Polymers
Cabot plans 25% expansion for Europe fumed silica
Cabot will expand production capacity by 25% at its fumed silica facility in Barry, Wales, company officials said on Monday. The expansion is expected to be completed in 2012 and is part of a three-year plan to increase Cabot’s global fumed metal oxide capacity by 35% to 40%.
BASF plans Bahrain plastic additives plant for 2012 to meet rising Middle East demand
BASF will significantly expand its presence in the Middle East region by building a state-of-the-art plant for antioxidant blends (CSB) in Bahrain, the Germany-based chemicals major said on Wednesday. CSBs are key additives for the production of polymers for the plastics industry, especially for the Middle East region.
Dow Chemical, Mitsui form biopolymers JV in Brazil
US-based Dow Chemical and Japan-based Mitsui & Co. have formed a new joint venture aimed at providing sustainable product solutions to the global high-performance flexible packaging, hygiene and medical markets. This represents the world’s largest biopolymers play and is Dow’s largest investment in Brazil, a country in which Dow has operated successfully for more than 50 years, officials said.
American Chemistry Council chief seeks overhaul of EPA risk assessment system
In testimony this week before the US House Subcommittee on Investigations, American Chemistry Council CEO Cal Dooley called for an overhaul of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS).
Praxair signs nitrogen, oxygen supply deal with Brazil petchem major Braskem
White Martins, the Brazil-based subsidiary of Praxair, has signed a 15-year agreement to supply nitrogen and oxygen to Braskem, the largest Americas petrochemical company by capacity and the world’s largest producer of biopolymers.
TPC Group to restart Texas dehydrogenation unit
TPC Group says it has received the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) air permit necessary for the planned refurbishment, upgrade to air emission controls, and restart of one of its idle dehydrogenation units in Houston. Construction of the required new components for the system, along with refurbishment of the existing unit, began promptly following receipt of the permit, the company said.
Cereplast to supply bioplastic resins to Turkey
Cereplast entered into a distribution agreement with Polimernet Plastik Ltd. to supply bioplastic resins to the Turkish market, the manufacturer of proprietary bio-based, compostable and sustainable plastics said on Tuesday.
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.
- Carbon capture tops agenda at GPAE Conference 2025 6/17
- INEOS to cease phenol production at German site, cites high European energy costs and CO2 tax policy 6/17
- Petrobras signs $892 MM in contracts to complete RNEST Train 2 refinery expansion 6/17
- China's May refinery throughput at 9-month low on plant overhauls (1) 6/17
- bp completes turnaround work at 250,000-bpd refinery in Washington (U.S.) 6/17
- Japan's Eneos restarts 77,000-bpd Kawasaki CDU after unplanned shutdown 6/17
