Lubrizol plans $25 million expansion at Kentucky plant

The Lubrizol Corporation said that it will invest more than $25 million in its Calvert City, Kentucky manufacturing facility.

The facility specializes in the production of Carbopol polymers and Pemulen(TM) polymeric emulsifiers. These polymers are used in consumer goods for personal care, home care, and pharmaceutical markets. This expansion will include advanced, proprietary process technology that will allow the Calvert City facility to continue to provide Lubrizol's partners with high-quality products.

Read more: Lubrizol plans $25 million expansion at Kentucky plant

CropEnergies to pause production at UK ethanol plant

CropEnergies AG said that will pause bioethanol production at its Wilton plant, UK, from the end of November 2018 on, due to low prices.

The company adjusts its outlook for the current financial year 2018/19 due to ethanol prices – both spot and forward prices – which have significantly fallen in the last few days contrary to all expectations.

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P2 Science starts commercial production of renewable C9 aldehyde

P2 Science Inc, a bio-renewable chemistry company has produced the first ever commercial quantities of BioNonanal, at its new plant in Naugatuck.

BioNonanal is a 100 percent renewable, vegetable-based linear C9 aldehyde, commonly used in fragrances to impart waxy, citrus and floral notes to consumer products in both household and personal care markets.

To date, nonanal has been mainly produced from a petrochemical, Octene. The only option for a renewable nonanal has been via a costly extraction process from certain essential oils such as orange oil. The resulting cost of such a natural extract nonanal made it impractical to use in most fragrance applications. P2’s patented green chemistry process enables the efficient conversion of many common vegetable oils into nonanal and other valuable speciality products for use in cosmetics and related applications.

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MHI wins fertilizer plant construction contract in Bangladesh

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd (MHI), together with China National Chemical Engineering No.7 Construction Co Ltd, have signed a fertilizer plant construction project for Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation.

This will be the largest fertilizer plant in Bangladesh, with production capacity of 2,800 tonnes per day. The project will be managed through an EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contracting arrangement, with completion scheduled for 2022.

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Kraiburg presents new TPE for soft-touch surfaces

Kraiburg TPE presented a new thermoplastic elastomers series specially developed for decorated surfaces that appeal to the touch and for functional parts inside motor vehicles’ cabins.

Design flexibility, cost-effective processability, and flawless surface quality are a must when it comes to the properties of high-performance materials for high-quality automotive interior parts. The specific compounds also comply with all of the industry’s strict regulations that stipulate the long-term behaviour of applications in this sophisticated environment.

The compounds of the new FG/SF THERMOLAST K series comply with all established automotive standards set by OEMs with regard to the emission and odour behaviour of components for vehicle cabins including DIN 75201-B (G) and VDA 278 on fogging and VOC (volatile organic compound) as well as VDA 270 Var. 3 (odour behaviour dependent on temperature and climatic influences). In addition, the compounds provide permanent UV stability, which is confirmed by comprehensive independent tests in accordance with DIN EN ISO 105-B06.

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Vertellus appoints former PolyOne exec as next CEO

Vertellus has appointed former president of PolyOne’s global colour and additives business as its next CEO. Effective immediately, John Van Hulle brings to Vertellus more than three decades of leadership experience in the speciality chemical and plastics industries serving business sectors.

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Unilever, Veolia join forces on sustainable packaging

Unilever and Veolia have signed a collaboration agreement to jointly work on emerging technologies that will help create a circular economy on plastics across various geographies, starting in India and Indonesia.

In reaching this important agreement, Unilever and Veolia acknowledge that the issue of plastic waste is a shared responsibility that requires bold action across the value chain to develop and scale up collection and reprocessing infrastructure, which is critical in the transition towards a circular economy.

The work will focus on material collection, which will help channel recycled content back into the value chain. Veolia will work with Unilever to implement used packaging collection solutions, add recycling capacity and develop new processes and business models through this partnership in various countries.

Read more: Unilever, Veolia join forces on sustainable packaging