ICIS - Search Articles by Date : April 07 2003 - April 13 2003

Product profile: Ethanolamines
Demand has kicked off strongly this year and will be boosted further by the CCA ban in the US. However, global markets still have excess capacity and.... more
(09 April 2003 12:09)

News in brief
Bayer hit by costs Bayer Chemicals intends to raise prices for nitrotoluenes and toluidines worldwide by E150 and E200/tonne this month,.... more
(10 April 2003 17:13)

NPRA Attendance Down on War and Health Fears
Apprehension pervaded this year's International Petrochemical Conference (IPC), sponsored by the National Petro-leum Refiners Association (NPRA), more
(07 April 2003 15:02)

Fish Oil Price Remains Firm on Tight Supply and Strong Demand
The fish oil market is facing strong demand and tight supply, and the upward pricing pressures witnessed over the past two years continue. Despite more
(07 April 2003 15:02)

Akzo Nobel Starts New Fractionation Unit
The newly expanded fractionation unit at Akzo Nobel Oleochemicals' manufacturing facility in Pasir Gudang, Malaysia, will start up this month as more
(07 April 2003 15:02)

OM Group Sells Metal Powders Unit for $65 MM
As part of a restructuring move that is scheduled to generate up to $100 million from the sale of noncore assets, OM Group Inc. (OMG) has sold its more
(07 April 2003 15:02)

Recovery Is in Sight for Global Petrochemicals Market
There is light at the end of a very long tunnel for the petrochemicals industry. Despite a number of hurdles, a rebound for the global more
(07 April 2003 15:02)

PetroChina to Build Three Polypropylene Plants
PetroChina Company Ltd. will build three massive polypropylene plants in China. The company has selected Tecnimont SpA as the engineering more
(07 April 2003 15:02)

Prices Gain Momentum in Feed-Grade Methionine Market
The market for feed-grade methionine is improving as stronger demand and a more balanced market help to firm up product prices. The industry is more
(07 April 2003 15:02)

NSR Program Gets Industry Stamp of Approval
chemical industry officials came out last week in support of a rule proposed by the Environmental Protec-tion Agency (EPA) designed to clarify the more
(07 April 2003 15:02)

Financial Performance: Benchmarking
Business managers have used benchmarking as a means of examining their performance relative to key competitors. In some instances, this competitive more
(07 April 2003 15:02)

Accenture, AspenTech Launch EPM Product
Accenture and Aspen Technology Inc. have launched the Aspen Performance Scorecard, the first product from the companies' strategic alliance that more
(07 April 2003 15:02)

IT In Brief
ChemConnect, GCC Link ChemConnect Inc., an e-marketplace for chemicals and plastics, reports Guaranty Clearing Corp. (GCC), a subsidiary of the more
(07 April 2003 15:02)

Chemical Plants Security Bill Pending
The Bush administration plans to submit legislation to Congress, perhaps as early as this week, that would establish federal security standards for more
(07 April 2003 15:02)

F&F Corner
CST After being stalled at 50c. per gallon since October 1999, crude sulfate turpentine (CST) pricing finally climbed to 65c. per gallon on April more
(07 April 2003 15:02)

Powder Coatings Producers Seek Price Increases in an Uncertain Market
Though several powder coating formulation manufacturers have recently implemented price increases, the hikes may not provide the lift the sagging more
(07 April 2003 15:02)

Specialties Pricing
Bayer chemicals has implemented a global price increase of 10 percent for Vulkanox BKF 2246, a sterically hindered phenolic antioxidant effective more
(07 April 2003 15:02)

Sumitomo and Mitsui Call Off Efforts to Merge
Sumitomo Chemical Company Ltd. and Mitsui Chemicals Inc. have broken off negotiations for a merger that would have made their combined company the more
(07 April 2003 15:02)

Abbott Earnings Off On Humira Launch
After several consecutive quarters of troubled sales and earnings, Abbott Laboratories is finally showing some improvement. First quarter sales more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

ACC Lowers Forecasts as Data Turn Unfavorable
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) has downgraded its projections for the economy after several economic indicators softened in March. "The data more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

Air Products Issues Warning On Volumes and Raw Materials
Air Products and Chemicals Inc. has issued this season's first profit warning in the chemicals sector, blaming lower than expected volumes in North more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

Braskem Plans Outages, Completes Integration
Brazilian petrochemicals giant Braskem has two plant outages planned for the coming weeks. The first 10-day turnaround, which was scheduled to more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

A Time of Change for Custom Manufacturing/Fine Chemicals
Reorganizations, restructuring and modest investments top the agenda of some of the leading custom manufacturers/fine chemical producers. Patricia.... more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

Breaking News Roundup
NaPro to Sell Worldwide Paclitaxel Business NaPro BioTherapeutics Inc. is looking to divest its global generic cremaphor injectable paclitaxel more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

