Chemistry 4.0

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Development stages of the chemical industry in Germany.
Development stages of the chemical industry in Germany.

Chemistry 4.0 describes the fourth and most recent development stage in the chemical industry in Germany. The term was coined by a joint study by the Association of the Chemical Industry and the consulting company Deloitte . Similar to Industry 4.0 , working methods, value chains and business models of chemical companies are changing in this phase, primarily due to digitization . In addition, the circular economy and sustainability are increasingly important drivers of changes in the chemical industry.

Characteristics of Chemistry 4.0

Many companies in the chemical industry have automated the control of their production systems and use digital processes for this. The use and evaluation of digital mass data ( big data ) enables companies to produce even more efficiently, e.g. B. by predictive maintenance of systems with the help of sensors. With the help of virtual reality , researchers can simulate laboratory tests and develop new products. The aim is to link digital services with products from the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The industry is working on this, for example in precision agriculture and medical technology .

Digitization also facilitates cross-company collaboration in networks, as mass data can be exchanged and analyzed more easily. Such networks with partners from various industries are an important prerequisite for the circular economy, with which resource efficiency is to be increased and sustainability increased. Companies in the chemical industry are researching products and processes that can improve circular economy, for example:

  • High-performance materials that reduce resource consumption,
  • increased use of renewable raw materials and biodegradable products,
  • Use of waste as a raw material and surplus electricity for the production of chemicals ( Power to Chemicals ) and
  • Utilization of CO 2 as a raw material.

Development of the chemical industry in Germany

The development of industrial chemistry in Germany began around 1865. Since then, this branch of industry has gone through three major stages of development. The fourth stage of development Chemistry 4.0 began around 2010.

Chemistry 1.0: early days and coal chemistry (from 1865)

Individual inventors and entrepreneurial pioneers shaped the early days of the chemical industry. They convert chemical knowledge into large-scale technical processes. This is how the first chemical companies came into being. Synthetic dyes such as indigo are increasingly replacing natural substances as colorants. With industrialization , the demand for chemical products such as artificial fertilizers , soaps and pharmaceuticals increased . Residues from coal chemistry as well as vegetable oils and animal fats served as the raw material basis for the products of the chemical industry . Production was predominantly discontinuous in a batch process . In contrast to today, smoking industrial chimneys stood for economic boom and prosperity.

Chemistry 2.0: Beginning of petrochemistry (from 1950)

Blue 120-pfennig postage stamp on which a BASF plant for styrene production, which has since been shut down, can be seen in white.
Postage stamp from 1975: Plant for styrene production from the time of Chemistry 2.0.

In the middle of the 20th century, chemical companies began to switch their raw material base from coal to petroleum . This resulted in almost unlimited possibilities for new molecules . Basic chemicals can be produced from just a few basic substances and a wide variety of industrial chemicals can be produced through multi-stage syntheses . Polymeric materials and macromolecular fibers from the petrochemical industry made products possible that conquered everyday life as household items or textiles. In order to meet the rapidly growing demand, companies increasingly produced in large-scale plants. Many companies expanded their research departments. Follow-up environmental protection in the form of air filters and wastewater treatment also gained in importance during this period.

Chemistry 3.0: globalization and specialization (from 1980)

Since the 1980s, natural gas and renewable raw materials have expanded the company's raw material base. The biotechnology and bio-based method supplemented the production processes and enabled a new generation of drugs and specialty chemicals . The ever closer cooperation between companies and university basic research led to many innovations . The globalization of the markets and the worldwide expansion of production were also characteristic of this phase . Due to the concentration of the companies on their core business and the outsourcing of services, more and more chemical parks were created in Germany . Since then, environmental protection aspects have been an integral part of the development of new products and processes as well as the construction of new production facilities. This significantly reduced emissions . With new analytical options for the ecotoxicological properties of chemical substances, it has since been possible to continuously improve product safety.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Chemical companies - Die fourth Revolution , Handelsblatt , accessed on November 7, 2017.
  2. Chemistry 4.0: The digitization of the chemical industry , Förderland Business Magazine for Entrepreneurs, accessed on November 7, 2017.
  3. Chemistry 4.0 - Growth through innovation in a changing world , study by VCI and Deloitte on Chemistry 4.0, accessed on November 6, 2017.
  4. Master the maze. Formulating a winning digital strategy in chemicals , Roland Berger survey on Chemistry 4.0, accessed on September 4, 2017.
  5. Chemistry and Industry 4.0 - do they fit together? , VDI blog, accessed on September 4, 2017.
  6. Chemistry 4.0 - Where does the industry go? Process , accessed November 7, 2017.
  7. ^ Waste to Chemicals , American Chemical Society homepage , accessed September 18, 2017.
  8. Kopernikus project Power to X , homepage of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research , accessed on September 18, 2017.
  9. CO 2 : From climate killer to raw material , homepage of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, accessed on September 18, 2017.
  10. Chemistry 4.0: Innovations for a world in transition , VCI homepage, accessed on June 22, 2020.