Interview with Sibel Altınok, R&D Center Director at Organik Kimya

We conducted an interview with Sibel Altınok, Director of the Organic Chemistry Research and Development Center, discussing projects underway at the Organic Chemistry R&D Center and planned investments for the future—an engaging read for our audience.

Tell us about Organic Chemistry.

As Organic Chemistry, since 1965 we have invested in science and people, delivering value-creating solutions to our customers in polymer emulsions, powder polymers, textile auxiliary chemicals and industrial adhesives. The value we place on people was recognized this year by the Top Employer Institute, one of the world's most respected employer research organizations, and Organic Chemistry was chosen as Turkey's best employer. With our patented products and technologies, and guided by our vision to become a global solutions partner for our targeted markets and applications, we operate across various sectors including paints, construction, textiles and leather, industrial adhesives, pressure-sensitive adhesives and life sciences chemicals.

Can you provide our readers with information about the Organic Chemistry R&D Center?

Organic Chemistry has been a firm that has valued and invested in R&D since its founding. In 2009, we were the first manufacturer in the chemical sector to receive the designation of "R&D Center" registered by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The R&D Center operates with a team of approximately 80 people across 2,500 m² comprising fully equipped analysis, synthesis, application and scale-up laboratories and pilot production facilities serving different sectors. Our R&D Center, to which approximately 3% of annual revenue is allocated, works on around 200 projects through collaborations with TUBITAK, universities and various research institutes. These projects encompass both new product development and research into new technology platforms.

What activities do you conduct at the R&D Center? How do you determine these activities?

Organic Chemistry's products are divided into three main categories: polymer emulsions, textile auxiliary chemicals and organic adhesives. In the polymer emulsions category, we produce products under paints, construction chemicals, adhesives, leather and nonwoven textiles subsections, while in the textile auxiliary chemicals category we produce various products such as pretreatment auxiliaries, drying and printing auxiliaries, finishing and coating auxiliaries, pigment dispersions, water-based silicone emulsions and antifoaming agents for industries. Within the R&D Center, research and development activities have been launched in the hot melt and powder polymer sectors to develop alternative products to those previously imported from abroad by Turkish firms, and our hot melt and powder polymer production facility in Orgachem Tuzla has begun operations. Organic Chemistry has contributed to reducing Turkish firms' dependence on imports for these products with each passing year. The foundation of Organic Chemistry's R&D strategies consists of new idea and product development through collaborations with domestic and international customers.

Tell us about the investments you have made in the R&D center. What investments and projects do you plan to implement in the coming years?

Within our strategic framework, the prominent work under R&D projects initiated and planned within the Organic Chemistry R&D Center includes continuing projects on replacing Solvent-Based Systems with Water-Based Systems. Efforts have been accelerated on developing polymers used and exported especially in Turkey's industrial wood sector, and joint work with relevant manufacturers continues in this scope. In the field of Construction Chemicals, work continues on developing binders specially designed with various properties such as flexible, rigid, universal, hydrophobic and self-leveling, as well as 100% solid powder polymers. Cross-linkers, one of the main raw materials used in textile applications, contain formaldehyde. Following formaldehyde's classification as a banned chemical, its use in our production was discontinued and a new cross-linker combination providing the same performance was developed. The Innofix technology used in hot melt coating has been patented by Organic Chemistry. This is the only patent filed in the hot melt packaging field in the last 20 years. This achievement was awarded a major prize at the Adhesive Sealant Council Conference held in America in 2017. We have established a Hygienic Facility for the production of Cigarette Adhesives. With the completion of the new facility, imported water-based cigarette adhesives have begun to be produced to international standards in the hygienic facility.

What is the significance of the Organic Chemistry R&D Center for Turkey?

In addition to being one of the firms in its sector with the highest number of patent applications in Turkey, we also create value in Turkey's branding process by offering licenses of the technologies we develop to the market. As Organic Chemistry grows each year through its investments in people and the sector, it contributes to the nation's economy by reducing the country's import dependence. For example, Turkey's powder polymer imports have decreased by 35% due to the powder polymer products we produce at our Orgachem facilities. Orgachem production capacity has been targeted at 18,000 MT. In 2016, with production of 14,000 MT, approximately EUR 28 million was retained in Turkey. With increased production, the rise in domestic market and export of powder polymers will further reduce import volumes. Work has begun on a second powder polymer dryer investment.