ICIS - Search Articles by Date : June 20 2005 - June 26 2005

The pick of the crop
Bayer CropScience has blossomed into the world’s leading company in its field, writes Cath O’Driscoll more
(20 June 2005 14:34)

PET producers blame poor weather for slump
European polyethylene terephthalate (PET) producers have again been left cursing the miserable weather as the peak summer season looks set to fall.... more
(20 June 2005 14:47)

Traders stripped of margins
High oil and feedstock prices at the top of the chain and slow end-user demand at the bottom are squeezing trader margins on several solvents.... more
(20 June 2005 14:47)

In Brief: Markets Watch
CAUSTIC SODA PRODUCTION TO JUMP BY 5% Brazil’s caustic soda production is forecast to rise 5% this year following 5.4% growth in the first.... more
(20 June 2005 14:51)

In Brief Technology Watch
Tiny brushes to use in small spaces Tiny nano-scale brushes, a thousand times smaller than a human hair, could find their way into.... more
(20 June 2005 14:55)

Caustic soda set for hike
Although European caustic soda producers maintain an upwards price movement seems certain for third quarter (Q3) contracts, the magnitude of these.... more
(20 June 2005 14:47)

TDI facilities consolidated
The closure of a plant at New Martinsville in the US has signalled the end of a three-year programme by Bayer MaterialScience to consolidate its.... more
(20 June 2005 14:47)

Ethylene is poised for drop
European third quarter (Q3) olefins contract negotiations are well under way, taking place against the backdrop of a buyers’ market, particularly in.... more
(20 June 2005 14:47)

BASF to close DEHP and 2-EH plants
Continuing sharp decline in demand for plasticiser diethylhexylphthalate (DEHP) has forced BASF to discontinue manufacture in Europe from the third.... more
(20 June 2005 14:47)

In Brief Environment Watch
ACC gives awards to careful companies The American Chemistry Council (ACC) has presented its Responsible Care Leadership award to Occidental.... more
(20 June 2005 14:47)

New Projects Summary
NEW PROJECTS REPORTED IN ECN 13 JUNE 2005 more
(20 June 2005 14:54)

Market trends: Overstock makes for quiet olefins
Ethylene spot prices remain unchanged at $600-630/tonne cif NWE, in what is an extremely quiet market. more
(20 June 2005 14:47)

Asia Monitor: China stocks knock Asian pricing
Asian propylene prices eased lower in May, but there was strong support at the $1000/tonne level as buyers stepped in to secure end-May and June.... more
(20 June 2005 14:47)

New projects summary
Reported in ECN 20 June 2005 more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

Camillo Eitzen buys carrier, eyes another
Oslo, Norway-based shipowner Camillo Eitzen has purchased a chemical carrier and has also exercised a purchase option on an ore bulk oil (OBO).... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

FECC: Consolidation will optimise distribution sector
Consolidation and China were the twin themes at this year’s European Association of Chemical Distributors (FECC) congress held in London, UK, last.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

New projects roundup
€4m MSA expansion for Arkema’s mourenx site Arkema is to spend €4m at its Mourenx facility in France to improve chlorine handling and to develop.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

Markets Watch
Sulphuric acid Production begins at Ryazan Russia’s Ryazan refinery has started production at its new 108 000 tonne/year sulphuric acid.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

Steering Reach into reality
As the UK looks forward to its presidency of the European Union, Willy Bach, UK government minister with responsibility for chemicals, comments on.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

Projects Watch
Shell catalyst plant Shell Chemicals’ subsidiary CRI Catalyst, is to build a new ethylene oxide catalyst manufacturing plant at Ghent, Belgium..... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

Sonatrach seeks funds for two sites
Algeria’s state-owned oil and gas company Sonatrach and its petrochemicals subsidiary Enip are seeking investors for large petrochemicals expansions.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

Lonza plans clinical-scale expansion
Lonza is investing SF14m (E9m/$11m) to extend its clinical-scale mammalian manufacturing capacity at Slough in the UK. more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

Solvay invests in Onsan, South Korea
Solvay is investing in South Korea to be able to produce, in Asia, fluorine, sulphur hexafluoride, iodine pentafluoride and Nocolok – a brazing flux.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

