Business & Economics
2019 CEPCI Updates: August (prelim.) and July (final)
The preliminary value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; the most recent available) for August 2019 decreased from the previous month’s value. The decline is the sixth within the last seven months. While the Construction Labor subindex rose in…
October 2019 Plant Watch
Plant Watch Total-Corbion JV inaugurates PLA bioplastics plant in Thailand September 13, 2019 — Total Corbion PLA, a 50/50 joint venture (JV) between Total S.A. (Paris, France; www.total.com) and Corbion N.V. (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.corbion.com), has inaugurated its polylactic acid…
Technology Profile: Production of 2-propylheptanol
This column is based on “2-Propylheptanol Production Process - Cost Analysis,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/2-propylheptanol-production-cost. Also known as 2-PH and 2-propylheptyl alcohol, 2-propylheptanol is a branched fatty alcohol, primarily used in the production…
Data Analytics: Creating An Analytics-Enabled Workforce
New self-service data analytics tools allow plants to create an analytics-enabled workforce that can readily address production issues and continuously improve processes The specialty chemicals sector of the chemical process industries (CPI) is highly complex, from both a production and…
U.S. chemical production fell in August, ACC says
According to the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com), the U.S. Chemical Production Regional Index (U.S. CPRI) fell 0.3 percent in August following revised declines of 0.7 percent in July and 0.6 percent in June. During August, chemical output…
Emerson adds Digital Transformation Business
Global engineering and technology company Emerson (St. Louis, Mo.; www.emerson.com) announced yesterday that it has established a dedicated organization focused on digital transformation technologies and programs. The new Digital Transformation business – announced at the annual Emerson Global Users Exchange…
Chemical Activity Barometer rises in Sept., ACC says
The Chemical Activity Barometer, a leading economic indicator created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com), was up 0.1 percent in September on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis following a 0.1 percent decline in August and gains…
U.S. specialty chemicals markets rebounded in August, ACC says
Reflecting a rebound of manufacturing production, U.S. specialty chemicals market volumes rose 0.2 percent in August after falling 0.1 percent in July, rising 0.2 percent in June and a generally weak early 2019, according to the American Chemistry Council (ACC;…
Air Liquide to supply industrial gases for methanol plant expansion in Louisiana
Air Liquide (Paris, France; www.airliquide.com) announces an agreement with Methanex Corp. (Vancouver, B.C.; www.methanex.com) to supply oxygen, nitrogen and utilities to its upcoming methanol plant expansion project in Geismar, La. To serve Methanex and its other customers in the industrial…
2019 Packaging Innovation Awards announced by Dow
Yesterday, Dow (Midland, Mich.; www.dow.com) announced the winners of the 2019 Packaging Innovation Awards, which recognize the packaging industry’s top achievements in innovative packaging design, materials, technologies and processes. The highest honor, the Diamond Award, went to Dai Nippon Printing…