Global Bioenergies and Clariant are proud to announce the first isobutene production from a wheat straw hydrolysate, in the industrial pilot of Pomacle Bazancourt. This success is the result of a collaboration initiated more than 18 months ago, and has…
Novamont (Novara, Italy; www.novamont.com), the Italy-based world leader in bioplastics, with 1,000 patents in biopolymers and biochemicals, announced they have opened the world’s first commercial-scale facility for the bio-based production of a major intermediate chemical, in Bottrighe (Adria), North East…
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (Pasadena, Calif.; www.jacobs.com) was awarded a contract from Vastly (formerly Tranlin, Inc.) to lead permit acquisition and provide design services for its new $2-billion manufacturing plant in Chesterfield, Virginia. The plant represents Vastly’s first investment in…
BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) celebrated the opening of a new complex for the manufacturing of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) located at the BASF site in Shanghai, China. The new plant will produce PVP K30 powder, a polymer used as a base for…
Nuberg Engineering Ltd. (Noida, India; www.nuberg.in) received a contract for a calcium chloride plant project on EPC & LSTK basis in Port Said, Egypt from TCI Sanmar Chemicals S.A.E. TCI Sanmar is a part of the multinational conglomerate, The Sanmar…
BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) is building a world-scale production plant for acetylene at its Ludwigshafen site. The plant will start up at the end of 2019 and replace the existing plant. The new facility will have the capacity to…
Microdyn-Nadir GmbH (Wiesbaden, Germany; www.microdyn-nadir.com) has announced the acquisition of specialty membrane company TriSep Corp (Goleta, Calif.). TriSep has profound experience and expertise in the area of reverse osmosis and nanofiltration and has built a strong reputation for successfully customizing…
Introduction Historically, mini-plants have utilized oil-sealed rotary vane vacuum pumps as a vacuum source because they provide relatively high flow rates and because they can reach relatively deep vacuum levels, such as 10-3 mbar. The same can be said of…
Specialty chemicals company Lanxess AG (Cologne, Germany; www.lanxess.com) announced plans to acquire Chemtura Corp. (Philadelphia, Pa., www.chemtura.com), one of the major global providers of flame-retardant and lubricant additives. With the largest acquisition in its history, Lanxess is building on its…
The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE; Rugby, U.K.; www.icheme.org) has confirmed the appointment of Jon Prichard as its new Chief Executive Officer. Jon succeeds David Brown, who stepped down in July. Jon currently leads the regulatory body for the engineering…