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Chemical Engineering

Operation begins at the world’s largest direct air capture, CO2-storage plant

Last month, Climeworks (Zurich, Switzerland; www.climeworks.com) started operations of Orca, said to be the world’s first and largest climate-positive direct air capture (DAC) and storage plant. Located in Hellisheiði, Iceland, the Orca plant has a capturing capacity of 4,000 ton/yr…

Integration of CO2 direct air capture and alcohol-to-jet fuels manufacturing

A feasibility study is underway for the world’s first commercial facility that integrates direct air capture (DAC) of atmospheric carbon dioxide with gas fermentation of CO2 and production of aviation fuels. LanzaTech (Chicago, Ill.; www.lanzatech.com) and Carbon Engineering (Squamish, B.C.;…

Safer, more sustainable control of runaway polymerization

Runaway polymerizations of acrylic monomers can lead to catastrophic fires and explosions in production plants and storage terminals, as well as during transportation. Special chemical products called shortstop inhibitors are used to minimize the likelihood of runaway polymerization reactions. A…

Mitsubishi Gas Chemical to expand meta-xylenediamine capacity in Europe

Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc. (MGC; Tokyo) has announced the expansion of Meta-xylenediamine (MXDA) production in Europe. MGC is expanding its production capacity of MXDA to meet the market growth in the epoxy, polyamide and isocyanate sector. MGC will be…

Albemarle to acquire lithium-conversion company in China

Albemarle Corporation (Charlotte, N.C.) announced that its subsidiary, Albemarle Lithium UK Limited, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire all of the outstanding equity of Guangxi Tianyuan New Energy Materials Co., Ltd. (Tianyuan), a lithium converter located in Guangxi, China.…

ArcelorMittal to construct DRI plant, electric furnaces in Gent

ArcelorMittal Belgium will reduce CO2 emissions by 3.9 million tons per year by 2030, by building a 2.5 million-ton direct reduced iron (DRI) plant and two electric furnaces at its Gent site, to operate alongside its state-of-the-art blast furnace that…

Hexion to split into two companies

Hexion Holdings Corp. (Columbus, Ohio) announced its plan to separate into two independent companies. The two companies will be Hexion Holdings, composed of the Company’s Adhesives and Versatic Acids and Derivatives product lines, and Hexion Coatings and Composites (US) Inc.…

Nouryon starts production of TBHP and TBA at new plant in Ningbo

Nouryon (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) has started production at a new manufacturing facility located at its site in Ningbo, China, to meet increasing demand in the Asia region for polymers used in the Packaging, Paints and Coatings and Construction end-markets. The…

Axens selected for Byco refinery upgrade project in Pakistan

Axens (Rueil-Malmaison, France) has been selected by Byco (Karachi, Pakistan) to support Byco’s Refinery upgrading Project Phases I, II, III by providing advanced technical solutions in order to achieve Euro V gasoline and diesel specifications in Pakistan. The solution consists…

Toray Plastics (America) launches new polypropylene film line

Toray Plastics (America), Inc. announced that its Torayfan Division’s new, 8.7-meter, five-layer, in-line coating polypropylene film line with automated slitting began producing commercial volumes of packaging and label films. The customized, proprietary equipment is considered by Toray to be one…