Nouryon JV Opens Plant And Other Chemical Industry News

Anaven, a joint venture between specialty chemicals firm Nouryon and agricultural chemicals maker Atul, recently commenced production of monochloroacetic acid (MCA) at their newly opened facility in Gujrat, India, a release announced this week. Featuring a short capacity of 32,000 tn/yr, the brand new asset is the major MCA production site in the united states.

“Through this partnership with Atul, we can leverage Nouryon’s global leadership in MCA so that you can meet the fast-growing demand from customers across multiple markets in India, while also continuing to operate a vehicle innovation and sustainability in the region,” Rob Vancko, vice president of construction at Nouryon and chairman of Anaven, said in a statement.

MCA is utilized as a raw material in a variety of end products, including adhesives, pharmaceuticals, and crop protection chemicals.

Below are a few other developments in the chemical industry that captured headlines during the last week:

Large Fire at St. Louis-Area Chemical Plant Forces Evacuations
St. Louis-area emergency personnel were dispatched to the Manor Chemical Company Inc. plant in Affton, MO Thursday afternoon after a fire and many explosions were reported at the facility, according to local news organizations. Area residents told Fox 2 News that they heard several explosions at the facility. CBS affiliate KMOV said the blaze started at about 2:30 p.m.

Sika Moves to Purchase Adhesives Business Hamatite
Swiss specialty chemicals firm Sika has signed an agreement to obtain the Hamatite adhesives business from The Yokohama Rubber Co. The purchase of the unit will bolster Sika’s position in japan construction and automotive markets. The business’ portfolio includes polyurethanes, hot melts, and modified silicones. It currently operates five production facilities in Japan, Thailand, China, and the US.

BASF Continues Buildout of Innovation Campus
German chemicals and materials manufacturer BASF announced Tuesday that it has broken ground on the 3rd phase of its Innovation Campus Shanghai. Through the project, the Germany-based company will put in a research and development building and a structure that will house an R&D workshop. The business said the project increase its innovation capacities for advanced materials and chemical engineering in China and the Asia Pacific region.

Crews Battle Fire at T&R Chemicals Plant
A fire broke out Monday afternoon at the T&R Chemicals production plant in El Paso, TX, drawing a reply from several fire departments in the area, local news organizations reported. Crews from three fire departments worked to bring the fire in order, news broadcaster KTSM said. Officials are investigating the reason for the fire. No injuries were reported during the incident. T&R Chemicals is a producer of pine oil, dipentene and other derivatives, pine oil soap formulations, and other products, according to information on its website. The company was previously referred to as Turpentine and Rosin Factors Inc.