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Schneider Electric acquires analyzer specialist Applied Instrument Technologies

Schneider Electric SE (Rueil-Malmaison, France; www.schneider-electric.com) has acquired Applied Instrument Technologies, Inc. (AIT), a leading provider of online process analyzers for the hydrocarbon, petrochemical, chemical, pharmaceutical and steel-making industries. The acquisition adds to Schneider Electric’s process automation portfolio that already…

Arkema to increase PVDF production in China

Arkema (Colombes, France; www.arkema.com) announces a 25% capacity increase for Kynar brand polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) at its Changshu platform near Shanghai. This project will help meet the strong demand, in particular in new energies and water-treatment applications. This investment will…

Trinseo to expand capacity for styrene butadiene rubber

Trinseo (Berwyn, Pa.; www.trinseo.com) announced that it will expand capacity for Solution-Styrene Butadiene Rubber (S-SBR). This increased investment is a direct response to rising customer demand for this critical technology, which is a key component in increasing energy efficiency, safety…

Showa Denko selects new president and CEO

Showa Denko K.K. (SDK; Tokyo, Japan; www.sdk.co.jp) announced that Hideo Ichikawa will resign as president and CEO to become representative director and chairman of the board of the company, and that Kohei Morikawa, director, managing corporate officer and chief technology…

Ashland starts up manufacturing plant for polymer excipients in China

Ashland Inc. (Covington, Ky.; www.ashland.com) started up a new production line in Nanjing, China to manufacture polymer excipients for China’s pharmaceutical industry. Demand for polymer excipients, the substances formulated alongside the active ingredients of medications, is rising in China as…

Showa Denko to acquire graphite electrode business from SGL

Showa Denko K.K. (SDK; Tokyo, Japan; www.sdk.co.jp) agreed with SGL Carbon SE, a carbon and graphite product manufacturer headquartered in Wiesbaden, Germany, that SDK will acquire SGL GE Holding GmbH, which engages in the graphite electrode business, from SGL Carbon…

Solvay to build polyamide compounding plant in Mexico

Solvay SA (Brussels, Belgium; www.solvay.com) is building a Technyl polyamide compounding unit in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, with initial annual capacity of 10,000 metric tons (m.t.). This new facility is expected to become operational in the third quarter of 2017…

Sumitomo to merge its three Singapore-based subsidiaries

Sumitomo   Chemical   has   decided   to   merge   its   three   Singapore-based subsidiaries:   Sumitomo Chemical Asia Pte Ltd., which engages in the manufacturing and sales of petrochemical products; Sumitomo Chemical Singapore Pte Ltd., which engages in the manufacturing and sales of methyl methacrylate…

Technip awarded furnace contract for ethylene plant in Russia

Technip (Paris, France; www.technip.com) was awarded by Public Joint Stock Company (PJSC) Kazanorgsintez a contract to provide engineering and procurement of three proprietary SMK grassroots furnaces at Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. The furnaces will be part of the ethylene…

Celanese to acquire Italy-based thermoplastic compounder

Celanese Corp. (Irving, Tex.; www.celanese.com) announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Forli, Italy based SO.F.TER. Group, one of the world’s largest independent thermoplastic compounders. Celanese will acquire SO.F.TER. Group’s comprehensive product portfolio of engineering thermoplastics (ETPs),…