PPG announced the official inauguration of its Packaging Coatings Innovation Centre, Europe in Bodelshausen, Germany. According to the company, the site’s newly expanded analytical and research and development (R&D) capabilities will enhance and accelerate packaging coatings product development across a broad range of end markets.

Arxada — the specialty chemicals business formerly known as Lonza Specialty Ingredients — and Troy Corporation, a producer of microbial control solutions and performance additives, announced that they have entered into an agreement to combine the two companies.

Nouryon plans to expand production capacity at its Levasil® colloidal silica manufacturing facility in Green Bay, Wisc., to meet increasing demand from the construction and packaging end-markets. Construction of the facility expansion in Green Bay is planned to be finalized in the second half of 2022.

Italian companies Bercella Srl and RINA announced a partnership to develop of multimaterial, end-to-end solutions for application in markets such as the space, defense, aeronautics, marine, and energy sectors.

Allnex announced the construction of a new R&D center in Werndorf, Austria, as part of allnex’s strategic plan to lead in the development of sustainable, environmentally friendly resins and respond to the challenges of evolving trends.

Siegwerk, a provider of printing inks and coatings for packaging applications and labels, recently announced a joint venture with Rotopack, a supplier in the printing and packaging industry in Pakistan. The jointly founded new company Siegwerk Pakistan Ltd. will start its business in Q2 of 2022.

North American distributor Barentz has renamed its Specialty Intermediates vertical Synthesis Solutions.

Elkem announced an investment plan that it says will unlock new specialty silicones supply for customers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and the Americas. The company will invest approximately €36 million to upgrade and debottleneck its silicone upstream plant in Roussillon, France.

BASF and Entegris have signed an agreement on the sale of the Precision Microchemicals business to Entegris for USD $90 million. The transaction includes technologies, intellectual property and trademarks and is expected to be completed by the end of 2021.

Evonik Wynca Silicon Material Co., Ltd.— the joint venture between Evonik and the Chinese company Wynca—has begun operations at its new fumed silica plant. Located in the Zhenjiang New Material Industry Park in Jiangsu province, the plant is Evonik's first fumed silica production site in China. It will produce fumed silica marketed under the brand name AEROSIL®.