Chemical Engineering
Sabic starts up PP compounding line in Belgium
SABIC (Jubail, Saudi Arabia) has announced the start-up of its new polypropylene (PP) compounding line in Genk, Belgium with a virtual inauguration event. The new line is an addition to the company’s existing production capacity for SABIC® polypropylene compounds at the…
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2021: Asymmetric Organocatalysis
Today, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2021 Nobel prize in Chemistry to Benjamin List from the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung (Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany); and David W.C. MacMillan from Princeton University (Princeton, N.J.), for the development of…
Lummus to provide heaters for KINEF refinery upgrade in Russia
Lummus Technology (Houston) announced it has been awarded a contract from Limited Liability Company Kirishinefteorgsintez (KINEF) for two proprietary heaters that will be part of KINEF's refinery upgrade in Kirishi, Russia. "This award personifies how Lummus' comprehensive technology portfolio…
Neste to sell base oils business to Chevron
Neste Corp. (Espoo, Finland) has signed an agreement to sell its existing base oils business to Chevron Corp. (San Ramon, Calif.). The agreement covers a combination of share and asset deals forming Neste's entire global base oils business. As part…
Thermo Fisher Scientific opens biologics manufacturing site in Lengnau, Switzerland
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (Waltham, Mass.) announced that it has assumed operational responsibility for a new biologics manufacturing site in Lengnau, Switzerland as part of its strategic partnership with CSL Limited announced last year. The Lengnau site will become part of…
Eastman completes acquisition of Matrix Films and PremiumShield
Eastman Chemical Co. (Kingsport, Tenn.) has completed the acquisition of the business and assets of Matrix Films, LLC and its UK affiliate, PremiumShield Limited, marketer of PremiumShield performance films, including its extended line of automotive film patterns. “The completion of…
Chemtrade to sell two specialty chemical businesses to Vertellus
Vertellus (Indianapolis, Ind.) announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire certain businesses of Toronto-based Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund. This acquisition will expand Vertellus’ capabilities to manufacture and develop specialty ingredients in high-growth healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. Under the…
Evonik plans to divest manufacturing site in Lülsdorf, Germany
Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany) intends to divest its Lülsdorf site in the medium term. More detailed plans will be drawn up by spring 2022. The aim is to transfer the entire site to a new owner, although the sale…
Altivia sells water treatment business to Usalco
Usalco, LLC (Baltimore, Md.), a producer of water treatment and industrial chemicals, announced that it has acquired the water treatment business of Altivia (Houston). Altivia’s water treatment business is a leading manufacturer of specialty chemicals for municipal water and wastewater…
A solvent-free process makes battery electrodes
Conventional processes for manufacturing battery electrodes use toxic solvents and require a lot of space and energy. In contrast, DRYtraec — a new dry-coating process developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology (IWS; Dresden, Germany; www.iws.fraunhofer.de) —…