The American Chemistry Council (ACC) has reported that its Chemical Activity Barometer climbed 0.9 % in October on a three-month moving average basis. It also stated that the barometer was down 3.3 % in October on a year-over-year basis.

Lanxess and Saudi Aramco plan to establish a joint venture for synthetic rubber. The speciality chemicals company and Saudi Aramco subsidiary, Aramco Overseas Company, will each hold a 50 % interest in the joint venture, with annual sales of approximately three billion Euro in 2014.

The Qattameya gas field located offshore Egypt is expected to produce up to 50 million cubic feet of gas per day. The field has been developed through a one-well subsea development and tied-back to existing infrastructure.

Under the new strategic partnership, Sanitized antimicrobial polymer additives will be marketed in Italy by Ferro-Plast, its new sales partner. This move is expected to benefit the Italian plastic industry.

Evonik’s maiden plant is currently being commissioned and construction work on the new complex is progressing well. With an investment of 473 million dollars, the project is the company’s largest investment till date.

Hamilton Bonaduz’s Process Analytics published the new edition of its comprehensive catalogue ‘Process Analytics Measuring Solutions’, at the beginning of June. It provides useful information regarding the new developments, next to the proven sensors, cables, transmitters and housings.

Under a pilot project, Sabic has teamed up with Europe’s largest retail store operator, Schwarz Group, to use bags made from Sabic’s Trucircle certified circular polymers. The project aims to make plastic packaging for all Lidl and Kaufland stores recyclable by 2025, thus reducing the overall plastic consumption by 20 %.

Linde and Shell have collaborated with an aim to accelerate the deployment of the ethane-oxidative dehydrogenation technology for ethylene production. The technology has the potential to reduce carbon emissions and is also an alternative to ethane steam cracking.

Post the agreement signed between Air Liquide and Sasol in July, Air Liquide has now finalised the agreement to acquire Sasol’s oxygen production site in South Africa. The move is expected to reduce the France-based company’s CO2 emissions by 30 %.

The new 22,000-tonne polyols plant will produce Terol polyester polyols and the project is expected to expand the company’s downstream polyurethanes capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region. Also, with this plant, the firm will be producing its Terol polyols outside the United States for the first time.