U.S. specialty chemicals market volumes rose 0.7% in May and are now above the pre-winter storm levels of January, according to data from the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com). Activity remains off from pre-pandemic levels, ACC said. Of…
Plant Watch BASF to expand PGM recycling capacity in South Carolina May 12, 2021 — BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) is expanding its platinum group metals (PGM) refining facility in Seneca, S.C. New capital investments will increase refining capacity to…
Taking a modular approach to capital projects offers a pathway for companies to be proactive, rather than reactive, as they manage project risk in the time of COVID and potential similar disruptions in the future It has been more than…
The Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB), a leading economic indicator created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com), rose 1.2% in May on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis following a 1.0% increase in April. On a year-over-year (Y/Y)…
U.S. specialty chemicals markets volumes rose 0.8% in April, continuing their recovery from the winter storms, according to data from the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com). Of the 28 specialty chemical segments monitored, 14 expanded, down from 22…
The preliminary value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI) for March 2021 (the most recent available) indicates another large monthly rise, the sixth consecutive monthly increase. Similar to the story in February, the large uptick in March is linked…
The following recently published books may have relevance to various sectors of the chemical process industries (CPI). Driving Continuous Process Safety Improvement from Investigated Incidents. By the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS), Wiley Publishing, 2021, 288 pages, $140.00. Industry…
Plant Watch Chevron and Honeywell start up alkylation unit using new ionic-liquids technology April 13, 2021 — Chevron Corp. (San Ramon, Calif.; www.chevron.com) and Honeywell International, Inc. (Charlotte, N.C.; www.honeywell.com) announced the commissioning and startup of the world’s first commercial-scale…
After a rough past year, petroleum refineries are seeking profit opportunities through the use of renewable feedstocks, such as vegetable oils and waste fats, as well as with new alkylation technologies and by increasing “crude-to-chemicals” (C2C) approaches The past 18…