Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany; www.evonik.com) plans to increase its capacity for sodium methylate at its Rosario/Santa Fe facility in Argentina from 60,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) up to 90,000 m.t./yr until 2021. The expansion is driven by growing…
Chemical compatibility charts are often used as a quick and concise way to match the proper fluid with a seal. However, there is much more to consider with the chemical compatibility of a seal in relation to the fluids in…
Standard Lithium Ltd. (Vancouver, B.C.; www.standardlithium.com), a technology and lithium development company, today announced the successful installation of the company’s industrial-scale Direct Lithium Extraction Demonstration Plant at Lanxess’ South Plant facility in southern Arkansas. Standard Lithium’s project team has also…
As part of PKN ORLEN’s project to expand its olefin production complex in Płock, Poland, Fluor Corp. (Irving, Tex.; www.fluor.com) has been selected for technical consultancy and Project Management Contractor (PMC) services. Fluor’s services contract is expected to optimally prepare…
Umicore N.V. (Brussels, Belgium; www.umicore.com) has completed the acquisition of Freeport Cobalt’s cobalt refining and cathode precursor activities in Kokkola, Finland, for an amount of $203 million on a debt and cash free basis (including approximately $50 million of net…
Lanxess AG (Cologne, Germany; www.lanxess.com) has acquired Itibanyl Produtos Especiais Ltda. (IPEL). Headquartered in Jarinu, São Paulo, IPEL is one of Brazil’s leading biocide manufacturers and generated sales in the lower double-digit million euro range in 2018. Both companies signed an…
Haldor Topsoe A/S (Lyngby, Denmark; www.topsoe.com) and Sasol Ltd. (Johannesburg, South Africa; www.sasol.co.za) announced that they have entered into a collaboration agreement to jointly license their gas-to-liquids (GTL) technologies. For many years, the two companies have worked together on numerous…
As chemical process industries (CPI) companies continue to experiment with, invest in, and implement a host of digitalization tools, workforce engagement and involvement is the key determinant of success Chemical process industries (CPI) companies are entering a critical stage in…
This column is based on “Ethylene Oxide Production from Ethylene – Cost Analysis,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/ethylene-oxide-production-cost. Ethylene oxide (also known as EO, oxirane and epoxyethane) is the simplest cyclic ether. Because it…
Lessons learned from past failures provide insight and know-how needed toinspect and operate storage tanks reliably Storage tanks are a common sight at many facilities of the chemical process industries (CPI). Tanks are part of our everyday life and they…