Chemical Engineering
DuPont to acquire Spectrum Plastics Group
DuPont (Wilmington, Del.) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Spectrum Plastics Group from AEA Investors. The purchase price will be paid from existing cash balances. The transaction is expected to close by the end of…
Petrofac secures EPC contract for refinery upgrade in Lithuania
Petrofac Ltd. (St. Helier, U.K.) has secured an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) lump sum contract from ORLEN Lietuva, as it continues to support a comprehensive modernisation, environmental upgrade, and expansion Programme at the Mažeikiai Refinery in North-West Lithuania. The…
Grace starts up three PP reactor lines in China, signs new license with PetroChina
W.R. Grace & Co (Grace; Columbia, Md.) announced the successful start-up of several polypropylene (PP) reactor lines in China. Dongguan Grand Resource Science & Technology Co., Ltd. (Dongguan Grand Resource) started up its second plant (consisting of two reactor lines)…
LyondellBasell takes full ownership of QCP joint venture with acquisition of Veolia’s stake
LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (Rotterdam, the Netherlands) and Veolia Belgium have signed an agreement to restructure the ownership of Quality Circular Polymers (QCP) BV recycling facilities, with locations in Belgium and the Netherlands. Veolia will sell its 50% share to LyondellBasell…
Suncor to acquire TotalEnergies EP Canada for around $4 billion
Suncor Energy Inc. (Calgary, Alta. Canada) has agreed to acquire the entirety of the shares of TotalEnergies EP Canada Ltd for a consideration including a C$5.5 billion cash payment at closing (about US$4.1 billion) and additional payments that could reach…
AnoxKaldnes to deliver world’s largest MBBR wastewater-treatment system in Sweden
AnoxKaldnes, a subsidiary of Veolia focused on moving-bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) based solutions, will supply its space-saving and capacity-increasing solution to support the upgrade of Käppalaverket (Käppala wastewater treatment plant) in Lidingö in Sweden, owned by Käppalaförbundet (Käppala Association). The…
These nonwovens are electrically conductive, but thermally insulating
Researchers at the University of Bayreuth (Germany; www.uni-bayreuth.de) have developed nonwoven materials that exhibit an unusual combination of high electrical conductivity and extremely low thermal conductivity. These composites of carbon and silicon-based ceramic can be manufactured and processed cost-effectively by…
Owning Your Career: Transitioning From a Technical Role
Making the decision to change career paths from a technical role to a more managerial one can be difficult. Here are some considerations to take into account As a technically trained chemical engineer, career opportunities are very broad with respect…
Scaleup for a hydro-organic-metallurgical process
Following a successful proof-of-concept to recycle spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) using reagent extracted from fruit peel waste, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU; www.ntu.edu.sg) has partnered with Se-cure Waste Management Pte. Ltd. (SWM; Singapore; www.se-curewaste.com) to scale up the technology in…
Cutting Cost and Waste with Rinsewater Recycling
Onsite recovery conserves one of the most precious resources — water. A well-engineered, closed-loop recycling system can pay dividends in avoided costs to treat and discharge wastewater In Southern California, few businesses dispute the need for water conservation. In a…