Lund-based Nexam Chemical agreed to buy all shares of privately owned masterbatch and additives maker Plasticolor Sweden AB in Lomma for SEK 116 million. The deal gives Nexam production capacity and new market segments.

South Korean Hyosung Group is awaiting Vietnamese prime minister approval to start construction of a $1.2 billion polypropylene manufacturing complex at Cai Mep Industrial Zone in Ba Ria-Vung Tau. The first stage includes an LPG storage tank and a PP plant with 600,000 tonnes per year capacity.

The Dow Chemical Company and Karlville Development Group signed a collaboration agreement to promote the acceptance and adoption of Dow's flexible packaging technology.

Novamont forecasts doubling production capacity of its ORIGO-BI biopolyester range from 50,000 to 100,000 tonnes per year by April 2018.

Suez and LyondellBasell signed an agreement establishing a joint venture to produce high-quality circular polymers from recycled plastic.

LiquidPower Specialty Products (LSPI), a Berkshire Hathaway company, commissioned a new drag reducing agent manufacturing plant within its complex in Bryan, Texas, doubling its capacity. The announcement was made on November 20, 2017.

Sunshield Chemicals entered a supply agreement with Elantas GmbH Germany to supply THEIC product through 31 December 2020, worth about Rs 28 crore over 12 months.

Siegwerk signed a contract to buy Tupahue Tintas, a Brazilian maker of flexographic and rotogravure inks and varnishes based in Diadema, Sao Paulo. The deal expands Siegwerk's presence in Latin America.

KACE Valve was awarded a contract by Linde AG to supply automated severe service metal seated ball valves for Braskem America's polypropylene plant under construction in La Porte, Texas.

Dow dedicated $2 billion of chemical manufacturing investments at its Plaquemine site in Louisiana, including two new polyolefin plants, added ethylene capacity, warehousing and a restarted ethylene unit. The projects were first announced in August 2013.

Samson's Surgut unit will supply large-diameter pipeline valves for the ZapSibNeftekhim petrochemical complex being built by SIBUR in Tobolsk, Russia. Total contracts with Russian suppliers for the project exceed 220 billion rubles.

UK public purchasing body ESPO awarded West Design Products Limited a framework contract worth GBP 12,000,000 for the supply of glues, adhesives and adhesive tapes to its general warehouse and customers. The award was published on 21 October 2017.

Siegwerk Druckfarben has signed a contract to purchase Van Son Liquids B.V. of Hilversum, Netherlands, a family-owned maker of water-based flexo and gravure printing inks; the company will be renamed Siegwerk Hilversum B.V.

Bayer sold a further 6.9 percent of Covestro shares for EUR 1 billion, reducing its direct stake to 24.6 percent and ending control via a control termination agreement effective September 30, 2017.

RLX Fluidos Refrigerantes inaugurated a refrigerant fluid factory in the Manaus Free Trade Zone, Brazil, with an investment of about R$3.6 million and initial capacity of 22 million kg a year.

Nemuno Banga started operating a new cigarette filter production plant in South Africa in September 2017, initially making mono acetate and flavored filters, with capsule filters planned for early 2018.

Hudson Technologies agreed to acquire Airgas-Refrigerants for $220 million, financed with cash and borrowings under an enhanced asset-based lending facility, with no new equity issued.

Solvay is doubling its kitting capabilities for process materials at its Toulouse, France site to meet rising demand for large composite parts. The expansion will create 60 new jobs over the next few years.

Henkel completed its acquisition of the Germany-based Sonderhoff Group, which makes foamed-in-place gasketing solutions and customised dosing equipment. The price was undisclosed.

Henkel completed its acquisition of the global Darex Packaging Technologies business, based in Massachusetts, for $1.05bn on a cash and debt-free basis. Darex makes sealants, coatings and cans for the metal packaging industry.

Huntsman Corp. and Clariant agreed an all-stock merger to create HuntsmanClariant, a specialty chemicals company with combined value of $20 billion and expected sales near $13.2 billion. Clariant shareholders will hold 52 percent of the combined group.

Praxair, Inc. and The Linde Group signed a definitive agreement for a merger of equals worth $70 billion, combining two major global industrial gases companies.

Neste Jacobs has signed an EPCM services contract for an upgrade and expansion of Haltermann Carless's production site in Speyer, Germany, including a NExSAT hydrogenation unit targeted for production by end-2018. The value was not disclosed.

Yokogawa Electric Korea received an order to supply 15 analyser houses and 75 GC8000 gas chromatographs for the Liwa Plastics Industries Complex in Sohar, Oman, being built for Orpic; the complex is scheduled to start operation in 1Q20.

Phenomenex opened a new 15,000-square-foot facility in El Dorado Hills, California, for manufacturing and developing its Zebron gas chromatography columns, replacing Sutter Creek production and doubling capacity.

