Our Commitment

Environmental Stewardship

Renewable Raw Materials

Green Chemistry

Greener Alternatives for Customers

Water management programs

Environmental Performance

A Greener Mindset

Natural, Renewable Raw Materials
 

Longleaf pine trees

Hercules’ environmental story dates back to its early days, as the company began to diversify from our original explosives business. One of the first “new” directions was naval stores (resins derived from pine trees). This business was, and remains, based on the use of natural and renewable raw materials and recycling.

This theme continues today, as Hercules transforms unwanted or low-value materials into beneficial products that have performance and environmental advantages.

Some examples include:
 

• The residual fuzz remaining on cotton seeds—known as cotton linters—and wood pulp are an economical source of raw cellulose, used in making water-soluble polymers for many industrial applications.
   

• Guar gum, from guar beans, is another source for making versatile water-soluble polymers.
   

• Crude tall oil, a waste byproduct from wood pulping, is upgraded into a sizing agent for paper manufacture.
   

• Vegetable oil and animal fats are raw materials for paper sizing and defoamers.
   

• Old tree stumps from the longleaf pine are recycled into rosins used in adhesives and other products

Our Brunswick, Georgia, plant—which transforms the pine stumps into valuable products—is the only one of its kind in the world and was featured on The History Channel’s Modern Marvels show in its “Sticky Stuff” episode in July 2007.

Learn more about our green chemistry here.

Guar is a drought-tolerant annual legume crop.  Over 80% of the total worldwide guar crop is grown in India.  Guar gum is a natural water soluble polymer produced from processed (milled) guar beans and is commonly used as a food ingredient. Guar (chemical name: galactomannan) can also be chemically derivatized to deliver specific, functional properties.

All trademarks of Hercules Incorporated or its affiliates appear in italics. The exception is Responsible Care and essential₂, which are registered trademarks of the American Chemistry Council.