The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT; Cambridge, Mass.; www.mit.edu) today announced the creation of the MIT/MTL Center for Graphene Devices and Systems (MIT-CG). This interdepartmental center, part of the Microsystems Technology Laboratories (MTL), brings together MIT researchers and industrial partners…
Foster Wheeler AG (Zug, Switzerland; www.fwc.com) announced today that a subsidiary of its Global Engineering and Construction Group has been awarded a contract for the basic engineering design of a new hydrogen production unit, based on Foster Wheeler Terrace-Wall steam-reforming…
KBR (Houston; www.kbr.com) was awarded a contract by Jaiprakash Associates Ltd (JAL) — a Jaypee Group company — to provide license and engineering design services for JAL’s brownfield 2,200 metric tons (m.t.) per day ammonia plant in Kanpur, India. KBR…
UOP LLC (Des Plaines, Ill; www.uop.com), a Honeywell company, has begun construction in Hawaii of a biofuels demonstration unit that will convert forest residuals, algae and other cellulosic biomass into green transportation fuels. Backed by a $25-million U.S. Dept. of…
Air Liquide (Paris; www.airliquide.com) today announced that its engineering and construction division has signed a contract with the Shenhua Ningxia Coal Industry Group (SNCG; China) to build a 500,000 ton/y methanol-to-propylene (MTP) plant. The new plant will follow the successful…
World production totals for the chemical industry rose in July, with the Global Chemical Production Regional Index (Global CPRI) up 4.4% on the basis of a year-over-year (Y/Y), three-month moving average. However, the production pace has slowed, according the latest…
Evonik Industries AG (Essen; www.evonik.com) is increasing the production capabilities of its methyl methacrylate plants through debottlenecking and plant expansion projects in their existing plants in Europe (Worms and Wesseling in Germany), Asia (Shanghai in China), and the U.S. (Fortier)…
KBR (Houston; www.kbr.com) was awarded a contract by Zeon Chemicals (Zeon; Louisville, Ky.; www.zeonchemicals.com) to provide construction management and construction services for Zeon’s nitrile-rubber plant-expansion project in Pasadena, Texas. KBR will manage the first phase of Zeon’s expansion plan,…
Solvay S.A. (Brussels, Belgium; www.solvay.com) is going to test a new on-site, electronic-grade fluorine-gas production unit at its industrial site in Onsan, Korea. After testing, the unit will be installed at a customer site. This production equipment, with a capacity…
Industrial production in the U.S. rose by a “surprisingly robust” 0.9% in July, according to data discussed in the most recent Weekly Chemistry and Economic Trends report from the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com). However, overall production in…