Polymers
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.
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.

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