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Johnson Matthey Fine Chemicals opens expanded Cambridge facility
FOCUS Africa and Latin America are projected to witness significant growth in the specialty chemicals market throughout the forecast period. The leading players operating in the global market for specialty chemicals include Bayer AG, Clariant AG, Solvay, Chemtura Corporation, Syngenta AG, Albemarle Corporation, Ashland Inc, AkzoNobel NV, Eastman Chemical Company, INEOS Group AG, The Dow Chemical Company, Evonik Industries, BASF SE, Huntsman Corporation and Arkema SA. Original Source: TMR, 2016. Found on SpecialChem Plastics and Elastomers Formulation, 30 May 2016, (Website: http:// www.specialchem4polymers.com).
COMPANY NEWS Clariant’s R&D alliance with TUM, MuniCat, relocates to state-of-theart Catalysis Research Center Clariant congratulates the Technical University of Munich (TUM) on the inauguration of a new building for its Catalysis Research Center (CRC). The CRC is home to MuniCat, the Munich catalysis research alliance between TUM and the specialty chemicals company Clariant. Clariant's Catalysts business unit is a leading global developer and producer of catalysts for industrial processes. The new CRC building is dedicated entirely to research work. Comprising more than 75 state-of-the-art chemistry and physics laboratories, the venue is designed to facilitate collaboration among the 19 CRC research teams, which represent complementary aspects of catalyst studies, from theory and development to technological application. The facility is one of the largest research centres at TUM, located adjacent to the university's chemistry department in Garching, near Munich, Germany. Supported by grants from the German and Bavarian governments, TUM has invested EUR 84.5 M into the construction of the worldclass facility. Original Source: Clariant, 9 May 2016, (Website: http://www.clariant.com) © Clariant 2016.
Groundbreaking Topsoe research on improved performance of methanol catalysts published in ‘Science’ The article published on 20 May 2016 issue of the internationally leading scientific journal Science is promising news for the methanol industry and everybody else. For the first time,
July 2016
ON
C ATA LY S T S
researchers from Haldor Topsoe R&D and Technical University of Denmark, Department of Physics, show how optimized use of zinc oxide can make industrial methanol catalysts produce significantly more methanol without consuming more energy. This means that the world's growing demand for methanol can be produced using fewer resources and raw materials in the near future. The new research builds on Topsoe's extensive experience with optimal performance in methanol production. The company's portfolio includes the MK-151 FENCE catalyst, which enables higher throughput operation with less energy consumption/tonne of methanol produced. The FENCE technology creates a 'picket fence' of metal oxide crystals that ensures long lifetime with high activity. With insight from the new research, methanol production using Topsoe technology can be further improved. Topsoe is a significant player in the global methanol market and offers integrated solutions for the production of methanol, including project development, process technologies, proprietary equipment, catalysts and technical services. The company designs plants that produce up to 5000 tonnes/d of methanol and its solutions extend to the further processing of methanol into products such as formaldehyde, dimethyl ether (DME), and TIGAS (synthetic gasoline). Original Source: Haldor Topsoe, 20 May 2016, (Website: http://www.topsoe.com/) © HaldorTopsoe A/S 2016.
New Honeywell production capacity in China to support breakthrough coal-to-plastics technology On 23 May 2016, Honeywell announced that its Honeywell UOP business broke ground on a new manufacturing capacity outside Shanghai to produce materials used to convert methanol from coal into feedstocks for making plastics, a significant milestone to enable China to meet the growing demand for plastics. When it enters production in 2017, the catalyst production line in Zhangjiagang City in Jiangsu Province will produce state-of-theart catalysts used in Honeywell UOP's Advanced Methanol-to-Olefins (MTO) process technology. While global demand for ethylene and propylene is growing by 4-5%/y, China is expected to invest more than $100 bn in coal-to-chemicals technology by 2020. This would reduce China's dependence on imported oil for the manufacture of plastic resins, films and fibres that are used to make millions of different products. Original Source: Honeywell, 23 May 2016, (Website: http://honeywell.com/) © Honeywell International Inc 2016.
