Latest News: Business
Kuraray acquires bio-based film specialist Plantic
Kuraray Co. (Tokyo, Japan; www.kuraray.co.jp/en) announces an expansion into bio-based barrier materials through the acquisition of Plantic, an Australia-based global leader in bio-based barrier materials. The acquisition of Plantic enables Kuraray to provide barrier materials that meet the increasing global…
Lanxess starts up EPDM rubber plant in China
Lanxess AG (Cologne, Germany; www.lanxess.com) has successfully started its new ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) plant in Changzhou (Jiangsu Province), China. With the gradual ramp-up of the new plant, Lanxess completes its global EPDM asset base. Over the next few…
A. Schulman to establish masterbatches plant in Turkey
A. Schulman, Inc. (Akron, Ohio; www.aschulman.com) has announced plans to establish a new Masterbatch production plant in Turkey. This new facility will produce, when fully operational, approximately 40 million pounds of the Company's premium additive, white, and breathable masterbatches for…
Airgas to construct air-separation unit in Alabama
Airgas, Inc. (Radnor, Pa.; www.airgas.com) has announced that it has signed a longterm agreement to build an air-separation unit (ASU) to supply tonnage oxygen, nitrogen and argon via pipeline to Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa, Inc., a subsidiary of Nucor Corporation, at…
Tecnimont awarded contract for Socar polypropylene plant
Maire Tecnimont S.p.A. (Milan, Italy; www.mairetecnimont.com) announces that its subsidiaries Tecnimont S.p.A. and KT – Kinetics Technology S.p.A have reached an agreement with Socar Polymer for the award relating to the realization of a polypropylene plant and relevant utilities and…
Pentair expands Korean operations with new ball-valve manufacturing facility
Pentair plc’s (Minneapolis, Minn.; www.pentair.com) Valves & Controls business has announced the expansion of its Anseong manufacturing facility in South Korea. The plant will now also produce trunnion-mounted ball valves under Pentair’s FCT brand, reflecting the company’s commitment to meeting…
Clariant opens new desiccant-manufacturing plant in China
Clariant AG (Muttenz, Switzerland; www.clariant.com), a world leader in specialty chemicals, has opened a new desiccant manufacturing plant at its site in Zhengjiang, China. Clariant will produce its line of Container Dri II products alongside a full range of desiccant…
Chemical equities dip in March, ACC says
The S&P Index for chemical companies fell by 4.6% in March, according to the latest Weekly Chemistry and Economics Report from the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com). The decline in chemical equities is larger than the dip in…
Siluria starts up natural-gas-to-ethylene demonstration plant
Siluria Technologies (San Francisco, Calif.; www.siluria.com) held a grand opening event announcing the successful startup of its demonstration plant located in La Porte, Texas. The plant is wholly owned by Siluria, and co-located at a plant operated by Braskem America,…
Titan Metal Fabricators appoints new VP
Titan Metal Fabricators (Camarillo, Calif.; www.titanmf.com) has announced the promotion of Nick Zentil to vice president, sales and marketing, for Titan’s global operations. Since joining Titan in 2006, Zentil has held a series of engineering and operational management positions, most…