LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (LYB; Rotterdam, the Netherlands) announced an investment to expand propylene production capacity at its Channelview Complex near Houston. Groundbreaking and construction are expected to begin in the third quarter of 2025, with a projected startup in late 2028.…
An ExxonMobil Corp. (Spring, Tex.; www.exxonmobil.com) adhesive-resin finishing facility in Baton Rouge, La. has become the first commercial process-manufacturing facility to be controlled by an open, standards-based process automation system. This is a departure from the closed, proprietary systems currently…
Launched at the International Production & Processing Expo 2025, Baldor-Reliance Food Safe SP5+ motor (photo) is said to be the world’s first IP69-certified ultra-premium efficient motor. Built for food and beverage applications, the motor’s IP69-rated stainless-steel construction is engineered to…
Advanced technologies help pharmaceutical and semiconductor producers achieve excellence Chemical processors are under increased pressure to achieve operational excellence, which involves a balance of increasing yield, improving quality and reducing waste, while also cutting operational costs. Processors in high-purity industries…
Plant Watch LG Chem set to commence production of bio-based acrylic acid February 13, 2025 — LG Chem Ltd. (Seoul, South Korea; www.lgchem.com) will commence the production of bio-based acrylic acid in the second quarter of 2025, with plans to…
Many separation processes depend on chemical or thermal principles, such as solvent extraction or distillation, but in some cases, mechanical methods can provide effective separations with lower cost and energy requirements. Eirex (Vaughan, Ont., Canada; www.eirex.ca) has developed a proprietary…
Respondents to a Q4 2024 survey of industrial leaders conducted by the ARC Advisory Group (Dedham, Mass.; www.arcweb.com) ranked artificial intelligence (AI) first, by a relatively large margin, among the digital technologies that they expect to be the most impactful…
Olivine, a magnesium-iron silicate mineral, is common in the earth’s subsurface, and can sometimes contain other valuable elements, such as cobalt, manganese and nickel. Olivine has been explored as a possible sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide in carbon-capture methods that…
These powders are designed for thermal spray applications This company’s WallCarb™ HVOF (high-velocity oxygen fuel) tungsten carbide powders are designed for thermal spray applications (photo) and are engineered to provide dense, hard coatings with exceptional wear and corrosion resistance. These…
Algae show promise for removing nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen from wastewater due to their natural absorption abilities. However, the widespread use of algae-based wastewater treatment is limited by challenges related to system footprint, mass transfer and maintaining optimal conditions…