Business Roundup

DSM plans to build its first North American plant for grades of its Akulon brand nylon 6 that are used to make film for food packaging. The plant is targeted to open in mid-2016, the company says. Its location is still under evaluation.

American Elements, a Los Angeles-based advanced-materials supplier, is expanding its capacity to make ultra-high-purity metals and chemicals for use in applications such as optics, electronics, photovoltaics, and lasers. The additional capacity will be available in August, the firm says.

Westlake Chemical Partners, the ethylene-making limited partnership being spun out of Westlake Chemical, is commencing the initial public offering of its common units, akin to shares. The company is offering 11.3 million units at $19.00 to $21.00 apiece.

Meredian, which calls itself the world’s largest producer of polyhydroxyalkanoates, has merged with DaniMer Scientific, a developer of renewable and biodegradable materials. The two firms, both based in Bainbridge, Ga., had been sister companies with some common ownership.

Marrone Bio Innovations, a California-based biopesticides developer, and the Israeli plant genomics firm ­Evogene will work together to discover novel modes of biological action for insect control. The partners will share revenue from all products developed through their collaboration.

Graphene Frontiers, a spin-off from the University of Pennsylvania, has raised $1.6 million in a second round of seed funding. The firm has developed graphene-based electronic sensors to detect biomarkers such as the Lyme disease antigen.

Solexel, a Milpitas, Calif.-based maker of thin-crystalline-silicon solar modules, has raised $31 million in a round of financing. The roofing company GAF participated. Solexel holds the world-record efficiency for a thin-crystalline-silicon solar cell.

Hikma Pharmaceuticals will acquire Ben Venue Laboratories’ Bedford, Ohio, facility. One of the world’s largest generic injectable drug plants, it closed in late 2013 after a series of manufacturing problems. Hikma, which agreed to buy Ben Venue’s business in June, says it may restart part of the plant.