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Enzymatic biodiesel pilot plant to open soon
FOCUS plan. Net income for 2Q 2010 increased more than twofold to $51 M on sales up 4% to $685 M. Grace has four business segments: refining catalysts, construction chemicals, materials technologies, and speciality technologies. Chemical Week, 9 Aug 2010 (Website: http://www.chemweek.com)
Grace announces rare earth surcharge for FCC catalysts and additives On 25 Aug 2010, Grace Davison, an operating segment of WR Grace & Co, announced the implementation of a rare earth surcharge for its fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts and additives for the petroleum refining industry. Effective 1 Oct 2010, Grace will implement a global rare earth surcharge due to rapidly escalating prices as a result of recently imposed export tariffs and quota restrictions by major producers in the rare earth market. In addition, Grace will increase FCC catalyst prices by 5% to 7%, effective 1 Jan 2011, or as contracts allow, as a result of inflation in other key raw materials and to support ongoing research and technical service efforts. Grace is providing price guidance in advance to support customer budget preparations for 2011. Press release from: WR Grace & Co, 7500 Grace Drive, Columbia, MD 21044, USA. Website: http://www.grace.com (25 Aug 2010)
NEW PLANTS BASF upgrades base-metal catalyst facilities in USA BASF will invest millions of dollars to automate and modernize its Erie, PA, and Elyria, OH, plants for copperchrome catalysts used in producing petrochemicals and oleochemicals. The projects are due for completion in early 2011. Chemical and Engineering News, 9 Aug 2010, 88 (32), 15 & Chemical Week, 23 Aug 2010 (Website: http://www.chemweek.com)
Evonik Degussa Japan to expand its pgm catalyst production Evonik Degussa Japan plans to make a capacity investment for the production of precious metal-based
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powder catalysts at its Tsukuba works in Ibaraki Prefecture, in a bid to propel its catalyst business in Asia. The company has just installed a new plant at Tsukuba to produce a variety of these catalysts. Evonik Degussa Japan aims to bolster its presence in the domestic market and in other Asian markets in this sector, with an emphasis on heterogeneous catalysts by developing applications and adding new products to its portfolio targeted at new customers.
Süd-Chemie will enter cellulosic ethanol
Japan Chemical Web, 24 Aug 2010 (Website: http://www.japanchemicalweb.jp)
Chemical and Engineering News, 26 Jul 2010, 88 (30), 18
Sakai starts commercial manufacture of titanium catalyst
Enzymatic biodiesel pilot plant to open soon
Sakai Chemicals Industry has begun commercial manufacture of its newly developed non-antimony, titaniumbased polymerization catalyst following the adoption of the catalyst in the US fibre industry. The firm aims to secure sales volumes of 400,000 tonne/y or 10% of the titanium-based catalysts market. Sakai is now producing the catalyst at a partly modernized catalyst factory at its Sakai works and will continue to use the plant until output reaches over 10 tonnes/mo. Sakai’s catalysts prevent titanium-based catalysts from creating a yellow tinge during the production of PET beverage bottles.
Piedmont Biofuels LLC was set to launch the first pilot plant for enzymatic biodiesel in the USA at a ceremony in Jul 2010. The new technology for the production of highquality biodiesel from low-quality waste grease was developed by Piedmont Biofuels and Novozymes. The use of enzymes in biodiesel production will boost output, reduce waste, and enable producers to use cheaper feedstocks.
Japan Chemical Web, 18 Aug 2010 (Website: http://www.japanchemicalweb.jp)
JGC Catalysts formulating plan to raise silica-sol capacity JGC Catalysts and Chemicals plans to add 20% to its output capacity for silica-sol by end-2011. Options under consideration include establishment of a new plant at the company’s major production base in Kitakyushu, an expansion of existing plants at the same site, and the acquisition of a new plant site or another company’s manufacturing plant. The capacity increase to 12,000 tonne/y will enable JGC Catalysts to meet demand growth for silica sol as a polishingagent material for the liquid crystal display and semiconductor industries, as well as for applications in lightemitting-diode manufacture and automobile-exhaust treatment. Japan Chemical Web, 16 Aug 2010 (Website: http://www.japanchemicalweb.jp)
Süd-Chemie will set up a cellulosic ethanol demonstration unit at the Bavarian BioCampus in Straubing, Germany. The $35 M facility will have the capacity to produce 2000 tonne/y of ethanol from agricultural waste, and will be based on Süd Chemie’s Sunliquid process for converting hemicellulose and cellulose into ethanol.
