The Dow Chemical Company announced new low capital intensity, high return investments in its upstream and downstream silicones franchise to accelerate innovation and support global customers’ demand in high growth markets, such as high performance building, home and personal care, electrical and industrial, consumer goods and components assembly.

The scope of work includes engineering, procurement, fabrication, and construction of the HDPE plant. Capable of producing 625,000 tonnes per year, the facility is expected to be complete by 2021.

Process and/or safety engineers and managers need to clearly understand, plan and execute future emergency relief system design work for plant projects, such as Process Hazard Analyses (PHA), unit expansions, debottlenecking studies etc. This article focuses on the usefulness of Design of Emergency Relief Systems (DERS), Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) and Safety Integrity Level (SIL) tools.

Akzo Nobel Specialty Chemicals has completed its acquisition of Polinox, a Brazilian producer of ketone peroxides, an essential ingredient in the manufacture of polymers.

Lanxess completes expansion works at its butyl rubber production in Zwijndrecht, Belgium: With capacities increased by ten percent and two new pilot plants, the expansion is a major project for the company's rubber business, Lanxess chairman Axel Heitmann stated.

Under the agreement, both the organisations will combine their specialisations and form a new company under one umbrella brand. The new firm is expected to possess a volume of 2.5 billion dollars.

With the acquisition of Compass Chemical International from US private equity firm One Rock Capital Partners, Italmatch Group intends to consolidate its presence in the American market.

Evonik is investing a double-digit million dollar amount in the construction of a new multi-purpose facility at its Geesthacht location in Northern Germany, 30 km outside the city of Hamburg.

The company has plans to increase its linear mercaptans production capacitiesin order to meet the growing demands for polymers from the transportation and electronics markets.

Barrday and Arkema have created a joint venture to manufacture and market carbon fiber and specialty polymer tapes for the growing oil and gas industrial market.