Business Roundup

Cornerstone Chemical has started engineering a 130,000-metric-ton-per-year acrylonitrile production train to be built in the U.S. The firm, one of three U.S. acrylonitrile makers, expects to make a final decision on the project late next year.

Ineos is spending $230 million on its ethylene oxide business at plants in Antwerp, Belgium; Cologne, Germany; and Lavéra, France. Antwerp will get three-quarters of the funding. The company will expand plants, add storage capacity, and increase production of ethylene oxide derivatives.

Evonik Industries will expand capacity for hydrophobic fumed silica at its plant in Rheinfelden, Germany, by 20%. The products are used as rheology modifiers and as antisettling agents for coatings, adhesives, and sealants.

Asahi Glass is considering boosting the size of its manufacturing facilities in Thailand. Chlor-alkali, vinyl chloride, and polyvinyl chloride capacity would all increase, the latter by almost three times to 860,000 metric tons per year.

P2 Science, one of C&EN’s 10 Start-Ups to Watch last year, has opened a manufacturing plant in Naugatuck, Conn. It will focus on renewable ingredients for flavors, fragrances, and cosmetics.

CatSci, a contract research firm headquartered in Cardiff, Wales, is investing close to $3 million to expand its process R&D facilities. The project will facilitate the development and scale-up of processes for potent active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Avista Pharma Solutions, a contract services firm, plans to upgrade its analytical chemistry facility in Agawam, Mass. The upgrade will include a new lab for compendial and raw material testing.

BioPhero, a Danish maker of pheromones to control agricultural pests, has raised $3.5 million in funding. Investors include the seed investment arm of the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the venture capital arm of agrochemicals firm Syngenta.