Chemical Engineering
Hexpol acquires Italian thermoplastics manufacturer Vipa Group
HEXPOL AB (Malmö, Sweden) announced that it has acquired 100% of the Italian company Vipa Group (Ancarano, Italy). The company is one of Europe's leading developers and manufacturers of high-quality thermoplastic compounds with focus on the fast-growing Wire & Cable…
AGC transfers shares of polymer material business to Saint-Gobain
AGC Inc. (Tokyo, Japan) has entered into a share transfer agreement with Saint-Gobain K.K. (Tokyo, Japan), the Japanese subsidiary of Compagnie de Saint-Gobain S.A. (Courbevoie, France). Under the agreement, AGC will transfer all of its shares in AGC Polymer Material…
Bp completes sale of Gelsenkirchen refinery to Klesch Group
bp plc (London, England) has completed the sale of its Gelsenkirchen refinery and related businesses to Klesch Group (London, England). The transaction supports bp's continued focus on disciplined capital allocation and is also expected to lower underlying operating expenditure by…
Precise molecular order results in remarkably thin monofilaments
A materials-science breakthrough for the production of ultra-fine monofilaments is now being commercialized by startup firm Z-Polymers (Lowell, Mass.; www.z-polymers.com). The company’s Tullomer-branded monofilaments support exceptionally thin functional fibers with low creep and shrinkage, while exhibiting extremely high mechanical strength…
Low-energy carbon capture using food-production byproducts
Direct-air capture (DAC) of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is required to meet climate goals, but highly effective and inexpensive DAC remains elusive. Researchers at ETH Zurich (www.ethz.ch) have developed a novel approach using waste proteins from dairy and tofu…
Field trials demonstrate the ability of novel scavenger to remove H2S from natural gas
Field demonstration trials of a novel method for removing hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from natural gas were recently completed in the Permian basin (Texas, USA). The trials demonstrated the ability of the technology, known as ECOTREAT®, to remove H2S from gas…
Spark ablation technology cuts iridium use by 90% in PEM water electrolysis
Proton-exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis holds significant promise for “green” hydrogen production, but broader adoption hinges on reducing dependence on costly platinum-group metals, such as iridium. A new production method for ultra-thin nanoporous layers developed by VSParticle B.V. (VSP; Delft,…
Facts At Your Fingertips: Comparing Steam and Heat-Transfer-Fluid Utility Systems
While modern steam systems trace their history to James Watt’s steam engine in 1776, heat-transfer-fluid (HTF) systems are more recent, dating to 1926 with the use of diphenyl oxide as a heat recovery agent in power plants [1]. This one-page…
Business News: August 2026
Plant Watch Air Liquide to supply ultra-high-purity gases to semiconductor fab in Arizona July 16, 2026 — Air Liquide S.A. (Paris, France; www.airliquide.com) announced a new investment of over $160 million to build, own and operate a new large-scale production…
Application-Specific Valves Deliver Reliability
Engineering valves for a specific application increases performance in challenging and complex chemical processes Valves play a critical role in the chemical process industries (CPI). They help manage capital-intensive operations, protect equipment and support environmental compliance. Rather than relying on…