Page 24 - Chemicals

Westlake Chemical buys Axiall for $ 3.8 billion

The combination will create the third-largest chlor-alkali producer and the second-largest PVC producer in North America

BASF to expand automotive coatings production in Thailand

The expansion will help BASF to serve better the strong demand from the expanding automotive industry in ASEAN

AkzoNobel's Expancel receives US FDA nod for in wine corks

Expancel has been rapidly growing in popularity with micro-agglomerated wine cork manufacturers, as it helps to overcome some of the weaknesses of traditional cork

Songwon and Heraeus to co-develop specialty chemicals for electronics industry

As per the agreement, the high end specialty chemicals co-developed for the electronics and semiconductor market will be produced by Songwon and marketed by Heraeus

Evonik operationalises membrane coating facility at Marl site

The company will use the thin-film composites plant to coat membranes for use in organic solvent nanofiltration and gas separation

Apcotex to shutdown Taloja rubber plant for maintenance

The company will use its recently acquired Valia (Gujarat) plant to supply high styrene rubber to its customers

Stepan to expand polyester polyol facility in Poland

The expansion will support Stepan's growth in the coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers (CASE) business for its European customers

Sumitomo Chemical to buy 45% stake in Excel Crop Care

While the promoter Shroff family will off-load its 25 percent stake, Sumitomo Chemical will buy the remaining 20 percent stake in Excel Crop Care from Ratnabali Group

BASF postpones decision to build propylene complex in Texas

To take advantage of US shale gas, the company had announced plans to construct a methane-to-propylene complex at its Freeport, Texas

Shree Pushkar Chemicals raises vinyl suphone capacity

The company has commissioned its additional capacity of 1,000 MTA of vinyl sulphone, a key raw material used in dyes manufacturing

Orion Engineered plans closure of carbon black plant in France

The move is aimed at consolidating its manufacturing operations in Europe and remain competitive in carbon black marketplace

Water shortage forces Grasim to suspend operations at VSF plant in MP

The company has also decided to operate the chlor alkali plant (located at Nagda, Madhya Pradesh) at a lower capacity during the period

Reliance Industries restarts PTA plants at Dahej

RIL's purified terephthalic acid (PTA) plants had been shut for a brief period owing to increased water salinity

Insecticides India launches eco-friendly herbicide Green Label

The company aims to add Rs 100 crore to the topline growth with the launch of this indigenously manufactured post-emergence herbicide, which is currently being imported from Japan

Huntsman selects India MD Rohit Aggarwal as president of Textile Effects division

Aggarwal will succeed Paul Hulme, who will retire as president of Huntsman's Textile Effects division, a position he has held since 2006

Sabic, Shenhua Ningxia to set up petrochemical complex in China

The joint venture will utilise locally available coal feedstocks to be supplied by SNCG

SNF Floerger to set up polymer plant in Russia

Lukoil's subsidiary will supply feedstock to SNF Vostok's facility, which will produce polymers from acrylonitrile

Maire Tecnimont and Siluria to collaborate on gas-to-chemical technology

Two companies will jointly develop new natural gas based technologies for petrochemical markets

Insecticides India aims 15% top-line growth in 2016-17

Positive forecast of a normal monsoon and new product launches are expected to boost the company's profitability this fiscal

Reliance Industries temporarily shuts down PTA and PET plants at Dahej

The company had to take this step as there is shortage of the right quality of industrial water at Dahej, which has capacity to produce 2.3 MMTPA of PTA and 650 KTPA of PET