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Evonik to increase production capacity for 1-butene  

Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany; www.evonik.com) plans to increase the production capacity for 1-butene at its Marl site by 75,000 metric tons (m.t.) per year, and start-up is scheduled for 2015. With a total capacity of 310,000 m.t., Evonik would…

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Successful startup of Datang Phase 1 SNG plant in China  

Davy Process Technology (Davy; London, U.K.; www.davyprotech.com), a wholly owned Johnson Matthey subsidiary, and Johnson Matthey announce the successful startup of a new substitute natural gas (SNG) plant owned and operated by Datang Energy Chemical Co. (Datang) in Keshiketeng County,…

Durable goods orders down 13.2% in August, ACC report notes

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau that were included in the latest American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) Weekly Chemistry and Economic report indicate that orders for durable goods fell by 13.2% in the U.S in August, the largest…

Capital equipment prices drop 1.9% from June to July

Capital equipment prices, as reflected in the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPC), dropped 1.9% from June to July (the most recent data). Meanwhile, the Current Business Indicators from IHS Global Insight, including the operating rate, dropped slightly from July to…

Robert Card becomes president and CEO of SNC-Lavalin…

Correction: From the October 2012 Letters page: Who's Who that ran in the print edition of Chemical Engineering had two spelling errors: Blachoh Fluid Control is correctly spelled Blacoh Fluid Control, and the headquarters of CST International is Lenexa, Kan.…

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KBR to provide license and design package for olefins recovery unit in China  

KBR (Houston; www.kbr.com) was awarded a license and process-design package contract for a new Olefins Recovery Unit in Yulin city, Shanxi Province, China. The client owns an existing commercial plant of coal-to-olefins which was put into production in 2011 and…

ChemInnovations 2012 Conference & Expo Preview

The 3rd ChemInnovations conference and tradeshow will take place in New Orleans, La. November 13–15. ChemInnovations is an educational conference and exhibition tailored for chemical engineers who work in the chemical process industries (CPI). Organized by Chemical Engineering and its…

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BP agrees to sell Carson refinery and more business news

Plant Watch Solvay increases fluorinated-derivatives production capacity in France September 6, 2012 — Solvay S.A. (Brussels, Belgium; www.solvay.com) is investing over €10 million to double the capacity of the fluorinated aliphatic-derivatives production line at its plant in Salindres, France. The…

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Air Products to build new ASU for enhanced natural-gas recovery in the Netherlands  

Air Products (Lehigh Valley, Pa.; www.airproducts.com) says it will build and operate a new air separation unit (ASU) for Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij B.V. (NAM), a joint venture between Shell and Esso. The company has secured the necessary environmental and permit…

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Demand for new technology drives multi-million AkzoNobel expansion  

AkzoNobel (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.akzonobel.com) is to boost capacity at one of its U.S. sites in order to meet increasing demand from the semi-conductor industry, particularly for the production of light emitting diodes (LEDs). Financial details were not disclosed. The…