Engineering goes to MES
Mehr Petrochemical has awarded a contract to build a 300 000 tonne/year high density polyethylene plant in the South Pars Special Economic/Energy.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

Creating value should be the industry mantra
The chemical industry in Europe is a long way from the innovative, flexible, customer-friendly model outlined in Cefic’s Scenarios 2015. So when will.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

Schizophrenia drug shows promise in Sars treatment
A drug used to treat schizophrenia has been shown to treat and prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome, a team of European and Chinese researchers.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

Commission in nanoscience research push
The European Commission has proposed an action plan for nanosciences and nanotechnologies (N&N), setting out its priorities for keeping Europe among.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

NiZn battery cuts risks
French and Spanish researchers are developing a rechargeable battery for electric scooters have created a safe and environmental alternative to the.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

France’s €1bn research
The French government is to double its grant for industrial research from E500m to E1bn, with backing for commercial projects in solar energy,.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

Innovation watch
GE gets its own column more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

Business roundup
Tessenderlo averts second strike Workers and management headed off a second possible strike at Tessenderlo’s 160 000 tonne/year sodium.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

Chemical profile: Polystyrene
  Chemical profile: polystyrene USES Polystyrene (PS) is a thermoplastic polymer which is available in.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

Dimas puts case for Reach on Kangaroo Group’s table
Chemicals Policy is an area where the stakes are very high on all sides, socially, economically and environmentally, according to EU environment.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

Phthalate risk for vulnerable babies
A study from Harvard University, US, claims that babies in neonatal intensive care units receiving treatment with poly-vinyl chloride (PVC) medical.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

UK on target for a 20% cut
The UK government has said that it remains committed to ensuring that the UK meets its climate change goals. more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

$78m SSAR buy for Ineos
US speciality chemicals and materials technology company Cytec Industries says it will sell its surface specialties amino resins (SSAR) business to.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

Huntsman to merge businesses
Privately held Huntsman is planning to simplify its structure with a merger of Huntsman LLC (HLLC) with Huntsman International LLC (HI), ostensibly.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

Basell plans to sell Polibrasil stake
Basell has reached an agreement in principle to sell its 50% share in Brazilian polypropylene (PP) joint venture Polibrasil to its partner, Suzano.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

German union negotiates pay deal
A new 19-month pay deal for the approximately 550 000 employees of Germany’s chemical and related industries was agreed last week. more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

Environment Watch
Valero and sunoco must cut emissions The US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Justice have arrived at a Clean Air Act.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

Call for new white paper
A workshop held by the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) has decided to develop a white paper to assess how biomonitoring data.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

Ministers vote on GMO ban
As ECN went to press, environment ministers across Europe were getting ready to vote on whether member states should lift their bans on GMOs. The.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

Pesticide experiments shocker
A report released by the US House of Representatives’ Henry Waxman and Senator Boxer has slammed the Bush administration’s use of human pesticide.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

GdF break-up begins
Gaz de France’s (GdF) initial public offering kicked off last week with a commitment by the French state to sell between 20%-22% of the gas supply.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

News Watch
Blair calls for Europe to invest in education and research to compete in bio-technology UK prime minister Tony Blair, speaking to journalists.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

Biotech firms seek sweeter prices to stay in business
Cheap sugar for industrial use is urgently needed to keep large sections of the biotechnology industry in Europe, according to Dirk Carrez, public.... more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

France plans to pursue energy law
France’s new industry minister François Loos pledged to pursue his predecessor’s agenda for the chemicals industry in Paris last week. more
(24 June 2005 15:46)

Bioreactor productivity leaps ahead
New technologies for improving expression are expanding effective capacity and lowering the cost of biologics produced by mammalian cell culture,.... more
(20 June 2005 18:17)

Will mAbs mania lift CMOs?
Despite some setbacks, monoclonal antibody (mAb) drugs are beginning to achieve lofty therapeutic and financial expectations that have been hyped for.... more
(20 June 2005 18:16)

Benzene producers see prices holding
Northeast Asian (NEA) benzene producers were reported as being optimistic last week, with the expectation that stronger downstream demand would.... more
(20 June 2005 13:44)