AkzoNobel (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.akzonobel.com) announced Thierry Vanlancker as its new CEO, as current chief Ton Büchner steps down with immediate effect due to health reasons. Büchner joined AkzoNobel in 2012 and has been responsible for significantly improving the performance…
Axalta Coating Systems (Philadelphia, Pa.; www.axaltacs.com) has made a binding offer to acquire the European and Chinese operations of IVA, one of the world’s leading wire-enamel manufacturers, from its parent company Superior Essex. IVA, which has been in operation since…
The preliminary value for the May CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; most recent available) rose compared to the previous month’s value, making it the eighth straight month of increasing values. New data for carbon-steel plates pushed the Equipment subindex…
The Chinese Petroleum Corp. (CPC) awarded DuPont Clean Technologies (DuPont; Wilmington, Del.; www.cleantechnologies.dupont.com) the contract to supply the technology license, engineering and proprietary equipment for a MECS DynaWave wet-gas scrubbing unit to be installed at its Taoyuan refinery in Taiwan in August…
AkzoNobel’s (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.akzonobel.com) Specialty Chemicals business is working on plans to double production capacity at its organic peroxides facility in Ningbo, China, during the next two years. A project to boost the capacity by 40% is already underway,…
BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) started the production of Palatinol DOTP (dioctyl terephthalate), a general-purpose plasticizer, at its Pasadena, Tex. facility, with a nameplate capacity of 60,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr). The plant enables BASF to respond to the…
The Business Unit Catalysts (Munich, Germany) of Clariant (Muttenz, Switzerland; www.clariant.com) today announced the opening of a new office for its Catalysts business in Yinchuan city, capital of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region in China. With the new branch, Clariant…
BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) has closed the previously announced transaction to sell its Bleaching Clay and Mineral Adsorbents businesses to EP Engineered Clays Corp., an affiliate of EP Minerals, LLC, a worldwide leader in engineered products derived from industrial…
Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) announced today that Farabi Petrochemicals Co. (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia) will use Honeywell UOP technologies for a new complex in Yanbu to expand its production of biodegradable detergents. The construction of the new complex is expected to be completed…
Air Products (Lehigh Valley, Pa.; www.airproducts.com) and Huntsman (The Woodlands, Tex.; www.huntsman.com) announced that they have signed a long-term agreement for Air Products to build, own and operate a new steam methane reformer (SMR) and cold box in Geismar, Louisiana.…