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Outsourcing and Offshoring Engineering and Fabrication Activities

Follow these tips to get the most out of these high-risk, high-reward, third-party arrangements Outsourcing is the subcontracting of a business function to an outside entity. The concept of outsourcing was first articulated by David Ricardo, an English economist in…

Global chemical production expands in June, ACC says

The American Chemistry Council’s (Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) Global Chemical Production Regional Index (Global CPRI) shows that global chemicals production rose 0.4 percent in June. This matches the pace in May, as measured on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis. During…

Praxair starts up air-separation unit in Nanjing, China

Praxair Inc. (Danbury, Conn.; www.praxair.com) announced it has started up its new air separation plant for Nanjing Jinling Huntsman New Materials Co., Ltd., a joint venture between SINOPEC Jinling and Huntsman. Through a long-term contract, the 900-ton-per-day plant will supply…

2017 CEPCI Updates: May (preliminary) and April (final)

  The preliminary value for the May CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; most recent available) rose compared to the previous month’s value, making it the eighth straight month of increasing values. New data for carbon-steel plates pushed the Equipment subindex…

2017 Nicholas Chopey Scholarship

As a provider of practical information and news for the chemical process industries (CPI) since 1902, Chemical Engineering strives to bring recognition to, and help advance the chemical engineering profession. One way we do this is by offering assistance to…

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July 2017 Business News

Plant Watch Ineos announces plans to build new PDH plant, increase ethylene capacity June 12, 2017 — Ineos (Rolle, Switzerland; www.ineos.com) announced plans to construct a propane dehydrogenation (PDH) unit in Europe. The plant will produce 750,000 metric tons per…

Global chemical production rose in May, ACC says

The American Chemistry Council’s (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) Global Chemical Production Regional Index (Global CPRI) shows that global chemicals production rose 0.5 percent in May after revised flat performance in April, as measured on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis.…

U.S. specialty chemical market growth eases in May, ACC says

The American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) reported today that after a strong start to the second quarter, growth in U.S. specialty chemicals market volumes eased to a 0.3 percent gain in May, about half the pace of the…

Current economic trends: April CEPCI

The preliminary value for the April CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; the most recent available) rose compared to the previous month’s value, making it the seventh straight month of increasing values. The gain in the overall PCI was driven by…

Global chemical production expands in April, ACC says

The American Chemistry Council’s (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) Global Chemical Production Regional Index (Global CPRI) shows that global chemicals production rose 0.1 percent in April after a revised flat performance in March, as measured on a three-month moving average (3MMA)…