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Polymers

Swiss Lonza to buy biocides firm Arch Chemicals

The Switzerland-based Lonza Group, one of the world's leading suppliers to the pharmaceutical, healthcare and life science industries, will acquire US biocides company Arch Chemicals for $47.20/share in cash, or about $1.2 billion.

Goodyear closes Tennessee tire plant, may signal reduced SBR demand

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has ceased production at its tire manufacturing facility in Union City, Tenn., the company said on Monday. The tire market is a major consumer of petrochemicals such as styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR).

M&G picks Corpus Christi as site for new PET plant

M&G Group, the largest Americas producer of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for packaging applications, has selected Corpus Christi, Texas, as the location for its previously-announced 1 million tpy PET plant and accompanying 1.2 million tpy terephthalic acid (PTA) plant.

ACC picks BASF for top political leadership award

BASF was presented with the American Chemistry Council's (ACC) top award for political leadership, recognizing the company’s efforts to mobilize grassroots employee participation in advocacy at both site manufacturing and managerial levels in coordination with Washington, D.C. and state capital activities, the group said on Thursday.

Praxair inks hydrogen supply deal with Hemlock polysilicon plant in Tennessee

Praxair has signed a multi-year contract with Dow Corning joint venture Hemlock Semiconductor to supply high-purity hydrogen to Hemlock’s new $1.2 billion polysilicon manufacturing facility under construction in Clarksville, Tennessee.

AkzoNobel to buy German coatings firm Schramm

AkzoNobel has struck a deal to acquire coatings manufacturer Schramm and the coatings activities operated by Schramm's largest shareholder, Korean company SSCP.

NOVA Chemicals to build new polyethylene lines in Canada, expand ethylene output

As a part of a strategy to capitalize on emerging feedstock opportunities and growing North American demand, NOVA Chemicals said it has begun feasibility and engineering work for the construction of two new polyethylene assets to be located at its sites in Alberta and Ontario.

Specialty chem firm Momentive plans regional hub, R&D center for India

Momentive Performance Materials and Momentive Specialty Chemicals will open a new regional business headquarters and state of the art Global Research and Development Centre in Bangalore, India, the company said on Wednesday.

Westlake shuts PVC pipe plant amid excess supply

Westlake Chemical said on Thursday that its subsidiary North American Pipe has shut down its polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe production facility in Springfield, Ky., in an effort to reduce costs and optimize production operations amid excess capacity in the PVC pipe market.

AkzoNobel plans €140mn expansion, upgrade to German chlorine plant

AkzoNobel will invest €140 million to convert its chlorine plant in Frankfurt, Germany, to state-of-the-art membrane electrolysis technology, the company said on Monday.