
mix. At the moment, coal is the source of
a huge share of the energy produced in the
country, over 90 percent. But although
coal will remain the number one energy
source, the country intends to triple the
amount of renewable energies in use by
2020, from the current share of slightly
less than five percent to as much as 15 percent.
This is to be achieved largely by
means of biomass.
It might almost seem as though the city
of Katowice had foreseen this development
almost 200 years ago. That’s because
in addition to the symbols of heavy industry,
it found room for other local resources
on its coat of arms: The wooden plank
and the blue band represent the forestry in
the surrounding woodlands and the Rawa
River—the riches of nature. <
Energy for the Climb
COLOMBIA Despite the problems with the drug trade and terrorism, Colombia is
one of South America’s reliable candidates for economic growth. One of the secrets of this
country’s success is its intelligent use of natural resources
he coal drivers of Boyacá (Colombia)
T have a demanding job. Four to five times
each day, they drive their small trucks
through the sloping highlands to the power
plant to unload their cargos of hard coal.
About 200 loads are needed every day to
fuel the coal-fired power plant Termopaipa
IV, which is operated by Evonik Industries
AG in the middle of the Colombian cordilleras
at an altitude of 2,500 meters.
Our impression of Colombia is shaped
by news of drug dealing, jungle warfare, and
hostage-taking. But this country at the
equator has made substantial progress on
security: Since President Álvaro Uribe took
office in 2002, significant guerilla forces
have been disarmed, which has led to major
improvements in the security situation.
In Germany, it is also not widely known
that the Colombian economy is one of the
most stable in Latin America. In recent years,
growth in the export sector has been driven
largely by the good economic conditions in
the U.S., Venezuela, and other neighboring
countries, and by the strong economic
growth in Asia. In the past five years, the
country’s economy has grown at a rate of
5.6 percent per year on average. Colombian
raw materials like coal, coffee, and petroleum
are in demand around the world. Colombia
is one of the world’s largest exporters
of coal and manages to sell most of the coal
it produces—not least because about 80 percent
of the electricity used in the country is
generated by hydropower stations. As a result
of this strong emphasis on hydropower,
however, the reliability of the energy supply
can suffer in periods of little precipitation.
But the Termopaipa IV power plant can
supply electricity around the clock and in ev-
PHOTOGRAPHY: EVONIK INDUSTRIES
POLAND COLOMBIA
57
Trucks transport
coal to the
Termopaipa IV
power plant located
at an altitude of
2,500 meters
ery season. In purely arithmetic terms, the
installed capacity is sufficient to cover approximately
twelve percent of Colombia’s
demand for electrical energy. The plant also
plays a major role as an employer. About 120
people have found skilled jobs there, from
the chemist to the control room operator,
and from the electronics specialist to the turbine
engineer. Since it went on line in 1999,
the power plant has also created about 1,000
jobs through contracts for repair, maintenance,
and other business.
With the advent of the global financial
and economic crisis, new problems have
emerged for Colombia too: The waning demand
in the USA, the largest buyer of the
country’s goods, and falling raw materials
prices are hitting Colombia hard. Nevertheless,
the Colombian government is expecting
growth of two to three percent this year
as well. In the industrial region of Boyacá
at least, there’s a secure supply of power for
economic growth.

58 EVONIK GLOBAL EVONIK MAGAZINE 2/2009 INTERNATIONAL
PHOTOGRAPHY: EVONIK INDUSTRIES
High Speed through High Tech
INTERNATIONAL With the Lotus Exige, Evonik is showing what its products can do
in automotive production—and helping the ultralight car to write its success story
vonik Industries’ Lotus Exige S is a real
Ewinner: In 2008 the Red Motorsport
team took first place in its class at the Dutch
Supercar Challenge, at Hockenheim, and
at Silverstone (UK), in addition to achieving
other top finishes.
Evonik’s Chemicals Business Area made
a key contribution to this performance. Sandwich
composites, a combination of car bon
fiber and the structural foam ROHACELL,
can be used in the production of rear spoilers
and entire vehicle bodies. The windows
of the Lotus are made of a lightweight,
strong PLEXIGLAS composite, which saves
kilograms and enables the car to accelerate
faster and take curves at higher speeds.
The race car is more than 100 kilograms
lighter than the series production model,
which at 950 kilograms is already quite
lightweight. The Evonik Lotus has about 50
percent more power output, however.
Before the 2008 season the weight of the
body was reduced by another 20 kilograms.
But not only the exterior is hightech;
Evonik expertise also can be found
under the hood. Friction-reducing motor
oil and special grease for the drive shafts,
which are really put through their paces,
Best in its class and
other top fi nishes: The
ultralight Lotus Exige S
ensure more power on the raceway. Reduced
consumption means the car doesn’t
have to stop for fuel as often, and the
optimized lubrication makes the drive
train more durable. The drive shafts and
engine came through the 2008 racing
season with trouble-free performance.
Weight also is being cut back in the
engine compartment. The charge-air pipe,
the aluminum conduit that enables the
engine to breathe, was replaced with a
component made of VESTAMID HTplus,
which is extremely heat-resistant. The
component weights only half as much as
its aluminum counterpart and features
smooth interior surfaces for optimized airflow
and engine performance. For Evonik,
motor sports also serve as a testing ground
for applications for everyday needs. What
works in the racing pits can be used later
in series production vehicles. The starter
battery of the Lotus Exige S is the new
lithium-ion battery from the subsidiary Li-
Tec. A look at the work being done in the
development shop of Red Motorsport and
Evonik shows how the energy-efficient,
environmentally friendly cars of tomorrow
could be built. <
DISPATCHES
Outstanding HR Management
Shanghai (China) Evonik Industries AG
is one of the best employers in China. The
Essen-based Group was one of the 24
companies named “China’s Top Employers
2009.” Inclusion in the list, which was
drawn up by the international consulting
firm CRF (Corporate Research Foundation),
honored the outstanding human resources
management of Evonik Degussa
(China) Co. Ltd. CRF was particularly impressed
by the Evonik company’s internal
training program, transparent communication
structure, and flat hierarchies. This
honor marks the third time that the Chinese
subsidiary has been recognized for
its HR management.
Help for Self-Help
Porayar (India) It has been four years
since India’s east coast was devastated by
the tsunami, but Evonik Industries AG
is still working in the region with the children’s
aid organization Kindernothilfe to
help young disaster victims. In the village
of Porayar the Group recently spent
€20,000 to provide two children’s dormitories
with computer training rooms
and corresponding instructors. The aim is
to help children from poor, uneducated
families to discover their career potential.
Evonik is also conducting an internal
campaign for private sponsorships to enable
the children to attend school.
Solar Material from Italy
Merano (Italy) Evonik Industries AG is
building a new chlorosilane plant in
South Tyrol. The new plant in Merano
will soon be producing chlorosilane,
the precursor of polycrystalline silicon.
The plant’s exclusive customer is Elec -
tro nic Materials, Inc. (MEMC), an electronics
company in the USA that uses
the material at its plants worldwide to
produce wafers for the solar industry.
The new plant is part of an overarching
strategy: Evonik is expanding its capa cities
in this growth market by building
new production facilities in locations
throughout the world.

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We make power stations more eco-friendly.
Drawing on cutting-edge technologies, we boost
effi ciency levels, reduce carbon emissions and
use renewable energy resources. Worldwide.
But there’s much more to us. We are the creative
industrial group from Germany active in the
fi elds of Chemicals, Energy and Real Estate.
Who makes electricity cleaner?
We do.
www.evonik.com