SHANGHAI, May 25, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Solvay announces today that it has filed a patent infringement litigation against Yangnong Chemical Group Co., Ltd. and related entities for alleged infringement of certain of its patent rights protecting Solvay's innovative Epicerol® technology. The alleged infringing acts include the production and sale of dichloropropanol, epichlorohydrin, and Epoxy Resin that fall within the claims of the patent. The case has been accepted by the Shanghai Higher People's Court.
Solvay has developed a highly environmentally friendly technology called Epicerol® to produce epichlorohydrin, an essential feedstock for the production of epoxy resins, increasingly used in applications such as corrosion protection coatings as well in the electronics, automotive, aerospace industry or wind turbine industry.
Solvay's Epicerol® technology is based on the transformation of glycerin obtained as a by-product from the production of biofuels from vegetable renewable oils. Compared to the traditional propylene based production process of epichlorohydrin, the Epicerol® technology reduces non renewable energy consumption by 50%, greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20%, divides water consumption by ten while dividing the volume of chlorinated by-products by eight. This technology is protected by some 1000 patent titles, many of them already granted in China and in other countries.
The Chinese epichlorohydrin market, which currently represents about 30% of the world market, is quickly growing. Solvay is studying the construction of an Epicerol® plant in Taixing, China, with an initial capacity of 100,000 tons epichlorohydrin per year. The company has already reserved a construction site in Taixing Economic Development Park and the plant is expected to start producing in 2013.
"Solvay has a clear policy to enforce its intellectual property. The development of more efficient and more sustainable production technology demands great efforts. It is only fair that the efforts of the company to develop such new technologies are fairly protected," comments Jean-Francois Serrier, Senior Executive Vice-president and General Manager Intellectual Assets at Solvay.
SOLVAY is an international industrial Group active in Chemistry. It offers a broad range of products and solutions that contribute to improving quality of life. The Group is headquartered in Brussels and employs about 14,800 people in 40 countries. In 2010, its consolidated sales amounted to EUR 7.1 billion, of which over EUR 1 billion was realized in the Asia - Pacific Region. Solvay is listed on the NYSE Euronext stock exchange in Brussels, Belgium (NYSE Euronext: SOLB.BE - Bloomberg: SOLB.BB - Reuters: SOLBt.BR). Details about the Solvay Group are available at www.solvay.com.and details about Solvay in China at www.solvay.cn.