Total Corbion PLA (www.total-corbion.com), a 50/50 joint venture between Total S.A. (Paris, France; www.total.com) and Corbion N.V. (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.corbion.com), has just inaugurated its poly-lactic acid (PLA) bioplastics plant in Rayong, Thailand. The opening celebrates the start-up of the…
TechnipFMC (Houston; www.technipfmc.com) announced that Videolar-INNOVA S.A. (INNOVA) recently started up the first Direct Heating Unit (DHU) in Brazil. This groundbreaking technology for adding heat to high-temperature processes employs flameless combustion for the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene. The DHU…
Wacker Chemie AG (Munich, Germany; www.wacker.com) is intensifying its research activities on silicon-based materials for high-performance batteries by taking a holding in Nexeon Ltd (Abingdon, U.K.; www.nexeon.co.uk). Wacker announced today that it is acquiring a 25% stake in the U.K.…
Graham Corp. (Batavia, N.Y.; www.graham-mfg.com), a global business that designs, manufactures and sells critical equipment for the oil refining, petrochemical and defense industries, yesterday announced that it secured $19 million in orders for three international projects in its crude oil…
Johnson Matthey (JM; London; www.matthey.com) has been awarded the methanol plant license for Methanex Corp.’s Geismar 3 plant, incorporating the world’s largest standalone autothermal reformer (ATR) unit in the methanol marketplace. In mid-July, the Methanex Board of Directors reached a…
Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. (MCC; Tokyo; www.m-chemical.co.jp) announced that its wholly owned subsidiary PT. MC PET Film Indonesia (MFI) will build a new facility to increase its polyester film production capacity. MFI will invest about $130 million dollars in the new…
Axens (Rueil Malmaison, France; www.axens.net) and SP3H (Technopole Arbois Méditerranée, France; www.sp3h.com) have signed a strategic partnership to develop and commercialize an industrial application of the microanalyzer developed by SP3H for the refining, biofuel and petrochemical markets. This rugged, smart…
Metso Corp. (Helsinki, Finland; www.metso.com) is expanding its remote monitoring services for the mining industry by opening its first Metso performance center in Santiago, Chile, and by building up capabilities for a second center in Changsha, China. Additional centers will…
Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany; www.evonik.com) has expanded its production capacity for the high-purity C13 alcohol isotridecanol (ITDA) at the Marl Chemical Park. This will enable the specialty chemicals group to continue to build on its position as one of…
DuPont (Wilmington, Del.; www.dupont.com) has announced that DuPont Electronics & Imaging (E&I) signed an agreement to sell its Compound Semiconductor Solutions (CSS) business to SK Siltron, a leading silicon wafer supplier to the semiconductor market based in South Korea. The…