Covestro has announced a research breakthrough for the use of plant-based raw materials in plastics production: aniline, an important basic chemical, can now be derived from biomass, the company claims.

Showa Denko, a leading Japanese chemical engineering firm, has increased its capacity for supplying high-purity nitrous oxide (N2O), a specialty gas for semiconductor production, by cooperating with Dooam Industrial (Dooam), of South Korea.

To satisfy the growing demand for PVC, especially in the automobile production, Mitsubishi Chemical will expand a PVC compound production facility in Thailand. The plant, operated by Mitsubishi's Thai subsidary Sunprene, is planned to increase production capacity by 4000 metric tonnes per year until April 2012.

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) has chosen Siemens Water Technologies to provide a system for wastewater treatment at its refinery in Anqing in the Anhui Province of China.

With their focus on ease-of-use, reliability and above all safety, the latest generation of level measurement devices are using advanced technology to minimise the potential for human error and can therefore help to provide greater protection for process workers and plant assets.

Wacker Chemie is intensifying its collaboration with innovative company founders and has joined Germany’s HTGF III fund for high-tech startups

Bio based chemicals and fuels will be not an option, but an necessity: With growing demand and dwindling feedstock, innovations in biochemicals are required if more bio-based products are to replace petroleum-based ones, says a new report by analyst company Lux Research.

Akzo Nobel announced that it plans to invest more than € 10 million in Sweden to expand the capacity for its chelated micronutrients, which are used as essential ingredients in agriculture.

CB&I has been awarded a contract by Formosa Chemicals and Fibre Corporation for the license and engineering design of a cumene and phenol plant expansion in Ningbo, China.

Jacobs has been appointed to execute site engineering services at BASF’s site in Ludwigshafen, Germany.