This column is based on “Cumene from Benzene and RG Propylene (Zeolite Catalyst) – Cost Analysis,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/cumene-production-cost. Cumene (also known as isopropylbenzene) is an organic compound of the aromatic hydrocarbon…
SABIC’s polycarbonate facility in Cartagena, Spain, is set to become the world’s first large-scale chemical production site to be run entirely on renewable power, following the signing of a major agreement with Iberdrola, a world-scale electric utility company. Iberdrola will…
According to the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com), the U.S. Chemical Production Regional Index (U.S. CPRI), fell by 1.1 percent in June on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis following a 2.0 percent decline in May and a…
Eastman Kodak Company (Kodak; Rochester, N.Y.) has announced an initiative to create a new business unit, which will produce pharmaceutical components that have been identified as critical, but have lapsed into a chronic shortage in the U.S. A letter of…
The American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) reported that with continued recovery in the U.S. economy, specialty chemicals market volumes increased by 3.6 percent in June, an improvement from the revised 1.2 percent gain in May and the record…
The Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB) a leading economic indicator created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com), rose 2.7 percent in July on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis following a 0.1 percent gain in June. On a…
The preliminary value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI) for May 2020 (the most recent available) decreased compared to the previous month’s value, following a similar decline in April. The values for three of the four major subindices (Equipment;…
Lummus Technology (Houston, Tex.; www.lummustechnology.com) yesterday announced that Haldia Petrochemicals Limited (Kolkata, India; www.haldiapetrochemicals.com), the flagship company of The Chatterjee Group (TCG), and investment funds affiliated with Rhône Capital have successfully completed the joint acquisition of Lummus from McDermott International…
A personal development strategy helps to set engineers up for success in their personal and professional lives As chemical engineers, we have been trained to be data-driven, fact-based problem-solvers. This focus serves us well when we are tackling difficult technical…
Plant Watch Repsol plans new synthetic fuels, pyrolysis plants in decarbonization push June 16, 2020 — Repsol S.A. (Madrid, Spain; www.repsol.com) announced two decarbonization projects to be located in the Port of Bilbao, Spain. The first project, in which €60…