SNF Investing $1.2 Billion to Meet Polyacrylamide Demand

Over the last two years SNF has added 75,000 metric tonne per year powder-grade polyacrylamide (PAM) production capacity globally to match the increased demand for EOR (Enhanced Oil Recovery) applications. By the end of 2020, SNF will add 75,000 metric tonne per year more. This 150,000 metric tonne per year, $1.2 billion worth new capacity … Read more

Koch Methanol Acquires Majority Ownership Stake in YCI Methanol One

Koch Methanol Investments, LLC (Koch Methanol) and Yuhuang Chemical Industries Inc. (YCI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Shandong Yuhuang Chemical Company, have recapitalized YCI Methanol One, LLC (the “Joint Venture”).  As a result of this transaction, Koch Methanol is the indirect, majority owner and managing member of the Joint Venture. The Joint Venture is currently … Read more

Meridian Adhesives Group Acquires Epoxies, Etc

Meridian Adhesives Group announced on Thursday the acquisition of Epoxies, Etc., a leading resin formulator of epoxies, urethanes and silicones. Arsenal Capital Partners created Meridian in 2018 as its platform in the global adhesives and sealants sector, focusing on high-value adhesives technologies. In May 2018, Meridian completed the acquisitions of Epoxy Technology and Adhesives Technology … Read more

Dow to Retrofit Louisiana Cracker for On-purpose Propylene

As part of the Company’s current slate of low capital intensity, high-return incremental growth investments, Dow announced it will retrofit proprietary fluidized catalytic dehydrogenation (FCDh) technology into one of its mixed-feed crackers in Plaquemine, Louisiana, to produce on-purpose propylene. The retrofit will enable Dow to continue to meet growing demand for its businesses serving consumer, … Read more

Motiva to Acquire Flint Hills Port Arthur Cracker

Saudi Aramco’s US subsidiary Motiva Enterprises has agreed to buy Flint Hills Resources’ cracker and related chemical assets at Port Arthur, Texas, USA. Financial terms were not disclosed. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2019. The cracker has a capacity of around 700,000 tonnes/year for ethylene and around 300,000 tonnes/year … Read more

Dow to Sell its Acetone Derivatives Business to Altivia

Dow announced that it has reached an agreement for the divestiture of its Acetone Derivatives business to ALTIVIA Ketones & Additives, LLC, an affiliate of ALTIVIA, a privately held producer of chemicals headquartered in Houston, Texas. “This divestiture illustrates Dow’s disciplined approach to portfolio management with a best owner mindset,” said Jim Fitterling, chief executive … Read more

INEOS Styrolution Breaks Ground on 100kt Bayport ASA Plant

INEOS Styrolution, the global leader in styrenics, today announces that the company hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for its new 100kt ASA (acrylonitrile styrene acrylate) plant in Bayport, Texas. The development of the new site is part of a bigger expansion plan for the Americas, which includes increased ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) capacity at the Altamira … Read more

Huntsman Sells its Intermediates, Surfactants Businesses to Indorama for $2.1 B

Huntsman Corporation announced on Friday that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its chemical intermediates businesses, which includes PO/MTBE, and its surfactants businesses to Indorama Ventures in a transaction valued at $2.076 billion. The transaction comprises a cash purchase price of $2.0 billion plus the transfer of up to approximately $76 million … Read more

Air Liquide Signs $140M Supply Agreement with ExxonMobil-Sabic JV and will Build New ASU

Air Liquide has signed a long-term agreement with Gulf Coast Growth Ventures (GCGV), a 50/50 joint venture between ExxonMobil and SABIC, to supply oxygen and nitrogen from its industrial gas pipeline network to GCGV’s planned ethane cracker facility located near Corpus Christi, in Texas. To support the new agreement and additional volumes, Air Liquide plans … Read more

