Lanxess has announced plans to invest “a lower double-digit million euro sum” in order to expand oxone monopersulfate capacity at its site in Memphis, Tennessee, by 50% by the end of 2022. This comes in response to “continuous strong demand for disinfectants”, the company said.
Petronas Chemicals (PCG) has acquired PCC’s 50% stake in its Malaysian unit, PCC Oxyalkylates Malaysia. CEO Datuk Sazali Hamzah called this “another milestone for PCG in our quest to develop the group’s specialty chemicals business segment”.
PCG and German-based surfactants producer PCC are already planning an oxyalkylates facility at the Kerteh integrated petrochemical complex in Terengganu (pictured above), plus a joint R&D centre. This is due to begin construction in 2021 and enter production in 2023.
Seattle-based Sironix Renewables has announced the raising of $645,000 in seed funding from the University of Minnesota Discovery Capital Investment programme and ‘angel’ investors. Together with a $1.15 million grant from the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office, this will be used to scale production of its Eosix technology.
In silico testing specialist Kreatis has undergone a buy-out by the management team after 12 years as a subsidiary company of the Cehtra group in France. It will continue to be headed by Paul Thomas, president and founder of the firm in 2014.
The UK government has extended the deadline for chemicals companies to register their products with the new ‘UK REACH’ system from up to two years to up to six, depending on tonnage and hazard. The new system will come into force on 1 January, following the Brexit transition period.
Merck KGaA is to spend €59 million to expand HPAPI and ADC manufacturing capabilities and capacity at its facility near Madison, Wisconsin. Completion is expected by mid-2022 and should add approximately 50 full-time jobs from 2021.
The investment will allow large-scale manufacturing of highly potent oncology compounds, the company said. The 6,500 m2 building will be one of the largest dedicated HPAPI facilities specifically designed to handle single-digit nanogram OEL materials.
As intimated in May, DuPont has sold a business making trichlorosilane (TCS), the primary raw material used in producing the ultra-pure polysilicon. This is based at Midland, Michigan, and was part of Dow before their merger. DuPont viewed it as no longer viewed as core. The price is said to be about $725 million.
