Data makes the lab go round: Laboratory automation enables the handling and evaluation of thousands of samples. The result: data galore. The question is how to make good use of this information.

Fluor was awarded a contract by Shaanxi Non-Ferrous Tian Hong REC Silicon Materials (TianREC) to provide detailed design services and technical support for its new polysilicon plant to be located in Yulin, Shaanxi Province, China.

Global Bioenergies plans a second pilot plant for the production of isobutene from renewable feedstocks – Industrial gases specialist Linde will provide the design of the facility at a refinery site in Eastern Germany.

Easily set-up and configure explosion-protected terminal boxes for hazardous applications in pharmaceutical, chemical, oil and gas, and machine building industries: A new online configurator by safety specialists R. Stahl guides users through a range of options and is the first of its kind in the market.

Following the announcement made in July about entering into contracts with Evonik and Thyssenkrupp to produce propylene oxide, Mol Group has now reached an additional agreement with Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions (Thailand) that will cover technological steps to convert propylene-oxide into polyether polyols and propylene glycols.

Sumitomo Chemical is going to set up animal feed analysis capabilities at the Latin America Research Center in Sao Paulo, operated by its Brazilian subsidiary. The centre will provide technical support services for feed millers who purchased the company’s methionine products.

Fryma Koruma present a annular gap bead mill and a toothed colloid mill for manufacturing suspensions and other products of almost any viscosity.

The new Lanxess butyl rubber plant, which recently commenced operations on Jurong Island in Singapore, represents the largest investment in the history of this relatively young company. Lanxess has invested around € 400 million in the plant which will have an annual production capacity of 100,000 tonnes.

Exxon Mobil Chemical Company has commenced production on the first of two new 650,000 tons-per-year high-performance polyethylene lines at its plastics plant in Mont Belvieu, Texas.

Small things make big differences: Although needle valves are comparably simple in construction, the effects of an ill-suited valve selection can be quite drastic. Problems, ranging from issues with standard compliance to contamination or even process failure, are typical consequences of low quality or simply inapt valves. The benefits of needle valves, on the other hand can be quite big — if the proper component is selected.