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Mitsui and Sinopec JVs announce three plant startups

Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (MCI; Tokyo; www.mitsuichem.com) and China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) have announced the startup of what is said to be one of the world’s largest EPT (ethylene-propylene-dieneterpolymer) plants for a single train under their joint venture (JV),…

Economic Indicator suggests stable growth in most OECD economies, ACC says

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD; Paris, France; www.oecd.org) most recent composite leading indicator (CLI) suggests stable growth momentum in the OECD as a whole, according to the latest Weekly Chemistry and Economic Report from the American Chemistry…

Chevron Phillips completes Sweeny ethylene expansion

Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. LP (The Woodlands, Tex.; www.cpchem.com) announced completion of an ethylene expansion at its Sweeny complex in Old Ocean, Tex. With the addition of a tenth furnace to ethylene unit 33 at the Sweeny complex, the expansion…

Alcoa to double capacity for high-tech coatings in Michigan

Alcoa Power and Propulsion, a unit of Alcoa Inc. (Pittsburgh, Pa.; www.alcoa.com), is doubling its high-technology coating capacity at its Whitehall, Michigan facility. The $16.7 million investment will position the Company to further capture growing demand for advanced jet-engine parts.…

U.S. chemical industry set to outpace overall U.S. economic growth, ACC year-end outlook says

Despite facing global headwinds, the American chemical industry expanded at a healthy 2.0% growth rate in 2014, and is expected to reach a 3.7% gain in output in 2015, before hitting 3.9% in 2016, according to the Year End 2014…

Evonik starts up production facilities for crosslinking activators

Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany; www.evonik.com) has started up two new plant units for the production of crosslinking activators at its multi-user site in Wesseling. With triallyl cyanurate (TAC) and triallyl isocyanurate (TAICROS), the company now offers two high-quality crosslinking activators…

Teijin begins OEM production of new phosphorus flame retardant  

Teijin Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan; www.teijin.com) says that mass production of its new phosphorus flame retardant FCX-210 began at a 1,000-tons-per-annum plant operated by chemical manufacturer Chitec Technology (Taipei, Taiwan) on November 25. Teijin is developing FCX-210 applications for enhanced safety…

Bayer MaterialScience inaugurates TDI plant in Dormagen

Bayer MaterialScience AG (Leverkusen, Germany; www.materialscience.bayer.de) has successfully concluded a major capital expenditure project in Germany. The company brought an ultra-efficient and resource-conserving world-scale plant for the production of the chemical toluene diisocyanate (TDI), a main component in high-quality foams,…

Solvay to acquire Brazilian specialty-esters manufacturer Dhaymers

Solvay S.A. (Brussels, Belgium; www.solvay.com) announced that it is acquiring Dhaymers, a Brazilian manufacturer of specialty esters, entering the skincare market and expanding its presence in industrial lubricants and mining industries in Latin America.            …

Air Liquide breaks ground on new ASU in Texas

Air Liquide’s (Paris, France; www.airliquide.com) Large Industries U.S. LP group hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for a new air-separation unit (ASU) that will produce oxygen, nitrogen and argon at its production facility in Port Neches, Tex. The new ASU will produce…