ICIS - Search Articles by Date : May 02 2005 - May 08 2005

The colour of money
The trend for subdued colours is frustrating to car paint manufacturers such as Clariant. For them the brighter the colour, the bigger the profit.... more
(03 May 2005 16:53)

Catch a rising star
Eastern Europe is glittering with opportunity in the industrial coatings sector. Terry Knowles looks at some of the star players – Ukraine, Turkey.... more
(03 May 2005 16:50)

Bayer is threatening to move R&D elsewhere
Bayer, which spends around 60 percent of its R&D budget in Germany, warns that research-based companies such as itself will be forced to move.... more
(06 May 2005 18:17)

Europe in brief
Degussa’s operating profit or earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) declined 7 percent to ¤204 million ($263 million) in the first quarter on a 3.... more
(06 May 2005 18:17)

Crude penicillin pricing stabilizes
DSM, the global leader in antibiotic intermediates, says the sharp drop in global prices for crude penicillin has leveled off. more
(06 May 2005 18:17)

Reach project encounters new hurdles
Stakeholder meeting this week and two recent studies open debate on cost implications more
(06 May 2005 18:17)

News watch in brief
Dow to build more
(06 May 2005 18:17)

News watch in brief
Eliokem to expand more
(06 May 2005 18:17)

Novozymes achieves biomass target
Novozymes and the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have achieved the final target of their biomass-to-ethanol.... more
(06 May 2005 18:17)

OMV builds new melamine plant
OMV is repositioning its chemicals subsidiary Agrolinz Melamine International GmbH (AMI) and will build a new melamine plant in Abu Dhabi, United.... more
(06 May 2005 18:17)

The quest for exotic cosmetic oils
Demand for new and exotic oils is rapidly increasing as cosmetic and personal care formulators remain on the lookout for unusual, natural but.... more
(06 May 2005 18:17)

Jobs and People
Personnel changes in the industry more
(06 May 2005 18:17)

Tyco seeks cooperation on price hikes
With a record run-up in resin and olefins pricing, producers need to understand that the degree of time it takes their downstream customers to push.... more
(06 May 2005 18:17)

Petrochemicals in brief
BTX more
(06 May 2005 18:17)

Corixa a booster for GSK’s vaccines unit
GlaxoSmithKline gave its growing vaccines franchise a shot in the arm late last month by agreeing to acquire its long-term immunotherapeutics.... more
(06 May 2005 18:17)

New PPG CEO advises industry
As the US chemical industry endures a dip on what it thought were peak conditions, new PPG Industries president and CEO Charles Bunch advised the.... more
(06 May 2005 18:17)

Price movements
Price changes by company more
(06 May 2005 18:17)

Chemical profile: Tetrapotassium pyrophosphate
US PRODUCERCAPACITY*Astaris, Carteret, N.J.15 Prayon, Augusta, Ga.20PCS Purified Phosphates, Cincinnati, OH22Total57 more
(06 May 2005 18:17)

Terra mothballs plant
Terra Industries Inc. is indefinitely mothballing its 500,000 ton-per-year ammonia plant in Donaldsonville, La., and will use the facility as a.... more
(06 May 2005 18:17)

Audax bags CFC for $109 MM
Specialty coatings and films manufacturer CFC International Inc. has signed a letter of intent to be acquired by private equity firm Audax Group for.... more
(06 May 2005 18:17)

Yangzi fights to stay lean
Yangzi Petrochemical is facing an uphill task shedding its non-core assets and keeping a lean workforce more
(03 May 2005 13:25)

Maoming plans PX plant
Maoming Petrochemical plans to build a 600 000 tonne/year paraxylene (PX) facility in Maoming, Guangdong, China more
(03 May 2005 13:24)

Sinopec nod for Guangzhou C2
Sinopec has approved Guangzhou Petrochemical’s 800 000 tonne/year cracker project more
(03 May 2005 13:23)

Adipic hikes face resistance
THE recent disarray in benzene markets has thwarted adipic acid producers’ efforts to raise their Asian contract prices by a further US$100/tonne in.... more
(03 May 2005 13:23)

Ciba pushes R&D innovation
LIKE most speciality-chemical companies, Ciba Specialty Chemicals sees innovation as the key to its business more
(06 May 2005 09:15)

New Projects Summary
Reported in ACN 2-8 May 2005 more
(06 May 2005 09:15)

Tianqiao delays PVC start-up to 2006
SHAANXI Tianqiao Chemical has delayed the start-up of its acetylene-based polyvinyl chloride (PVC) project in Yulin Economic Development Zone in.... more
(06 May 2005 09:15)

