Publications

The annual world production of sodium carbonate (soda) amounted to approximately 31,5 million tons in 1993. The main share is synthetic soda. Nowadays it is only manufactured by means of the Solvay technology, which – as it uses NH3 as auxiliary material – is also called „ammonia soda process“. Approximately 35 % of the world production is natural soda, mainly manufactured in the USA.

The manufacture of sodium perborate takes place as tetrahydrate at first, which is converted in a second process to monohydrate by means of dehydration. Both compounds, the tetrahydrate as well as the monohydrate can be used for the production of detergents. The monohydrate is also used for the manufacture of dishwashing detergents.

Two different types of processes are used for the production of titanium dioxide in Germany : the sulfate process and the chloride process. In Germany, titanium dioxide is produced at four plants, three of them apply the sulfate process, one of them uses the sulfate as well as the chloride process.    

Sodium silicates are mostly used for the production of detergents. Moreover, they are needed in big volumes as basic product for the manufacture of silicic acid as additives for rubbers and plastics and cracking catalysts for the petro-chemical industry.

Synthesis gases are mixtures from hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Raw materials are solid, liquid or gaseous fuels, which react under additivation of oxygen and / or steam at higher temperatures. Often the production of synthesis gas is a very economic recycling process of residues, which can provide the basis for basic chemical products, e.g. methanol.

Quality targets are reference values and guidelines with regard to a particular protected asset and serve as a benchmark for the quality of surface waters.

Part I: New Strategies for the Ecological Risk Assessment and Risk Management of Substances
Part II: Chemicals in the Environment which Interfere with the Endocrine Systems of Humans and Wildlife
In german available as Text 30/2001

Part II: Chemicals in the Environment which Interfere with the Endocrine Systems of Humans and Wildlife

Using the LCA instrument the FEA research project 'LCA for Graphic Papers' answers key questions about the production and optimisation of graphic papes and the products manufactured with them.

There is often talk that environmental protection is no longer an issue of public debate. I believe that this is exaggerated. Unemployment or domestic security may certainly be more topical than environmental protection.

It has increasingly become accepted in recent years that ecosystems can only be managed sensibly if they are perceived and protected in their entirety. To this end, 12 principles for an ecosystem approach and 5 points of operational guidance have been elaborated in the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity. They have not been applied to a marine ecosystem as yet.

Tires for commercial vehicles are optimized to be both fuel efficient and long lasting. A low noise design provides generally little incentive to buy. The noise reduction potential of tires for commercial vehicles is not sufficiently used as the comprehensive test of 32 tires shows.