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U.S. chemical production expanded in September, ACC says

According to the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com), the U.S. Chemical Production Regional Index (U.S. CPRI) rose 0.8 percent in September, following a 0.8 percent gain in August and a 1.0 percent increase in July. During September, chemical…

U.S. specialty chemical markets stable to end Q3, ACC says

The American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) today reported that with the recovery in the U.S. economy slowing, U.S. specialty chemicals market volumes were stable in September, off from a revised (and stronger) 0.9 percent gain in August and…

Recently Published Books for November 2020

The following titles are recently published books of potential interest to various parts of the chemical process industries (CPI) Human Factor and Reliability Analysis to Prevent Losses in Industrial Processes: An Operational Culture Perspective. By Salvador Avila Filho, Ivone Conceicao…

2020 CEPCI Updates: August (prelim.) and July (final)

The preliminary value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI) for August 2020 (the most recent data available) increased by a small margin compared to the previous month’s value. It was the second straight increase after a three-month period of…

Monolith plans carbon-free ammonia production plant

Monolith Materials (Lincoln, Neb.; www.monolithmaterials.com), a leader in clean energy and chemical production, today announced it plans to use its proprietary process to produce approximately 275,000 metric tons per year of carbon-free anhydrous ammonia in the United States. Current ammonia…

Introducing CE Voices

As we continue to bring a variety of articles and news to the pages of Chemical Engineering, we also offer a growing online presence with additional resources for our readers to stay in touch with what is going on in…

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Plant Watch: October 2020

Plant Watch Braskem begins commercial production at La Porte PP plant September 11, 2020 — Braskem America (Philadelphia, Pa.; www.braskem.com) launched commercial production at its new polypropylene (PP) production line in La Porte, Tex., which has a production capacity of…

Technology Profile: Sodium Chlorate Production

This column is based on “Sodium Chlorate Production – Cost Analysis,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/sodium-chlorate-production-cost. Sodium chlorate (NaClO3; also known as chlorate of soda) is an odorless inorganic salt with colorless crystals and…

Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB) rose in September, ACC says

The Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB), a leading economic indicator created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com), rose 1.6 percent in September on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis, following a 2.7 percent gain in August. On a…

Artek Surfin Chemicals to acquire Baker Hughes chemical manufacturing facility

Sterling Auxiliaries Pvt. Ltd. (www.sterlingaux.com) and its parent company, Artek Surfin Chemicals Ltd. (Mumbai, India; www.artekchemicals.com) , a leading producer of specialty chemicals with manufacturing capabilities across four continents, have agreed to acquire the land and assets associated with Baker…