Trinseo, a global materials solutions provider and manufacturer of plastics, latex binders and synthetic rubber, announced that it will begin production of Magnum ABS Resin at its Zhangjiagang, China site in 2017.

IPB China will take place from 19 to 21 October at the Shanghai Convention & Exhibition Centre of International Sourcing and is regarded as major gathering for the bulk solids and process engineering sector in the Asia-Pacific region.

BASF started the construction of a new plant for the production of the base material DHDPS (dihydroxy diphenyl sulfone) in Ludwigshafen, Germany in mid January this year.

The Hungarian pharmaceutical industry has a long history, and it is a major factor in the country’s economy. Research plays an important role, but production technology is also very sophisticated, as the example of a recent automation project clearly shows.

Whether coal, gas or even biomass will replace petroleum as the chemical raw material of the future is not yet clear. However, one thing is certain. Alternatives will be needed in the long term despite that fact the even pessimists predict that oil will be available for the next forty years. High prices, increasing consumption in Asia and the chaotic political situation in the oil producing countries add an element of urgency to the discussion on diversification of the raw material base. The industry is looking for an intelligent mix and an evolutionary approach to the supply of raw materials.

Energy costs have now become a long-term issue in the chemicals sector and are becoming an important efficiency factor. Process versions which only a few years ago laid abandoned and disregarded in the drawer due to their high investment costs are benefiting from this sea change. This also includes mechanical compression of vapors in evaporators which remained in the long grass for a long time and is now enjoying a renaissance.

BASF will modernize and service its acetylene facility at the Ludwigshafen Verbund site. In the course of these efforts the company will also perform routine maintenance at its facility producing 1,4-butanediol (BDO), which is based on acetylene.

PPG announced the completion of the first phase of an expansion project at its facility in Tepotzotlan, Mexico.

Fuel Cell Energy and Exxon Mobil selected a location to test novel fuel cell carbon capture technology under development by the companies.

For years, the manufacture of active ingredients has been considered highly profitable, posting annual double-digit growth in the sector. However, this situation has now changed. The rise in regulatory requirements, the increasing market power of customers, and the growing number of substitutes have led to a change in the market characterized above all by more intensive competition. The changing environment leads to a rising importance of operational excellence. The university of St. Gallen benchmarked the operational excellence of 21 API plants.