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Clariant begins construction of flame retardants production facility in China

Specialty chemical company Clariant (Muttenz, Switzerland; www.clariant.com) today announced that it will construct its first Chinese production facility for its successful Exolit OP flame retardants at its existing site in Daya Bay, Huizhou, Guangdong Province. By establishing local production capacity,…

2021 CEPCI Updates: October (prelim.) and September (final)

The preliminary value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI) for October 2021 (the most recent available) is once again higher than the previous month, continuing the upward trajectory of the index that has been observed for the past year.…

Perstorp expands capacity for trimethylolpropane (TMP)

Perstorp (Malmö, Sweden; www.perstorp.com), the leading producer of trimethylolpropane (TMP), has ramped up the capacity to meet growing demand from the European market. TMP is used to enhance the properties of numerous materials. Common applications include the use in saturated…

U.S. chemical industry on solid course after a tough year, ACC says

Despite a challenging year, U.S. chemical production expanded in 2021 as the post-lockdown spending surge boosted demand for chemicals and other goods and materials, according to the American Chemistry Council’s (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) Year-End 2021 Chemical Industry Situation and…

Lingering hurricane impacts weighed on October U.S. chemical production, ACC says

The U.S. Chemical Production Regional Index (U.S. CPRI) eased by 0.3% in October, following a 1.6% decline in September and a 0.4% decline in August, according to the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com). Chemical output declined in all…

Clariant offers free nitrous-oxide-abatement catalyst to nitric acid producers

Clariant (Muttenz, Switzerland; www.clariant.com), a focused, sustainable and innovative specialty chemical company, today launched a major global campaign to reduce the climate change impact of nitrous oxide (N2O). Drawing on decades of catalyst research expertise, the company has developed the…

2021 CEPCI Updates: September (prelim.) and August (final)

The preliminary value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI) for September 2021 (most recent available) continues the streak of rapid monthly increases observed since the beginning of the year. The Index topped 750, after beginning the year at around…

CE Podcast: Lummus Technology CEO Leon De Bruyn

This episode of the Chemical Engineering podcast features Leon De Bruyn, CEO of Lummus Technology.  It has been a year since Lummus began operations as a standalone company, rather than as part of a larger firm. In the podcast, Leon…

Recently Published Books for the CPI: November 2021

The following is a list of recently published books with relevance to various parts of the chemical process industries (CPI) Biodiesel Technology and Applications. Edited by Inamuddin, Mohd Imran Ahamed, Rajender Boddula and Mashallah Rezakazemi, Wiley & Sons Publishing Ltd.,…

U.S. chemical production declined in Sept., ACC says

Reflecting ongoing hurricane disruptions and supply chain challenges, the U.S. Chemical Production Regional Index (U.S. CPRI) fell by 1.5% in September, following a 0.4% decline in August and a 1.1% gain in July, according to the American Chemistry Council (ACC;…