Monthly Archives: January 2018

01.31.18
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The exceptional facts about Terbium


The exceptional facts about Terbium

The chemical element terbium is categorised as a lanthanide which is also known for the rare earth metal. It was discovered by Carl Gustaf Mosander in 1843. Terbium is a silvery white metal which is malleable, ductile, and soft that can be cut with a knife. Being the 9th member of the lanthanide series, terbium is a quite electropositive metal which reacts with water, giving rise to hydrogen gas. Terbium is certainly not found in environment as a free element. Read More

 

Nippon Shokubai Co Ltd said that it will expand the production capacity for functional monomer VEEA, functional polymers EPOCROS and EPOMIN, to meet the strong growth in global demand.VEEA is a low viscosity, high-performance ultraviolet (UV) curable acrylic monomer. The demand for VEEA is increasing especially in Europe/US as a reactive diluent for UV inkjet printing.EPOCROS is a highly reactive polymer with oxazoline-functional monomer as its key material. Read More

 

Archroma has unveiled the latest addition to its range of highly biodegradable, non-PFC (perfluorinated compound) based durable water repellent protection, the Smartrepel Hydro series.

  • Smartrepel Hydro AM is the latest addition to Archroma’s distinctive non-PFC based durable water repellent protection range
  • New, advanced universal formulation for cotton and synthetic fabrics, ‘boosted’ durability of the effect and smoother processability in application Read More

BASF SE said that it will increase prices for pigments, dyes and preparations by up to 15 percent worldwide.The price increase will affect all market segments, predominantly the coatings, plastics and printing industries.Price adjustments are necessary due to higher raw material prices e.g. for pre-cursers of pigments and dyes, as well as increased costs for regulatory efforts like registration, environmental, health and safety. Read More

01.30.18
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Global warming: Causes and Effects


Global warming: Causes and Effects

Global warming, also known as climate change, is the phenomenon involving rise in the average earth’s temperature observed over the century. Global warming is responsible for many climatic and atmospheric changes experienced by the earth today. Around the world, there has been increase in average temperatures by 0.75 degree Celsius over the past 100 years.Global Warming Causes: Earth is experiencing continual rise in the average temperatures. The main cause of global warming is the rise of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Read More

 

Solvay SA said that it is celebrating the launch of its online flagship store on Alibaba’s B2B platform 1688.com, in collaboration with the Chinese e-commerce giant. This first e-store represents a key milestone in the multi-speciality chemical group’s e-commerce ambition.China has been selected as a pilot to test marketplaces “due to its strategic importance and because the country is a good fit for e-commerce due to its fragmented market, and highly developed digital and logistics infrastructure. Read More

 

Smallholder farmer in Africa can now save money for much-needed fertilizer and seed without a bank account or access to a loan, through pilot projects in Mali and Senegal by the start-up company myAgro.Mobile phones are widely used in rural areas of Africa and easy to use. The model works in a similar way as a pre-paid card for cellphones. As soon as a farmer has a little money left over, they can buy a myAgro scratch card that has an associated code at the back of the card, which is being sent to their myAgro account through SMS. Read More

 

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc (IFF) has broken ground on a new flavours and fragrances plant located in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh, India. Part of a larger investment into the Greater Asia region, the plant is expected to be commercialized in December 2019.The new facility, which will be the largest flavour and fragrance manufacturing facility in India and the largest IFF site in Greater Asia, occupies a 32-acre/130,000m2 plot and will serve IFF flavours & fragrances customers across India and the region. Read More

01.29.18
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Implications of Calcium Caseinate in the chemical industry


Implications of Calcium Caseinate in the chemical industry

The name Casein is derived from a larger group of proteins commonly known as phosphoproteins. Phosphoproteins are mainly found in mammalian milk. Casein has more nutritional value consisting up of indispensable amino acids, carbohydrates, calcium and phosphorus. Certain people have life-intimidating allergic effects to casein. The main significant character of Caseinates is they are very fair solubility, water absorbability, emulsification and Foaming Capability. Read More

 

A new green index has ranked India the fourth worst country worldwide in curbing environmental pollution.According to the latest global Environmental Performance Index (EPI) rankings released on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) meet in Davos, India is at the 177th spot – down from 141st position two years ago – in the list of 180 countries.The EPI ranks 180 countries on 24 performance indicators across 10 issue categories covering environmental health and ecosystem vitality.Read More