Sinopec’s diesel hydrogenation technology wins bidding of Brunei project Sinopec's continuous liquid phase diesel hydrogenation technology with independent intellectual property rights recently won the bidding of a PMB project of Hengyi Industries Sdn Bhd in Pulau Muara Besar, Brunei. The PMB project with a 2.2 M tonnes/y diesel hydrogenation unit is planned to start production in 2018. The diesel hydrogenation technology, developed by Sinopec Research Institute of Petroleum Processing, combines the unique process with the dedicated catalyst, with the advantages of low energy consumption and investment, good effect, and long-period stable operation. Original Source: Sinopec, 24 May 2016, (Website: http://www.sinopecgroup.com/ english/) © Sinopec 2016.
Sinopec’s DCC-PLUS technology successfully applied in Thailand Sinopec's DCC-PLUS technology with selfowned intellectual property right was successfully applied in a 1.5 M tonnes/y device of Thailand's IRPC Company recently. The DCC-PLUS technology is an improved deep catalytic cracking technology for propylene production, which is developed by Sinopec Research Institute of Petroleum Processing (RIPP). The technology has advantages of increasing the yield of propylene, butylene and gasoline and reducing the yield of byproducts such as dry gas and coke. Original Source: Sinopec, 20 May 2016, (Website: http://www.sinopecgroup.com/ english/) © Sinopec 2016.
Chiral Technologies to distribute University of Edmonton developed catalyst Chiral Technologies will be the distributor of a novel catalyst technology on behalf of GreenCentre Canada. The complex metalbased homogeneous catalyst technology was developed at the University of Edmonton for permitting effective fine chemical synthesis in flow reactor systems. Original Source: Speciality Chemicals Magazine, May 2016, 36 (5), 7 (Website: http://www.specchemonline.com) © Quartz Chemicals Ltd 2016.
Johnson Matthey Fine Chemicals opens expanded Cambridge facility Johnson Matthey Fine Chemicals (JMFC) has launched its Cambridge facility. The recently expanded centre delivers
3
FOCUS optimization, process development, scaleup and scouting of biocatalytic, homogeneous and heterogeneous processes, as well as non-GMP kilo-scale production of intermediates and APIs for toxicology and pre-clinical trials. Meanwhile, JMFC and Domainex have inked a collaborative agreement to offer integrates discovery and development services for small molecule pharmaceuticals. Projects will go through target-to-lead identification and optimization capacities of Domainex, and then to Pharmophix for polymorph and salt form identification. Subsequently, the projects will go on to process development, up scaling and non-GMP toxicology production. Original Source: Speciality Chemicals Magazine, May 2016, 36 (5), 9 (Website: http://www.specchemonline.com) © Quartz Chemicals Ltd 2016.
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creating a leading global producer of inorganic speciality materials and catalysts. The combined business, which retains the name PQ, will provide "mission-critical products and services to the refinery industry, with PQ supplying catalysts necessary for the refining of crude oil and Eco Services providing sulfuric acid regeneration services needed in the alkylation process''. Original Source: PetroChemical News, 9 May 2016, 54 (18), 3 (Website: http://www. petrochemical-news.com) © William F. Bland Co.NB2016.
