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Latest News: Business

DuPont adds nylon capacity in Germany

DuPont’s (Wilmington, Del.; www.dupont.com) Performance Polymers business has increased production capacity of DuPont Zytel PA 66 and PA 6 at its Uentrop facility in Hamm, Germany by 20% to meet growing demand primarily in the global automotive industry.  Lightweight, high-performance…

AkzoNobel and Evonik announce production JV for chlorine/potassium hydroxide solution

AkzoNobel (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.akzonobel.com) and Evonik Industries (Essen, Germany; www.evonik.com) have joined forces to build and operate a new membrane electrolysis facility for potassium hydroxide solution and chlorine in Germany. Start-up is expected by the end of 2017. The…

PPG acquires powder and coatings manufacturer IVC

PPG Industries, Inc. (Pittsburgh, Pa.; www.ppg.com) has reached a definitive agreement to acquire IVC Industrial Coatings, Inc., a U.S.-based specialty-powder and liquid-coatings manufacturer with 2014 sales of more than $100 million. The transaction is expected to close in the third…

Solvay begins production at alkoxylation facilities in the Netherlands and Singapore

Solvay S.A. (Brussels, Belgium; www.solvay.com) has started production at its two new large-scale and “on-pipe” alkoxylation facilities in Moerdijk, the Netherlands, and in Singapore. Both units are located in integrated petrochemical hubs and receive ethylene oxide via dedicated pipelines, providing…

Air Products to build multiple gas plants to supply South Korean semiconductor manufacturer

Air Products (Lehigh Valley, Pa.; www.airproducts.com) announced that it has been awarded a major contract to supply industrial bulk gases and bulk specialty-gas supply system for a new semiconductor fab in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Air Products will build…

Air Liquide Global E&C Solutions now offers gas-to-gasoline technology

  Air Liquide Global E&C Solutions (Frankfurt, Germany; www. www.airliquide.com), the Engineering and Construction activity of Air Liquide Group, announces it has entered into a global technology licensing agreement with ExxonMobil Research and Engineering. (EMRE; www.exxonmobil.com/refiningtechnologies) Under the terms of…

Sumitomo increases battery-separator capacity with expansion project in Japan, new Korean plant

Sumitomo Chemical Co. (Tokyo; www.sumitomo-chem.co.jp) has announced plans to more than double its production capacity for lithium-ion secondary battery separators, which are marketed under the Pervio brand name. The production at its Ohe Works in Niihama, Ehime Pref., Japan will…

Evonik demonstrates for the first time that SILP catalyst systems can be used commercially

  Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany; www.evonik.com) demonstrated for the first time in a pilot plant that supported ionic-liquid phase (SILP) catalyst systems can work reliably for about 2,000 h. The high service life is important proof that these economically…

Praxair to build a new ASU to expand Michigan pipeline system

Praxair, Inc. (Danbury, Conn.; www.praxair.com) says it will build a new air separation unit (ASU) supporting its Detroit, Mich., area pipeline system to meet the growing demand for industrial gases from customers in the region as well as rare gas…

Total and Neste collaborate on bio-based isoalkane products

Total S.A.’s (Paris, France; www.total.com) Total Fluides (www.totalspecialfluids.com) and Neste Oil Oyj (Espoo, Finland; www.nesteoil.com) have signed a collaborative agreement for the supply of Neste’s proprietary NEXBTL renewable isoalkane to be used by Total Fluides as feedstock to produce innovative…