WACKER Presents Innovation Award for the Development of New Silicone Resins for Optical Bonding Applications

In total, 30 teams applied for the 2020 Alexander Wacker Innovation Award – a new record. The finalists included Amit Paul from Wacker Metroark Chemicals in Kolkata. His team successfully developed water-free silane oligomer-surfactant mixtures for treating cement compounds. This additive renders the cement hydrophobic during grinding, which achieves energy savings of up to 50 percent. Moreover, hydrophobic cement gives concrete and mortar compounds water-repellent properties.

This and other developments achieved during his 35 years of service – first at Metroark and later – since 1999 – at the Wacker Metroark Chemicals joint venture – are the reasons why Amit Paul has been honored with the Alexander Wacker Innovation Award in the Lifetime Achievement category. He is the first Group employee to win this prize.

Amit Paul’s achievements include the development of a silicone fluid emulsion of especially low particle size. It is used worldwide by an international consumer-goods manufacturer in its premium haircare brand to ideally combine suppleness, shine and combability. He also made a significant contribution toward the introduction of hydro-silylation technology at the Kolkata site, where a plant for manufacturing functional silicone fluids went on stream in 2018 – the first of its kind on the Indian subcontinent. These specialties are used as high-performance additives in diverse applications, such as in cosmetic and varnish formulations and in plant protection.

“Throughout his career at WACKER, Amit Paul has excelled with his dedication and truly remarkable pioneering spirit”, noted board member Christian Hartel in his speech honoring the award winner. “He always had our customers’ needs and their business firmly in view and developed customized solutions for them which were crowned with success in a short time. He has made a valuable contribution toward driving forward WACKER’s silicone business.”

About the Alexander Wacker Innovation Award

Since 2006, the Munich-based chemical company has honored employees’ outstanding R&D work at its annual research symposium. Named after the company’s founder, the €10,000 “Alexander Wacker Innovation Award” is conferred for outstanding performance not only in product innovation, process innovation and basic research, but also in the Lifetime Achievement category.