A simple, fast and clean process to make esters without a catalyst is being developed by Chemicrea Inc. (Tokyo; edlinks.chemengonline.com/7374-539) with the support of New Energy & Industrial Technology Development Organization (Kawasaki), and Gifu University (Gifu, all Japan). The process…
Much as the chemical process industries (CPI) themselves are always evolving, so too are the engineering materials that play a role behind the scenes. While they may not always make headlines as groundbreaking scientific technologies tend to do, new…
A method for manufacturing porous-wall, hollow-glass microspheres (PWHGMs) over an adjustable range of pore sizes promises to substitute the doped-ceramic packing material employed in various processes, by delivering improved kinetics and a denser, more uniform arrangement of active materials. The…
Plant Watch Evonik to close its orthoesters plant in Niederkassel... June 11, 2008 — Evonik Industries AG will be shutting down its production plant for orthoesters in Niederkassel (Germany) in the 3rd Q of this year. It has been forced…
GEA Group AG (Bochum, Germany; www.geagroup.com) has further strengthened its Farm Technologies Division through the acquisition of Norbco, Inc. (Westmoreland, NY). Norbco, Inc., has so far been the sole and exclusive supplier of conventional heavy- and medium-duty milking parlor stalls…
Ashland Inc. (Covington, Ky.) and Hercules Inc. (Wilmington, Del.) today announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Ashland would acquire all of the outstanding shares of Hercules for $18.60 per share in cash and 0.093…
Airgas, Inc. (Radnor, Pa.; www.airgas.com) today announced that it will build a new 450-ton/d liquid-carbon-dioxide plant at the First United Ethanol LLC, (FUEL) complex in Camilla, Ga. Airgas entered into a 15-year agreement with FUEL, which will supply the feedstock…
The Dow Chemical Co. (Midland, Mich.) and Rohm and Haas (Philadelphia, Pa.) today announced a definitive agreement, under which Dow will acquire all outstanding shares of Rohm and Haas common stock for $18.8 billion ($78 per share) in cash. The…
The Dutch company Yara Sluiskil B.V., part of the Norwegian chemicals group Yara International ASA, has commissioned Uhde GmbH (Dortmund, Germany; www.uhde.biz) to design and build a major urea plant at its production site in Sluiskil (Zeeland Province), near the…
Evonik Industries AG’s (Essen, Germany; www.evonik.com) Inorganic Materials Business Unit and the Russian Synttech Group are considering working together to manufacture Thermal Blacks. On June 30, 2008 representatives from both companies signed a letter of intent in Frankfurt, Germany. In…