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Petrochemicals

Maximizing energy efficiency in paraxylene production—Part 2

BP AMOCO: Colling, C.

Due to reduced margins, higher energy costs and rising atmospheric carbon dioxide content, energy efficiency has never been more important in refining and petrochemicals. This is particularly true in the modern aromatics complex, which produces paraxylene (pX), benzene and other aromatics from naphtha.

LG Chem to invest $278 MM to increase acrylic acid, super absorbent polymer output

SEOUL (Reuters) — LG Chem Ltd, South Korea’s largest chemical company, said on Tuesday it will spend $278.32 MM on expanding its acrylic acid and superabsorbent polymer production capacity by the first half of 2019.

Sinopec to expand NPG capacity at Yangzi refinery

BEIJING (Reuters) — Sinopec to double capacity of the Neopentylglycol (NPG) production line at its Yangzi refinery from 40,000 tpy to 80,000 tpy, the company said on Monday.

Fluor completes work on BASF auto coatings plant

IRVING, Texas — Fluor Corporation announced that BASF’s Coatings division has opened a new automotive coatings plant at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park in Caojing, Shanghai, China. An opening ceremony was held recently to commemorate the milestone.

Mexichem-Pemex JV will not rebuild blast-damaged plant

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) — A joint venture between Mexican chemicals company Mexichem and state oil firm Pemex has decided not to rebuild a petrochemical plant in southeastern Mexico badly damaged in a deadly explosion last year, Mexichem said on Wednesday.

BASF, SINOPEC expand NPG production capacity in China

LUDWIGSHAFEN, Germany and NANJING, China — BASF and SINOPEC will expand the production capacity of Neopentylglycol (NPG) at the state-of-the-art Verbund site, BASF-YPC Co., Ltd., a 50-50 joint venture in Nanjing, China.

SABIC PP extrusion line now operational in The Netherlands

SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry announced the start-up of its new Polypropylene (PP) extrusion facility in Geleen, The Netherlands.

Petrobras enters binding phase for sale of two fertilizer units

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) — Brazil’s state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro said on Tuesday it has begun the binding phase for the sale of two fertilizer units, Araucaria Nitrogenados SA and Unidade de Fertilizantes Nitrogenados III.

Inter Pipeline to build Canada’s first integrated PDH, PP complex

CALGARY, Alberta — Inter Pipeline Ltd. announced that its board of directors has authorized the construction of a world-scale integrated propane dehydrogenation (PDH) and polypropylene (PP) plant.

Italmatch Chemicals acquires specialty chemicals company

GENOA, Italy — Italmatch Chemicals, a global specialty chemical group with leadership in the production and marketing of performance additives for industrial lubricants, water & process treatment, oil & gas, and plastics, has acquired Detrex Corporation, an American company headquartered in Cleveland (Ohio) and specialized, through its subsidiary The Elco Corporation, in the production of high performance lubricant additives, for industrial applications and high purity hydrochloric acid.