4 new chemical technologies that are making an impact

New technology can take a long time to develop. Sometimes fine-tuning a process requires years more than researchers expect. Other times the commercialization moment just isn’t right.

Start-up companies are a critical part of the chemistry world and the source of much new technology. But as organizations that live on borrowed money, they don’t have a lot of time on their hands. They certainly don’t have the time to let technology simmer.

Big companies are different. They can often afford to tinker with a new technology until it is just right—or wait until the time is right for it. They can also finance the commercialization of new technology without loans or additional investors.

In the stories that follow, several big companies bided their time until the right moment. KBR let its ammonia-cracking technology sit on the shelf for several years until the market was ready. Huntsman waited more than 5 years after acquiring a nanotube technology to deploy it in a multi–metric-ton plant. Sumitomo Chemical paused for a full decade until the time was right to advance its ethanol-to-propylene technology. And BASF is patiently waiting for customers to roll out products with its new topical probiotic.

Not every big company is willing to wait a decade to get to market. And waiting doesn’t guarantee success. But the fact that some firms can take their time is a reminder that companies of all sizes are necessary for innovation in the chemical industry.