Petrochemicals
DuPont buys US solar technology firm Innovalight
US-based chemicals major DuPont has acquired Innovalight, a company specializing in advanced silicon inks and process technologies that increase the efficiency of crystalline silicon solar cells.
Cabot plans 25% expansion for Europe fumed silica
Cabot will expand production capacity by 25% at its fumed silica facility in Barry, Wales, company officials said on Monday. The expansion is expected to be completed in 2012 and is part of a three-year plan to increase Cabot’s global fumed metal oxide capacity by 35% to 40%.
KBR inks EPC deal for Molycorp chlor-alkali plant
Rare earth oxides producer Molycorp awarded an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract to KBR to build a chlor-alkali plant as part of the company’s $781 million expansion at its flagship rare earth facility in Mountain Pass, Calif.
Olin breaks ground on chlor-alkali expansion at Tennessee plant
Olin broke ground Friday on an expansion of its chlor-alkali plant in Charleston, Tenn., which includes a new state-of-the-art membrane cell manufacturing facility. Olin is investing $160 million in the new facility, which is scheduled for completion by the end of 2012.
Solutia to supply heat transfer fluid for Spain solar projects
US-based specialty chemicals firm Solutia has been awarded contracts to supply its Therminol VP-1 synthetic heat transfer fluid for two new solar power plants in Spain, it said on Thursday.
Nalco merges with cleaning chemicals firm Ecolab in $5.4 billion deal
US water-treatment chemicals company Nalco has agreed to merge with cleaning chemicals firm Ecolab in a deal valued at $5.4 billion. The stock portion of the purchase price is expected to be tax-free to Nalco shareholders.
BASF plans Bahrain plastic additives plant for 2012 to meet rising Middle East demand
BASF will significantly expand its presence in the Middle East region by building a state-of-the-art plant for antioxidant blends (CSB) in Bahrain, the Germany-based chemicals major said on Wednesday. CSBs are key additives for the production of polymers for the plastics industry, especially for the Middle East region.
Dow executive sees natural gas as ‘game changer’ for US manufacturing
George Biltz, Dow Chemical’s vice president of energy and climate change, testified before a US Senate committee about the future of natural gas and the opportunity for a US manufacturing renaissance fueled by competitively-priced natural gas.
Dow Chemical, Mitsui form biopolymers JV in Brazil
US-based Dow Chemical and Japan-based Mitsui & Co. have formed a new joint venture aimed at providing sustainable product solutions to the global high-performance flexible packaging, hygiene and medical markets. This represents the world’s largest biopolymers play and is Dow’s largest investment in Brazil, a country in which Dow has operated successfully for more than 50 years, officials said.
Tyco to acquire US specialty firm Chemguard
Tyco International has reached an agreement to acquire privately-held Chemguard, a leading US provider of firefighting foam concentrates and equipment, foam systems, services and specialty chemicals.
- OXEA confirms final investment decision for major capacity expansion at plant 7/10
- TotalEnergies ships to Asia the first cargo produced by the ECA LNG plant 7/10
- ADNOC L&S expands LNG fleet with order for four new carriers 7/10
- India's ONGC plans to build 13-MMbbl national strategic oil reserve 7/10
- Russian refineries, oil terminal, tankers hit, Ukraine says 7/10
- Tajikistan says it has 60 days' fuel in reserve amid Russian supply crunch 7/10
