ICIS - Search Articles by Date : April 18 2005 - April 24 2005

Dust buster
Rhodia’s latest addition to its Rhodocoat range is designed to cut down the drying time of waterborne polyurethanes and so reduce the amount of dust.... more
(22 April 2005 17:42)

Under cover
Finnish paints and coatings company Tikkurila has developed a new approach to enable it to support its distribution network more closely. Simon.... more
(22 April 2005 17:42)

Akzo 1Q sales up
Akzo Nobel’s chemicals sales rose by 5 percent to ?957 million ($1.2 billion) in the first quarter of the year, with operating income up 14 percent.... more
(22 April 2005 19:52)

BASF focuses on new customer management
Joint product development and on-site chemical management more
(22 April 2005 19:52)

Agricultural GMOs stir debate in European Union
The European biotechnology industry warns that the European Union’s (EU) strict policy on the adventitious or accidental presence of unapproved.... more
(22 April 2005 19:52)

Lanxess considers fate of paper chemicals biz
Lanxess is keeping up the momentum of its restructuring moves by reviewing the future of its paper business unit, which could result in a disposal.... more
(22 April 2005 19:52)

Rohm and Haas posts healthy 1Q
Rohm and Haas Company reported earnings of $159 million for the first quarter on sales of just over $2 billion. Earnings were up 39 percent versus.... more
(22 April 2005 19:52)

ME to up methanol exports
THE Middle East is scheduled to export more than 10m tonne/year of methanol to Asia in 2009 compared with 4.5m tonne last year, according to a new.... more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

Innovation awards
ICIS Publications is pleased to be partnering once again with Dow Corning in this important chemical industry innovation awards competition. Launched.... more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

New projects summary
As reported in ACN 18-24 April 2005 more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

Weak demand keeps Asian PA soft
ASIAN phthalic anhydride (PA) prices look set to remain soft in the coming weeks on weak demand. more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

Strong demand in China fuels PC rise
ASIAN polycarbonate (PC) producers were last week optimistic that their profit margins would stay healthy in Q2 2005. more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

Limited supply to boost capro prices in Q3
ASIAN caprolactam prices are expected to strengthen in Q3 2005, when the peak demand season for polyamide 6 will begin and availability will be.... more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

BP Zhuhai ups PTA capacity
BP ZHUHAI Chemical has increased the capacity of its No 2 purified terephthalic acid (PTA) project in Zhuhai Harbour Industrial Zone, Guangdong,.... more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

MRC to build 40ktpa PMMA
MITSUBISHI Rayon Co (MRC) has revealed plans to build a 40 000 tonne/year polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) plant in China, a company spokesman told ACN. more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

Yuntianhua projects in Sichuan
YUNNAN Yuntianhua Co plans to build a formaldehyde unit integrated with a polyoxymethylene (POM) unit in Chongqing Changshou Chemical Industry Park,.... more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

Make or break
Last year’s success for the US chemical sector was clouded by concerns about high natural-gas and freight costs. But even as the high costs take.... more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

The anxiety behind the show
WHAT a difference a few weeks can make. more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

Reliance bid for Qenos raises Indian eyebrows
NEWS of Reliance Industries’ bid for Qenos has been greeted with surprise by many Indian industry players. more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

US PET decision: no rush to export
INDIAN polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin producers will not be rushing to export material to the US in the wake of a finding by the United.... more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

PMD to construct five PE/PP units
PROJECT Management & Development Co (PMD) is to produce three types of polyethylene (PE) and two different grades of polypropylene (PP) downstream of.... more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

SK Corp weighs its options
SK CORP is considering either expanding its refinery or building a paraxylene (PX) plant in Ulsan, South Korea, according to sources close to the.... more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

Yunwei ammonia to start in H2 ’07
YUNNAN Yunwei Group is to start up a 500 000 tonne/year ammonia project in Qujing, Yunnan, China, in the second half of 2007, said a company source. more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

Hindalco expands DAP/NPK plant
HINDALCO Industries Ltd plans to expand its 400 000 tonne/year diammonium phosphate/nitrogen phosphorus potassium (DAP/NPK) facility in Dahej,.... more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

GPRO delays C5 project start-up to 2006
JIANGSU GPRO Chemical Co has delayed the start-up of its C5-fractionating unit by almost 10 months to July-August 2006, a company source told ACN. more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

