The August 2016 preliminary value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; the most recent available) was slightly lower than the downwardly revised July number. Some equipment subcategories, such as Process Machinery and Electical Equipment, saw small increases, while others,…
Praxair, Inc. (Danbury, Conn.; www.praxair.com), through its Brazilian subsidiary White Martins, has signed a long-term agreement expanding its supply of oxygen to Fibria Celulose S/A (www.fibria.com.br) in Três Lagoas, Brazil. Fibria is the world’s largest producer of eucalyptus pulp, exporting…
Wacker Chemie AG (Munich, Germany; www.wacker.com) is expanding its research and development (R&D) facilities for silicones by establishing a new R&D center located in Ann Arbor, Mich. The facility is dedicated to support Wacker’s overall business and product development in…
Novamont (Novara, Italy; www.novamont.com), the Italy-based world leader in bioplastics, with 1,000 patents in biopolymers and biochemicals, announced they have opened the world’s first commercial-scale facility for the bio-based production of a major intermediate chemical, in Bottrighe (Adria), North East…
The July 2016 preliminary value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; the most recent available) was substantially higher than the previous month’s value, reversing the small decrease from the June CPI value. All four of the subindices rose, with…
The American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.chemengonline.com) reported that U.S. specialty chemicals market volumes rose 0.3 percent in August. This follows a 0.4 percent gain in July and a 0.3 percent decline in June. All changes in the data…
Emerging Membrane Technology for Sustainable Water Treatment, Edited by Rajindar Singh and Nicholas Hankins, Elsevier, 2016, 480 pages, $190.00. Nanotechnology Safety: Application of Prevention through Design Principles to Nanotechnology Facilities (IEST Recommended Practice NANO205.1), by the Institute of Environmental Science…
The American Chemistry Council’s (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) Global Chemical Production Regional Index (Global CPRI) shows that growth in the industry has been nearly flat most of the year thus far. The headline index for July rose just 0.1 percent…
The Chemistry Activity Barometer (CAB), a leading economic indicator created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com), expanded 0.4 percent in August, following an upward revision for July. This marks the barometer’s sixth consecutive monthly gain. Accounting for…
The Specialty Chemicals Market Volume Index, a tool created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) entered the third quarter of 2016 on a positive note, rising 0.2 percent in July. This follows a 0.3 percent decline in…