Indian chlor-alkali producer Meghmani Finechem is to spend €21.6 million to expand into the chlorotoluene value chain at its site in Dahej, Gujarat. Due to be commissioned by Q4 2024, this will be the first plant in India to be back-integrated into toluene chlorination, and will produce pharmaceutical and agrochemical intermediates.

AGC is to expand the production lines of its AGC Wakasa Chemicals subsidiary at the Kaminaka plant in Japan’s Fukui prefecture. The amount involved was not disclosed but the expansion, due to start operation in Q1 2024, will increase AGC Wakasa Chemicals’ manufacturing capacity by 50%, with more potentially to come.

Arxada, the former Lonza Specialty Ingredients (LSI), has agreed to merge with Troy Corporation in a move that will make a major force in antimicrobials. Private equity funds Bain Capital and Cinven, which bought LSI from Lonza in July, will be the majority owner, with Troy’s owners also investing. No further financial details were disclosed.

J.M. Huber has completed the set-up of a 1.8megawatt (DC), ground-mounted solar array located at the Huber Engineered Materials (HEM) Fire Retardant Additives Marblehead facility in Quincy, Illinois. The facility is now receiving more than 60% of its power from the array during daylight hours.

Merck KGaA’s Life Science business sector has launched ChetoSensar, a technology that improves the solubility of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Over 20% of ADC candidates are terminated in clinical trials because of poor solubility. The company said that this supports it efforts to double its ADC and HPAPI capacity in the near future.

Ecolab has agreed to acquire Purolite, a supplier of ion exchange resins for the separation and purification of solutions based in Pennsylvania, for $3.7 billion in cash. This should close within Q4, subject to regulatory clearance and other closing conditions. It is expected to be revenue-neutral in 2022 and slightly accretive in 2023.

Purolite operates in more than 30 countries and employs about 1,000 people, with expected 2021 sales of around $400 million. It will operate as a separate global business unit and it results will be reported within the Life Sciences division.

In partnership with Aguettant Pharmarmaceutical, Italy’s Olon Group is to expand and renovate its plant in Mulazzano, which is dedicated to the production by enzymatic transformation. It will install reactors, filters and ancillary equipment, as well as automating and digitalising some steps performed there.