Sarah Sontupe
Mitchell Frishberg
Mariangely Colon
Mikul Muzumdar
Rutgers Business School
Jeana Wirtenberg
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The business innovation is the catalytic ozone converter. It is not a new product, as it was invented in the 1970s. The ozone converter is installed in aircraft cabins to convert ozone (O3) to breathable oxygen (O2). This innovation supports good health, responsible consumption, and economic growth.
The business innovation is the catalytic ozone converter. It is not a new product, as it was invented in the 1970s. According to the article, “The Evolution of Catalytic Converters,” the first catalytic converters were created to be installed in cars to fight pollution in major cities caused by pollutants emitted from motor vehicles. (https://eic.rsc.org/feature/the-evolution-of-catalytic-converters/2020252.article). This technology was implemented when creating BASF’s product, the ozone converter. The ozone converter is installed in aircraft cabins to convert ozone (O3) to breathable oxygen (O2). Ozone is a respiratory irritant that can cause sickness and drowsiness. There is a high concentration of ozone in the air at high altitudes, so if it gets into the airplane cabin the ozone converter turns it into breathable oxygen.
In 1973 there was a large oil crisis, so airplanes began flying at higher altitudes to preserve fuel since the air pressure is lower. BASF, formerly Engelhard Company, was asked to conduct plane studies after numerous pilots reported being unusually drowsy when they began flying at high altitudes. The studies revealed that high levels of ozone were getting into the cabin. Engelhard Company was asked to conduct studies and come up with a solution since they were responsible for creating catalytic converters in cars. The solution was a catalytic ozone converter. They were motivated to keep passengers safe when flying. They wanted to keep pilots alert to prevent crashes, and they also wanted to keep them and the passengers healthy. Breathing ozone is unhealthy and BASF was determined to keep the passengers and crew as safe and healthy as possible.
Aside from BASF’s involvement in creating the ozone converters, engineers at Engelhard Company played a large role in creating this innovation before BASF acquired ownership. BASF continued to develop this product through research and teaming up with large aerospace companies like Boeing. By teaming up with these large airplane organizations, BASF was able to implement their ozone converters into airplanes and assist in creating breathable air for people on the aircraft. One of BASF’s main priorities is maintaining a close and open dialogue with their stakeholders, which includes customers and employees as well as members of academia, society, politics and more. This is further extended in BASF’s article, “Engaging stakeholders” at https://report.basf.com/2016/en/managements-report/our-strategy/sustainability-management/stakeholders.html. Due to this close dialogue, it was easy for BASF to communicate this innovation to its stakeholders and listen to their feedback. BASF’s innovation meets several of the United Nations Sustainable Development goals. It promotes good health by preventing passengers and crew from breathing ozone. It supports responsible consumption by allowing planes to fly at high altitudes and use less fuel. Lastly, it provides good jobs and economic growth through airplane manufacturers. Since 1980, BASF has been the leading supplier of ozone removal systems for Boeing, Airbus, Gulfstream, Dassault, and many other aircrafts (https://catalysts.basf.com/products-and-industries/aircraft-cabin-fuel-inerting). The innovation has improved BASF economically by selling to these large manufacturers, allowing them to expand and provide more jobs.
Our interviewee feels inspired by the product because he feels “it is fulfilling to have a product that keeps the air clean, keeps people safe and improves health conditions.” He is also impressed by the new innovation that comes from the ozone converter that allows them “to protect people and machinery.” These special ozone converters have a secondary function to support fuel tank inerting systems. They protect membranes from decomposing, allowing them to create inert gas, which prevents fuel tanks from exploding. To put the importance of these systems into context, they were implemented as a solution to the 1996 TWA 800 crash of the Boeing 747. Our interviewee is proud and inspired by this innovation that promotes health, safety, and economical consumption.
This innovation relates to a sense of mission, purpose, and meaning as it benefits everyone and anyone who takes flight miles above ground level. Before this innovation, pilots were dozing off and everyone on the plane was subject to the adverse health effects caused by ozone exposure. BASF aimed to “protect people and equipment from unwanted pollutants.” They had a mission to “improve air quality with innovation and intelligent emission control technologies for a sustainable future” (https://catalysts.basf.com/products-and-industries/aircraft-cabin-fuel-inerting/aircraft-cabin-ozone-converters).
Their product has been proven to significantly reduce ozone in aircrafts. This means airplanes can fly at higher altitudes, improve fuel economy, and passengers on the flight will not feel air sickness. The product also protects membranes within fuel tank inerting systems, which are in most airplanes. These two uses promote health and safety on flights, as well as helps the environment. The innovation has also allowed BASF to sell more products to plane manufacturers such as Boeing, Airbus, Gulfstream, and Dassault, It increased profitability by allowing the business to sell different products to customers.
The BASF ozone converters promoted investment and tooling. The company invested a vast amount of money and time into these projects with the long-term effects in mind but the short-term effects were put into action from the start. This innovation needed a department, the people and scientists and engineers to design and fit these converters into various aircrafts. Long term, the innovation improved profitability, allowing the company to sell more products to more companies.
Our interviewee stated very little quantitative facts as it is confidential and the company cannot share much of those numbers, only a few percentages. Mr. Frishberg reported that he is unable to share certain data for “confidential reasons”. Although, he did say the innovation helped the company financially, improving profits by “a certain percentage.” It made the company “become profitable because it allowed them to sell different products to their customers.”
A short-term effect would be the immediate impact the innovation has once it is installed in the plane. According to BASF’s website, the product uses “Deoxo technology to reduce both harmful ozone and volatile organic compounds in aircraft cabin air” (http://aerospace.basf.com/product-spotlight/deoxo/). The innovation “keeps people safe and improves health conditions. It makes sure pilots aren’t coming home fatigued after a long flight.” Because of this effect, it allowed planes to reduce fuel consumption because they can safely fly at higher altitudes.
The innovation is now installed on numerous airplanes, improving air quality and safety for all passengers on these flights. They have improved their innovation and found new uses for it. The new enhancements made converters lighter and more cost-efficient, allowed them to filter out volatile organic compounds which produce unfavorable jet fuel odor, and allow them to protect fuel inerting membranes. The innovation’s impact on air quality has been proven through data collected by BASF. They observed the ozone levels in US domestic flights from 2008, 2010, and 2013 with and without ozone converters. The Federal Aviation Administration set regulations regarding ozone (O3) levels in aircraft cabins, allowing an average of 100 ppb (parts per billion) O3 over a three hour period and a peak of 250 ppb O3. BASF tested US domestic flights without an O3 catalyst converter and 1/46 flights failed with a peak O3 greater than 250 ppb. Additionally, 10% of flights had a peak O3 greater than 100 ppb. These levels are enough to cause symptoms of ozone exposure. Then they tested US domestic flights with their O3 catalyst converter and 100% passed with three-hour average values less than 10 ppb (https://catalysts.basf.com/public/files/pdf/BASF_Deoxo_Ozone_Converters_Create_Healthier_Cabin_Air_180209_122351.pdf). This means BASF’s O3 converters efficiently keep ozone at a safe level, opposed to planes without a converter.
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Bruce Frishberg, Procurement Manager
BASF is the largest chemical company in the world that continues to create new innovations that better society. As their slogan states "We create chemistry" because they are constantly inventing new ideas.