Pfeiffer Vacuum has expanded its Oktaline Atex series of explosion-proof Roots pumps. These pumps are Atex-certified and can be used for low and medium vacuum applications. The expansion of the series leads to a large pumping speed range from 280 to 8,100 m3/h.

Hengli Petrochemical started up the world's largest stand-alone pure terephthalic acid (PTA) production plant at the end of June. According to PROCESS China, the new PTA-5 plant has an annual capacity of 2.5 million tons and is ready to be the third new plant to be started up in China this year.

The blast occurred at Organic Chemical Company’s factory in Gujarat, India. Six workers died of serious burn injuries while working near a rector which exploded during the unit’s solvent distillation process.

BP and Linde will be developing a major carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in Texas, USA which will capture and store CO2 from Linde’s hydrogen production facilities in the region to produce low carbon hydrogen.

LG Chem’s new flame-retardant engineering plastic product has the potential to prevent the spread of flames in batteries, thus offering the world’s longest fire-resistance performance. Commercial production of the new product is expected to commence in 2023.

The production capacity of crude oil in China's refineries climbed to a new record high in June. Analysts see this as a sign of the rapid recovery of the Chinese economy. However, market observers and Chinese officials see the current overcapacities and the corona crisis as increased pressure to reform the country's oil processing industry.

Zhejiang Petroleum & Chemical Co. has selected Lyondell Basell’s technology once again for its facility in China. With the help of this technologies, the company aims to produce ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) homo polymers.

China’s GDP shrunk 6.8 % in the last quarter as compared with a year earlier. The country’s chemical manufacturing output declined by 21 % and profits by 66 % in the first two months of 2020 due to the coronavirus scenario. However, now with the virus defeated, the East Asian nation hopes to improve these figures.

An article in the Science magazine describes a new and compact approach to producing syngas. The technology from Haldor Topsoe is based on steam methane reforming and could have a significant positive effect on CO2 emissions globally.

Holiferm has secured funding from Sasol Chemicals to carry out R&D for sustainable solutions in primary surfactants. Under the terms of the agreement, Sasol Chemicals will also buy majority of the sophorolipids produced at Holiferm’s new manufacturing plant in the UK with an aim to assist in the commercialization of sophorolipids.