ICIS - Search Articles by Date : September 16 2002 - September 22 2002

Market trends: Uncertainty subdues most markets
Higher energy numbers prompted a hike in MTBE price ideas to the $340-350/tonne fob NWE range. Swedish business was affected by a dip in refinery.... more
(18 September 2002 12:59)

Outages Leave Butadiene Tight and Send Prices Up
Prices for butadiene continue to rise, driven by supply problems as well as strong demand. To satisfy customers, several producers are attempting more
(20 September 2002 19:26)

ACC Is Guardedly Optimistic as Chemical Data Improve
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) remains concerned about the economy, but it does not expect a double dip recession. Chemical shipment volumes more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Business In Brief
BASF Gets Chinese Nod BASF has established BASF Chemicals Company Ltd. (BACH) after receiving a business license from the Shanghai Administration more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Mercury Deal Could Aid Conversion To Membrane Chloralkali Production
European chlorine producers hope that next month European Union (EU) governments will back a chloralkali industry plan for the safe disposal of more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Breaking News Roundup
Cabot's Barium Titanate on the Block Cabot Corp. has put its barium titanate (BaTiO3) electronic materials business on the block. The company more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

GE Plastics Expects New Technologies to Enhance Polycarbonate
Global capacity for polycarbonate has increased substantially over the last five years, and analysts warn that standard grades of polycarbonate more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Plastics and Coatings in Brief
ACRYLIC monomer consumption in the US during 2001 totaled roughly 5.8 billion pounds and was worth $3.4 billion, according to Skeist Inc., more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Ticona Offers a New Grade of PBT to Compete Against PET in Spunbond Uses
Ticona is introducing Celanex 2000-K, an economical grade of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) designed to replace polyethylene terephthalate (PET) more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Chemical Commodities Monthly
BTX The benzene market continues to be relatively quiet with few deals being reported. Spot benzene has been trading at $1.25 per gallon for most more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Crompton Enters Kosher Glycerine Market
Crompton Corp. is expanding its glycerine product portfolio by entering the high-growth kosher glycerine market. Production of kosher glycerine at more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

CSB Moves on Safety Guides For Reactives
The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) approved a series of recommendations last week to improve safety in the chemical industry, more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Dow Selects Seadrift For Ethylene Cracker
The Dow Chemical Company has completed a review of its US Gulf Coast ethylene operations and has selected Union Carbide Corp.'s Seadrift, Tex., more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

DTI Upgrades UK Nylon Intermediates
DuPont Textiles and Interiors (DTI) is launching a £30 million ($46.5 million) modernization of its nylon intermediates plant in Wilton, more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Europe in Brief
OMV has agreed to buy a 25 percent stake in the Dutch-based Rompetrol Group, whose main operations are in Romania, where it owns two refineries, more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

E.ON Ruhrgas Deal Inches Ahead
E.ON's takeover of Ruhrgas, Germany's largest gas distributor, has been given a second approval by the German government, opening the way to more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Chem Industry Offers Steady Stream Of Dividend Income in Volatile Times
Lyondell, NL Industries, Dow, Millennium, Eastman, Arch and Olin yields higher than 10-year Treasury. Joseph Chang reports. more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Honeywell Opens HFC-245fa
Honeywell's fluorine products business has opened a world-scale plant in Geismar, La., for the production of Enovate more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Ineos to Boost Capacity Following Explosion
An initial investigation by Ineos Phenol Inc. has revealed that a fire and explosion at its Mobile, Ala., phenol plant took place in one of the two more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Improved Demand for Fertilizer Firms Is Forecasted for 2003
Developing trends in corn production could lead to better volume demand and improved margins for fertilizer companies on the product sold for the more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Growing Demand Prompts Price Increases in HCl
Oversupplied for most of the year, the US market for hydrochloric acid (HCl) has come back into balance, although some regions have been tight, more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Kraton Plans Expansions in Europe and US
Kraton Polymers is raising its capacity for Kraton G styrenic block copolymers at its plants in Belpre, Ohio, and Berre, France, by nearly 20 more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Biogen Targets Amevive Launch
Biogen Inc. is picking up the pace in its race with Amgen Inc. for the $5 billion psoriasis market. In September, the Food and Drug Administration more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Genzyme Trims Renagel Guidance Again
Genzyme General, a division of Genzyme Corp., lowered third quarter and full year guidance for 2002 based on a reduced outlook for Renagel more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Watch
CODEXIS Inc., a subsidiary of Maxygen Inc., received its first commercial payment and two separate milestone payments in its collaboration with more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Tough Times Ahead for Engineering Plastics Makers
Times are challenging for Western Europe's engineering plastics makers. Demand in their major markets is depressed. To maintain revenue and open up more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Morgan Stanley Downgrades Commodity Chemical Stocks
Giving a shock to commodity chemical stock prices, Morgan Stanley analyst Les Ravitz has downgraded four chemical companies based on valuation, more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

