Interview with Marco Bracher

Marco Bracher, Marketing and Technical Director, Hydrior AG
Hydrior AG

Mr. Bracher, can you tell us a little bit about the Hydrior AG? 

Hydrior AG was founded in Bodio (Switzerland) in 1946. Initially it dealt with the high-pressure hydrogenation of fats. The resulting fatty alcohols were processed into surfactants for the laundry and textile industries. The company relocated its headquarters to Wettingen in 1948 in order to be able to produce closer to its customers. The new location was designed entirely for batch production. The anionic surfactants were produced in enamelled multi-purpose reactors followed by neutralisation in stainless steel reactors. 

After 1962, the production of ester products was made possible by the construction of a high-temperature esterification plant. The first non-ionic Hydrior surfactants were obtained by the reaction of fatty acids with amines or with long-chain polyethylene glycols. The esterification products ideally complemented the product range and fulfilled the requirements of surfactants from various industries.

The specialisation of the products through the esterification process was promoted. In 2003, Hydrior polyglycerol esters, a product group in line with the cosmetic trend, came onto the market.

Which competences define Hydrior?

In recent years, Hydrior AG has continued to specialise in the production of innovative, high-performance natural cosmetic raw materials. Sustainability is a top priority at Hydrior AG. Whenever possible, vegetable, palm oil-free raw materials are used.

The technical expertise paired with the great flexibility offer the customer the opportunity to implement demanding projects with Hydrior AG even at short notice. Tailor-made Surfactants’ are not just buzzwords, but are applied in practice. Hydrior AG thus offers the customer the possibility to have the aqueous surfactants preserved according to customer specifications and to make fine adjustments in viscosity or pH value.

Production in a batch reactor also enables the products to be offered cost-effectively as a mixture with other raw materials.

Hydrior AG also offers a complete range of services for other companies, such as contract manufacturing including safety data sheet preparation. 

How can your customers benefit from these areas of expertise?

In the emulsion sector, Hydrior AG is happy to support its customers in their formulation tasks with the application technology laboratory, which includes several laboratory process plants. With these, low-scale emulsions of up to 10 kg can be produced, similar to the modern process systems of cosmetics manufacturers.

Analytical instruments such as Ring, Bubble Pressure or Spinning Drop Tensiometers enable optimal customer support in questions concerning the interfacial and surface tension of products and raw materials. This enables Hydrior AG to efficiently work out a formulation proposal for an emulsion or solubilisation for customers.

Where do you see your special strengths for the detergent industry?

The industrial environment in the surfactant sector has changed considerably over the last 30 years. The industry is increasingly dominated by large multinational companies that are constantly optimizing their logistics and product portfolios. This reduces their flexibility in both areas. Hydrior AG fills this gap and can rise above its competitors with flexible logistics and low minimum order quantities without small quantity surcharges. Hydrior AG has its own large-scale storage capacities for raw materials and standard products. This enables short-term deliveries and shorter production lead times.

In addition, tried and tested detergent base mixtures offer the customer the possibility of adding colour and fragrance to produce an individual detergent without a great deal of effort.

Mr. Bracher, thank you very much for your comments.