BASF started the construction of a new plant for the production of the base material DHDPS (dihydroxy diphenyl sulfone) in Ludwigshafen, Germany in mid January this year.

Whether coal, gas or even biomass will replace petroleum as the chemical raw material of the future is not yet clear. However, one thing is certain. Alternatives will be needed in the long term despite that fact the even pessimists predict that oil will be available for the next forty years. High prices, increasing consumption in Asia and the chaotic political situation in the oil producing countries add an element of urgency to the discussion on diversification of the raw material base. The industry is looking for an intelligent mix and an evolutionary approach to the supply of raw materials.

BASF will modernize and service its acetylene facility at the Ludwigshafen Verbund site. In the course of these efforts the company will also perform routine maintenance at its facility producing 1,4-butanediol (BDO), which is based on acetylene.

K2016, the leading fair and expo for plastics and polymers wants to set the industry’s new course between shale gas, feedstock fluctuations and the internet of things — New raw materials. Energy prices. Demand fluctuation: Business as usual is no option for the global plastics industry. The branche is nevertheless cautiously optimistic at the sector fair K — Industry 4.0, light-weight construction and recycling management still promise new perspectives.

Oil and petrochemicals boom in Asia: Especially China has seen a rapidly emerging petroleum products industry that is just about to venture into overseas market. Reason enough to address these developments with the International Forum on Petroleum & Chemical Engineering 2012, organized by PROCESS China. This year, the forum will be held in Shanghai for the first time...

Expectations from the Namur Annual General Meeting are understandably high - and once again, no one was disappointed. Many exciting and future-oriented lectures and discussions on subjects like Remote Operation, Industry 4.0, modularized automation and plant performance illustrated on the very first day the direction in which users and suppliers in process automation are being forced. The sector must overcome its limits in order to embrace new solutions...

Tomorrow's automation technology starts today. From field device daily routine through the chances of modularization up to data mining. Suspense and excitement continued on the second day of the Namur Annual General Meeting. Here, it was clearly palpable: The modernization tempo that users and operators in the process automation have jointly unleashed has increased significantly.

BASF commissioned Rockwell Automation to modernize an automation system in a loading bay used for polymer dispersions at the company’s Ludwigshafen Verbund site in Germany. With only eight months to plan the new system and just three days for commissioning, the project required an extraordinarily structured approach and an intensive test phase. The result is a system with high levels of flexibility and availability as well as easier maintenance.

The goal of debottlenecking is to increase production capacity at an existing plant by making modifications to the equipment configuration or workflow. This is accomplished by eliminating bottlenecks that limit throughput. It can be an extremely profitable exercise for users, because in most cases debottlenecking adds extra capacity at a fraction of the cost of new build or expansion. PROCESS has put together some practical examples.

German chemicals giant BASF invests more than 200 million Euro to boost the production of several key fungicides, including F 500 and Xemium in both the US and Germany. This investment, one of the largest of BASF's Crop Protection division division in recent years, is a reaction to an expected rising demand for these substances, company speakers explained.