Opportunities digitalization offers: The process of generation, collection, and storage of data has never been easier and happens to be compatible with computational powers peaking at remarkably lower costs. At the same time, the digital mind-set of society has also expanded, inspiring a willingness to engage with digital technology. This has also resulted in customers having high expectations for the quality of user interfaces and the level of service.The combination of these factors has opened up a host of new opportunities for the chemical industry. Read More

 

By Namrata Sharma: Being an important financial hub, South East Asia is home to some of the preeminent emerging countries in the world. The region, by and large, has continued to export raw materials and import manufactured goods. The chemical industry in the region is on a solid footing, with Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand among the lucrative markets. Singapore too has emerged as one of the leading chemical industry hubs with petrochemical and speciality chemical products creating a window of opportunity. Read More
01.24.18
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Everything about Acid Rain you need to learn


Everything about Acid Rain you need to learn

Acid rain is the rain or any other form of precipitation which is generally acidic, means which has exalted levels of hydrogen ions. The corrosive effect of acidic or polluted air was noted in the 17th century on limestone and marble by John Evelyn. Robert Angus Smith was the first in 1852, who showcased the relationship between acid rain and pollution in the atmosphere in Manchester. The etymology acid rain was coined by Robert Angus Smith in 1872. Read More

 

A revolutionary microbial-based paper sensor has been developed by researchers at the University of Bath, creating a cheap, sustainable and recyclable device for detecting toxic compounds in water.Access to safe drinking water is one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals since it is a basic human right and is crucial to combating inequalities and reducing poverty. This right is yet to be achieved in the world’s poorest countries, and one of the reasons for this is the lack of easily deployable and affordable water testing tools. Read More

 

Industrial Head Protection Market size was above $2.3 billion in 2016 and expects volume consumption to surpass 400 million units by 2024, according to a report by Global Market Insights Inc. Rising influence on considering worker’s safety at high priority in mining, oil & gas, and construction industries should drive industrial head protection market size. It plays a vital role in working environment by safeguarding against low hanging objects, electric hazards, falling objects and accidental falls…Read More

 

North Carolina State University researchers have created the largest publicly available chemical database of hair dye substances as a resource for developing a new generation of hair colour products that are safer for consumers, stylists and the environment.The online hair dye substance database contains detailed information about the structure and properties of 313 substances in current and past commercial hair dyes. Read More

01.23.18
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Medical grade TPE for direct contact with medications


By Josef Neuer: A new ophthalmic squeeze dispenser (OSD) from Aptar Pharma, a leader in drug delivery systems, incorporates several functional components manufactured using a newly developed grade in the THERMOLAST® M family of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) for medical applications from KRAIBURG TPE. Both companies are headquartered in Germany and have multiple manufacturing locations around the world.The TPE components come into direct contact with the medical eye drop formulation. Read More

 

Chart this decade’s production figures from the Society of Indian Automotive Manufacturers, and you will need plenty of space on the Y-axis. Total output has climbed from 2.03 million vehicles in 2011, to 2.53 in 2017, a 20 percent increase.Absolute growth is not the only change coming to India’s transportation industry. Last August the government made waves when it announced its goal of an all-electric vehicle future for India by 2030.Will it come to pass? At this point, it is difficult to predict, but it is a safe bet that change will remain constant in the industry. Read More

 

When John Wesley Hyatt patented the first industrial plastic in 1869, his intention was to create an alternative to the elephant tusk ivory used to make piano keys. But this early plastic also sparked a revolution in the way people thought about manufacturing: What if we weren’t limited to the materials nature had to offer?Over a century later, plastics are an abundant part of daily life. But these plastics are often derived from petroleum, contributing to reliance on fossil fuels and driving harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Read More

 

When Lawrence Livermore scientist Tadashi Ogitsu leased a hydrogen fuel-cell car in 2017, he knew that his daily commute would change forever. There are no greenhouse gases that come out of the tailpipe, just a bit of water vapour.The market for hydrogen cars is growing. According to a recent report by the California Energy Commission and the California Air Resources Board, the state is now home to 31 hydrogen fuel stations.The next challenge is making hydrogen fuel cost-effective and sustainable. Read More

01.22.18
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The Science of Ice Cream


The Science of Ice Cream

If you think about an ice cream than it is actually a quite complex and multi-faceted composition. Ice cream need to be solid, still soft, and need to be preferably stay this way while melting slowly.What is ice-cream?Ice cream is a frozen food which is sweet and is typically eaten as a snack or as a dessert. Ice-creams are generally made up of dairy products, such as cream and milk and is then often combined with other ingredients, fruits or flavors.The reasons behind delicate ice cream is conclusively a food chemistry matter. Read More