Jiaozuo gets green light for PVC
JIAOZUO Chemical Power Group has obtained approval from the Chinese government for its polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and chlor-alkali project in Jiaozuo,.... more
(06 May 2005 09:15)

Government approves land reclamation
CHINA’s central government has approved Tianjin Lingang Industrial Area Construction Development Co Ltd’s reclamation project in Tanggu district,.... more
(06 May 2005 09:15)

CSPC gets tough over safety in Daya Bay
CNOOC Shell Petrochemicals (CSPC) has stepped up safety measures at its project site (pictured above) in Daya Bay, Huizhou, Guangdong province, China more
(06 May 2005 09:15)

PS, ABS demand set to recover
ASIAN producers were last week optimistic that Chinese demand for polystyrene (PS) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) would recover in the.... more
(06 May 2005 09:15)

Polymer trends: China buyers retreat
A week-long Chinese holiday causes muted trade in several sectors. Yet, despite falling prices, PE margins remain strong owing to low C2 costs more
(06 May 2005 09:15)

Oman aromatics project draws foreign interest
OMAN Oil Co is in talks with a few foreign investors on forming a joint venture for an aromatics project in Sohar, Oman. Interested companies include.... more
(06 May 2005 09:15)

Quangang PP projects delayed indefinitely
TWO polypropylene (PP) projects in Quangang Petrochemical Park, Quanzhou, Fujian, China, have been delayed indefinitely more
(06 May 2005 09:15)

Why Seoul kept oil tariffs
THE South Korean government was trying to kill two birds with one stone when it decided to extend the import tariffs on crude oil and oil products in.... more
(06 May 2005 09:15)

Hanwha, LG pick of Korean petchem firms
THE upturn in South Korea’s petrochemicals sector is expected to continue in the current quarter, more
(06 May 2005 09:15)

Sinochem sets up PVC joint venture
SINOCHEM International has formed a joint venture for an acetylene-based polyvinyl chloride (PVC) project in Huhhot, Inner Mongolia, China. more
(06 May 2005 09:15)

Market trends: Benzene plunges
Benzene plummets because of poor performance in the US aromatics sector. Other prices lose ground owing to weak demand and ample supply more
(06 May 2005 09:15)

Market trends: Butadiene holds up
Bullish butadiene offers a stark contrast to other olefins. The C2 market grinds to a virtual stop owing to public holidays. C3, naphtha and methanol.... more
(06 May 2005 09:15)

Will butadiene prices remain stable in Q3?
ASIAN butadiene markets would see relative stability in Q2 2005, going by current indications, producers and traders agreed. But the question that.... more
(06 May 2005 09:15)

Global Roundup
The US indicated its concern over the possible sale of Basell to Iran’s NPC, and a Canadian gas-pipeline project was halted in the week 29 April–5.... more
(06 May 2005 09:15)

Shell and BASF sell Basell jv
SHELL and BASF are selling their Basell polyolefins joint venture for Euro4.4bn to financial buyers Access Industries and The Chatterjee Group, both.... more
(06 May 2005 09:15)

Yuzhnyy prices will soar as demand outstrips supply
Urea export prices at Yuzhnyy have reached record levels, with traders reportedly taking positions in the low $250s/tonne fob in mid-April. more
(03 May 2005 16:54)

No quick fix
A study carried out by paint and coatings consultancy IRL asked coatings manufacturers what they are looking for from their raw materials suppliers.... more
(03 May 2005 16:48)

Huntsman planning to boost production
Huntsman is planning to expand its maleic anhydride capacity by over 40% by the first quarter of 2008. The expansion will increase Huntsman’s US.... more
(03 May 2005 13:21)

Sasol to expand its capacity
Sasol Olefins & Surfactants plans to invest up to €70m to expand its Ziegler Alcohols capacity in Brunsbüttel, Germany through a series of.... more
(03 May 2005 13:20)

Ineos buys plant from BASF
Jim Radcliffe’s privately held Ineos Group gained a first toe-hold in polystyrene with its purchase last week of BASF’s polystyrene plant at Joliet,.... more
(03 May 2005 13:19)

MMA holds on to margins despite a cooler market
Methyl methacrylate (MMA) producers have managed to more or less hold on to margins in the second quarter (Q2) this year. more
(03 May 2005 13:20)

Chemical giants confirm a fall in volumes but sales up
A slowdown in chemical sales volume growth is beginning to grip the US’ biggest chemical manufacturers with Dow Chemical and DuPont reporting growth.... more
(03 May 2005 13:18)

Emissions testing
On-site gas analysis using speciality gases is becoming more prevalent, as a range of industries seek a new approach to controlling industry.... more
(06 May 2005 12:01)