American specialty chemicals company Albemarle formally announced start of construction work on its new lithium hydroxide processing plant in Kemberton, Australia at an event last Thursday. The company will build the plant with a total investment of AUD$1 billion ($ 708.2 million). The Kemberton site will be Australia’s largest lithium processing facility when it becomes … Read more
BASF today officially launched its liaison office in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, marking another milestone in BASF’s efforts to implement a new integrated chemical production base. Located in Chikan District, downtown Zhanjiang, the new office is equipped with a range of BASF materials and solutions to create a comfortable and sustainable office environment. These include carpets … Read more
Tnemec Company, Inc., an industry-leading manufacturer of industrial and architectural protective coatings, announced it has acquired St. Louis-based coatings company, ProPolymer Coatings. ProPolymer Coatings provides tank linings, exterior coatings and containment products for various plants, from food and chemical processing plants to power generation facilities. “Tnemec and the ProPolymer team are both excited about this … Read more
DowDupont estimated that in the first quarter of the year, its earnings fell by a percentage in the high teens, hit by flooding in the midwest of the US, and a squeeze on margins in packaging and plastics. The company’s previous guidance was that earnings before interest, tax depreciation, and amortization would drop by a … Read more
Westlake Chemical Partners LP announced on Wednesday that it has agreed to acquire an additional 4.50% limited partner interest in Westlake Chemical OpCo LP on a fully diluted basis for approximately $201.4 million. The acquisition will increase the Partnership’s limited partner interest in OpCo from approximately 18.3% to approximately 22.8% and will represent the third … Read more
Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s state-controlled Oil & Gas giant has reached a $69.1 billion deal to purchase a majority stake in petrochemicals firm Sabic from the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund. The deal will see Aramco buy the 70 percent stake in Sabic held in a share purchase agreement by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of … Read more
Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals) will double production capacity for solvent-based organic peroxides at its Los Reyes, Mexico site, enabling it to support the strong growth of the North American polyolefin and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) markets. The expansion is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2020. Polyolefins are used to produce a … Read more
Ineos AG is planning to double the size of subsidiary Ineos Oxide’s proposed ethylene oxide (EO) and ethylene oxide derivatives (EOD) plant to be built somewhere along the US Gulf Coast. Part of Ineos’ plan to address a fast-growing EO merchant market as well as the operator’s own requirements, the new plant—which will now produce … Read more
Solvay is raising its European capacity of hydroquinone by 20%, enhancing the security of supply on three continents and to meet increasing demand for diphenol inhibitors used as additives by the monomer industry. This capacity expansion at its plant in Saint-Fons, France is accomplished by debottlenecking the existing unit and follows a recent capacity increase … Read more
On Tuesday, Merck KGaA launched a hostile $5.9 billion all-cash takeover bid for Versum Materials to boost its presence on the market for semiconductor materials and sideline the bid of Entegris. Since it was first proposed last month, Versum opposed Merck’s unsolicited cash offer, saying it was committed to an all-share merger with U.S. rival … Read more
Arkema has successfully started up a Kepstan PEKK (Poly-Ether-Ketone-Ketone) plant at its site near Alabama, United States. The company considers the investment as a new step in Arkema’s ambitious growth strategy in high-performance polymers and advanced materials, the development of which is supported by the Group’s cutting-edge technologies in search of solutions for sustainable development. … Read more
Tronox Limited confirmed on Monday that the Federal Trade Commission has withdrawn the company’s proposed acquisition of The National Titanium Dioxide Company Limited’s titanium dioxide business from adjudication for the purpose of considering the proposed Consent Agreement. The transaction would then be able to be consummated if the proposed Consent Agreement were finally approved by the Commission. The … Read more
Borealis, a leading provider of innovative solutions in the fields of polyolefins, base chemicals and fertilizers and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement to explore potential growth opportunities within the polyolefin industry in key geographical markets that both parties view as key demand centers in the future. … Read more
Westlake Chemical Corporation announced that the company has joined the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), an organization launched in January 2019 to advance solutions to eliminate plastic waste in the environment, especially in the ocean. “Westlake is pleased to have joined the Alliance to End Plastic Waste as part of our long-standing commitment to … Read more
Wacker Chemie AG has opened a new laboratory for food applications in Shanghai. This specialized laboratory will enable Wacker to provide its customers in Asia with even better support in developing innovative, customized products in the fast-growing food market. The focus is on food ingredients, for example for egg-free baked goods, whipped toppings or functional … Read more
Petrobras received a favorable court ruling allowing it to idle a fertilizer plant in Bahia, the Brazilian state energy producer said on Thursday. In February, Petrobras announced the decision to mothball two fertilizer plants in Bahia and Sergipe, but the SINPEQ (Sindicato das Indústrias de Produtos Quimicos para Fins Industriais, Petroquimicas e Resinas Sintéticas de Camaçari, … Read more
The Board of Directors of PhosAgro, one of the world’s leading producers of phosphate-based fertilizers, has approved the Company’s strategy to 2025. The strategy to 2025 aims to further expand PhosAgro’s presence in its priority domestic and premium export markets and strengthen its position as a producer of pure phosphate-based fertilizers with low levels of … Read more
Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP today announced that it is currently studying the addition of a global scale 1-Hexene unit. The addition would expand the production of normal alpha olefins (NAO), marketed under the Alpha Plus brand name. “As global demand for polyethylene continues to grow, this study demonstrates Chevron Phillips Chemical ’s commitment to … Read more
Merck announced that a comprehensive agreement has been signed between the company management and the Joint Works Council for the Darmstadt site. The goal is to secure and further expand the future viability of corporate headquarters as a central hub for science and technology. For this purpose, up to 2025, the company will invest a … Read more
INEOS has announced on Tuesday that it has signed an agreement to acquire Cristal’s (National Titanium Dioxide Company Limited) North American TiO2 business from Tronox Limited for $700 million. The North American business of Cristal includes two plants located in the complex of Ashtabula Ohio (US). The deal is the proposed remedy package submitted by … Read more