Fatal Ammonia Release

Divestiture

Air Products has completed the sale of the assets of its polyurethane pre-polymers business, marketed under the Airthane and Versathane trade names, to COIM USA Inc. Included in the sale was Air Products’ manufacturing facility in Paulsboro, New Jersey. Terms of the agreement are not being disclosed.

Job Cuts

Clariant AG is cutting about 570 jobs and closing factories in France, Britain and Mexico. The job cuts will help Clariant further optimize its global production network in order to address overcapacities and reduce costs. Production sites in Huningue, France; Pontypridd, Britain; and Cuernavaca, Mexico have been marked for closure. Parts of two plants in Germany will also be shut and the company is evaluating the future of its site in Onsan, South Korea.

Air Spearation Plant

Praxair China has successfully started up its large air separation plant for Jiangsu SOPO Co., Ltd. in Zhenjiang, China. Praxair is supplying gases to the customer. The plant supplies industrial gas for the 600,000 tons/year acetic acid plant of SOPO.

Production Boost

LG Chem, Ltd. has selected UOP LLC distillation and mass transfer equipment to increase ethylene production at its petrochemical plant in Yeosu, South Korea. LG will also use UOP’s SimulFlow technology to increase throughput of feedstock, allowing the company to increase its current ethylene production once the unit comes on line in 2010.

Research and Tech Support Center

Nalco has opened a new research and development facility in Campinas, Brazil. The $2 million facility will serve water, process and energy customers throughout the Latin America region. The location was selected due to its proximity to many research centers and universities and the research facilities of several of Nalco’s customers. The facility will support customers in the paper industry, sugar, food and grains, and energy production, working with the company’s research centers in Sugar Land, Texas and Naperville, Illinois.

Refinery and Petrochemical Complex Order

Alfa Laval has received an order for Alfa Laval Packinox heat exchangers for an integrated refinery and petrochemical complex in China. The order value is approximately 90 MSEK and delivery is scheduled for 2010. The units will be used in the production of mixed Xylene at a new aromatics plant at the complex.

Capacity Reduction