Polymers
Shale energy resources driving resurgence for ethylene industry
The abundant supply of North American shale energy resources is proving to be not only a boon for exploration and production (E&P) companies and energy consumers, but it is also changing the profitabi..
North American olefin producers riding the shale gas wave
With the prospect of abundant low-cost ethane, several producers have announced intentions to build new ethylene capacity.
High-pressure polyethylene: Reemergence as a specialty chemical or not?
The analysis results indicate that, while investment capital for new plants favors LLDPE, plant profitability—which is a function of product slate (revenue) and cost—is, in many cases, higher for LDPE plants.
HPI Focus: New vs. debottlenecking projects
As most owners do not have adequately skilled engineering teams to study these scenarios, engaging an experienced, qualified engineering contractor to support the conceptual study is often warranted.
HP Boxscore Construction Analysis: Ethylene in evolution: 50 years of changing markets and economics
Ethylene is the key building block for the petrochemical industry. This olefin supports 70% of petrochemical industry production and is used to manufacture a wide variety of products for industrial an..
HP Impact: Driven by China, global methanol demand rises 23% in two years
According to a new IHS Chemical global market study, global methanol demand increased 23% during the two-year period of 2010 to 2012, primarily driven by Chinese demand.Annual demand for the product i..
Use model-based temperature control for fixed-bed reactors
A process unit at BASF’s Geismar, Louisiana manufacturing facility contains a series of six packed-bed reactors filled with a proprietary catalyst. This catalyst promotes an exothermic reaction, ..
ExxonMobil licenses tubular process to Sasol for Louisiana polyethylene project
Used worldwide by ExxonMobil Chemical and its licensees, the company's high-pressure tubular process has been in operation since 1968 and has a long history of improvements and capacity expansion. The company also licenses autoclave technology for producing LDPE.
Air Products licenses process technology to Cryo for unreacted olefins recovery
The licensing enables Cryo to design and offer Air Products' unreacted olefin recovery technology, which has been proven through the development, testing, and successful operation of three full-scale facilities that Air Products designed and supplied to PP and PE producers in the US.
Mexichem to buy PolyOne vinyls, base resin assets
PolyOne CEO Stephen D. Newlin said the assets comprise the company's only remaining business involved in the direct manufacture of base resins. As such, PolyOne said it views the sale of its resin production assets as a natural and next step for its evolving portfolio.
- Iran's Revolutionary Guards say they targeted petrochemical facilities in the Gulf 4/6
- Damietta Green Ammonia completes pre-FEED for $873-MM, 150,000-tpy green ammonia facility 4/6
- EIB and Eni sign €500-MM in financing for new biorefinery in Sannazzaro de’ Burgondi 4/6
- India's Reliance buys Venezuelan oil directly from PDVSA 4/6
- Japan to boost intermediate chemical imports amid tighter naphtha supply 4/6
- Five EU countries call for windfall tax on energy companies 4/6

