Kemira has signed an agreement to establish a joint venture with Yongsan Chemicals, a privately-owned chemicals company in South Korea. The JV, called New Co, will be located in Ulsan.

The supplier of polyolefin catalyst technology and polypropylene (PP) process technology Grace, has contracted to license its Unipol PP Process Technology to Hanwha Total Petrochemical for a new PP production facility in Daesan, South Korea. With a capacity of 400 kilotons per year, the PP line is expected to begin operations in 2021.

Clariant has announced the intention to acquire Plastichemix Industries, a masterbatch business in India, located in Vadodara with production facilities in Rania, Kalol and Nandesari in Gujarat.

On expansion, the JV facility is anticipated to add acetic acid with a capacity of 100,000 tonnes per year by May 2019. Together the companies also aim to double the current 200,000 tpa vinyl acetate monomer capacity with the addition of a second Vam plant towards the end of 2020.

Solvay starts the production of of specialty polymer compounds in China: The company's compounding plant in Changshu, Jiangsu province, started the production of polyphthalamide (PPA), polyarylamide (PARA) and modified PARA for the country's electronics, automotive, consumer and industrial applications markets.

BASF Catalysts India plans to expand its mobile emissions catalysts production capacity in Chennai by building a new plant. Construction of a new 47,000 square meter facility will begin in December 2013, enhancing the company’s existing emissions catalysts operation with new production lines and manufacturing capabilities...

Zhejiang Petrochemical (ZPC) will use a range of process technology from Honeywell UOP for the second phase of an integrated refining and petrochemical complex in Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province. The complex is one of several new large industrial sites that are part of China’s current national economic development plan.

The chemical plants aim at establishing a high-performance synthetic resin manufacturing and sales business for Kuraray, PTTGC and Sumitomo Corporation. With the rise in global demand for chemical products, Japanese chemical manufacuturers are expanding their production capacity in locations where petroleum and chemical products are price competitive.

Celanese‘s recent takeover of one of India’s largest engineering thermoplastics compounders has enabled the firm to possess a 20 kilo tonnes per annum domestic compounding production facility in the country along with quality production lines to support local customers.

Under the contract, both the firms will evaluate the feasibility of jointly funding, designing, building and operating an integrated acetic anhydride and Tricoya wood elements production plant in Malaysia.