Assessment shows: INOTECTM is better for the environment

Hilden, April 23, 2013 – The first step in the process toward transparent corporate environmental protection is knowledge and understanding of a company’s own emissions and its consumption of raw materials and energy. An environmental lifecycle assessment or an eco-efficiency analysis will highlight areas with potential for improvement in terms of the environmental impact of a specific product in the individual phases of its lifecycle.

For an innovative company like ASK Chemicals, this type of information is particularly interesting in order to drive forward the selective development of solutions that help to increase efficiency, performance and productivity while reducing emissions and using resources sparingly at the same time. Here, the reduction or avoidance of emissions is a central challenge for the global foundry industry – and therefore also for ASK Chemicals.

In light of this, ASK Chemicals commissioned a comparative environmental lifecycle assessment in accordance with DIN EN ISO 14040:2009 and DIN EN ISO 14044:2006. Two binder systems that are used in the production of core sand and molds – PUR-Cold-Box and INOTEC^TM – were compared with each other for the assessment. The aim of the study was to investigate the environmental strengths and weaknesses of these two binder systems, which are both manufactured by ASK Chemicals. The investigation covered the entire lifecycle of the products, starting from the production of raw materials and following through to the disposal of waste products generated in the process. The key outcome of the comparative study is that INOTEC^TM – an inorganic binder system – displays significant reductions in the following impact categories: consumption of resources, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, photochemical oxidant formation potential and primary energy consumption.

The comparative environmental lifecycle assessment and the critical advisory assessment were performed by TÜV Rheinland.

Overall, INOTEC^TM was awarded the highest possible score by TÜV for this environmental lifecycle assessment, and it was found to be:

• an eco-friendly product
• more environmentally friendly than the comparison product (Figure 1).

CEO Stefan Sommer is delighted about the result and sees it as a vindication of the level of commitment shown by his company: “The development of sustainable solutions is one of our corporate objectives. Ultimately, with this environmental lifecycle assessment, we have information for our customers with verifiable facts and figures that will help to highlight potential for optimization and savings with regard to emissions and consumption of resources.”

Figure 1: The inorganic binder system INOTECTM was awarded the best possible scores in the comparative environmental lifecycle assessment and the critical advisory assessment.

About ASK Chemicals

ASK Chemicals is one of the world’s largest suppliers of foundry chemicals, with a comprehensive product and service portfolio of binders, coatings, feeders, filters and release agents, as well as metallurgical products including inoculants, Mg-treatment and inoculation wires and master alloys for iron casting.

ASK Chemicals is represented in 25 countries with 30 sites, 20 of which operate their own production, and employs approx. 1,800 people worldwide. With research and development in Europe, America and Asia, ASK Chemicals sees itself as the driving force behind industry-specific innovations and is committed to offering customers a consistently high level of quality. Flexibility, quickness, quality and sustainability as well as cost-effective products and services are of key importance.

Based on ASK Chemicals information