The Supervisory Board of BASF SE has appointed Sanjeev Gandhi to the Board of Executive Directors effective December 1, 2014. He has been head of BASF’s Intermediates division since 2010

Siemens introduces its Sitrans FC430, currently the world’s most compact Coriolis flow measurement solution, in India. The device, suitable for applications in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, offers high accuracy, low pressure loss and increased flexibility, the manufacturer states.

Will tomorrow's machine fitter be an IT expert?–In the near future, members of the maintenance team will be expected to be as proficient in handling data and smart phones as they are with wrenches and welding torches. But what needs to be done to turn the vision of Maintenance 4.0 into a viable concept? PROCESS took a closer look at the next industrial revolution.

Solvay has signed a definitive agreement to sell its 58.77 % stake in its Thai subsidiary Vinythai PCL to Japanese company AGC Asahi Glass (AGC), thereby exiting its Asian polyvinyl chloride (PVC) activities.

The deal will assist Eastman to strengthen and expand its heat transfer fluids product offerings across the globe. The new product line is also expected to become a part of the firm’s Specialty Fluids business in the Additives & Functional Products segment.

Governments and investors are demanding optimized carbon footprints; business partners and consumers prove to be environmentally sensitive in their buying behaviour. The chemical, pharmaceutical and life sciences industry’s answer to this: combine initiatives for minimizing energy and material consumption with measures for higher productivity.

“Napoleon Bonaparte used to sleep on his horse. Generals must be visible at all time,” says Dr KH Gharda - Chairman and Managing Director of Gharda Chemicals Ltd (GCL), in a tête-à-tête with PROCESS India. This 81-year-old stalwart — who believes in silently fulfilling his role of a front liner, maintains a low profile and lets his work speak for him — has made far-reaching contributions to the Indian chemical industry.

Marred by a turbulent past, foreign competition and a not-so-favourable public persona, the domestic chemical industry has, nonetheless, accomplished its fair share of growth and development. A look at some of the finer details of this journey.

High growth rates coupled with attractive relocation packages are the best incentives for enticing international chemicals companies to develop production sites in India. Lanxess is responding to the invitation with significant investment. The latest step is the opening of an ultramodern plant for ion exchangers in Jhagadia.

With this massive investment, Exxon Mobil plans to increase its production of ultra-low sulfur diesel by 45 % at the Fawley refinery. Ultra-low sulfur fuels aim at improving air quality when powering the latest technology.