Diversification, cost pressures and innovation are key topics discussed at the recently-held 16th ICIS World Surfactants Conference in Jersey City, New Jersey. We highlighted several quotes from various speakers and panelists gathered on this event.

DAY 1

Speaker: Robert Fry, PhD, Economist:

“Europe and Asia face greater recession risks than the USA because of their higher exposure to energy imports, while North Americas natural gas advantage continues to support its chemical industry competitiveness relative to regions dependent on naphtha-based feedstocks.”

Panel Discussion: The panel focused on how Middle East supply disruption is affecting petrochemical and renewable chemical supply chains.

“US commodity chemical producers are near-term winners, especially in polyethylene, polypropylene, methanol, and ethylene glycol, because shale-based feedstock economics have improved sharply versus oil-linked regions, while Europe faces prolonged energy and feedstock cost pressure.” – Joseph Chang (ICIS)

“Companies with diversified supply, integrated assets, and contract coverage are better positioned than smaller players dependent on spot markets, with logistics normalization likely to take months even if the conflict ends quickly.” – Monica Losey (ICIS)

“Fossil feedstock volatility is raising interest in feedstock diversification, including sugar, bio-naphtha, renewable ammonia, renewable hydrogen, and other domestic agricultural inputs. China is now scaling several bio-based chemicals more aggressively, brand-owner collaboration is stronger, and renewable surfactants may have better traction than biopolymers, although million-ton scale remains difficult without policy support, standardization, and investment beyond pilot scale.” – Doris De Guzman (Green D Market Analytics)

Panel Discussion: The panel focused on how the Middle East conflict has intensified supply-chain stress, pricing volatility, and customer demands for transparency across the surfactants and specialty chemicals value chain.

“We are seeing sharp regional differences, with China moving to daily pricing, Europe focused on energy-cost exposure, and the USA more insulated. Customers now want immediate visibility into Middle East exposure and mitigation plans.” – Louis Snyders (Sasol Chemicals)

“Coast Southwest is benefiting from regionalization and reshoring but must manage longer lead times, tighter customer expectations, and credit constraints as prices rise.” – Jarrod Kaltenbach (Coast Southwest)

“Oilfield chemicals business is seeing strong demand from US oil and gas activity, forcing inventory planning to stretch from roughly 30 days toward 120 days while relying heavily on supplier relationships and customer forecasts.” – Jimmy Jett (Integrity Biochem)

Speaker: Keith Wiggins, Econic Technologies

“Potential demand for innovative products and surfactants is growing in middle class China.”

Speaker: Arya Abedin, Balmoral Advisors

“Current markets are rewarding capacity rationalization, carve-outs, targeted capex tied to clear off-take, capital returns, and bio-based commercialization only where firm customer commitments exist.”

Speaker: Martin Herrington, IP Specialities

“I own a cargo of oil in a tanker. That’s stuck and waiting at anchor. Left high and dry off the coast of Dubai. Moored, uninsured…call my banker!”

Speaker: Lucas Hall, ICIS

“Lauric oil prices are likely to remain elevated this year, with biodiesel mandates, EUDR uncertainty, tariffs, and trade cases continuing to complicate sourcing, pricing, and supply chain planning for surfactant producers.”

Panel Discussion: The panel examined what a potential “third pillar” of surfactant feedstocks could look like beyond petrochemicals and palm kernel/coconut oil.

“Sustainability and life-cycle impact remain long-term drivers, even if price and performance dominate today.” – Kris Weigal (Omni Tech International)

“AI and machine learning will be important in formulation, especially to reduce the cost and experimental burden of switching feedstocks.” – Brian Grady (University of Oklahoma)

“Bio-naphtha is not always the most efficient route, since biomass is often oxygen-rich and may be better used directly as functional molecules rather than converted back into hydrocarbons.” – Andreas Kohl (Verbio)

“No single feedstock will solve the problem, and the industry will need diverse pathways to similar surfactant performance.” – Simon Payne (Sasol)

“Innovation must deliver value, performance, and sustainability together, not just a lower carbon claim.” – Daniel Stewart (Viridi)

DAY 2

Speaker: Doris De Guzman, Green D Market Analytics

“The key point for renewable chemicals is feedstock diversification. A broader feedstock base will enable producers more options, more resilience and potentially better control over cost and carbon exposure.”

