In The News
Solid-catalyst method for breaking down cellulosic biomass cuts costs
Fermenting sugar is at the heart of many bio-based chemical and biofuel processes, but obtaining sugars from cellulosic biomass at low cost is an ongoing challenge. A new process using a reusable solid catalyst is capable of breaking down a…
A new catalyst promises to cut the cost of the Fischer-Tropsch process
When coal-derived synthesis gas (syngas) is converted to liquid fuel by the Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) process, the initial product is mostly straight-chain waxy paraffins that can be upgraded by hydroprocessing to obtain diesel fuel and naphtha, which are used for gasoline…
Shell Cansolv and Technip to strengthen CO2 capture technology
Shell Cansolv (Montreal, Canada; www.cansolv.com) and Technip (Paris, France; www.technip.com) have signed an agreement to leverage their respective expertise in marketing an end-to-end solution for Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) projects. The agreement enables both Technip and Shell Cansolv to…
Biesterfeld France Produits SpeÌciaux EURL aquires SMPC Production
Biesterfeld France Produits SpeÌciaux EURL (Rueil-Malmaison near Paris, France), the French subsidiary of Biesterfeld Spezialchemie GmbH (Hamburg, Germany; www.biesterfeld-spezialchemie.com), has acquired the French company SMPC Production located in St. Ouen l‘Aumone with effect from April, 2013. Name and headquarters of…
Clariant acquires organic pigment business, invests in new plant in China
Clariant (Muttenz, Switzerland; www.clariant.com) today announced that it has acquired the Organic Pigment business of Jiangsu Multicolor Fine Chemical Co., Ltd (JMC; Jiangsu Province, China). JMC is a leading supplier of several types of high performance pigments and pigment preparations…
Malvern Instruments acquires NanoSight
Malvern Instruments Ltd. (Malvern, U.K.; www.malvernpanalytical.com/en), a leading global provider of instrumentation and expertise for materials and biophysical characterization, has acquired nanoparticle characterization company NanoSight Ltd. (Amesbury, UK; www.malvernpanalytical.com/en/products/product-range/nanosight-range/nanosight-pro). The acquisition was completed on Friday 27 September 2013. NanoSight has…
Solvay to build large bicarbonate plant in Thailand
Solvay S.A. (Brussels, Belgium; www.solvay.com) plans to build South-East Asia's largest sodium bicarbonate plant. Located in Thailand and with a total capacity of 100,000 ton/yr, this new facility will help meet the growing demand for high quality products from the…
BASF announces cash offer to acquire Verenium
BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com)says that its U.S. affiliate, BASF Corp., has entered into an agreement to commence a cash tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of common stock of the biotechnology company Verenium Corp. (San Diego, Calif.)…
SNC-Lavalin achieves first hot metal on EMAK II project
SNC-Lavalin Inc. (Montreal, Quebec, Canada; www.snclavalin.com) says that Phase II of the Emirates Aluminum Smelter Complex (EMAL II) project in Abu Dhabi has achieved first hot metal nearly three months ahead of schedule. SNC-Lavalin has been contracted to provide engineering,…
Ehrfeld Mikrotechnik BTS and Alfa Laval cooperate in millireactor technology
Wendelsheim (Germany), September 18, 2013 – Ehrfeld Mikrotechnik BTS GmbH (EMB; Wendelsheim; www.ehrfeld.com), a subsidiary of Bayer Technology Services GmbH (Leverkusen, both Germany; www.bayertechnology.com), has acquired a worldwide license from Alfa Laval AB (Lund, Sweden; www.alfalaval.com) to market and manufacture…