Rayonier Advanced Materials agreed to acquire Tembec in a deal with a purchase price of about US$807 million including US$487 million of net debt assumed, with Tembec shareholders receiving C$4.05 cash or shares.

South Korean specialty chemicals maker SONGWON Industrial Group announced it is investing in new production capacity for antioxidants used in fuels and lubricants, alongside R&D.

Honeywell started commercial operations at its $300 million automotive refrigerant production facility in Geismar, Louisiana.

LyondellBasell broke ground on its first commercial Hyperzone polyethylene plant at its La Porte, Texas complex. The plant will produce 500,000 metric tons of HDPE annually and is planned to start up in 2019.

EcoSynthetix secured a commercial contract with Stora Enso to supply its EcoSphere biolatex binder for packaging board formulations at one of Stora Enso's major European mills.

Merck KGaA and Swiss UV coatings firm Schmid Rhyner are partnering to bring Merck's three-dimensional-effect pearlescent pigment technology to the package printing market.

GCP Applied Technologies countersigned a Stock and Asset Purchase Agreement with Henkel on April 27, 2017, for Henkel to acquire its Darex Packaging Technologies business for approximately $1.05 billion. Completion is expected in mid-2017, subject to regulatory approvals.

PPG completed a $3m expansion of its packaging coatings manufacturing at its Oak Creek, Wisconsin plant, adding a 3,300 sq ft facility to produce food can coatings.

PPG opened a nearly $3 million expansion at its Oak Creek, Wisconsin, plant, adding a 3,300-square-foot facility for food-can coatings production.

Wood Group has been awarded a three-year contract worth $8 million to provide process automation engineering services as main automation contractor to TPC Group's Texas and Louisiana facilities.

Sealed Air is selling its Diversey Care division and the food hygiene and cleaning business within its Food Care division to Bain Capital for $3.2 billion. The report is dated 29 March 2017.

SOCAR GPC selected Univation's UNIPOL PE technology and XCAT metallocene technology for a world-scale 600,000 tpy polyethylene plant to be built in Garadagh, Azerbaijan, with Linde Engineering completing the basic engineering design package.

Henkel made a binding offer to acquire GCP Applied Technologies' Darex Packaging Technologies business for about $1.05 billion, subject to works council consultation and valid until July 3, 2017.

Henkel opened exclusive negotiations with GCP Applied Technologies to acquire Darex Packaging Technologies, a Cambridge, Massachusetts maker of sealants and coatings for metal packaging, for USD 1.05 billion in cash. Darex has about 700 employees at 20 sites.

The Indian government plans to sell its entire 56.43 percent holding in Hindustan Fluorocarbons, held through Hindustan Organic Chemicals, via strategic sale. The company makes PTFE and fluoromethane.

Scientific Design Company was selected by Indian Oil Corporation to supply its MEG technology for a complex in Paradip, Odisha, India, with a capacity of 180 KTA of ethylene. The award includes process licensing, design package, proprietary equipment and catalyst.

Egyptian Chemical Industries (KIMA) said it paid EGP 1.3bn to Tecnomont by end-2016 for its Aswan fertiliser expansion, including two ammonia units of 1,200 tonnes per day. Works began in January 2017 and are due to finish by November 2018.

Japanese RFID company SATO Holdings acquired the remaining 66.7% stake in UK-based inline digital printing company DataLase, which makes laser coding and marking materials for packaging.

Borealis selected Honeywell UOP's C3 Oleflex process technology for a proposed plant in Kallo, Belgium, targeting 740,000 metric tons per year of polymer-grade propylene, with final investment decision expected in Q3 2018.

Qatar's Muntajat signed its first international agency marketing agreement with Total at K Trade Fair 2016 in Dusseldorf. From January 2017, Muntajat will market Total's metallocene polyethylene and polystyrene grades in the Middle East and Egypt.

Inx International has announced its forthcoming purchase of Creative Industria e Comercio, a Sao Paulo-based maker of flexographic and gravure packaging inks. The deal will expand Inx's packaging ink portfolio in South America.

Clariant plans to expand production of its Continu-Strip desiccant packets by adding a high-capacity multi-lane production line. The expansion was described in November 2016.

Clariant plans to begin desiccant canister production at its new greenfield plant in Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, by the second half of 2017. The plant will serve the Indian pharmaceutical industry.

Novozymes will invest about DKK 300 million (Rs 300 crore) in a new enzyme production and supply chain facility at Patalganga industrial area near Mumbai. The plant is expected to be operational in 2018 and employ 150 people in the first phase.

Corbion and Total announced a 50/50 joint venture to produce and market PLA polymers, based in the Netherlands. Operations are expected to start in Q1 2017, subject to regulatory approvals.