Sumitomo Chemical’s Sumika Polymer Compounds Poland will manufacture polypropylene (PP) compounds for automobiles and other applications in Poland and is expected to have a production capacity of about 30,000 mt/y.

Global petrochemical company SK Global Chemical and waste solutions provider Brightmark have signed a memorandum of understanding to create a partnership that aims to take the lead in the circular economy of plastic by construction of a commercial scale plastics renewal plant in South Korea.

Global petroleum additive specialist Afton Chemical has opened its new production plant in Jurong Island, Singapore. The facility will now commence production of key components that are used in Afton Chemical’s engine oil additives to meet rising regional and global demand.

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation will establish a new carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic pilot plant in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. The company’s latest technology which boasts of manufacturing high-quality carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic with low void content will be incorporated into the facility.

The American Chemistry Council’s Chemical Activity Barometer rose 1.5 % in January on a three-month moving average basis following a 1.3 % increase in December. The Council also stated that the barometer rose 1.3 % in January on a year-over-year basis.

The gases group Linde has signed a long-term contract with the Hungarian chemical company Borsod Chem to supply nitrogen, oxygen and compressed air to the chemical complex in Kazincbarcika.

Future Market Insights recently launched a report on Polysulfide Market. The study concludes that growth in the coming years is expected to be driven by rising polysulfide consumption in downstream markets.

With an aim to develop the circular economy, Solvay is testing the blockchain technology for tracing its supply chain. The move is part of the European Union-funded Chemchain project which intends to create a decentralized open-source blockchain infrastructure to store and track chemical-related information along the supply chain.

Engineering company Bilfinger has been commissioned by the Swiss specialty chemical company Clariant to deliver EPCM (engineering, procurement, overall project and construction management) services for the construction of their commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol production plant using Clariant’s sunliquid technology in southwest Romania.

BASF and Siemens Energy have partnered to fast-track the implementation of new technologies – specializing in lowering greenhouse gas emissions – on a commercial scale. Numerous pilot projects will first be studied and then launched at BASF’s Ludwigshafen site in Germany.