Business & Economics
U.S. chemical industry ended 2012 with trade surplus, ACC report says
The U.S. ended 2012 with an overall trade surplus of $815 million, with $188 billion in exports and $187 billion in imports, according to the latest Weekly Chemistry and Economic Report from the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com).…
UNI announces microwave-technology license agreement
University of Northern Iowa's (www.uni.edu)"Modern Marvel" has been licensed for commercialization by Iowa company Marion Mixers (Cedar Rapids, Iowa; www.marionmixers.com). Its movement into the market has the potential to reduce U.S. energy consumption by 8.5%, or 338 million bbl/yr of…
Metrohm and FOSS enter strategic alliance
Metrohm AG (Herisau, Switzerland; www.metrohm.com) and FOSS (Hilleroed, Denmark ; www.foss.dk) have entered into a strategic alliance strengthening the two companies’ leading positions in their respective key markets. In this strategic alliance, Metrohm will become the sole global distributor of…
Outotec to deliver large grinding mills to Zambia
Outotec Oyj (Espoo, Finland; www.outotec) and the mining and metals company First Quantum Minerals Ltd. (FQML) have agreed on the delivery of an additional three grinding mills to FQML's subsidiaries in Zambia to complement Outotec's previous process equipment deliveries. The…
KBR wins license and design package for Bolivia fertilizer project
KBR (Houston; www.kbr.com) says it was awarded a contract by Samsung Engineering Co. to provide a technology license, basic engineering design package, and supply of proprietary equipment for a 1,200 metric tons per day ammonia fertilizer plant in Carrasco, Bolivia.…
Technip awarded revamp contract for a refinery in Mexico
Technip (Paris, France; www.technip.com), in a consortium with Construcciones Industriales Tapia, was awarded by Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) through its subsidiary Pemex Refinación, a contract for the revamp of one of the conversion unit of the Ing. Héctor R. Lara Sosa…
VCI: Free world trade is at the top of the political agenda
The German Chemical Industry Assn. (Verband der Chemischen Industrie, VCI; Frankfurt am Main, Germany; www.vci.de) supports a rapid start of negotiations between the E.U. and the U.S. towards a transatlantic free trade zone. The VCI’s director-general Dr. Utz Tillmann is…
Solvay to build a new silica plant in Poland
Solvay S.A. (Brussels, Belgium; www.solvay.com) says it will invest €75 million to build a new 85,000-ton/yr Highly Dispersible Silica (HDS) plant in Wloclawek, Poland. Combined with a further capacity expansion at its site in Qingdao (China), these two investments will…
Commercial-scale production of bio-based BDO announced
Genomatica (San Diego, Calif.; www.genomatica.com) and DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products Co., (DT&L; Loudon, Tenn.; www.duponttateandlyle.com) announced the first successful commercial-scale production of 1,4-butanediol (BDO) using a bio-based manufacturing process. BDO is an intermediate chemical used in a wide…
Metso strengthens its automation service capabilities in Thailand
Metso Corp. (Helsinki, Finland; www.metso.com) has opened a new automation service center in Ratchaburi, Thailand. The service center supports Metso’s strategy to grow its Automation business globally and strengthens Metso’s service capabilities in Thailand. Metso has large installed base for…