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Polymers

Honeywell to buy US phenol/acetone plant from Sunoco for $85mn

US refiner Sunoco said on Wednesday that it has agreed to sell its 1 billion pounds/year phenol and acetone manufacturing facility in Philadelphia for $85mn to Honeywell.

SABIC, Sinopec to construct 260,000 tonne/year polycarbonate plant in China by 2015

Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC) and China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) said on Tuesday that they will build a new polycarbonate production plant in China with a capacity of 260,000 tonnes/year.

ExxonMobil, SABIC award contracts for elastomers project at Saudi petchem JV

Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC) and affiliates of ExxonMobil Chemical said that front-end engineering design (FEED) contracts were awarded and that all components are in FEED phase for the proposed new elastomers project at their Al-Jubail Petrochemical Co. (KEMYA) joint venture petrochemical plant.

Malaysia’s Petronas to build $20 billion integrated refinery, petrochemical complex

Malaysia’s state-owned energy major Petronas will build a $20 billion integrated refinery and petrochemicals complex in Southern Johor, the company said on Friday.

M&G to build new PET, PTA plants on US Gulf coast

Mossi & Ghisolfi (M&G) will build a 1mn tonne/year polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plant along the US Gulf coast with an adjoining 1.2mn tonne/year terephthalic acid (PTA) plant to supply feedstock, company officials said.

Honeywell triples capacity of blowing agent for polystyrene board, notes growing demand

Honeywell has tripled production capacity for its low-global-warming-potential product HFO-1234ze to meet what it says is growing need for the material, used in multiple foam and aerosol applications.

Global PVC growth to continue, but new China capacity will limit op rates - report

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) demand growth is forecast to continue in 2011, but the start-up of additional capacity in China will lead to global operating rates remaining low, according to a new report from US-based consultancy ChemSystems.

IHS acquires chemical consultancy CMAI

US-based information and analysis provider IHS announced this week that it has acquired consultancy Chemical Market Associates, Inc. (CMAI), a leading provider of market & business advisory services for the global petrochemical, specialty chemicals, fertilizer, plastics, fibers and chlor-alkali industries.

PPG closes on $27mn deal for US chlor-alkali producer Equa-Chlor

US chemicals major PPG Industries announced that it completed its acquisition of certain assets of Equa-Chlor, Inc., a Washington-based producer of chlorine, caustic soda and muriatic acid.

Bayer invests $120mn in environmental, safety upgrades at Texas chemical site

Bayer MaterialScience will invest $120mn into environmental and safety improvements at its Baytown chemical site in Texas – the company’s largest US manufacturing facility.