TiO2 Market's Outlook Hinges on Economic Recovery
The titanium dioxide (TiO2) market remains healthy on a global basis, led by strong growth in China, but the US market is murky because of the risk more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

Plastics & Coatings In Brief
DUREZ CORP. is launching a 9c. per pound increase for all grades of phenolic resins, effective April 15, and a 5c. per pound increase for all more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

Industry Hails Court's Ruling on Excessive Punitive Damages
The Supreme Court handed the chemical industry and other US manufacturers a significant victory last week, imposing new limits on punitive damage more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

Cambrex Stock Crashes On Major Profit Warning; Mylan Settlement Adds to Woes
2003 EPS forecast revised to $1.05 to $1.25 versus $2 to $2.15. Joseph Chang reports. more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

Inorganics In Brief
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE Solvay Interox Inc. will increase off-list pricing for all grades of hydrogen peroxide (100 percent basis) by 5c. per pound in more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

Financial In Brief
Resolution Performance Products LLC has completed an offering of $175 million in 9.5 percent senior second secured notes due 2010. Net proceeds more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

New Regulations Could Ease Volatility of Nutraceuticals Market
After explosive growth between 1999 and 2000, the market for nutraceuticals has cooled. The overall health of the industry, which includes more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

Contract Iodine Pricing Improves Somewhat
Contract iodine pricing has begun to experience some improvement this quarter. The development follows an increase in spot market pricing in the more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

Jobs and People
Carey B. Bottom Carey B. Bottom has joined Shionogi Qualicaps Inc. as executive vice president of business development and technical affairs more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

Repifermin Lifts Human Genome Sciences
Human Genome Sciences Inc. (HGS)'s stock jumped 14 percent in early April on positive clinical trial data for Repifermin (keratinocyte growth more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

Soaring Insurance Costs Pressure Chemical Industry
European chemical companies are struggling to cope with soaring insurance premiums triggered not only by worries about terrorists attacks on more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

Europe in Brief
BASF's propane dehydrogenation plant has started trial operation at the company's site at Tarragona, Spain. The  240 million plant has an annual more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

DSM Outage Pressures European Melamine Market
The European melamine market faces the risk of shortages after an explosion at a DSM plant at Geleen, the Netherlands, which killed three more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

ICI's CEO O'Neill Resigns
Shareholder pressure on ICI eased last week after Brendan O'Neill resigned as the company's chief executive only two weeks after it issued a profit more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

Rhodia's Tirouflet Faces Leadership Challenge
Jean-Pierre Tirouflet, Rhodia's chair-man and CEO, is strongly resisting a leadership challenge from minority shareholders who want to break up the more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

Business In Brief
Huntsman Buys APAO License Huntsman Polymers has concluded an agreement for the repurchase of its amorphous polyalphaolefin (APAO) license from more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

Ciba Launches Dyes for Ink-Jet Printing
Ciba Specialty Chemicals is launching a new line of water-soluble dyes for ink-jet printing to extend its activities in the graphics sector of that more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

Tung Oil Price Jumps on Depleted Chinese Supply
The global tung oil market is being caught by surprise as current prices have skyrocketed by roughly 100 percent. Recent reports of smaller Chinese more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

OSHA Ordered to Set New Chromium Limits
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) has been ordered by a federal court of appeals to set a new limit on workplace exposure to more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

Feedstock Costs Putting Squeeze on US Styrene
High feedstock costs, namely benzene, have put a damper on the US styrene market. With benzene prices significantly lower in the rest of the world, more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

Petrochemicals In Brief
BTX The spot market for all products was in a free fall last week. Spot benzene fell to $1.80 per gallon. Toluene spot prices are now in the $1.14 more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

Novartis Enjoys Solid Product Platform and Growing Pipeline
With many pharma companies re-liant on in-licensing to fill the cracks in a leaky pipeline and revitalize an aging portfolio, Novartis AG has used more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

BASF Opens Ludwigshafen Logistics Center
BASF has opened Europe's largest logistics center at its main complex at Ludwigshafen, Germany. The new center will enable the company to deliver more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

Pharmaceuticals In Brief
PROPIONATES Niacet Corp. is increasing the list and off-list pricing of calcium propionate and sodium propionate by 5c. per pound. The increase more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

Reichhold Upgrades Mexican Operations
Reichhold has upgraded and expanded its chemicals production in Atlacomulco, Mexico, and indefinitely idled production at its Vallejo site in more
(11 April 2003 21:16)

Ricerca's Business Model Key to Success
Cleveland, Ohio-based drug development company Ricerca Biosciences has identified several key success criteria, says Detlef Reth-age, executive more
(11 April 2003 21:16)