The September 2016 preliminary value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; the most recent available) was slightly lower than the previous month’s value, continuing a modest decline that began in July. Decreases in the Equipment and Buildings subindices offset…
AkzoNobel (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.akzonobel.com) is building a new €90 million state-of-the-art facility in the Nangang Chemical Park of the Binhai District in Tianjin, China. The announcement, made during an official signing ceremony with Chinese government officials in Tianjin, involves…
The American Chemistry Council’s (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) Global Chemical Production Regional Index (Global CPRI) shows that growth in the industry has been nearly flat most of the year thus far. The headline index for September showed no gain or…
Changing employment situations can leave affected employees trying to redefine their career paths. The positive experiences shared by these authors can provide some options and strategies The corporate world can be challenging because business fluctuates with time, and employment reductions…
Plant Watch Covestro doubles polycarbonate resin production capacity in Shanghai October 12, 2016 — Covestro AG (Leverkusen, Germany; www.covestro.com) is doubling production capacities for polycarbonate resin from 200,000 to 400,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) by inaugurating two new production…
The Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB), a leading economic indicator created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com), notched a gain of 0.3% in October, following an upwardly revised gain of 0.4% in September, according to the organization. The…
The Specialty Chemicals Market Volume Index, a tool created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com), showed that U.S. specialty chemicals market volumes rose 0.3 percent in September. This follows a revised 0.1 percent gain in August and…
The August 2016 preliminary value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; the most recent available) was slightly lower than the downwardly revised July number. Some equipment subcategories, such as Process Machinery and Electical Equipment, saw small increases, while others,…
Praxair, Inc. (Danbury, Conn.; www.praxair.com), through its Brazilian subsidiary White Martins, has signed a long-term agreement expanding its supply of oxygen to Fibria Celulose S/A (www.fibria.com.br) in Três Lagoas, Brazil. Fibria is the world’s largest producer of eucalyptus pulp, exporting…
Wacker Chemie AG (Munich, Germany; www.wacker.com) is expanding its research and development (R&D) facilities for silicones by establishing a new R&D center located in Ann Arbor, Mich. The facility is dedicated to support Wacker’s overall business and product development in…