China's largest MDI producer, Wanhua Chemical, continues to expand its market share. The company already dominates the global MDI market ahead of Covestro and BASF. It will continue to expand its capacities in the coming years, reports the Chinese chemical newspaper Zhongguo Huagong Xinxi Zhoukan. What does this mean for the global market?

Johnson Matthey and NextChem’s MyRechemical have plans to commercially develop the ‘waste-to-methanol’ technology across the globe. The methanol derived from the technology can be used for producing low-carbon fuels as well as be used as a raw material in the chemical and plastic industries.

Under the MOU, Mitsubishi will build a blue hydrogen plant near Edmonton in Canada while Shell will provide CO2 storage via the proposed Polaris CCS project for producing the low-carbon hydrogen which will then be exported to Japan to produce clean energy.

The Corona crisis, particularly the lockdowns adopted by many governments, has hit the chemical industry hard in China. However, sales in many of the top companies in China already declined in 2019, even before Corona. But there are exceptions, as the figures from 2019 in our latest top 10 show here.

Real Wear has partnered with Zoom to provide Real Wear assisted reality headset devices that integrate with Zoom for a hands-free experience. The industrial wearable device will be used by frontline workers globally at Exxon Mobil.

China’s Wanhua Chemical Group has selected DWE, a subsidiary of Man Energy Solutions to deliver three salt-operated reactors for its new maleic-anhydride plant which produces PBAT (PolyButylene Adipate Terephthalate), a core material used for the production of biodegradable plastics.

Tranter has launched a new service app called ‘TranterCare’ that helps customers work proactively with their heat exchanger maintenance and schedule service quickly. The app will first be launched in India and later be scaled for global use.

Brabender Technologie has introduced its latest feeder controllers – the Congrav CM-E 3.0 and Congrav CB-E 3.0. The new controllers can be integrated in Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 environments.

BASF and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd (CATL) have entered into a strategic partnership which aims at developing a sustainable battery value chain by focusing on cathode active materials (CAM) and battery recycling. CATL is also building its first European factory in Germany to localize lithium-ion battery production while BASF is constructing a cathode active materials plant in Schwarzheide, Germany.

Shell has plans to build a 820,000-tons-a-year biofuels facility at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam, in the Netherlands. Once complete, the facility is expected to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel.

With an aim to meet the growing demand for industrial gases in the region, Linde has decided to increase production capacity at its air separation plant in Mims, Florida, USA by 50 %. The project is expected to be complete by 2023.

Haiwan Chemical has awarded a technology contract and license agreement to KVT for the world´s largest Glycerine based Epichlorohydrin production complex. Scheduled to be built in Qingdao, China, KVT will license its Epiprovit closed loop technology to the facility.

According to market research, the market volume for "green" chemistry is due to almost double by 2025. Our white paper sets out how contract manufacturers are reacting to the trend for sustainability.

This paper will show by means of the example of a pusher centrifuge how to achieve optimum product quality, maximum energy efficiency and operation with a minimum of downtime and it describes the most important innovations of the past decade.

This paper looks at how the earlier PTA production method involving a multi-stage process with pressure and atmospheric centrifuges and a re-slurry tank can be replaced with one stand-alone device – the rotary pressure filter (RPF).

Do you want to operate radiometric measurements with minimal uncertainties to allow optimum performance of your process? Minimize error sources, so that difficult level, density & bulk flow measurement tasks achieve highest accuracy & reproducibility

The rise of drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the chemical and chemical processing industry has helped plant operators to monitor critical infrastructure, undertake better informed decisions and achieve accurate, efficient and quick results without putting their personnel at risk.

To reduce the time involved in setting up equipment and production lines, Ganter has incorporated a new coupling in its product portfolio. With the GN 1050 quick release coupling, components can be quickly and securely connected to a machine or device with just a click.

A week since the deadly chemical leak at Lyondell Basell’s La Porte facility in Texas, USA, one worker is still struggling for his life and two lawsuits have been filed against the chemical company.

Tenova has introduced the new TRKSX (Tenova Self-ReKuperative Flameless) Smart Burner for heat treatment furnaces in the metals industry. The smart burner also helps to maintain NOx emissions well below the strictest future limits.

ADM has launched ADM Food Technology (Pinghu) Co., a new and technologically advanced flavor production facility in Pinghu, China with an aim to expand its global nutrition capabilities. The facility will also act as the company’s flavor supply hub in APAC.

The Qingdao Intermediate Court in China has passed a verdict in favor of FMC Corporation in the chlorantraniliprole patent infringement case against the agricultural chemical company Rainbow. The court has ordered Rainbow to compensate FMC for damages and immediately stop manufacturing, selling, offering to sell and using chlorantraniliprole.

The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) has recently launched its new good practice guide titled ‘Investigational Medicinal Product Reverse Logistics – Good Returns and Reconciliation Practices’. The expert guide is expected to help companies plan and implement reverse logistics policies and processes in their investigational product supply chain organization.

Under the terms of the three-year contract, Bilfinger will provide electrical and instrumentation installation as well as access, insulation and painting services to GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) production facilities in Montrose, Scotland.

Oerlikon Barmag has introduced its new eccentric screw pump series in the market which cover a throughput range of between 1 ml/min. and 30 l/h. The firm also offers the GM and GA series gear metering pumps along with its drum pump.

Maintenance and remote services reach the pump world - Above all, a pump must deliver reliably - right? More and more manufacturers are drilling their flow machines with additional digital benefits. But what do operators gain when the pump goes to the cloud?

CP Pump Systems has introduced the MSKP centrifugal pump, a seal less, magnetically coupled pump made of plastic. The pump covers a range from 0.2 to 140 m3/h and a head of 90 m and can be used between -20°C and +150°C.

Alfa Laval’s new DuraCirc circumferential piston pump offers high efficiency, reliable operation and meets the EHEDG guidelines for hygienic processes across the dairy, food, beverage, confectionery, and home-personal care industries.