Clariant & Gevo join hands to scaleup catalysts for ethanol-to-olefins technology
PQ completes merger with Eco Services
Gevo has entered into an agreement with Clariant to develop catalysts to enable Gevo's ETO technology. As previously disclosed, Gevo's ETO technology, which uses ethanol as a feedstock, produces tailored mixes of propylene, isobutylene and hydrogen, which are valuable as standalone molecules or as feedstocks to produce other products such as diesel fuel and commodity plastics that would be drop-in replacements for their fossil-based equivalents. Underpinning the ETO technology was Gevo's invention of proprietary mixed metal oxide catalysts that produce polymer-grade propylene or high-purity isobutylene, along with hydrogen in high yields in a single processing step from conventional fuel grade specification ethanol. Clariant is committed to the development and scaleup of the catalyst, which is expected to continue the advancement of the ETO technology, while Gevo focuses the majority of its internal resources on the ongoing optimization of its core isobutanol technology. Once the ETO technology has been successfully developed and scaledup, Clariant will be in a position to produce quantities of the catalyst needed to meet commercial production requirements. As with its isobutanol technology, Gevo anticipates growing its ETO business through licensing. Gevo has filed a series of patent applications related to this technology. The ETO technology has the potential to provide the estimated 25 bn gal global ethanol industry with a much broader set of end-product market and margin opportunities, beyond the use of ethanol as a gasoline blendstock. It has the potential to address a variety of markets in the chemicals and fuels fields, such as automobile parts, packaging, durable goods made of plastic, renewable diesel fuel and renewable hydrogen for the chemical, energy and fuel cell markets.
PQ Corp has completed its combination with Eco Services Operations LLC, a provider of sulfuric acid recycling services,
Original Source: Gevo, 2016. Found on SpecialChem Plastics and Elastomers Formulation, 27 May 2016, (Website: http:// www.specialchem4polymers.com).
Biosourced polyolefins: Sabic opens research and development centre in the Netherlands Sabic has opened a research centre at its site in Geleen, the Netherlands. The installation will focus on innovation in the chemicals and sustainable materials domain. Its main target markets will be transport, packaging and construction. The building will house 130 people. It includes several development and testing laboratories. Sabic will use the centre to develop innovative products as part of a sustainable development programme. The group has developed expanded polyolefins suitable for use in car bumpers. Their low weight helps reduce fuel consumption and cuts carbon dioxide emissions, vibration and noise as well as improving safety. Ben Groothuis (Sabic director of sustainable development in Europe) said that the technology and innovation division has also developed renewable polymers for packaging from non-food renewable resources. Since 2014 Sabic has been producing all grades of renewable polyethylene and polypropylene at its site in Geleen using cooking oils and waste fats as raw materials. Sabic's sustainable low density polyethylene is used in making Norwegian group Elopak's 100% renewable cartons. Original Source: Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 30 May 2016, (762), (Website: http://www. industrie.com/chimie/) © ETAI Information 2016.
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A wiser way to handle waste In early 2016, Dong Energy started constructing a biogas unit at a 100-plusyear-old brownfield site in Northwich, Cheshire, near Manchester, the UK. The REnescience Northwich Plant will handle unsorted household waste and treat the mixed materials with enzymes, water and heat for enzymatic hydrolysis. It will produce enough biogas to provide 5 MW of electricity out of 120,000 tonnes of unsorted household waste using Dong Energy's REnescience technology. The waste for treatment will be provided by the UK waste management firm FCC Environment. Capital expenditure for the project will be around $90 M while commissioning is set in early 2017. The REnescience technology, which uses a proprietary enzyme to process waste, was already tested at a 1-tonne/hr demonstration plant in Copenhagen, Denmark. Original Source: Biomass Magazine, May 2016, 10 (5), 39-43 (Website: http://biomassmagazine. com) © BBI International 2016
Stora Enso and Rennovia collaborate on biobased chemicals development Speciality chemicals company Rennovia Inc and Finnish renewable materials firm Stora Enso have announced a license and joint development agreement to advance biobased chemicals. In the deal, the two firms will co-develop processes for specific bio-based chemicals of choice to Stora Enso, using Rennovia's know-how in process development and high-throughput catalyst discovery infrastructure. Meanwhile, Stora Enso is presently transitioning from a board and paper manufacturer into a renewable materials growth firm, with emphasis on fibre-based packaging, innovation in biomaterials, plantation-based pulp and sustainable building solutions. It is investigating opportunities provided by distinct fractions of biomass from trees, for novel uses in speciality chemicals, personal care, coatings, construction and food industries. Original Source: Plastics Today News, 12 May 2016, (Website: http://www.plasticstoday.com) © UBM Canon 2016.
