In The News
Biobutanol to be produced at retrofitted ethanol plant
The first commercial-scale biobutanol plant using the Gevo Integrated Fermentation Technology (GIFT) process is set to come online in mid-2012 at the former site of an ethanol facility in Minnesota. In late January, Gevo (Englewood, Colo.; www.gevo.com) was awarded a…
Biobutanol to be produced at retrofitted ethanol plant
The first commercial-scale biobutanol plant using the Gevo Integrated Fermentation Technology (GIFT) process is set to come online in mid-2012 at the former site of an ethanol facility in Minnesota. In late January, Gevo (Englewood, Colo.; www.gevo.com) was awarded a…
Adding gallium to biomass pyrolysis catalyst increases BTX yield
A new catalyst design, in which gallium atoms are integrated into the zeolite catalyst structure, can increase yields of aromatic compounds from biomass by 40% in a catalytic fast-pyrolysis process. The higher yields of benzene, toluene and xylenes (BTX), as…
Adding gallium to biomass pyrolysis catalyst increases BTX yield
A new catalyst design, in which gallium atoms are integrated into the zeolite catalyst structure, can increase yields of aromatic compounds from biomass by 40% in a catalytic fast-pyrolysis process. The higher yields of benzene, toluene and xylenes (BTX), as…
Jacobs selected for Solvay’s specialty-polymers project in China
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (Pasadena, Calif.; www.jacobs.com) has been awarded a contract from Solvay S.A. (Brussels, Belgium; www.solvay.com) for a major, specialty-polymers production plant to be built at Solvay's industrial site in Changshu, which is located in the province of…
Far East Petrochemical selects Axens’ butene and hexene technologies
ZAO “Far East Petrochemical Co.” (FEPCO), which is implementing the project of OJSC “NK Rosneft” for the construction of petrochemical complex to be located in Primorsk region of Russia, has selected Axens’ (Rueil-Malmaison, France; www.axens.net) AlphaButol and AlphaHexol technologies for…
Elevance Renewable Sciences and Arkema to develop and produce renewable polymers
Elevance Renewable Sciences, Inc. (Woodridge, Ill.; www.elevance.com) and Arkema (Colombes, France; www.arkema.com) have formed a global partnership for the development and production of renewable specialty polymers. Elevance is providing novel, differentiated, functionalized renewable starting materials including the company’s 9-decenoic methyl…
Lanxess to invest €40 million at Newcastle site in South Africa
Lanxess AG (Leverkusen, Germany; www.lanxess.com) is investing €40 million to build a CO2 concentration unit at its South African site in Newcastle. At this site, the group operates a highly modern plant, that mainly produces sodium dichromate, which is further processed…
Two contracts for Tecnimont
Maire Tecnimont S.p.A. (Rome, Italy; www.mairetecnimont.it) says that its subsidiaries, Tecnimont S.p.A. and Tecnimont do Brasil Ltda, have been awarded two contracts in Saudi Arabia and Brazil, respectively, for an overall value of $145 million. In the Kingdom of Saudi…
BASF to acquire Merck’s electrolyte activitie
BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) will acquire the electrolytes business for high-performance batteries from German Chemical and Pharmaceutical Company Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany; www.merckgroup.com). The companies have agreed not to disclose financial details of the transaction. The acquisition comprises the…