Asahi Kasei’s fibres & textiles strategic business unit said that it will expand its production capacity for Leona nylon 66 filament in Nobeoka, Miyazaki, Japan.With exceptional strength, heat resistance, durability, and lightweight, Leona nylon 66 filament are widely used in industrial applications, notably airbags and tire cord for the automotive industry, satisfying rigorous quality requirements.Under the Cs for Tomorrow 2018 medium-term management initiative, Asahi Kasei has identified automotive markets as a focus for expansion in the material sector Read More

 

Cargill has announced its intent to grow and diversify its product portfolio at its starches and sweeteners plant in Krefeld (Germany) with products such as vegetable wheat protein, specialized industrial wheat starches and advanced biofuel.Transitioning this site from a corn to wheat processing facility allows Cargill to add these products to its product portfolio and help customers address changing consumer needs in terms of nutrition, packaging and sustainable fuel. Read More
AkzoNobel NV announced that customers using its yacht coatings can now take advantage of a new digital tool which offers a wide selection of colours from its industry-leading Awlgrip product range.Building on the existing International and AkzoNobel colour pallets, the new MIXIT tool includes more than 18,000 colours and is larger than any existing offering on the yacht market. Its newly developed cloud interface also means that users have quick and easy access globally. Read More
01.20.18
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Clariant opens state-of-the-art masterbatch site in Saudi Arabia


Clariant opens state-of-the-art masterbatch site in Saudi Arabia

Clariant International Ltd has officially opened its new state-of-the-art masterbatch production site in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. The site is owned by Clariant Masterbatches Saudi Arabia, a joint venture between Clariant and Rowad, a leading plastic products manufacturer in the Middle East and part of Tasnee, Saudi Arabia’s second-largest industrial company. The new site is located in Yanbu, a city on the Red Sea which is home to many of Saudi Arabia’s leading industries including petrochemicals, hydrocarbon and minerals. Read more

 

Evonik Industries AG and Siemens AG are planning to use electricity from renewable sources and bacteria to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into speciality chemicals. The two companies are working on electrolysis and fermentation processes in a joint research project called Rheticus. The project is due to run for two years. The first test plant is scheduled to go on stream by 2021 at the Evonik facility in Marl, Germany which produces chemicals such as butanol and hexanol, both feedstocks for special plastics and food supplements, for example. The next stage could see a plant with a production capacity of up to 20,000 tonnes a year. Read more

 

Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) and Qingdao Vland Biotech Group Co Ltd have entered into a joint development agreement for the development and commercialization of enzymes for animal feed applications.  In addition to ADM’s research centre in Decatur, Illinois, ADM will open a new US enzyme research and development lab in California that will directly support activities being undertaken in the joint development agreement. Vland will also conduct research and development in its Qingdao research laboratory, which will be upgraded to a new state-of-the-art facility. Read more

 

ExxonMobil Corporation has signed a petroleum agreement with the government of Ghana to acquire exploration and production rights for the Deepwater Cape Three Points block. Exploration activities, including the acquisition of seismic data and analysis, are expected to commence later in 2018. The Deepwater Cape Three Points block, located 57 miles off the coast of Ghana, measures approximately 366,000 acres in water depths ranging from 5,085 feet to 9,350 feet. Read more

01.19.18
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A sustainable solution to our plastic needs


A sustainable solution to our plastic needs

A polythene bag for grocery, a disposable coffee cup, a discarded broken toy- there are so many plastic items that we discard every day which ends up in the landfills, polluting and degrading our planet bit by bit. If only these things were made of bio-based plastics, imagine the difference that we can make to the world.By Debarati Das: Despite rising environmental concerns and an even bigger concern over the amount of plastic waste chocking the ecology posing a serious threat to the biodiversity of the planet, plastics form an integral part of each of our lives. Read More

 

BASF Petronas Chemicals, a Malaysia-based joint venture between BASF SE and Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) has successfully decided the start-up of a new plant for the production of highly reactive polyisobutene(HR-PIB).The new plant will have a total annual capacity of 50,000 metric tonnes, at its integrated site in Gebeng, Kuantan, Malaysia.HR-PIB is an important intermediate product for the manufacturing of high-performance fuel and lubricant additives, including additives for sludge prevention. Read More

 