ExxonMobil and FuelCell Energy Inc pursue novel technology in carbon capture Exxon Mobil Corporation and FuelCell Energy Inc on 5 May 2016 announced an agreement to pursue novel technology in power plant carbon dioxide capture through a new application of carbonate fuel cells, which could substantially reduce costs and lead to a more economical pathway toward large-scale application globally. Two years of comprehensive laboratory tests have
July 2016
COMPANY NEWS Clariant’s R&D alliance with TUM, MuniCat, relocates to state-of-theart Catalysis Research Center Clariant congratulates the Technical University of Munich (TUM) on the inauguration of a new building for its Catalysis Research Center (CRC). The CRC is home to MuniCat, the Munich catalysis research alliance between TUM and the specialty chemicals company Clariant. Clariant's Catalysts business unit is a leading global developer and producer of catalysts for industrial processes. The new CRC building is dedicated entirely to research work. Comprising more than 75 state-of-the-art chemistry and physics laboratories, the venue is designed to facilitate collaboration among the 19 CRC research teams, which represent complementary aspects of catalyst studies, from theory and development to technological application. The facility is one of the largest research centres at TUM, located adjacent to the university's chemistry department in Garching, near Munich, Germany. Supported by grants from the German and Bavarian governments, TUM has invested EUR 84.5 M into the construction of the worldclass facility. Original Source: Clariant, 9 May 2016, (Website: http://www.clariant.com) © Clariant 2016.
Groundbreaking Topsoe research on improved performance of methanol catalysts published in ‘Science’ The article published on 20 May 2016 issue of the internationally leading scientific journal Science is promising news for the methanol industry and everybody else. For the first time,
July 2016
ON
C ATA LY S T S
researchers from Haldor Topsoe R&D and Technical University of Denmark, Department of Physics, show how optimized use of zinc oxide can make industrial methanol catalysts produce significantly more methanol without consuming more energy. This means that the world's growing demand for methanol can be produced using fewer resources and raw materials in the near future. The new research builds on Topsoe's extensive experience with optimal performance in methanol production. The company's portfolio includes the MK-151 FENCE catalyst, which enables higher throughput operation with less energy consumption/tonne of methanol produced. The FENCE technology creates a 'picket fence' of metal oxide crystals that ensures long lifetime with high activity. With insight from the new research, methanol production using Topsoe technology can be further improved. Topsoe is a significant player in the global methanol market and offers integrated solutions for the production of methanol, including project development, process technologies, proprietary equipment, catalysts and technical services. The company designs plants that produce up to 5000 tonnes/d of methanol and its solutions extend to the further processing of methanol into products such as formaldehyde, dimethyl ether (DME), and TIGAS (synthetic gasoline). Original Source: Haldor Topsoe, 20 May 2016, (Website: http://www.topsoe.com/) © HaldorTopsoe A/S 2016.
New Honeywell production capacity in China to support breakthrough coal-to-plastics technology On 23 May 2016, Honeywell announced that its Honeywell UOP business broke ground on a new manufacturing capacity outside Shanghai to produce materials used to convert methanol from coal into feedstocks for making plastics, a significant milestone to enable China to meet the growing demand for plastics. When it enters production in 2017, the catalyst production line in Zhangjiagang City in Jiangsu Province will produce state-of-theart catalysts used in Honeywell UOP's Advanced Methanol-to-Olefins (MTO) process technology. While global demand for ethylene and propylene is growing by 4-5%/y, China is expected to invest more than $100 bn in coal-to-chemicals technology by 2020. This would reduce China's dependence on imported oil for the manufacture of plastic resins, films and fibres that are used to make millions of different products. Original Source: Honeywell, 23 May 2016, (Website: http://honeywell.com/) © Honeywell International Inc 2016.