News In Brief
BASF Evaluating Damage BASF Corp. says it should have no trouble supplying its customers following an explosion at its plant in Freeport, Tex., more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

All Eyes Focused on the New Texas Environmental Quality Chief
Barely a month after assuming a new name, the lead environmental agency in Texas will soon add a new executive director. The Texas Commission on more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Petrochemicals in Brief
BTX The benzene market continues to be relatively quiet with few deals being reported. Spot benzene has been trading at $1.25 per gallon for most more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Jobs and People
William E. Aliski William E. Aliski has been promoted to vice president of commercial operations of Transkaryotic Therapies Inc. Mr. more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Pharma In Brief
BAYER AG and CuraGen Corp. have devised a new technology, the "Predictive Toxicogenomics Screen," that uses a small amount of product to evaluate more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Nova Chemicals to Idle UK EPS Units
Nova Chemicals will idle its expandable polystyrene (EPS) units at Carrington, near Manchester, UK, starting in late October as part of the more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Oleochemicals Group Is Opposed To European Proposals for Biofuel Use
APAG, the European oleochemicals and allied products group, is urging the European Commission (EC) to review its proposals on the reduction of more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Oils in Brief
CARGILL AgHorizons and Shelby,Neb.-based United Farmers Cooperative (UFC) have completed work to form a limited liability company, Progressive Ag more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

OSHA Proposes Fine For Nan Ya Plastics
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed $313,500 in fines against a US subsidiary of Taiwan's Formosa Plastics Group more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Ozone Layer Shows Signs of Recovery
The earth's stratospheric ozone layer is recovering from the effect of chemical emissions, but it will remain vulnerable during the next decade, more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Tightness in Acetic Acid Spurs Price Increases
Rising raw material costs and a supply disruption have tightened the global acetic acid and derivatives market, spurring a host of price increases more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Specialties Pricing
Akzo Nobel Functional Chemicals LLC is increasing the price of its chlorinated and brominated phosphate esters used in flame retardants, as of more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Medicinal Feed Additives Producers Face Thornier Regulatory Environment
Concern that antibiotics used in animal feed could lead to superbugs in humans has caused regulatory agencies to take an increasingly tough stance more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Potash to Restart DAP At White Springs, Fla.
Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. announced last week that it would resume diammonium phosphate (DAP) production at its White Springs, Fla., more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Atofina Gains ENI Stake in Qapco
Atofina, the chemicals branch of TotalFinaElf, has strengthened its position in Qatar's rapidly growing petrochemicals sector by purchasing ENI's more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

EPA Launches Campaign to Boost Recycling Rate
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a new campaign designed to boost the recycling of plastics, metals and other materials and more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Global Chemical Industry: The Top Performers
There is no hiding from the fact that 2001 was the most difficult year in decades for the global chemical industry. North American petrochemicals more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Lackluster M&A and Declining Profits and Spending Make 2001 a Year of Contraction for North American Chemicals
After an earth-shaking round of mergers and acquisitions in 2000 and early 2001 that dramatically altered the face of the North American chemical more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

No Major Chemicals Slated For European Union Punitive Tax
In a trade confrontation concerning US tax breaks for exporters, the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) has expressed relief that the more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Strongly Tied to PVC, Plasticizer Growth Is Slow but Steady
Because plasticizers are strongly tied to the very mature market for flexible polyvinyl chloride (PVC), growth is slow. Currently estimated at 10.5 more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Amended Sterling Chemicals Bankruptcy Plan Calls for Sale Of Pulp Chemicals Biz
The bankruptcy proceedings of Sterling Chemicals Holdings Inc., Sterling Chemicals Inc. and certain of its US subsidiaries will result in the sale more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Activists Challenge High Production Volume Testing
Animal welfare activists are asking a US district court to declare the En-vironmental Protection Agency's (EPA) voluntary high production volume more
(20 September 2002 21:14)

Wacker to Upgrade Silicone Site
Wacker-Chemie is getting a low-cost loan of  250 million ($242 million) from the European Union's (EU) European Investment Bank (EIB) to modernize more
(20 September 2002 21:14)