Latest News: Business
Clariant inaugurates dessicant manufacturing facility in China
Clariant (Muttenz, Switzerland; www.clariant.com) announced the inauguration of a new manufacturing facility, acquired through their recent acquisition of healthcare packaging company VitaPac. The Dongguan plant, located in Guangdong province in southeast China, will enhance Clariant's existing portfolio of controlled atmosphere…
KBR and Socar set up joint venture in Azerbaijan
KBR, Inc. (Houston; www.kbr.com) announced that it has signed a joint venture (JV) agreement with the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (Socar) to establish a new engineering and support services company in Azerbaijan. With support from KBR and Socar,…
Yara appoints new CEO
The board of directors of Yara International (Oslo, Norway; www.yara.com) has appointed Svein Tore Holsether as the company's new president and chief executive officer (CEO). He will succeed acting CEO Torgeir Kvidal within October 2015. Holsether currently serves as President…
Chemical Activity Barometer was flat during March, ACC says
The Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB), a leading economic indicator developed by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com), was flat in March, following stronger gains in January and February, according to the ACC’s latest Weekly Chemistry and Economic Report.…
Olin to merge with Dow chlor-alkali business
The Dow Chemical Company (Dow; Midland, Mich.; www.dow.com) and Olin Corp. (Clayton, Mo.; www.olin.com) have announced that the boards of directors of both companies unanimously approved a definitive agreement under which Dow will separate a significant portion of its chlorine…
Asahi Kasei forms plastics subsidiary in Mexico
Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corp. (Tokyo, Japan; www.asahi-kasei.co.jp) has finalized a decision to establish a subsidiary for plastic compounds in Mexico, through its U.S. subsidiary Asahi Kasei Plastics North America, Inc. (APNA). Continued demand growth for plastic compounds is forecasted in…
BASF expands pigment production capacity in Ludwigshafen
BASF (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) will expand its capacity for the production of Paliocrom effect pigments by more than 20% by 2017 in Ludwigshafen. The investment will enable the company to accommodate for the growing demand of its aluminum-based effect pigments…
AkzoNobel to invest in organic peroxide operations in the U.S. and Europe
AkzoNobel (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.akzonobel.com) has announced plans to invest more than €20 million in its organic peroxide production facilities in Mons, Belgium, and Houston (Pasadena), Tex., in the U.S. In Mons, the company is introducing new technologies to increase…
Asahi Glass raising PVC production capacity in Vietnam
Asahi Glass Co., Ltd. (AGC; Tokyo; www.agc.com) announced plans to increase the production capacity of the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) facility at Phu My Plastics & Chemicals Co. (PMPC), AGC’s subsidiary business in Vietnam. PMPC’s PVC production capacity will be increased…
Praxair start-up supplies world’s largest glass container manufacturer
Praxair, Inc. (Danbury, Conn.; www.praxair.com) has started up a 180-ton/d, non-cryogenic plant for Owens-Illinois (O-I), the world’s largest glass container manufacturer. O-I has converted a conventional air-fuel glass furnace to oxy-fuel using Praxair’s oxy-fuel combustion technology and, under a long-term…