Speaker: Greg Lindner, Croda

“Surfactant innovation in agriculture is no longer just about performance inside the jug — it is about delivering measurable value at the farm gate through precision application, regulatory readiness, sustainability, and productivity gains. The companies that succeed will be those that deeply understand the agricultural value chain, collaborate across sectors, and align formulation technology with real-world grower needs.”

Panel Discussion: The panel discussion focused on the commercialization challenges and opportunities for sustainable surfactants and specialty ingredients.

“Biosurfactants need to compete on more than sustainability alone — they must deliver functionality, affordability, and scalability to truly gain market adoption. By using food waste and agro-industrial side streams as feedstocks, we are working to improve both the sustainability profile and the unit economics of fermentation-derived surfactants.” – Nivatha Balendra (Dispersa)

“CO2 should not be viewed as waste, but as a viable carbon feedstock for the next generation of surfactants and polyurethanes. Sustainability only succeeds commercially when it is combined with strong performance, credible economics, and clear accountability that brands can communicate to consumers.” – Keith Wiggins (Econic Technologies)

“In personal care, consumers increasingly associate sustainable surfactants and emulsifiers with mildness, gentleness, and better skin compatibility rather than performance compromise. Our focus is developing cellulose-based emulsifier systems that can outperform traditional chemistries at significantly lower use levels while maintaining stable long-term feedstock economics.” – Michael Fielding (DOT Ingredients)

“Sustainability is a feature, not the benefit — surfactants still need to provide measurable formulation and performance advantages to justify adoption. Whether it is improved stability, enhanced mildness, or lower use rates, the value proposition must be tangible for both formulators and end users.” – Michael Fevola (Consumer Solutions)

Speaker: Marie Gargas, American Cleaning Institute

“The surfactants industry is entering a far more fragmented regulatory environment where compliance is no longer just about meeting concentration limits, but also navigating increasingly complex requirements around testing methods, supplier verification, product formulation, and discharge monitoring. As states continue to develop their own approaches to 1,4-dioxane and related chemistries, maintaining trusted science, proactive advocacy, and regulatory consistency will be critical for surfactant manufacturers and formulators.”

Speaker: Nick Smith, Viridi

“Sustainable surfactants will only succeed if they meet the three non-negotiables of the chemical industry: they must be sustainable, perform as well or better than incumbent chemistries, and ultimately be cheaper — not just cost competitive. By using captured CO2 as a drop-in feedstock within existing surfactant infrastructure, we can lower carbon footprint, reduce dioxane formation, improve production economics, and create entirely new surfactant platforms without requiring disruptive manufacturing changes.”

Speaker: Dirk Leinweber, Clariant

“Soil release polymers are becoming an increasingly important complement to surfactants because they allow detergent formulators to improve cleaning performance, reduce surfactant loading, enhance cold-wash efficiency, and simplify concentrated liquid and capsule formulations. The next generation of laundry performance will not come from surfactants alone, but from multifunctional polymer technologies that deliver detergency boosting, rheology control, anti-greying, and fabric protection in a single sustainable solution.”

Speaker: Matteo Bagatti, Ballestra

“Reducing 1,4-dioxane in surfactant production is no longer just a regulatory requirement — it has become a key technology driver for sustainability, process efficiency, product quality, and long-term competitiveness in the detergents industry. By optimizing sulphation process conditions, reactor design, heat integration, and stripping technologies, it is now technically feasible to produce hyper-low dioxane SLES at industrial scale while maintaining operational efficiency and manageable production costs.”

Speaker: Rodrigo Matsushita, Novonesis

“Enzymatic processing gives the surfactants and oleochemicals industry a pathway to significantly lower energy use, improve yields, reduce byproducts, and produce higher-purity ingredients under much milder operating conditions. By combining enzyme technology with advanced reactor design, we can make sustainable surfactant intermediates commercially viable at industrial scale rather than just technically possible.”

Speaker: Steven van Wagensveld, thyssenkrupp

“Traditional fatty acid and esterification technologies are highly energy-intensive and capital-heavy, but enzymatic processing allows us to rethink surfactant intermediate manufacturing with lower temperatures, lower pressure, smaller plant footprints, and reduced carbon emissions. The goal is not simply to make renewable products, but to produce the same surfactant feedstocks more efficiently, more safely, and with significantly better process economics.”

 

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