Research and development in the brewing industry is peaking, driven by efforts to improve quality, efficiency and sustainability Within the chemical process industries (CPI), the brewing industry is among the sectors with the deepest historical roots and the most entrenched…
Plant Watch Covestro to invest €1.5 billion in new, world-scale MDI plant in Baytown October 9, 2018 — Covestro AG (Leverkusen, Germany; www.covestro.com) approved an investment of around €1.5 billion to build a new methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) plant in…
While it may not be obvious to the average driver, the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the roads is increasing rapidly, and correspondingly, the number of available charging stations is also growing. Worldwide, about two million electric cars were…
This column is based on “Bio-Butanediol Production from Glucose,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/butanediol-production-cost. Butanediol (BDO) refers to all butylene glycol isomers. The most common isomer — 1,4-butanediol — is a versatile intermediate chemical…
The preliminary value for the August 2018 CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; top; most recent available) increased compared to the previous month’s value, continuing an upward trend that has been in place throughout 2018. The increase, however was driven by…
Shell Chemical Appalachia LLC (Houston, www.shell.us) today announced the successful installation of its quench tower – the largest piece of equipment at its Pennsylvania Petrochemicals Complex, currently under construction. The heavy lift of the quench tower, undertaken October 7, marked…
Perstorp (Malmö, Sweden; www.perstorp.com) announced that it will substantially expand the production capacity of its non-phthalate polyester plasticizer Pevalen in 2019. To accomplish this Perstorp has entered into a long-term production agreement with Italian company Alcoplast Srl. The new partnership…
Plant Watch Dow announces investment plans to increase global silicones production September 12, 2018 — The Dow Chemical Company (Dow; Midland, Mich.; www.dow-dupont.com) will make investments in its global silicones businesses, including plans to build a new hydroxyl functional siloxane…
The preliminary value for the July 2018 CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; the most recent available) increased slightly compared to the previous month’s value, although, due to revisions in the values, the final June value was adjusted downward by a…
The Siemens technology group (Munich, Germany; www.siemens.com) and Sartorius Stedim Biotech (SSB; Aubagne, France; www.sartorius.com), a leading international supplier for the biopharmaceutical industry, have agreed on long-term cooperation in the area of automation. This agreement provides that Sartorius Stedim Biotech…