WACKER Presents Innovation Awards for Development of Novel Binders for Adhesives and Coatings

The Munich-based chemicals group WACKER has awarded this year's Alexander WACKER Innovation Award to Dr. Lars Zander and Dr. Volker Stanjek from the WACKER Silicones business unit in recognition of their work on the development of new binders. These chemists found a way to combine rigid phenyl silicon resins with elastic hybrid polymers to produce products with advanced property profiles. The binders in question are well suited for the formulation of high-performance and ultra-strong adhesives and sealants, wood varnishes and floor covering materials. The innovation award, accompanied by a cash prize of EUR 10,000, was presented yesterday at WACKER's annual research symposium held in Burghausen, Germany.

WACKER Innovation Award 2018

Volker Stanjek, a chemist working in the Construction Silicones business unit, became the first employee to win the highly regarded award for a second time. As a silane specialist, Stanjek was a member of the three-person team that won the award in 2008 for their work on alpha-silanes. During the award ceremony, WACKER Board Member Dr. Christian Hartel said: "Mr. Stanjek laid the chemical foundations for the innovation we are honoring today with his work on the development of alpha-silane technology. This demonstrates the innovation potential that this technology offers."