The preliminary value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; top) for May 2021 (most recent available) is once again higher than the previous month, continuing a string of substantial monthly increases since the beginning of the year. In May,…
U.S. specialty chemicals market volumes rose 0.6% in June, the same gain as in May, leaving volumes off 3.7% from pre-coronavirus levels, the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) reported. Of the 28 specialty chemical segments that ACC monitors,…
The following is a list of recently published books that may be relevant and useful to various areas within the chemical process industries (CPI). Tribomaterials: Properties and Selection for Friction, Wear, and Erosion Applications. By Kenneth G. Budinski and Steven…
Plant Watch Huntsman to increase ethylene carbonate production capacity June 14, 2021 — The Performance Products division of Huntsman Corp. (The Woodlands, Tex.; www.huntsman.com) is planning to significantly increase existing production capacity for ethylene carbonate at its Conroe, Texas facility…
Following a standardized project-development process, in combination with a robust cost-estimate classification system, can help to ensure that projects meet their financial goals Cost estimating is critical to support decision-making during the project development process for projects in the chemical…
The Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB), a leading economic indicator created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com), rose 0.8% in June on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis following a 1.3% gain in May. On a year-over-year (Y/Y)…
The U.S. Chemical Production Regional Index (U.S. CPRI), rose 4.6% in May following a 1.2% decline in April and a 3.4% drop in March, according to the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com). During May, chemical output rose in…
Key U.S. chemical industry metrics will be higher this year as important end-use markets and export customers recover from the pandemic-related recession, according to the American Chemistry Council’s (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) Mid-Year 2021 Chemical Industry Situation and Outlook. Chemical…
The preliminary value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI) for April 2021 (most recent available) continues the string of sizeable monthly increases. In April, large upticks were observed in the Equipment, Buildings and Construction Labor subindices, while the Engineering…