Polymers
Eastman completes Sterling Chemicals acquisition
Eastman Chemical has completed its acquisition of Sterling Chemicals, a single-site North American petrochemical producer, for $100 million in cash. This acquisition includes Sterling’s plasticizer and acetic acid manufacturing assets in Texas City, Texas.
HP Construction: North America
Air Products will supply Valero Energy Corp. with a combined additional 200 million scfd of hydrogen for Valero’s refineries in St. Charles, Louisiana, and Port Arthur, Texas. As part of this awa..
HP Construction: Europe
Alfa Laval has received an order for compact heat exchangers from a refinery in Russia. The order value is about SEK 70 million and delivery is scheduled for 2012. The heat exchangers will be used in ..
HP Construction: Asia-Pacific
SKC Co., Ltd. and Uhde Inventa-Fischer have a contract for the supply of a plant for producing high-quality polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for the manufacture of films in Jincheon, Republic of Korea..
Amyris partners with Kuraray for development of renewable polymers
Renewable products firm Amyris has signed a collaboration agreement with Kuraray to develop innovative polymers from Biofene, a renewable hydrocarbon building block made using Amyris technology. Under the agreement, Kuraray will use Biofene to replace petroleum-derived feedstock such as butadiene and isoprene in the production of specified classes of high-performing polymers.
Linde to build two air separation plants in China
Technology company The Linde Group has been commissioned to build and operate two large air separation plants to supply gases on site to the Chinese company Yantai Wanhua in Shandong (East China). The contract for the project, which will involve investment of around €130 million, was signed this week.
Braskem to buy global polypropylene business of Dow Chemical for $340mn
US-based Dow Chemical has agreed to sell its polypropylene (PP) business for $340 million to Braskem, a move which makes Braskem the top polypropylene producer in North America. The assets involved in the deal include two manufacturing plants in the US and two in Germany, with a total annual polypropylene production capacity of 2.3 billion pounds.
Dow, Saudi Aramco JV wins board approval to build $20bn chemical complex
The boards of directors of Dow Chemical and Saudi Aramco have approved the formation of a joint venture (JV) to build and operate a world-scale, fully-integrated chemicals complex at Jubail Industrial City in Saudi Arabia.
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%.
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.

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