ICIS - Search Articles by Date : May 12 2008 - May 18 2008

History of the synthetic rubber industry
Tracing the resiliency of the synthetic rubber industry from its creation to current challenges offers valuable lessons for today's expanding.... more
(12 May 2008 00:00)

Scale drove adoption of chemical engineering
Chemical engineering was once a heresy, but it proved its value in the rise of the US chemical industry Clay Boswell/New York IN ITS early.... more
(12 May 2008 00:00)

Herbert Dow, founder of Dow Chemical, took on competitors and the German bromine cartel
Legendary Herbert Dow  failed several times before finding the formula for success. Breaking the German bromine cartel was the icing on the.... more
(12 May 2008 00:00)

Polyethylene: discovered by accident 75 years ago
Polyethylene (PE) was invented by accident 75 years ago. One reporter traces the world's most ubiquitous plastic and the role her great uncle.... more
(12 May 2008 00:00)

Commentary: When petroleum was not worth a dollar
When petroleum was not worth a dollar The history of chemicals - in 52 pages? One of our greatest challenges was choosing which topics to cover.... more
(12 May 2008 00:00)

Readers' Letters from 1883
Readers of the US-based Oil, Paint and Drug Reporter, a predecessor of ICIS Chemical Business, had plenty to say back in 1883. Included are a rant.... more
(12 May 2008 00:00)

From our own correspondent: Memorable chemical site visits
memorable chemical site visits Visiting chemical companies is usually a lot of fun because it allows me to meet the people I talk to via email.... more
(12 May 2008 00:00)

Chemical industry appointments
John Stekla has been named as director, ethylene studies in the Houston olefins group for US consultancy CMAI. He will have responsibility for.... more
(12 May 2008 00:00)

Chemical profile: Caprolactam
Uses Caprolactam (capro) is mainly used to produce nylon 6 fibers and engineering plastics. Around 68% of global demand is in nylon fiber and.... more
(12 May 2008 00:00)

New Projects, April 30-May 6
NEW PROJECTS REPORTED BY ICIS NEWS, April 30-may 6, 2008 Notes: *Capacity: figures given in tonnes/year tonnes/day are converted... more
(12 May 2008 00:00)

Endpoint: Defanged chemistry sets hurt the US
Chemistry sets were immensely popular from the 1930s well into the 1970s: once there was one in every US home with a child. But what about now? .... more
(12 May 2008 00:00)

News bites: 125 and 25 years ago
125 YEARS AGO ICIS Chemical Business traces its roots back to 1871, when one of the original ­publications was called Oil, Paint and... more
(12 May 2008 00:00)

This week's world news
Millennium TiO2 plant in Le Havre shuttered Millennium Inorganic Chemicals has shuttered its Le Havre titanium dioxide (TiO2) plant in France..... more
(12 May 2008 00:00)

Chemical market trends and data: Commodities skyrocket
Asian benzene values climb to highest levels since 2004, while a Taiwanese butadiene seller settles contract up $120/tonne. New record for European.... more
(12 May 2008 00:00)

Key chemical prices
SPOT BULK CHEMICAL PRICES (* denotes nominal range) CONTRACT BULK CHEMICAL PRICES Asia Europe US $/tonne Change $/tonne .... more
(12 May 2008 00:00)

Market intelligence: Biofuel industry and corn farmers counter attacks on ethanol
US CORN growers and biofuel firms rose to defend Lady Ethanol, slapping a gauntlet of charges against big oil, speculators and backward governments.... more
(12 May 2008 00:00)

Think tank: BASF's Jurgen Hambrecht ranks number one in Capital magazine's Germany CEO survey
In the halcyon days of Germany's "Wirtschaftswunder," the post-World... more
(12 May 2008 00:00)

What's on: EcipientFest Europe 2008 enters its second year
Presented by the Drug, Chemical & Associated Technologies Association (DCAT), ExcipientFest Europe 2008 will take place on June 17-18 at the.... more
(12 May 2008 00:00)

Germany beat the British to dominate dyes
How German industrialists managed to beat the British to dominate the synthetic dye market within a few short years Ed Zwirn/New York .... more
(12 May 2008 00:00)

Chemical industry mergers and acquisitions (M&A) a sign of things to come
M&A has transformed the chemical industry over the past two decades, and is defining the shape of things to come Nigel Davis/London .... more
(12 May 2008 00:00)

A timeline of chemical manufacturing
4000 BC Glassmaking, brickmaking, and copper smelting are practiced. 3000 BC Coal is used as a fuel petroleum and bitumen (asphalt)... more
(12 May 2008 00:00)

Chemical industry ignores China's human rights and keeps doing business
China's  human rights record  has been highlighted by the Olympics. Yet the chemical industry shows unwavering enthusiasm for investment.... more
(12 May 2008 00:00)

ICIS radio: Chemical News Central: 19 May 2008
FEED   Simon Robinson and Nigel Davis talk about: The impact of the Chinese earthquake on the fertiliser and titanium dioxide.... more
(16 May 2008 16:05)

ICIS radio Americas May 19, 2008
FEED ICIS radio Americas May 19, 2008 The China issue of ICIS Chemical Business is examined, with features editor Clay Boswell reporting on.... more
(16 May 2008 22:03)