NIGU Chemie GmbH
In 1947 Matthias Thoma founded "Chemische Werke Lowi". The only product produced at that time was guanidine carbonate. In the 1950's nitroguanidine and other products were added to the product range. The expanding market for nitroguanidine resulted in the founding of "NIGU Chemie GmbH" in 1964
In 1987 and later in 1992, SKW Trostberg AG acquired a 100% share of the company in a two step process.
In 2001 the merger of SKW Trostberg AG with Degussa-Hüls AG created Degussa AG, which later became Evonik Industries AG.
Since 2006 Nigu Chemie GmbH together with the former SKW sites on the river Alz, has been part of new AlzChem AG.
As early as the 1970's, a unique sulfuric acid recycling plant was put into operation, meeting concerns for environmental protection.
Today technologically advanced airbag inflators and seat belt pretension systems are part of vehicle occupant safety systems with high growth rates. Nigu contributes significantly with nitroguanidine, used in gas propellants and boron- potassium-nitrate as an igniting mixture. In close cooperation with our customers, formulations based on our nitroguanidine were developed, which can eliminate the use of azide- and ammonium nitrate based generants. The non-toxic, yield optimized gas generants satisfy all of today’s requirements for technical reliability, long running thermal stability, environmental friendliness and cost-effectiveness.
A further application for our nitroguanidine and its derivatives is the manufacture of neonicotinoide based plant protection agents.
With the production of ultrapure guanidine salts the entry in the future market of auxiliaries for biotechnology, diagnostics and pharmaceuticals took place in 1993. Ultrapure guanidine hydrochloride is used in down-stream processing in the production of modern recombinant (genetically modified) pharmaceutical active ingredients, called biopharmaceuticals and biosimilars.
Guanidine thiocyanate is used in extraction buffers for molecular diagnostics, specifically the isolation of DNA and RNA fragments from biological specimens and subsequent clinical or forensic diagnostics ("genetic fingerprinting") and for molecular biological research.