CPChem, Qatar Petroleum Planning $8B US Gulf Coast Project

Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC and Qatar Petroleum announced they have signed an agreement to jointly pursue development of a new petrochemical plant in the Gulf Coast region of the United States. The U.S. Gulf Coast II Petrochemical Project (USGC II) will include a 2 million tonne per annum ethylene cracker and two 1 million … Read more

Arkema Completes Acquisition of US Specialty Surfactants Manufaturer

Arkema completed the acquisition of ArrMaz, a global leader in specialty surfactants for crop nutrition, mining and infrastructure markets. The acquisition of this profitable, resilient and low capital intensive business, which has an accretive impact from the first year, is another milestone in Arkema’s growth journey towards specialties that contributes to further reinforcing the Group’s … Read more

Chevron Phillips Chemical Bidding $15 B for Nova Chemicals

Chevron Phillips Chemical Co has offered to acquire Nova Chemicals Corp. for more than $15 billion, Reuters reported based on information from people familiar with the matter. Nova Chemicals is owned by Mubadala Investment Co., located in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The state-owned investor has been scouting for a buyer since … Read more

Elkem Silicones Expands Local Offering of Basic Silicones

Elkem Silicones, the world’s second largest silicone siloxane capacity producer, announces it has expanded its local product offering to include upstream basic silicones to meet the growing demands of the North American marketplace. These basic silicone materials, including cyclosiloxanes D4 and D5, polydimethylsiloxane oils (PDMS), silanol fluids, emulsions and sealants, now will be readily available … Read more

Northleaf Acquires Stake in Odfjell Holdings (US) Inc.

Northleaf Capital Partners (Northleaf) announced that funds managed by Northleaf have acquired a 49% equity interest in Odfjell Holdings (US) Inc. (OHUS), a portfolio of bulk liquid storage terminals in the United States. The remaining 51% interest continues to be held by Odfjell SE, one of the leading players in the global market for seaborne … Read more

Lion Elastomers Acquires Firestone Polymers Production Site

Lion Elastomers, LLC announced on Monday the execution of a purchase agreement for an Orange, Texas production site owned and operated by Firestone Polymers, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation. The plant manufactures polybutadiene and styrene-butadiene copolymers, produced under the Stereon™, Diene™, and Duradene™ trade names. These products are complementary to Lion’s current … Read more

Polyscope Polymers Acquires Global SMA Business from Total

Polyscope Polymers B.V. has completed the business integration of the global styrene maleic anhydride (SMA®) copolymers business from Cray Valley S.A., Cray Valley HSC Asia Ltd, Cray Valley (Guangzhou) Chemical Co. Ltd. and Total Petrochemicals & Refining USA, Inc. Cray Valley was the global market leader for low molecular weight (LMW) SMA® products and the … Read more

Perstorp’s Non-phthalate Plasticizer for Food-contact PVC Obtains FDA Approval

Perstorp has obtained FCN 001967 (Food Contact Notification) from the US FDA for the use of Pevalen as a plasticiser in PVC polymers for use in repeated‐use food contact articles. Jenny Klevås, Product Manager, Perstorp, said: “The food contact notification will further strengthen the offer to the North American market which we believe will be … Read more

Shell Chemical Advances Plans for Potential $1.2 B MEG plant in Louisiana

Shell Chemical announced on Monday that the company will advance feasibility plans for a potential $1.2 billion manufacturing expansion at its Shell Geismar facility in Louisiana. At the 841-acre complex in Ascension Parish, Shell Chemical LP would build a world-scale monoethylene glycol (MEG) plant, pending final engineering, design and investment decisions. A decision to proceed … Read more

BASF to Provide 3D Printing Materials to Paxis LLC

BASF announced that it will provide innovative 3D printing additive manufacturing materials to Paxis LLC for their new WAV technology. This is currently in development and is designed to meet the needs of additive manufacturing users, advanced manufacturing as well as traditional manufacturing markets. The WAV (Wave Applied Voxel) process was created with the end-user … Read more