PPG Industries, Inc. (Pittsburgh, Pa.; www.ppg.com) announced that Charles E. Bunch will retire Sept. 1 as executive chairman of the PPG board of directors after 37 years with the company. PPG President and Chief Executive Officer Michael H. McGarry will…
BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) and The Linde Group (Munich, Germany; www.linde.com) successfully completed a joint pilot project to improve capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) from fluegas at a coal-fired power plant at the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC). The…
ExxonMobil (Houston, Tex.; www.exxonmobil.com) announced today plans to expand its specialty elastomers plant in Newport, Wales. The company said the project, expected to be completed in late 2017, will result in a 25-percent increase in its global capacity to manufacture…
Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany; www.evonik.com) put its precipitated-silica production plant in Americana (São Paulo, Brazil) into operation on July 20, 2016. This high-growth silica is used mainly for high-quality low rolling resistance tires. In addition, by building this new…
Last week, ASTM International (West Conshohocken, Pa.; www.astm.org) Committee E15 on Industrial and Specialty Chemicals voted to merge into ASTM Committee D16 on Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Related Chemicals. “Merging these two important committees will help consolidate chemical industry expertise in standards…
The May 2016 preliminary value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; the most recent available) is higher than the previous month, with the Equipment and Buildings indices rising by a significant amount. The preliminary May 2016 CEPCI value is…
Arkema (Colombes, France; www.arkema.com) has announced the planned acquisition by its specialty adhesives business line, Bostik, of Den Braven, a leader in sealants for insulation and construction in Europe. With this acquisition, Arkema is actively pursuing the development of its…
Air Products (Lehigh Valley, Pa.; www.airproducts.com) says it will build a new plant and associated infrastructure in the Pukou Economic Development Zone (PKEDZ), Nanjing, eastern China, to supply ultra-high purity gases to its customers in the park. The PKEDZ is…
The Specialty Chemicals Market Volume Index, a tool created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) slipped 0.4 percent in June. This follows a 0.3 percent decline in May and a 0.5 percent decline in April. All data…
Sandvik AB (Stockholm, Sweden; www.sandvik.com) has signed an agreement to divest its Mining Systems operations, reported in the Sandvik income statement as discontinued operations, to the private equity company CoBe Capital. Sandvik will maintain ownership of ongoing projects that are…