Biodiesel Magazine, Aug 2010 (Website: http://www.biodieselmagazine.com)
NEW TECHNOLOGY New FCC catalyst from BASF BASF launched recently its Multi-Stage Reaction Catalyst (MSRC) platform, which permits for FCC catalysts particles with staged reaction zones, with having distinct properties with each stage. Commercial production trials of the first MSRC-based FCC catalyst were concluded earlier in 2010. A commercial performance trial is scheduled in 3Q 2010. Chemical Engineering (New York), Aug 2010, 117 (8), 13
Mitsui introduces Hyper III fourthgeneration metathesis catalysts Mitsui Chemicals unveils Hyper III, the fourth-generation series of its metathesis catalysts that delivers 45 times the catalytic action and eight
OCTOBER 2010
Grace announces rare earth surcharge for FCC catalysts and additives On 25 Aug 2010, Grace Davison, an operating segment of WR Grace & Co, announced the implementation of a rare earth surcharge for its fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts and additives for the petroleum refining industry. Effective 1 Oct 2010, Grace will implement a global rare earth surcharge due to rapidly escalating prices as a result of recently imposed export tariffs and quota restrictions by major producers in the rare earth market. In addition, Grace will increase FCC catalyst prices by 5% to 7%, effective 1 Jan 2011, or as contracts allow, as a result of inflation in other key raw materials and to support ongoing research and technical service efforts. Grace is providing price guidance in advance to support customer budget preparations for 2011. Press release from: WR Grace & Co, 7500 Grace Drive, Columbia, MD 21044, USA. Website: http://www.grace.com (25 Aug 2010)
NEW PLANTS BASF upgrades base-metal catalyst facilities in USA BASF will invest millions of dollars to automate and modernize its Erie, PA, and Elyria, OH, plants for copperchrome catalysts used in producing petrochemicals and oleochemicals. The projects are due for completion in early 2011. Chemical and Engineering News, 9 Aug 2010, 88 (32), 15 & Chemical Week, 23 Aug 2010 (Website: http://www.chemweek.com)
Evonik Degussa Japan to expand its pgm catalyst production Evonik Degussa Japan plans to make a capacity investment for the production of precious metal-based
6
ON
C ATA LY S T S
powder catalysts at its Tsukuba works in Ibaraki Prefecture, in a bid to propel its catalyst business in Asia. The company has just installed a new plant at Tsukuba to produce a variety of these catalysts. Evonik Degussa Japan aims to bolster its presence in the domestic market and in other Asian markets in this sector, with an emphasis on heterogeneous catalysts by developing applications and adding new products to its portfolio targeted at new customers.
Süd-Chemie will enter cellulosic ethanol
Japan Chemical Web, 24 Aug 2010 (Website: http://www.japanchemicalweb.jp)
Chemical and Engineering News, 26 Jul 2010, 88 (30), 18
Sakai starts commercial manufacture of titanium catalyst
Enzymatic biodiesel pilot plant to open soon
Sakai Chemicals Industry has begun commercial manufacture of its newly developed non-antimony, titaniumbased polymerization catalyst following the adoption of the catalyst in the US fibre industry. The firm aims to secure sales volumes of 400,000 tonne/y or 10% of the titanium-based catalysts market. Sakai is now producing the catalyst at a partly modernized catalyst factory at its Sakai works and will continue to use the plant until output reaches over 10 tonnes/mo. Sakai’s catalysts prevent titanium-based catalysts from creating a yellow tinge during the production of PET beverage bottles.
Piedmont Biofuels LLC was set to launch the first pilot plant for enzymatic biodiesel in the USA at a ceremony in Jul 2010. The new technology for the production of highquality biodiesel from low-quality waste grease was developed by Piedmont Biofuels and Novozymes. The use of enzymes in biodiesel production will boost output, reduce waste, and enable producers to use cheaper feedstocks.
Japan Chemical Web, 18 Aug 2010 (Website: http://www.japanchemicalweb.jp)
JGC Catalysts formulating plan to raise silica-sol capacity JGC Catalysts and Chemicals plans to add 20% to its output capacity for silica-sol by end-2011. Options under consideration include establishment of a new plant at the company’s major production base in Kitakyushu, an expansion of existing plants at the same site, and the acquisition of a new plant site or another company’s manufacturing plant. The capacity increase to 12,000 tonne/y will enable JGC Catalysts to meet demand growth for silica sol as a polishingagent material for the liquid crystal display and semiconductor industries, as well as for applications in lightemitting-diode manufacture and automobile-exhaust treatment. Japan Chemical Web, 16 Aug 2010 (Website: http://www.japanchemicalweb.jp)
Süd-Chemie will set up a cellulosic ethanol demonstration unit at the Bavarian BioCampus in Straubing, Germany. The $35 M facility will have the capacity to produce 2000 tonne/y of ethanol from agricultural waste, and will be based on Süd Chemie’s Sunliquid process for converting hemicellulose and cellulose into ethanol.
Biodiesel Magazine, Aug 2010 (Website: http://www.biodieselmagazine.com)
NEW TECHNOLOGY New FCC catalyst from BASF BASF launched recently its Multi-Stage Reaction Catalyst (MSRC) platform, which permits for FCC catalysts particles with staged reaction zones, with having distinct properties with each stage. Commercial production trials of the first MSRC-based FCC catalyst were concluded earlier in 2010. A commercial performance trial is scheduled in 3Q 2010. Chemical Engineering (New York), Aug 2010, 117 (8), 13
Mitsui introduces Hyper III fourthgeneration metathesis catalysts Mitsui Chemicals unveils Hyper III, the fourth-generation series of its metathesis catalysts that delivers 45 times the catalytic action and eight
OCTOBER 2010