Page 18 - HPIC-Magazine (Feb-2021)

News from Abroad

FOAM BOOSTERS
Libra Speciality Chemicals to raise betaines

capacity in UK

Libra Speciality Chemicals has
begun a “multi-million-pound capital
investment programme” in Irlam, UK,
to increase capacity of its existing be-
taine plant from 32-ktpa to 50-ktpa to
meet growing demand.

The project will involve setting up
additional reactors to make the betaine
intermediate, cocamidopropylamine
(CAPA) and finished betaine pro-
ducts besides storage infrastructure.
The company is also installing new
technology to produce novel low-salt
betaines to address shift away from levels of 1,4-dioxane, ethylene oxide standard betaines contain about 6%
sulphates. “Our customers are seeking and sulphate. SLES is also considered salt, which causes major issues with

to formulate handwash, body wash to be a skin sensitiser that can cause viscosity control in formulations, limi-
and hair care products with alter- the skin to become dry, strip out oils ting the inclusion levels to about
native surfactants that give better in the hair leaving it dry & damaged 2%.,” Libra informed.
efficacy,” the company said. and also affect dyed hair.
The company said its new tech-
Sulphates, such as sodium laureth Betaines are well known for ex- nology will produce betaines with
sulphate (SLES), are increasingly suf- cellent detergency and foam boosting ultra-low salt levels giving formulators
fering from negative press and increas- properties and do not suffer from the great freedom to include betaines at

ing legislation concerned with residual problems listed for SLES. “However, 10-12%.
DERMOCOSMETICS
BASF to source cosmetic peptides from Korea’s

Caregen

BASF has signed a global, exclu- sation trend. By mentary technology to the bioactives
sive supply agreement with Korean using cosmetic and other cosmetic solutions and in-
biotechnology company, Caregen, for products formu- gredients offered by BASF’s personal
four cosmetic peptides. with anti-ag- lated with these care portfolio.
ing and anti-pigmentation properties. peptides as ac-
BASF plans to launch them for prone- tive ingredients, Caregen has acquired more than
atopic and prone-acneic skins during consumers can 360 patents for peptide substances
this year. have a choice of products with proven since its establishment in 2001, and
efficacy,” said Mr. Jeff Huh, Head of has the highest level of capability in
“There is robust growth in the Marketing Personal Care Solutions at Korea in the field of functional peptide
dermocosmetics sector globally and BASF Asia Pacific. research and development. It ope-
especially in Asia, as more consum- rates two plants in Gunpo city and a
ers desire targeted functionality from Caregen’s highly potent synthetic plant for mass synthesis of peptides
cosmetics, in line with the personali- peptides are expected to be a comple- in Hwaseong.
18 Home, Personal & Institutional Care India February 2021