Business & Economics
Uhde wins two contracts for coke plants in Japan
OTTO Corp. (Tokyo, Japan) has commissioned Uhde GmbH (Dortmund, Germany; www.uhde.biz) to provide comprehensive engineering and supply services within the scope of two plant contracts received by the Japanese company from JFE Steel Corp. and MCC Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. The…
Total inaugurates MTO demonstration unit
At its petrochemicals complex in Feluy, Belgium, Total S.A. (Paris; www.total.com) today inaugurated a demonstration plant intended to produce olefins and polyolefins from methanol. The integrated unit is the world’s first application of an innovative technology that helps to diversify…
Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Co. selects UOP technology for refinery expansion in UAE
The Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company, also known as Takreer, has selected UOP (Des Plaines, Ill.) to supply technology and engineering services for an expansion at its Ruwais Refinery in the United Arab Emirates.The refinery will produce propylene, unleaded gasoline,…
Vertellus Specialties to expand vitamin B3 production in China
Vertellus Specialties Inc. (Indianapolis, Ind.) plans to expand its vitamin B3 manufacturing capacity in Nantong, Jiangsu, China to meet the growing need for vitamins related to animal and human nutrition in the Chinese and Asian markets. Vertellus is proceeding with…
Wireless HART specification approved by IEC
The Wireless HART Communication Specification (HART 7.1) has been approved by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) as a Publicly Available Specification (IEC/PAS 62591Ed. 1). WirelessHART Communication is the first industrial wireless communication technology to achieve this level of international recognition.…
Wacker commissions new silicones production facilities
Wacker Chemie AG (Munich, Germany; www.wacker.com) has commissioned two new production facilities for silicone polymers and sealants at its Nünchritz site. With this capacity expansion, the company is meeting rising customer demand for silicone products. Investments in the new facilities…
Norske Skog/Xynergo & Choren collaborate on biofuels
Choren Industries GmbH (Freiberg, Germany; www.choren.com) and Norske Skog have entered into an agreement for collaboration in the evaluation of second generation biofuel production in Norway. Choren is a world leader in solid-feed gasification technology used amongst others in the…
BASF researchers develop new F-T catalyst
The high prices of naphtha (crude petroleum) as a feedstock for steam crackers are prompting the chemical industry to re-evaluate alternative approaches to securing raw material supplies. One long-known process is the Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) synthesis for the industrial-scale conversion of…
Solvay opens new PTFE plant in China
Solvay S.A. (Brussels, Belgium; www.solvay.com) announces today the inauguration of its new world-class Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) Micronized Powder production unit in the People’s Republic of China, to serve the dynamic local demand for innovative and high performance materials. PTFE Micronised Powders,…
A top pharmaceutical firm signs up for Astech’s Reacts
Astech Projects (Runcorn, U.K.; www.astechprojects.co.uk) has announced the success of its new automation maintenance service, known as Reacts (Rapid, Effective And Complete Technical Support). This new service is quickly going from strength to strength and as such, Astech is pleased…