Shintech Louisiana LLC, the US subsidiary of Tokyo-based Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd.’s Shintech Inc., announced the start of production at its ethylene plant in Plaquemine, Louisiana. The 500,000-tonnes per year plant started producing ethylene as of Feb. 13, project contractor Toyo Engineering Corp. and subsidiary Toyo USA Inc. said. Earlier this month in a conference … Read more
Linde PLC announced it has commissioned a new air separation unit (ASU) in Freeport, Texas, as part of a long-term agreement to supply MEGlobal Americas Inc.’s new monoethylene glycol (MEG) plant at Oyster Creek petrochemical complex in Freeport. The new ASU will supply oxygen and nitrogen to MEGlobal Oyster Creek for use in its MEG … Read more
Linde announced it has started up a new Air Separation Unit (ASU) effectively doubling the production capacity of its existing plant at Mims, Florida. “The expansion is in response to rapidly growing contracted demand for space launch activity,” the company said in its statement. The new plant will increase production to more than 500 tons … Read more
PPG announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Alpha Coating Technologies, LLC, a manufacturer of powder coatings for light industrial applications and heat sensitive substrates. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2020, subject to customary closing conditions. Financial terms were not disclosed. “Alpha’s best-in-class service, technology and … Read more
Chroma Color Corporation announced the acquisition of Plastics Color Corporation (PCC), including its two facilities in Asheboro, North Carolina and Calumet City, Illinois. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. PCC deals in color concentrates, functional additives and custom polymer masterbatch. The company has multiple certifications and accreditations that meet government standards and regulations, including … Read more
Evonik has successfully closed the acquisition of the US company PeroxyChem for US$640 million after the responsible court in Washington D.C. dismissed the lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to block the acquisition. Christian Kullmann, chairman of Evonik’s executive board said, “In its judgment, the court confirmed our view of the H2O2 and … Read more
Foremark Performance Chemicals, a Texas based intermediate chemicals and derivatives manufacturer, announced it has completed an expansion of its triazine manufacturing operations at its La Porte, Texas plant. The capacity increase reflects strong customer demand growth from both higher shale oil and gas production in North America as well as Foremark’s strong value proposition. The … Read more
Braskem SA announced on Thursday that it was shutting down its chlor-alkali production facility in Camaçari in the state of Bahia because it had reached the end of its lifespan. The unit in Bahia has a capacity to produce 79,000 tonnes of caustic soda and 64,000 tonnes of chlorine per year. “The market will not … Read more
Johns Manville (JM), a global building and specialty products manufacturer and a Berkshire Hathaway Company, announced its plans to build a polyisocyanurate production plant in Hillsboro, Texas. “This expansion south of Dallas/Fort Worth, in an area where construction is surging, will increase availability of our premium products to customers throughout the region,” said Mary Rhinehart, … Read more
BASF has expanded its low 1,4-dioxane line as regulators, including those in New York, have continued to target 1,4-dioxane in personal care and household cleaning products due to purported health concerns. BASF Flex solutions’ portfolio includes surfactants such as Texapon N 70 NA FlexGold N/A 5 and Texapon N 70 NA FlexSilve. “Formulating with Flex … Read more
Covestro A.G. is delaying work to expand its MDI plant in Baytown, a move that will halt work on the MDI-500 project for 18-24 months. In a Jan. 21 news release about the decision the company cited “challenging global market dynamics” for the halt. However, it stressed that there were no plans to leave the MDI … Read more
Avangard Innovative LP, a specialist in waste optimization technology reached an agreement to supply Dow with post-consumer resin (PCR) plastic film pellets. The deal will be a significant addition to Dow’s plastic circularity portfolio that is aligned with the company’s goal to advance the circular economy for plastics and minimize waste in the environment. The … Read more
Solvay’s new high molecular weight (HMW) hindered amine light stabilizer (HALS) capacity is now online, complementing existing HALS production at the Willow Island, West Virginia, USA, site. The facility was designed with the latest improvements in technology to ensure operator safety, reduce impact on the environment, and improve the quality and consistency of Solvay’s HALS … Read more
Enterprise Products Partners L.P. announced on Monday that its isobutane dehydrogenation (iBDH) plant in the Mont Belvieu, Texas area recently began service, with volumes expected to continue ramping up during the next two weeks. The facility, which is supported by long-term, fee-based contracts with investment grade customers, will ultimately have the capability to process approximately … Read more
Formosa Petrochemical has received air pollution permits for a $9.4 billion petrochemical and plastics complex the company has proposed building in St. James Parish, Louisiana. The company has received the final Title V operating permits needed from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. The complex would be built in two phases and produce ethylene, propylene, … Read more
Borealis AG and NOVA Chemicals Corporation announced last Thursday that they have reached an agreement for Borealis to buy NOVA Chemicals’ 50% ownership interest in Novealis Holdings LLC. Formed in 2018, Novealis is the joint venture between affiliates of Borealis and NOVA Chemicals, which subsequently formed a 50/50 joint venture with an affiliate of Total … Read more
Gulf Coast Ammonia LLC (GCA) announced that it has closed on non-recourse project financing for its world-scale anhydrous ammonia plant in Texas on December 30, 2019. Construction capital will be provided by a joint venture of Starwood Energy Group Global LLC (Starwood Energy) and Mabanaft GmbH & Co. KG (Mabanaft). The facility will have a … Read more
Ascend Performance Materials has finalized plans for a $175 million project to expand adiponitrile (ADN) production capacity at its Decatur, AL manufacturing facility. The company will also construct energy cogeneration units at the site. The cogeneration units will reduce emissions at the facility by 60 percent. Ascend said that state and local governments are providing … Read more
BASF SE announced that it has entered a deal to sell its construction chemicals business to Lone Star Funds, a global private equity firm for 3.17 billion euros ($3.5 billion). The deal, which has immediate effect upon BASF’s reporting, is expected to close in the third quarter of 2020, according to the statement. The deal … Read more
Specialty chemical company Ecolab Inc. will merge its upstream energy business, Nalco Champion LLC with oilfield services provider Apergy Corp. The combined entity is expected to have pro forma sales of roughly $3.5 billion for the year and adjusted EBITDA of about $615 million, according to a Dec. 19 news release. The deal values Nalco … Read more