Particularly in these times of increasing global competition, companies in the process industries are searching intently for ways to optimize their operations and cut their costs. Consumption of compressed air — long neglected in cost considerations — has regained significance in recent years, and with it, the use of modern electro-pneumatic positioners.

"Oxygen fire" – a nightmare scenario for steel mills and foundries. Where extreme temperatures, oxygen and high pressure come together, materials that seem fire–proof such as metals can easily burn. Therefore, applications like molten metals call for highly specialised process components - also in terms of control valves...

With the expansion of production capacity for vitamin A by 25 % in Ludwigshafen, Germany, BASF reacts to the rising demand for high-quality vitamin A products as well as to global market growth. For this purpose, the chemical giant has expanded an existing plant in Ludwigshafen, Germany, which is part of BASF’s Citral Verbund.

BASF has received approval for a 400,000 metric tons per year MDI (diphenylmethane diisocyanate) project in Chongqing, China. The investment will total RMB 8 billion (approximately €860 million). The facility, which will produce a core component mainly used for polyurethane foams, is expected to start up by 2014.

In order to meet the fast growing global market demand for its innovative chelating agent, BASF will build a new Trilon M (methylglycinediacetic acid) world scale plant at Evonik’s Theodore, Alabama site.

German chemical company BASF invests in a new production plant for emissions catalysts in Poland. Production in Nienburg, Germany, will also be expanded.

Technip, in a consortium with Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corporation Japan, was awarded by BASF a lump sum turnkey engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract, for the expansion project of a chlorine plant (chlor-alkali). The plant is situated in Ludwigshafen, Germany, BASF’s largest production site worldwide. The work will include a membrane chlorine plant expansion as well as the integration and implementation of existing equipment and facilities.

China is looking to eliminate its dependency on imported oil and utilize its domestic coal resources. PROCESS conducted an in-depth investigation to find out who stands to gain from the coal-to-chemical projects.

Several leading chemical and energy companies including Exxon Mobil, Total and BASF announced their planned investments in the Port of Antwerp

Amacell, a specialist for flexible insulation foams, announced that it will build a new manufacturing facility in Bahrain. The new plant at the Bahrain International Investment Park (BIIP) will produce elastomeric rubber insulation for the US $ 3 billion heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) market in the GCC states.