Sadara Chemical Company (Sadara) has signed an agreement to supply SADIG-ILCO, a new Saudi-German joint venture focused on the manufacture of a wide range of speciality chemicals with ethylene oxide (EO) and propylene oxide (PO).Under the terms of the supply agreement, SADIG-ILCO’s new PlasChem Park facility will offtake EO and PO from Sadara through the EO and PO pipelines that are being established by Sadara.Using these products as feedstock, the company will manufacture a range of speciality chemicals.Read More

 

DIC Corporation has opened a new solid compound technical centre Asia Pacific in Malaysia to develop and improve products suitable for the markets in Southeast Asia and South Asia. And to strengthen its technical service structure in the compound business of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) compounds and resin colourants.The facility is located on the premises of DIC Compounds (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (DCM) and has been in full operation since January 2017. Read More

01.18.18
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Engineering the future of plastics


Engineering the future of plastics

In an interview, Bert Havenith, Strategy & Intelligence Manager, DSM Engineering Plastics with Chemical Today magazine discusses how engineering plastics is making its way into the future of engineering in various industries.By Shivani Mody :Global trends and development in engineering plastics.Some of the prominent trends in the area of engineering plastics include the increased use of high-performance plastics such as PA46 (Nylon 46), PPA (polyphthalamides), PPS (polyphenylene sulphide), LCP (liquid crystal polymers) & PEEK (polyetheretherketone). Read More

 

Lanxess AG has unveiled new leather trends for the spring-summer season 2019. The collection presents tanneries with numerous leather samples that reflect the trends in terms of colour, structure, haptics and overall appearance. Lanxess’s leather business unit provides this service twice a year so that leather designers, producers and suppliers can react early to future trends and realize new creative items. Furthermore, tanneries receive relevant formulations and practical advice on processing. Read More

 

Multi-business entity SRF Ltd has received a green nod for expansion of its speciality chemicals, pesticide and fluorochemicals manufacturing plant at Dahej in Gujarat, which will entail an investment of Rs 4,800 crore, as per the official document.The company wants to increase the production capacity of speciality chemicals, pesticide and fluorochemicals from 1,75,000 tonnes per annum to 5,87,177 tonnes per annum and captive power plant capacity from 25MW to 75 MW at Dahej. Read More

 

Solvay SA and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation have signed a global partner agreement for three years, raising the group’s opportunity to significantly contribute in accelerating the transition towards a circular economy in the chemicals sector.Solvay will join the Foundation’s eight Global Partners Danone, Google, H&M, Intesa Sanpaolo, NIKE, Inc, Philips, Renault and Unilever, as the only global partner for the chemical sector from 2018 to 2020. Read More

 

01.17.18
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Changing chemistries of changing times


Changing chemistries of changing times

In an interview, Nelson Corda, General Manager of Consumer Specialties at Ashland, Asia Pacific excluding China & Global Sales Director – Home Care & Agro, with Chemical Today magazine talks at length about the cellulose & PVP industry and the ways in which it can transform the way India enjoys food. He also talks about the need for emerging countries to embrace new technology and enable businesses to grow. By Debarati Das :Trends in cellulose ethers, vinyl pyrrolidones market… Read More

 

In an interview, Harshad Desai, Chairman, All India Plastic Manufacturers’ Association (AIPMA) Seminar Committee with Chemical Today magazine talks at length how plastics can help shape a better life. He also speaks about the dire need for the industry to innovate and be sustainable enough to survive.Desai is also the Co-chairman of AIPMA Technology Centre, Business Advisor at Bloom Seal Packaging Pvt Ltd and Ex-executive Director at Hitech Plast Ltd.By Shivani Mody: Opportunity for the plastics industry in India… Read More

 

In an interview, Ayumu Tagami, PhD student at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Fibre and Polymer Technology / Wood Chemistry and Pulp Technology, with Chemical Today magazine talks about his work towards increased use of renewable wood-based resources for a sustainable future.Tagami also works at Nippon Paper Industries Co Ltd as a Research Lab Superintendent.The main purpose of our project is to investigate the correlation between average molecular weight and structural features for kraft lignin fractions extracted by four environmentally friendly chemicals – Ethyl acetate, Ethanol, Methanol and Acetone… Read More

In an interview, Todd Gardner, Vice President, Siemens Process Industries & Drives Division, US, with Chemical Today magazine delves into the ways in which digitization is changing the operational formula of the chemical industry.By Shivani Mody:Digitalization for the chemical industry. The chemical industry continues its drive to optimize the plant and asset lifecycle, gaining operational efficiency to outperform competitors.As with many other industries, the chemical sector is in a transformational phase… Read More