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Polymers

Eastman acquires Brazil plasticizer firm Scandiflex

Eastman Chemical has acquired Scandiflex do Brasil S.A. Indústrias Químicas, a manufacturer of plasticizers located in Mauá, São Paulo, Brazil. The acquired Scandiflex plasticizer business and manufacturing capabilities are now part of Eastman’s performance chemicals and intermediates (PCI) segment.

Tyco buys specialty firm Chemguard for $130mn

Tyco International completed its $130 million acquisition of Chemguard, a leading provider of fire suppression products and specialty chemicals. Founded in 1984 and based in Mansfield, Texas, Chemguard's fire suppression portfolio includes an extensive line of foam concentrates, firefighting hardware and engineered foam systems for a broad range of industrial applications.

HP Construction: Middle East

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Meche, Helen

Morgan Thermal Ceramics has a contract to supply Superwool 607 HT Pyro-Bloc Modules as part of a world-class refinery being constructed by the Saudi Aramco Total Refining and Petrochemical Co. (SATORP..

India ammonia group picks KBR for engineering, technology license

KBR was awarded a contract by Jaiprakash Associates Ltd (JAL) - a Jaypee Group company - to provide license and engineering design services for JAL’s brownfield 2,200 tpd ammonia plant in Kanpur, India.

A Schulman to close US engineered plastics plant

Citing an uncertain economy, A Schulman plans to close its engineered plastics plant in Nashville, Tennessee, and consolidate manufacturing to its remaining North American manufacturing sites, the US-based compounder said on Thursday.

Dow polypropylene process technology chosen for new Qinghai unit in China

The Qinghai Salt Lake Industry Co. has selected the UNIPOL polypropylene process technology from Dow Chemical for its new 160,000 tpy polypropylene unit in China. The unit will provide polypropylene as part of Qinghai’s integrated magnesium metal project to produce homopolymers, random copolymers and impact copolymers.

Hurricane Irene forms in Atlantic, may hit Carolina polymer sites by weekend

Hurricane Irene formed early Monday near Puerto Rico, making it the first such storm of the 2011 Atlantic tropical season, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC). Irene is expected to strike the southeastern US coast near South Carolina or North Carolina over the upcoming weekend as a major hurricane, with winds of at least 115 miles/hour.

BASF to build €500mn acrylic acid plant in Brazil

BASF will invest in a world-scale production site for acrylic acid, butyl acrylate and superabsorbent polymers (SAP) in Camaçari, Bahia, Brazil, it said on Friday. It will be the first acrylic acid and superabsorbents plant in South America. With an investment of more than €500 million, it is the largest investment in BASF’s century-long history in South America.

INEOS technology for PVC, VCM chosen by Qingdao Haijing project in China

Qingdao Haijing Chemical has selected technology from INEOS to use in the production of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and suspension polyvinyl chloride (S-PVC) technologies for a project at its new site in Dongjia-kou Pro Port Industrial Zone, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China.

Fluor wins EPC deal for Saudi Arabia polymer plant

Fluor has been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract by SAPCo, a joint venture company being formulated between Saudi Acrylic Acid Co. and Evonik Industries, for the super absorbent polymer project (SAP) in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.