Nanjing park woos investors
NANJING Chemical Industry Park (NCIP) is wooing investors for projects which need acetic acid as feedstock, park officials told ACN. more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

Second Indonesian cracker due 2008
A CONSORTIUM formed by Singapore-based Kuvera Energy Corp Ltd, Hong Kong-based Consoe Petrochemical Co, and Indonesia’s Prima Gaya Estima is planning.... more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

Benzene in disarray
Benzene and toluene prices are volatile owing to the erratic performance of the US aromatics market. Styrene, PX, and OX remain soft because of weak.... more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

Brazilian C3 for SEA
Deep-sea cargoes from Brazil and the US meet Asian shortages. Butadiene is bullish despite customer resistance. But ethylene continues to weaken more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

PVC prices weak on excess supply
ASIAN polyvinyl chloride (PVC) prices for May loading material collapsed by almost US$60-70/tonne last week. more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

China’s caustic and chlorine dilemma
RISING chlorine demand in China poses some interesting questions on the future of the country’s chlor-alkali industry. more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

PE/PP from NWE to Asia may halt
THE recently opened window for Europe-Asia arbitrage in polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) could shut in a few weeks when Chinese buying slows.... more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

Global roundup
From stories supplied by the CNI and ACN teams. more
(22 April 2005 17:53)

Innovation Awards 2005
ICIS Publications is pleased to be partnering once again with Dow Corning in this important chemical industry innovation awards competition. Launched.... more
(22 April 2005 17:42)

Stiller adds 12 tankers to fleet
UK-based logistics contractor Stiller Group has taken delivery of 12 new powder tankers. more
(22 April 2005 17:42)

Dock strike called off
A nationwide strike planned for 29 April in Finland was averted last week as negotiations between port employers and dock workers concluded on.... more
(22 April 2005 17:42)

Stolt-Nielsen results pick up
First quarter results for Norwegian shipper Stolt-Nielsen are up as markets continue to firm. more
(22 April 2005 17:42)

Vos invests in logistics centre
Netherlands-based Vos Log­istics will invest around €11m in a distribution centre in Duisburg, Germany, Europe’s largest inland port. more
(22 April 2005 17:42)

Bayer inks supply deals to expand insecticide market
Bayer CropScience has signed two multi-year non-exclusive supply agreements for its insecticide Imidacloprid. more
(22 April 2005 17:42)

Solvents Monitor: Solvents struggle to remain steady
While acetone spot prices are pegged over a wide range, IPA, MEK and MIBK are fighting steady price erosion. Demand for most solvents was sluggish in.... more
(22 April 2005 17:42)

Distributor set up for microreaction
Growing interest in efficient-process intensification technologies for manufacturing fine and speciality chemicals has led to the formation of a new.... more
(22 April 2005 17:42)

Anti-obesity drug trial is promising
Preliminary trial results of Sanofi-Aventis’ rimonabant, the first of a new class of therapeutics known as selective cannabinoid type 1 blockers,.... more
(22 April 2005 17:42)

Firms unite in cancer studies
US company Bionaut Pharmaceuticals is to collaborate with AnalytiCon Discovery, based in Potsdam, Germany, to identify novel anti-cancer compounds.... more
(22 April 2005 17:42)

Fire-fighting gel
A new polymer gel developed by chemicals giant BASF promises to be useful in fire-fighting applications, and may be applied aerially from helicopters.... more
(22 April 2005 17:42)

Cost breakthrough
Scientists at Danish biotech company Novozymes and the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have dramatically reduced the costs of enzymes.... more
(22 April 2005 17:42)

Markets in brief
Polymer hikes Solutia intends to raise global prices across all grades of its Ascend nylon polymers and Vydyne nylon moulding resins. From 15.... more
(22 April 2005 17:42)

ABS must move higher
The European acrylonitrile-butadiene styrene (ABS) market is showing ‘slow but constant improvement’, but sellers warn that price gains need to be.... more
(22 April 2005 17:42)

BASF looks at monthly price reference to tackle volatility
BASF is searching for a solution to the increasing price volatility on the polystyrene (PS) market. more
(22 April 2005 17:42)

Market Trends: Benzene plunges, then resurfaces
In a generally declining market, benzene took a $150/tonne dive in one day, but managed to regain ground. In response, styrene also fell, then.... more
(22 April 2005 17:42)

New Projects Summary
As reported in ECN 14 and 21 March 2005 more
(22 April 2005 17:42)