Lanxess is investing in its ion exchange resin production facility at the Leverkusen, Germany, site. The company is optimizing its process technology and operating efficiency for a eight-figure Dollar amount. The project is scheduled for completion in the first half of 2019.

“Flexible, Fast and Future Factory” — the F3 Factory is a vision for the future of chemical production. Ambitious projects such as these need partners that can keep the time. Flexibility, speed and efficiency are demanded from plant and components alike — automation suppliers therefore have to leave the trodden path ...

Once completed, the new facility is expected to produce 100,000 metric tonnes of acrylic acid per year. This move will enable the Group to increase its total global production capacity to 980,000 tonnes per year.

Expansion of the plant has been undertaken to meet the demands of the customers as well the firm’s partners. The facility is responsible for the production of Carbopol polymers and Pemulen polymeric emulsifiers.

BASF and Sinopec have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Beijing to further strengthen their partnership in upstream and downstream chemical production in China.

Wacker announced plans for a collaboration with Dynaplak, a Dutch manufacturer of biobased raw materials for agricultural and industrial applications. Together, the two companies want to develop hybrid binders based on starch and polymers.

Lanxess announced plans to strengthen its global asset base for flame retardant additives with investments of around $ 226 million over the next three years.

Chemical giant BASF announced plans to build a new butadiene extraction plant at its production site in Antwerp, Belgium. With a planned annual production capacity of 155,000 metric tons, the plant would be bigger than the company's existing butadiene extraction at Ludwigshafen, Germany.

Sasol announced the preliminary findings of the detailed review of the Lake Charles Chemical Project (LCCP). The review confirmed that t total capital costs for this project have increased by $ 2.1 billion.

Borealis announced the appointment of Lucrèce Foufopoulos to the Borealis Executive Board as Executive Vice President Polyolefins and Innovation & Technology, effective January 1, 2019. In this capacity, she succeeds Alfred Stern, who previously held this position and was appointed Borealis CEO in July 2018.