Luis Sierra has recently been appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer of Nova Chemicals Corporation. He will take charge from August 1, 2020 and will succeed Todd Karran who is retiring from the company.

BASF will increase its production capacities for the chemical intermediate 1,4-butanediol (BDO) by 10 % at its US-site in Geismar/Louisiana as of 2016. The company will then have a global capacity of BDO of 670,000 metric tons per year.

The working world is becoming more and more mobile in the process industry. The acceptance and the desire for more mobility in operations is there. So, it is the right time to bring mobile devices even in the hazardous areas into the field, says Nader Halmuschi, who is leading the new Business Unit Automation and Communication Systems at the explosion protection expert Bartec.

Anellotech’s unique plastic recycling technology ‘Plas-Tcat’ has the potential to convert single-use plastics directly into basic chemicals. The technology has been funded by R Plus Japan which has been recently established by 12 cross-industry partners within the Japanese plastics supply chain.

SPX Flow has recently announced the release of a new range of ball valves from its APV brand. The ‘BLV1 Series’ adds to an already extensive portfolio of valves widely used across dairy, food & beverage, chemical processing, personal care, and other industries.

KBR’s proprietary Plinke Adiabatic Nitrobenzene solutions have been selected by Kutch Specialities for its grassroots nitrobenzene project in India. KBR will also be responsible for providing basic and detailed engineering design, equipment, and related advisory services for the project.

Clariant has sold its Masterbatches business to Polyone and further intends to sell its Pigments business. The sale is in line with the company’s strategy of developing into a more focused specialty chemicals company.

Technip FMC’s proprietary Hummingbird ethanol-to-ethylene technology has been finalised by Lanza Tech to manufacture sustainable aviation fuel. The technology will be used to produce 10 million gallons per year of sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel.

Exxon Mobil has collaborated with the University of California, Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to discover the new material. The innovation is capable of capturing more than 90 % of CO2 emitted from industrial sources.

The catalytic off-gas treatment is for Shandong Qilu Plasticizers’ phthalic anhydride plant in China. Clariant’s Envicat VOC catalyst is capable of eliminating up to 99 % of VOCs and carbon monoxide.