Speciality chemicals company Lanxess (Cologne / Germany; www.lanxess.com) is broadening its use of artificial intelligence (AI) and aims to cut the time to develop products by half. For this purpose, its Urethane Systems business unit is collaborating with Citrine Informatics (Redwood City, California / USA; www.citrine.io).

Using Citrine’s AI platform, Lanxess has completed the initial project phase that enlarged its database of prepolymer-based formulations. In a next step, the German company will check how reliably optimal formulations can be predicted with the aid of AI to meet customer-specific requirements for product characteristics. If tests are successful, Lanxess said it would be able to fulfill customer requests more quickly and effectively. In a pilot project, Lanxess is deploying AI to optimise glass fibres it uses for high-performance plastics.