Sinopec’s diesel hydrogenation technology wins bidding of Brunei project Sinopec's continuous liquid phase diesel hydrogenation technology with independent intellectual property rights recently won the bidding of a PMB project of Hengyi Industries Sdn Bhd in Pulau Muara Besar, Brunei. The PMB project with a 2.2 M tonnes/y diesel hydrogenation unit is planned to start production in 2018. The diesel hydrogenation technology, developed by Sinopec Research Institute of Petroleum Processing, combines the unique process with the dedicated catalyst, with the advantages of low energy consumption and investment, good effect, and long-period stable operation. Original Source: Sinopec, 24 May 2016, (Website: http://www.sinopecgroup.com/ english/) © Sinopec 2016.
Sinopec’s DCC-PLUS technology successfully applied in Thailand Sinopec's DCC-PLUS technology with selfowned intellectual property right was successfully applied in a 1.5 M tonnes/y device of Thailand's IRPC Company recently. The DCC-PLUS technology is an improved deep catalytic cracking technology for propylene production, which is developed by Sinopec Research Institute of Petroleum Processing (RIPP). The technology has advantages of increasing the yield of propylene, butylene and gasoline and reducing the yield of byproducts such as dry gas and coke. Original Source: Sinopec, 20 May 2016, (Website: http://www.sinopecgroup.com/ english/) © Sinopec 2016.
Chiral Technologies to distribute University of Edmonton developed catalyst Chiral Technologies will be the distributor of a novel catalyst technology on behalf of GreenCentre Canada. The complex metalbased homogeneous catalyst technology was developed at the University of Edmonton for permitting effective fine chemical synthesis in flow reactor systems. Original Source: Speciality Chemicals Magazine, May 2016, 36 (5), 7 (Website: http://www.specchemonline.com) © Quartz Chemicals Ltd 2016.
Johnson Matthey Fine Chemicals opens expanded Cambridge facility Johnson Matthey Fine Chemicals (JMFC) has launched its Cambridge facility. The recently expanded centre delivers
3
FOCUS optimization, process development, scaleup and scouting of biocatalytic, homogeneous and heterogeneous processes, as well as non-GMP kilo-scale production of intermediates and APIs for toxicology and pre-clinical trials. Meanwhile, JMFC and Domainex have inked a collaborative agreement to offer integrates discovery and development services for small molecule pharmaceuticals. Projects will go through target-to-lead identification and optimization capacities of Domainex, and then to Pharmophix for polymorph and salt form identification. Subsequently, the projects will go on to process development, up scaling and non-GMP toxicology production. Original Source: Speciality Chemicals Magazine, May 2016, 36 (5), 9 (Website: http://www.specchemonline.com) © Quartz Chemicals Ltd 2016.
ON
C ATA LY S T S
creating a leading global producer of inorganic speciality materials and catalysts. The combined business, which retains the name PQ, will provide "mission-critical products and services to the refinery industry, with PQ supplying catalysts necessary for the refining of crude oil and Eco Services providing sulfuric acid regeneration services needed in the alkylation process''. Original Source: PetroChemical News, 9 May 2016, 54 (18), 3 (Website: http://www. petrochemical-news.com) © William F. Bland Co.NB2016.
Clariant & Gevo join hands to scaleup catalysts for ethanol-to-olefins technology
PQ completes merger with Eco Services
Gevo has entered into an agreement with Clariant to develop catalysts to enable Gevo's ETO technology. As previously disclosed, Gevo's ETO technology, which uses ethanol as a feedstock, produces tailored mixes of propylene, isobutylene and hydrogen, which are valuable as standalone molecules or as feedstocks to produce other products such as diesel fuel and commodity plastics that would be drop-in replacements for their fossil-based equivalents. Underpinning the ETO technology was Gevo's invention of proprietary mixed metal oxide catalysts that produce polymer-grade propylene or high-purity isobutylene, along with hydrogen in high yields in a single processing step from conventional fuel grade specification ethanol. Clariant is committed to the development and scaleup of the catalyst, which is expected to continue the advancement of the ETO technology, while Gevo focuses the majority of its internal resources on the ongoing optimization of its core isobutanol technology. Once the ETO technology has been successfully developed and scaledup, Clariant will be in a position to produce quantities of the catalyst needed to meet commercial production requirements. As with its isobutanol technology, Gevo anticipates growing its ETO business through licensing. Gevo has filed a series of patent applications related to this technology. The ETO technology has the potential to provide the estimated 25 bn gal global ethanol industry with a much broader set of end-product market and margin opportunities, beyond the use of ethanol as a gasoline blendstock. It has the potential to address a variety of markets in the chemicals and fuels fields, such as automobile parts, packaging, durable goods made of plastic, renewable diesel fuel and renewable hydrogen for the chemical, energy and fuel cell markets.
