Acidic oceans cause fish to lose their sense of smell

Fish are losing their sense of smell because of increasingly acidic oceans caused by rising levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, new research shows.

When carbon dioxide is absorbed by seawater carbonic acid is formed, making the water more acidic. Since the Industrial Revolution, oceanic CO2 has risen by 43 percent and is predicted to be two and a half times current levels by the end of this century.

Fish use their sense of smell (olfaction) to find food, safe habitats, avoid predators, recognize each other and find suitable spawning grounds. A reduction in their ability to smell therefore can compromise these essential functions for their survival.

The study is published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

The new study provides evidence that economically important species will be affected by elevated CO2, leaving fish vulnerable because it affects their ability to detect odours.

Read more: Acidic oceans cause fish to lose their sense of smell

Honeywell technology to help Indian Oil meet new clean fuel standards

Honeywell (HON) said that the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) has chosen Honeywell UOP’s pressure swing adsorption (PSA) technology to supply high-quality hydrogen at five of its refineries.

Hydrogen is essential to the refining process, where it is used to decontaminate oil and facilitate catalytic processes that produce clean-burning fuels, including those that meet the Indian government’s strict Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI) environmental standards.

Under the terms of the agreement, Honeywell UOP will provide new PSA units to IOCL refineries at Gujarat, Panipat, and Mathura, and will upgrade existing hydrogen plants with UOP’s Polybed PSA technology at refineries in Haldia, Guwahati and Gujarat. Together, the six projects will generate 166,000 tons per year of new hydrogen capacity, representing an almost 30 percent increase for IOCL.

Read more: Honeywell technology to help Indian Oil meet new clean fuel standards

Arkema to open 3D printing centre at Exton site, US

Arkema said that it will open its 3D printing centre of excellence, located at its Sartomer Exton, Pennsylvania facility.

In this advanced R&D lab, Sartomer and its partners will further develop cutting-edge 3D printing resins through innovative material research and collaboration. This new centre will complete the Arkema’s worldwide R&D network dedicated to the development of advanced material for additive manufacturing.

Sartomer, a business line of Arkema, is a pioneer in designing engineered resins for UV-curable additive manufacturing marketed under its N3xtDimension brand. These photo-cure 3D printing materials yield products with thermoplastic-like mechanical properties for applications such as dental, sports and electronics.

The 3D printing centre of excellence will house most UV based technologies: stereolithography (SLA), Digital Light Processing (DLP), and Multi Jet Printing (MJP) to name a few. It provides a collaborative space for chemists and application engineers to develop custom resins for customer needs.

Read more: Arkema to open 3D printing centre at Exton site, US

LyondellBasell appoints new chairman of the board

LyondellBasell (LYB) said that Robert G Gwin, chairman of its board of directors, will resign on 30 November 2018.

Jacques Aigrain, currently vice chairman, will succeed Gwin as chairman, effective 24 September 2018.

Aigrain, a director since 2011, is a senior advisor at Warburg Pincus and a director of the London Stock Exchange and WPP Plc. He has extensive executive and board experience, including as chief executive officer of Swiss Re Ltd. During his tenure as a LyondellBasell director, Aigrain served on multiple committees and is the current chairman of the compensation committee.

Gwin has served on LyondellBasell's board of directors since 2011 and has been chairman since August 2013.

"It has been a privilege to lead the LyondellBasell board and, after five years as chairman, I believe it's the right time to transition to new leadership. I'm very pleased with the company's direction and outlook, and I look forward to working with Jacques over the next few months to ensure a smooth and successful transition,” said Gwin.

Read more: LyondellBasell appoints new chairman of the board

DSM, APK cooperate on recycling multilayer food packaging films

Royal DSM together with APK AG are leading the way in taking the next step to increase the sustainable benefits of multilayer food packaging films.

Beyond the primary function of reducing food waste, the products are now also recyclable via APK’s new recycling route.

Headquartered Sin Merseburg, Germany, APK produces high-quality plastic recycle reclaimed from post-consumer and production sources. APK’s core technology is its Newcycling process, a solvent-based technique that makes it possible to recover from complex mixtures and multi-layer composites (so-called multilayer barrier packaging) high-quality re-granulates with properties close to virgin plastics.

Many multilayer barrier films for food packaging consist of a combination of PE and PA6, where PE acts as a barrier for moisture and PA6 as a barrier for oxygen thus significantly extending the shelf life of the packaged food.

Read more: DSM, APK cooperate on recycling multilayer food packaging films

BASF unveils new generation of fluid catalytic cracking catalysts

BASF SE has launched Fourte, which represents a new generation of fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts for gasoil feedstock. Fourte is based on BASF’s new multiple framework topology (MFT) technology offering and has been optimized to deliver superior selectivity to butylenes while maintaining catalyst activity, which helps refineries maximize their profits.

BASF’s innovative MFT technology enhances performance through the use of more than one framework topology that work together to tailor the catalyst selectivity profile. Successful evaluations of the new MFT technology have demonstrated Fourte’s ability to help maximize margins and provide operating flexibility to make more butylenes to feed the alkylation unit. The technology provides an answer to the increased demand for octane since today’s tighter sulfur regulations often require post-treatment on the gasoline stream, which can negatively impact the octane pool.

Read more: BASF unveils new generation of fluid catalytic cracking catalysts

Halliburton acquires US water treatment company Athlon

Halliburton Company (HAL) has acquired Athlon Solutions LLC, a leading provider of speciality water and process treatment chemicals, customized engineering solutions, and services.

Athlon, headquartered in Houston, has 250 employees serving global customers as well as all major refinery and petrochemical areas in US.

Athlon will become part of the Halliburton Multi-Chem business line, a provider of speciality oilfield chemicals for stimulation, midstream, and production customers.

Combining the two companies will strengthen Halliburton’s chemicals technology, manufacturing, and supply chain. Additionally, the acquisition enhances Multi-Chem’s capabilities to deliver innovative technical solutions to its customers and provides Halliburton with its first chemical manufacturing plant with full reaction and blending capabilities.

Read more: Halliburton acquires US water treatment company Athlon