Business Roundup

Yara will purchase a 60% stake in the Brazilian phosphate fertilizer firm Galvani Indústria from Brazilian entrepreneur Rodolfo Galvani Jr. for $318 million. Galvani Indústria had sales last year of $352 million. Yara says the purchase will build on its recent buy of Bunge’s Brazilian fertilizer ­business.

Arkema has signed a 10-year-plus contract to purchase propylene from Enterprise Products Partners for its acrylics business. Enterprise expects to complete construction of a propane dehydrogenation plant in Mont Belvieu, Texas, by 2016.

Nippon Shokubai is canceling a $56 million superabsorbent polymer (SAP) expansion in Zhangjiagang, China. The firm delayed the expansion in late 2012 after a deadly explosion at its Japanese SAP plant. Now it says the expansion is no longer feasible because of changes in the Chinese market for the disposable-diaper material.

Ashland will expand capacity for its Natrosol brand hydroxyethyl cellulose in Nanjing, China, by 4,000 metric tons per year, or about 40%, over the next 18 months. The cellulosic polymer is used in applications such as paints, paper coatings, and personal care.

Showa Denko is buying Air Products & Chemicals’ high-purity chlorine plant in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The deal for the specialty gas, used as an etchant to make semiconductors and liquid-crystal displays, is expected to close this month. Showa Denko already makes high-purity chlorine in Kawasaki, Japan.

Catylix and Aspira Scientific, both of California, have formed a joint venture to develop fluorination technologies for the life sciences field. The venture will include a Catylix reagent, trade named Trifluoromethylator, for the synthesis of CF₃-containing ­compounds.

Genomatica plans to develop technology to produce nylon intermediates from sugar with its proprietary engineered microbes. The firm, which already has a program to develop biobased butadiene, will turn its attention to processes for hexamethylenediamine, caprolactam, and adipic acid.

HallStar has acquired the Florasolvs line of natural esters from FloraTech, a provider of botanically derived ingredients. Chicago-based HallStar says the purchase complements its 2011 acquisitions of B&T and BioChemica, two makers of natural personal care ingredients.