PQ Corp has completed its combination with Eco Services Operations LLC, a provider of sulfuric acid recycling services,
Original Source: Gevo, 2016. Found on SpecialChem Plastics and Elastomers Formulation, 27 May 2016, (Website: http:// www.specialchem4polymers.com).
Biosourced polyolefins: Sabic opens research and development centre in the Netherlands Sabic has opened a research centre at its site in Geleen, the Netherlands. The installation will focus on innovation in the chemicals and sustainable materials domain. Its main target markets will be transport, packaging and construction. The building will house 130 people. It includes several development and testing laboratories. Sabic will use the centre to develop innovative products as part of a sustainable development programme. The group has developed expanded polyolefins suitable for use in car bumpers. Their low weight helps reduce fuel consumption and cuts carbon dioxide emissions, vibration and noise as well as improving safety. Ben Groothuis (Sabic director of sustainable development in Europe) said that the technology and innovation division has also developed renewable polymers for packaging from non-food renewable resources. Since 2014 Sabic has been producing all grades of renewable polyethylene and polypropylene at its site in Geleen using cooking oils and waste fats as raw materials. Sabic's sustainable low density polyethylene is used in making Norwegian group Elopak's 100% renewable cartons. Original Source: Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 30 May 2016, (762), (Website: http://www. industrie.com/chimie/) © ETAI Information 2016.
4
A wiser way to handle waste In early 2016, Dong Energy started constructing a biogas unit at a 100-plusyear-old brownfield site in Northwich, Cheshire, near Manchester, the UK. The REnescience Northwich Plant will handle unsorted household waste and treat the mixed materials with enzymes, water and heat for enzymatic hydrolysis. It will produce enough biogas to provide 5 MW of electricity out of 120,000 tonnes of unsorted household waste using Dong Energy's REnescience technology. The waste for treatment will be provided by the UK waste management firm FCC Environment. Capital expenditure for the project will be around $90 M while commissioning is set in early 2017. The REnescience technology, which uses a proprietary enzyme to process waste, was already tested at a 1-tonne/hr demonstration plant in Copenhagen, Denmark. Original Source: Biomass Magazine, May 2016, 10 (5), 39-43 (Website: http://biomassmagazine. com) © BBI International 2016
Stora Enso and Rennovia collaborate on biobased chemicals development Speciality chemicals company Rennovia Inc and Finnish renewable materials firm Stora Enso have announced a license and joint development agreement to advance biobased chemicals. In the deal, the two firms will co-develop processes for specific bio-based chemicals of choice to Stora Enso, using Rennovia's know-how in process development and high-throughput catalyst discovery infrastructure. Meanwhile, Stora Enso is presently transitioning from a board and paper manufacturer into a renewable materials growth firm, with emphasis on fibre-based packaging, innovation in biomaterials, plantation-based pulp and sustainable building solutions. It is investigating opportunities provided by distinct fractions of biomass from trees, for novel uses in speciality chemicals, personal care, coatings, construction and food industries. Original Source: Plastics Today News, 12 May 2016, (Website: http://www.plasticstoday.com) © UBM Canon 2016.
ExxonMobil and FuelCell Energy Inc pursue novel technology in carbon capture Exxon Mobil Corporation and FuelCell Energy Inc on 5 May 2016 announced an agreement to pursue novel technology in power plant carbon dioxide capture through a new application of carbonate fuel cells, which could substantially reduce costs and lead to a more economical pathway toward large-scale application globally. Two years of comprehensive laboratory tests have
July 2016