Chemical Engineering
Chandra Asri increases MTBE and butene production capacities
Chandra Asri Group (Jakarta, Indonesia) has increased the production capacity of its Methyl Tert-butyl Ether (MTBE) and Butene-1 (B1) plants by 25% as a strategic step to accelerate import substitution efforts and strengthen the resilience of Indonesia’s petrochemical industry. The…
BASF expands dispersions production capacity in Durban, South Africa
BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany) has expanded production capacity for dispersions at its site in Durban, South Africa, strengthening the company’s ability to supply customers with high-quality dispersions used in architectural coatings, construction materials and the paper industry. The significant capacity…
Lonza to divest Capsules & Health Ingredients business
Lonza AG (Basel, Switzerland) has entered into a definitive agreement to divest its Capsules & Health Ingredients (CHI) business to Lone Star Funds (“Lone Star”) for an enterprise value of CHF 2.3 billion (USD 3 billion). Lonza will realize upfront…
BASF sells selected hydrosulfite-related assets to Silox
BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany) and Silox s.a. (Engis, Belgium) have entered into a definitive agreement under which Silox acquires selected hydrosulfite-related assets from BASF. The transaction comprises specific assets, including intellectual property rights, special containers, selected production equipment, technical expertise,…
Syensqo and Johnson Matthey demonstrate recovery and reuse of platinum-group metals from fuel-cell and electroyzer components
Syensqo (Brussels, Belgium; www.syensqo.com) and Johnson Matthey (London, U.K.; www.matthey.com) have demonstrated a viable pathway to recover and reuse platinum group metals (PGMs) and ionomers from proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell and electrolyzer components without compromising performance. The results,…
Turnkey Integration Improves Reliability & Efficiency in Bulk Processing Systems
This white paper explains how turnkey system integration improves reliability, efficiency, and product consistency in bulk processing operations. It highlights how Carrier Process Equipment Group (CPEG) combines expertise across drying, conveying, blending, thermal processing, and dust collection to engineer fully…
Business News: March 2026
Plant Watch Solstice Advanced Materials to expand uranium conversion site in Illinois February 11, 2026 — Solstice Advanced Materials (Morris Plains, N.J.; www.solstice.com) has invested in debottlenecking projects at its facility in Metropolis Works, Ill., resulting in a production expansion…
Facts At Your Fingertips: Generative AI Use Cases in the CPI
Many in the chemical process industries (CPI) view generative artificial intelligence (genAI) as a powerful augmentation layer for the modern chemical workforce, and one that can unlock insights faster, lead to leaner operations and provide a more intuitive interface between…
Scale-Up Considerations for New Technologies
Scaling up new technologies is a strategic challenge requiring foresight and disciplined execution. Success demands designing pilot plants with scalability in mind. Applying a set of principles outlined here can reduce risk, improve investor confidence and enhance the likelihood of…
Drive to Zero Process Safety: Mapping Cultural Risk Factors
Proactive culture evaluation closes the gap between root causes and cultural factors to promote sustainable safety leadership while also preventing recurring accidents and chronic incidents Incident investigations commonly show that human factors have led to process safety issues. Yet, despite…