PLANTS AND PROJECTS

Dow's PMDI Facility Now Up and Running

Dow's (Midland, MI; www.dow.com) polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (PMDI) facility at Freeport, TX, recently completed its start-up phase and is now fully operational. Production at the 500-million-lb facility will replace PMDI production at the Dow LaPorte, TX, plant, which will be permanently shut down effective immediately. This action represents the final step in the planned closure of the LaPorte facility announced by Dow last year.

Wacker Increases Production of Dispersible Polymer Powders

Wacker (Munich, Germany; www.wacker.com) is constructing a new plant to expand its production capacity for dispersible polymer powders by another 30,000 metric ton (m.t.)/yr. Designed to offer world-class technology and capacity levels, the new plant is scheduled to start operations in 2007. The capacity expansion will enable the firm to meet increasing global demand for high-quality polymeric binders for the construction sector.

Albany Molecular Research Breaks Ground in Hyderabad, India

Albany Molecular Research, Inc. (Albany, NY; www.albmolecular.com) started construction of a 50,000 ft^sup 2^ research and development center at the Shapoorji Pallonji Biotech Park in Hyderabad, India (photo). When completed in late 2007, the new center will host contract projects in early-stage drug-discovery research, including custorn chemical synthesis and medicinal chemistry. In addition, the facility will house a laboratory that will be used to develop methods for producing larger quantities of active pharmaceutical ingredients and intermediates.

Mallinckrodt Baker Expands Aqueous-Residue-Remover Capacity

Mallinckrodt Baker, Inc. (Phillipsburg, NJ; www.mallbaker.com), is increasing capacity at its Paris, KY plant for production of its microelectronic materials products. The capacity expansion will allow the firm to meet the increasing market demand for its Baker Rezi and CLk lines of aqueous residue removers for the integrated circuit industry.

Shaw to Provide Services for Petrochemical Complex in China

Shaw Stone & Webster, a unit of the Shaw Group Inc. (Baton Rouge, LA; www.shawgrp.com), has been awarded two contracts to provide technology, engineering and procurement services to PetroChina for its Dushanzi Petrochemical Co.'s new complex in the Xinjiang Province, China. The first contract provides that a 320,000-m.t./yr ethylbenzene/styrene monomer plant will be built based on technology licensed from Shaw Stone & Webster. Under the second contract, a 130,000 m.t/yr polystyrene plant will be built based on proprietary technology provided by Shaw Stone & Webster through its license from General Electric Advanced Materials (Wilton, CT; www.geadvancedmaterials.com) and its alliance with Process Development Services. When completed, the polystyrene plant will produce 40,000 m.t./yr of high-impact polystyrene and 90,000 m.t./yr of general purpose polystyrene.

AstraZeneca Invests $100 Million in China

AstraZeneca (London, U.K.; www.astrazeneca.com) plans to invest $100 million in R&D in China to establish an Innovation Center that will be operational by 2009. The facility will focus on translational science by developing knowledge about Chinese patients, biomarkers and genetics with an initial therapeutic target on cancer. AstraZeneca will also expand its clinical research capabilities and is looking to increase the number of scientific collaborations with local Chinese organizations. The company recently signed a $14 million deal with Wuxi Pharmatech for compound collection synthesis and has an existing collaboration with Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ. on the genetics of schizophrenia.