China's Heilongjiang Province massively increases efforts to make hemp fibres a large-scale alternative to cotton. Additionally, experts work on hemp foods and pharmaceuticals. Western companies are invited to participate in the hemp boom.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going: Wilden's air-operated double-diaphragm pump (AODD) pumps of the ATEX-rated Advanced Series safely contain and transfer even the most hazardous solvents, including trichlorethane, trichloroethylene, methylene chloride, methyl chloride, carbon tetrachloride and chloroform.

Evonik aims to expand its capacity for sodium methylate from 60,000 metric tonnes up to 90,000 metric tonnes at its Argentina facility until 2021. The move has been undertaken by the firm owing to the rising demand of biodiesel in South America especially Argentina and Brazil.

Under the terms of the agreement, Air Products will acquire Air Liquide Emirates for Industrial Gases and Orca Industrial Gases from Air Liquide as well as take over a majority share in Bahrain’s Middle East Carbon Dioxide, a joint venture firm between Air Liquide and Almo Holdings.

Dow has acquired a minority stake in the Hanseatic Energy Hub consortium which has plans to build, own and operate a zero-carbon emission import terminal for liquified gases in Stade, Germany. Dow is contributing land for the project which is expected to offer a regasification capacity of 13.3 billion cubic metres of natural gas annually.

To produce refinery chemicals and speciality chemicals for Middle Eastern customers, ART cooperates closely with the Kuwait Catalyst Company.

Sumitomo Chemical has made the mega investment in Nanoscent, an Israeli start-up company that develops a high-precision scent recognition IoT platform. With this deal, Sumitomo Chemical intends to create new health care businesses by making use of the innovative platform.

Seraplant and Glatt Ingenieurtechnik have jointly developed an innovative technology for residue-free production of phosphate-containing fertiliser granulates from sewage sludge ash.

Johnson Matthey announced the opening of a new ceramic 3D printing facility in the UK, in order to boost the development and understanding of processes an materials involved in this technology.

Shandong Binhua New Material Co. has selected Honeywell UOP’s C3 Oleflex technology to produce 600,000 metric tonnes per year of polymer-grade propylene at its new China facility. Honeywell will also provide services, equipment, catalysts as well as adsorbents for the unit.