LyondellBasell (Rotterdam, The Netherlands; www.lyondellbasell.com) has received a key permit required in the company's multi-plant ethylene expansion program which, when fully operational, is expected to increase annual ethylene capacity by an estimated 840,000 metric tons per yer (m.t./yr) for a…
The Global Chemical Production Regional Index (Global CPRI) rose 0.4% in March, on a three-month-moving-average basis, according to the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com). Production gains in the Western Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Africa and Middle East regions…
The CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI) preliminary value for February 2014 (the most recent available) is 0.4% higher than the final values from January. The Equipment, Labor, Buildings and Engineering sub-indexes all saw small increases, although some of the individual…
Industrial Process Scale-up: A Practical Innovation Guide from Idea to Commercial Implementation. By Jan Harmsen. Elsevier Inc., 225 Wyman St., Waltham, MA 02144. Web: elsevier.com. 2013. 112 pages. $64.95. Reviewed by Jim Gregory, Senior Process Engineer, Fluor, Greenville, S.C. …
Batra McMillian McCairns Martin Boyle Udit Batra becomes president and CEO of EMD Millipore (Boston, Mass.), the Life Science Div. of Merck KGaA and a supplier of solutions for biopharmaceutical research, development and manufacturing. Antwan McMillian is named manager…
FRI is lucky to have survived a simple valve-tray project. A few years ago, the low-pressure (LP) test column stood empty, because there were no trays ready to be installed. The intention was to install a set of new valve…
Plant Watch Lanxess inaugurates new high-tech plastics plant in Brazil April 10, 2014 — Lanxess AG (Cologne, Germany; www.lanxess.com) inaugurated its new high-tech plastics plant in Porto Feliz, Brazil. The company has invested around €20 million in the facility, which…
Arkema (Colombes, France; www.arkema.com) has inaugurated a new electrolysis unit at its Jarrie plant near Grenoble, France. This €100 million investment has enabled the facility to adapt to the latest regulations on industrial risks and to convert its mercury electrolysis…
Bayer MaterialScience AG (Leverkusen, Germany; www.materialscience.bayer.de) has been issued the permit for the expansion and operation of its hydrochloric acid facility in Dormagen. The Cologne district authority issued the corresponding ruling on Tuesday following a detailed appraisal. The company can…
Honeywell’s (Morristown, N.J.; www.honeywell.com) Resins and Chemicals division has announced that it will expand production capacity at its Chesterfield, Va., facility to meet demand for high-grade nylon polymers for packaging film and other applications. The new production line will be…