The Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB), a leading economic indicator created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com), rose 0.1 percent in July on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis, improving upon June and May performances which were essentially…
The preliminary value for the May 2018 CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; most recent available) once again increased substantially compared to the previous month’s value, continuing a string of monthly increases since the beginning of 2018. The rise seems to…
Covestro (Leverkusen, Germany; www.covestro.com) intends to significantly expand its global film production to meet the growing demand in all regions. In particular, capacity expansions are planned at Map Ta Phut, Thailand, Guangzhou, China, South Deerfield, USA, and Dormagen, Germany. The…
Cortec (Houma, La.; www.uscortec.com), a leading manufacturer of high quality API chokes, valves and manifolds, and Louisiana Economic Development (LED) have announced a $2.5 million expansion of Cortec’s industrial coatings facility in Port Allen, La. Cortec and LED began working…
The following is a list of recently published books that may be relevant to different parts of the chemical process industries (CPI). Microplastic Contamination in Aquatic Environments: An Emerging Matter of Environmental Urgency. Edited by Eddy Y. Zeng, Elsevier…
Data collected and tabulated by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) show that the global chemical industry continued on a good note as the second quarter progressed. ACC’s Global Chemical Production Regional Index (Global CPRI) shows that global…
The preliminary value for the April 2018 CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; most recent available) jumped compared to the previous month’s value, continuing a string of monthly increases since the beginning of the year. And for the third consecutive month,…
The American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) reported that U.S. specialty chemicals market volumes continued to gain during the second quarter, increasing 0.5 percent in May, after an upwardly revised 1.0 percent gain in April and a 0.4 percent…
North Kingstown, Rhode Island—(June 20, 2018) Toray Plastics (America), Inc. (North Kingstown, Rhode Island; www.toraypta.com) has completed a two-year, $40 million expansion at its PEF Division in Front Royal, Virginia. The company officially launched a new extrusion line, a new…
Clariant (Muttenz, Switzerland; www.clariant.com), a world leader in specialty chemicals, today announced the official opening of two new, fully-owned additives facilities at its site in Zhenjiang, China. This completes a multi-million CHF investment originally announced last year and puts Clariant’s…