GE Water, a business unit of GE Energy (Atlanta, Georgia; www.ge.com/energy), and the National University of Singapore (NUS; www.nus.edu.sg) announced that they have signed an agreement to establish the NUS-GE Singapore Water Technology Center on the campus of NUS. Together,…
Specialty chemical company, Clariant (Muttenz, Switzerland; www.clariant.com), is building a surfactants plant in Zhenjiang, Eastern China to help meet the needs of the country’s growing demand. The new facility is scheduled for production in the middle of 2009. The new…
Royal Dutch Shell plc (The Hauge, Netherlands; www.shell.com) and Codexis, Inc. (Redwood City, Calif.; www.codexis.com) have announced an expanded agreement to develop better biocatalysts that could accelerate commercialization of next generation biofuels. Shell also increased its equity stake in Codexis…
Cambridge Viscosity (www.cambridgeviscosity.com) has announced that the American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) has developed a new standard test method - ASTM D 7483-08 - for the Determination of Dynamic and Kinematic Viscosity of Liquids by Oscillating Piston Viscometer. Oscillating…
ABB (www.abb.com) has won an order worth approximately $62 million from Vale to supply electrification and automation systems and related equipment for a new iron-ore-pellet plant in Oman. The new Vale plant, 230 kilometers northwest of Muscat, is expected to…
Driven by current economic conditions and overcapacity for low-density polyethylene (LDPE) in the North American marketplace, The Dow Chemical Co. (www.dow.com) announced the shutdown of its Poly 2 LDPE plant in Freeport, Texas. The shutdown is expected to be completed…
AkzoNobel (akzonobel.com) has agreed to divest its non-stick coatings business to privately owned, U.S.-based company Whitford Worldwide. Financial details have not been disclosed. The deal involves AkzoNobel's global cookware and bakeware activities, which operate out of five sites in the…
AkzoNobel (Amsterdam, The Netherlands; www.akzonobel.com) is to enhance its chemicals portfolio after making an irrevocable bid on German-based LII Europe. Financial details were not disclosed. LII Europe operates a multi-client chlorine cluster on the Hoechst Industrial Park near Frankfurt. As…
Dow Corning Corp. (Midland, Mich.; www.dowcorning.com) announced several billion dollars of investment to provide critical materials to the fast-growing solar technology industry. Dow Corning will begin manufacturing high-purity monosilane, a key specialty gas used to manufacture thin-film solar cells and liquid…
AkzoNobel (Amsterdam, The Netherlands; www.akzonobel.com) has agreed to acquire a 75/25 majority interest in its Kayaku Akzo Co. Ltd (KAC) joint venture with Nippon Kayaku. KAC has been a 50/50 joint venture between the two companies for nearly 40 years.…