Dow to build new ethylene production plant in Texas

(dow) -- Dow Chemical Company will construct a new world-scale ethylene production plant at Dow Texas Operations in Freeport, TX, as part of Dow's previously announced comprehensive plan to further connect its U.S. operations with cost-advantaged feedstocks available from increasing supplies of U.S. shale gas.

The new ethylene production facility at Dow Texas Operations will employ up to 2,000 workers at its construction peak. This decision marks another significant milestone in the Company's strategy to further develop the competitive advantage for Dow's Performance Plastics, Performance Materials and Advanced Materials businesses by expanding access to low-cost natural gas-based feedstocks, which are used in the production of Dow products that are essential to over a dozen consumer markets.

"For the first time in over a decade, U.S. natural gas prices are affordable and relatively stable, attracting new industry investments and growth and putting us on the threshold of an American manufacturing resurgence," said Andrew N. Liveris, Dow Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

MRC

(sabic) -- SABIC's latest SABIC Vestolen A RELY bimodal high density polyethylene grades are able to meet the stringent requirements for typical pressure pipes, as well as helping customers with considerable energy savings when producing the pipe.

Two grades of SABIC Vestolen A RELY are currently available, both typically suitable of producing pressure pipe that meets the PE 100 standard. SABIC Vestolen A RELY 5924R delivers good low sag performance for large-diameter pipes and pressure pipes with a low standard dimension ratio (SDR).

SABIC Vestolen A RELY 5922R helps customers meet the stringent slow crack growth requirements for pressure pipe, enshrined in PAS (Publicly Accessible Standard) 1075. Certification to PAS 1075 enables the grade to be used for pipes intended for installation using the most demanding techniques, including new trenchless methods such as guided boring and horizontal directional drilling.

These methods have a reduced impact on the environment, but they are more demanding of pipe properties, since surface damage during the installation process is more likely to occur.

MRC

(reuters) -- Solvay announced today its new high purity semiconductor grade Phosphoric Acid plant in Bernburg, Germany, is supplying this high added value etching acid to manufacturers of electronic devices and components and the semiconductor industries.

This new high purity acid complements Solvay's product portfolio of high purity wet chemicals for the electronics and semiconductor industries such as hydrogen fluoride and peroxides. The plant which uses a novel and very precise crystallization technology has been developed by Solvay and its Dutch technology partner TNO.

"This new Phosphoric Acid plant complements a number of investments and capacity expansions carried out by the Electronic Wet Chemicals Division over the past two years, especially in China and the USA, in other high purity products like Hydrogen Peroxide, Hydrofluoric Acid and Ammonium Fluoride.

With Phosphoric Acid we are adding a new critical material to our product range whilst relying on our analytical, logistics and customer support capabilities to improve our offering to our semiconductor customers", said Steve Dobson, Head of Solvay's Electronic Wet Chemicals Division.

MRC

(plastemart) -- Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) is in talks with 10 potential investors and companies involved in the oil and gas related activities to set up their operations at its refinery and petrochemicals integrated development (Rapid) project.

The RM60bil complex is located in the southeast Johor and the proposed 300,000 bpd crude oil refinery capacity is larger than the combined capacities of Petronas' existing refineries in Malacca, Kertih and Gebeng.

RAPID Executive Project Director, Wan Yusoff said it was vital to attract world-class, oil, gas and petrochemical companies to invest in the project as they would contribute to the country's aspiration to become a high-income nation by 2020.

Several options are available to the investors - by setting up their own operations or through joint-venture with Petronas. Rapid's close proximity with Singapore could create potential collaboration in term of logistics and products disposal. Additionally, being close to the sources of demand, particularly Indonesia, is an added advantage.

MRC

(hydrocarbonprocessing) -- HB Fuller will close six manufacturing facilities and eliminate approximately 130 positions across its North America adhesives business segment as part of its integration of the recently-acquired industrial adhesives business of Forbo Group. The closures will occur by mid-2013, the company says.

HB Fuller will close six manufacturing facilities and eliminate approximately 130 positions across its North America adhesives business segment as part of its integration of the recently-acquired business of Forbo Group.

HB Fuller described the move as an opportunity to eliminate duplication in manufacturing and redundant services and to harmonize raw material procurement.

Fuller said it is continuing its integration assessment work in the Europe, India Middle East and Africa (EIMEA) and Asia Pacific regions and, upon completion of the analysis in the coming months, could announce changes to the organizational structures in those regions.

The facilities scheduled for closure by mid-2013 are: Pointe-Claire, Quebec; Morris, Ill.; Kansas City, Kan.; Eugene, Ore.; Jackson, Tenn.; and Dallas, Texas.

These facility closures will be staggered over the next 15 months and will result in approximately 90 job eliminations.

HB Fuller will consolidate its North America adhesives business segment operations within its remaining US facilities in California, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Texas and Washington, it said.

MRC