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UOP seals petchem deal with Saudi University
FOCUS use of succinic acid as a bio-derived feedstock for the production of butanediol, tetrahydrofuran and gamma-butyrolactone. The MoU covers two areas of cooperation between Myriant and Davy, first the non-exclusive testing and approval of Myriant’s product succinic acid as a feedstock to the Davy process and second an exclusive joint development agreement with the purpose of integrating the Myriant bio succinic acid technology with the Davy butanediol technology to minimise the cost of recovery and purification of the succinic acid for the production of bio butanediol. Press release from: Myriant Technologies, 1 Pine Hill Drive, Batterymarch Park II, Suite 301, Quincy, MA 02169, USA. Tel: +1 617 657 5200. Website: http://www.myriant.com (16 Feb 2011) & Chemical Week, 21 Mar 2011, 173 (5), 11
Nippon Ketjen introduces new catalysts for residue hydrotreating Nippon Ketjen Co has launched two new catalysts that exhibit improved qualities for petroleum residue hydrotreating. KFR 15 eliminates metallic impurities, and KFR 93 gets rid of sulfur from residues and helps boost the efficiency of residue hydrotreaters. New support technology, increased pore volumes, and maximized pore structures and surface area paved the way for the development of KFR 15. The improvements raised diffusion of metal-containing substances into catalyst pores by 20% and lifted the maximum metal retentive capacity by 10%. For the desulfurization catalyst, the pore structures, active metallic species, and support amount were optimized to allow high desulfurization performance at elevated temperatures. Chemical Engineering (New York), Feb 2011, 118 (2), 13
Novozymes’ growth: Jan-Sep 2010 results Novozymes has posted a 17% sales gain and a 35% EBIT increase for Jan-Sep 2010. Overall sales were DKR 7320 M ($1371 M). The rise in sales was mainly fuelled by betterthan-expected enzymes demand in the biofuel, detergent,and food sectors. The firm has revised upwards its 2010 guidance, with sales now expected to grow by 12-13%, compared with the half-year guidance
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of 10-12% gain. EBIT is predicted to increase by 24-25%, on EBIT margin seen to hover at 22%. Chimica Oggi/Chemistry Today, Jan/Feb 2011, 29 (1), 68
Novozymes to expand agro-business Enzymes producer Novozymes is to expand its business in bio-fertilizers and microorganisms into a second major business. The aim is to achieve sales in the so-called bio-business of around DKR 6 bn (€800 M) by 2018. This would mean a 10-fold increase. The completion last week of the purchase of the EMD agricultural sector from Merck KGaA for €222 M will bring Novozymes a step closer to this growth target. EMD Crop Bioscience will add sales of around €45 M to the €82 M of Novozymes’ bio sector. EMD Crop Bioscience has been growing at an average 15%/y. Novozymes will look around for more potential acquisitions in the green biotech sector. Novozymes currently generates 94% of its sales from industrial enzymes for industry. Handelsblatt Wirtschafts- und Finanzzeitung, 15 Feb 2011, (32), 22 (in German)
Indian buyer emerges for Reaxa Mumbai-based S Amit & Co has bought the encapsulated catalyst technology company Reaxa from Blackley Holdings. With the deal, Reaxa’s Manchester-based UK staff will be able to focus on the development of the EnCat polymerencapsulated metal-based pharmaceutical catalyst technologies and applications, particularly the nickel Ni EnCat immobilized nickel catalysts. Bulk-scale manufacture and support for the production of pharmaceutical intermediates and APIs using the catalysts will be transferred to India. S Amit is a fullservice chemistry services provider. Speciality Chemicals, Feb 2011, 31 (2) (Website: http://www.specchemonline.com/)
Umicore profits up For its fiscal 2010, Umicore has reported sales of €9691 M (€6937 M for its FY 2009), net profit of €248.7 M (€73.8 M), and paid a dividend of €0.475/share gross. The company has four main business areas,
namely: catalysis, energy materials, performance materials, and recycling. The company mainly operates in Belgium and The Netherlands. Meuse-Rhine Journal, 15 Feb 2011, (248) (Wadsworth & Wadsworth Assoc, PO Box 42, NL6245 ZG, Eijsden, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 43 4093719. Fax: +31 43 4098899. Website: http://www.meuse-rhine-journal.com)
UOP seals petchem deal with Saudi University The UOP and Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM) have entered into a five-year collaboration agreement to develop aromatics and catalytic processing technologies. The deal, which will see KFUPMs university professors and researchers working together with UOP scientists, is in support of Saudi Arabia’s growing aromatics sector. ICIS Chemical Business, 7 Feb 2011 (Website: http://icischemicalbusiness.com)
World’s largest soybean processing complex to use enzymic degumming Verenium Corp announced that Terminal 6, a major producer of soybean meal, oil and biodiesel, has successfully begun to use Verenium’s Purifine enzymatic degumming process at its Puerto General San Martin plant in Argentina. Purifine enzymatic degumming is a novel process that significantly increases yields in edible oil production and can have additional benefits in refining the Purifine-degummed oil. Press release from: Verenium Corp, 55 Cambridge Parkway, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA. Tel: +1 617 674 5300. Website: http://www.verenium.com (28 Feb 2011)
