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Solvay acquires long-fiber thermoplastics technology from Epic Polymers

Solvay S.A. (Brussels, Belgium; www.solvay.com) has acquired Epic Polymers’ long-fiber thermoplastics (LFT*) technology to complement its offering of high performance lightweighting materials and gain access to metal replacement for larger automotive semi-structural parts. Privately-owned Epic Polymers GmbH, based in Kaiserslautern,…

Merck KGaA appoints new CEO

Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany; www.merckgroup.com) has appointed Stefan Oschmannn as the new chairman of the executive board and chief executive officer (CEO). The appointment will take effect on April 29, 2016, at the end of the company’s annual general meeting.…

Air Liquide signs longterm contract with major petroleum group in China

Air Liquide (Paris, France; www.airliquide.com) signed a new longterm contract with Yan’an Energy and Chemical Co., a subsidiary of Yanchang Petroleum Group, one of the four largest Chinese companies for oil and natural gas exploration & production, and oil refining.…

Sabic to relocate Americas regional headquarters to Houston

Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (Sabic; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; www.sabic.com) announced that it has named the Greater Houston area as its regional headquarters for all of its Americas-based business.  Naming the Houston area as the regional hub was a natural next…

BASF to expand production capacity of emollients and waxes in Shanghai

BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) will expand its emollients and waxes production capacity with a new plant at its site in Jinshan, Shanghai, China. The investment, complementing the current production of wax esters, emulsifiers and primary surfactants in Jinshan, will…

Praxair starts up ASU at Oxiran site in China

Praxair, Inc. (Danbury, Conn.; www.praxair.com) announced the startup of its new air separation plant at the Liaoning Oxiranchem, Inc. (Oxiran) facility in Yangzhou Chemical Industrial Park, Jiangsu Province, China. Praxair is the exclusive industrial gas supplier in the growing chemical…

GE to acquire membrane manufacturer IMT Solutions

GE Power & Water (Schenectady, N.Y.; www.gepower.com) announced that it has agreed to acquire IMT Solutions, a private Netherlands-based manufacturer of ultrafiltration and microfiltration membranes for water treatment. With IMT’s ultrafiltration membrane technology, GE will be expanding and complementing its…

Axiall’s aromatics business acquired by Ineos

Ineos Technologies’ (Rolle, Switzerland; www.ineos.com) Ineos Americas LLC has announced that it has acquired the aromatics business of Axiall Corp. (Atlanta, Ga.; www.axiall.com). $52.4 million was paid at closing and an additional $10.5 million may be payable after closing upon…

Kuraray to expand production capacity for optical-use base films in Japan

Kuraray Co. (Tokyo, Japan; www.kuraray.co.jp/en) announced its decision to expand production facilities for optical-use polyvinyl alcohol (poval) film, which serve as a base film for polarized film, an essential component of liquid crystal displays (LCDs), at its Saijo Plant (Saijo,…

ExxonMobil to sell Torrance refinery to PBF Energy

ExxonMobil Corp. (Irving, Tex.; www.exxonmobil.com) has reached an agreement with PBF Energy, Inc. for the sale and purchase of its refinery in Torrance, Calif., a lubricants distribution center at Vernon, products terminals at Vernon and Atwood, and associated California pipelines…