WR Grace reports 4Q and FY 2010 results; provides 2011 outlook: Grace Davison For its 4Q 2010 (period ends 31 Dec 2010), the Grace Davison segment of WR Grace & Co has reported net sales of $471.3 M ($460.8 M for its 4Q 2009), of which: Refining Technologies accounted for $201.4 ($200.6 M), Materials Technologies $167.0 M ($160.8 M), and Speciality Technologies $102.9 M ($99.4 M); and adjusted EBIT of $102.1 M ($92.9 M). For its fiscal 2010, this segment
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Nippon Ketjen introduces new catalysts for residue hydrotreating Nippon Ketjen Co has launched two new catalysts that exhibit improved qualities for petroleum residue hydrotreating. KFR 15 eliminates metallic impurities, and KFR 93 gets rid of sulfur from residues and helps boost the efficiency of residue hydrotreaters. New support technology, increased pore volumes, and maximized pore structures and surface area paved the way for the development of KFR 15. The improvements raised diffusion of metal-containing substances into catalyst pores by 20% and lifted the maximum metal retentive capacity by 10%. For the desulfurization catalyst, the pore structures, active metallic species, and support amount were optimized to allow high desulfurization performance at elevated temperatures. Chemical Engineering (New York), Feb 2011, 118 (2), 13
Novozymes’ growth: Jan-Sep 2010 results Novozymes has posted a 17% sales gain and a 35% EBIT increase for Jan-Sep 2010. Overall sales were DKR 7320 M ($1371 M). The rise in sales was mainly fuelled by betterthan-expected enzymes demand in the biofuel, detergent,and food sectors. The firm has revised upwards its 2010 guidance, with sales now expected to grow by 12-13%, compared with the half-year guidance
APRIL 2011
ON
C ATA LY S T S
of 10-12% gain. EBIT is predicted to increase by 24-25%, on EBIT margin seen to hover at 22%. Chimica Oggi/Chemistry Today, Jan/Feb 2011, 29 (1), 68
Novozymes to expand agro-business Enzymes producer Novozymes is to expand its business in bio-fertilizers and microorganisms into a second major business. The aim is to achieve sales in the so-called bio-business of around DKR 6 bn (€800 M) by 2018. This would mean a 10-fold increase. The completion last week of the purchase of the EMD agricultural sector from Merck KGaA for €222 M will bring Novozymes a step closer to this growth target. EMD Crop Bioscience will add sales of around €45 M to the €82 M of Novozymes’ bio sector. EMD Crop Bioscience has been growing at an average 15%/y. Novozymes will look around for more potential acquisitions in the green biotech sector. Novozymes currently generates 94% of its sales from industrial enzymes for industry. Handelsblatt Wirtschafts- und Finanzzeitung, 15 Feb 2011, (32), 22 (in German)
Indian buyer emerges for Reaxa Mumbai-based S Amit & Co has bought the encapsulated catalyst technology company Reaxa from Blackley Holdings. With the deal, Reaxa’s Manchester-based UK staff will be able to focus on the development of the EnCat polymerencapsulated metal-based pharmaceutical catalyst technologies and applications, particularly the nickel Ni EnCat immobilized nickel catalysts. Bulk-scale manufacture and support for the production of pharmaceutical intermediates and APIs using the catalysts will be transferred to India. S Amit is a fullservice chemistry services provider. Speciality Chemicals, Feb 2011, 31 (2) (Website: http://www.specchemonline.com/)
Umicore profits up For its fiscal 2010, Umicore has reported sales of €9691 M (€6937 M for its FY 2009), net profit of €248.7 M (€73.8 M), and paid a dividend of €0.475/share gross. The company has four main business areas,
namely: catalysis, energy materials, performance materials, and recycling. The company mainly operates in Belgium and The Netherlands. Meuse-Rhine Journal, 15 Feb 2011, (248) (Wadsworth & Wadsworth Assoc, PO Box 42, NL6245 ZG, Eijsden, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 43 4093719. Fax: +31 43 4098899. Website: http://www.meuse-rhine-journal.com)
UOP seals petchem deal with Saudi University The UOP and Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM) have entered into a five-year collaboration agreement to develop aromatics and catalytic processing technologies. The deal, which will see KFUPMs university professors and researchers working together with UOP scientists, is in support of Saudi Arabia’s growing aromatics sector. ICIS Chemical Business, 7 Feb 2011 (Website: http://icischemicalbusiness.com)
World’s largest soybean processing complex to use enzymic degumming Verenium Corp announced that Terminal 6, a major producer of soybean meal, oil and biodiesel, has successfully begun to use Verenium’s Purifine enzymatic degumming process at its Puerto General San Martin plant in Argentina. Purifine enzymatic degumming is a novel process that significantly increases yields in edible oil production and can have additional benefits in refining the Purifine-degummed oil. Press release from: Verenium Corp, 55 Cambridge Parkway, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA. Tel: +1 617 674 5300. Website: http://www.verenium.com (28 Feb 2011)
WR Grace reports 4Q and FY 2010 results; provides 2011 outlook: Grace Davison For its 4Q 2010 (period ends 31 Dec 2010), the Grace Davison segment of WR Grace & Co has reported net sales of $471.3 M ($460.8 M for its 4Q 2009), of which: Refining Technologies accounted for $201.4 ($200.6 M), Materials Technologies $167.0 M ($160.8 M), and Speciality Technologies $102.9 M ($99.4 M); and adjusted EBIT of $102.1 M ($92.9 M). For its fiscal 2010, this segment
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