ICIS - Search Articles by Date : November 20 2006 - November 26 2006

Pequiven partners Iran, Brazil
Pequiven and Iran's National Petrochemical Co (NPC) plan to build a $1.3bn (€1bn) ammonia, urea and methanol complex in Guiria, Venezuela. more
(20 November 2006 11:36)

Dow holds back in Brazil
Brazil is Dow Chemical's main target for investments in Latin America, but the company is not yet ready to invest in the proposed $8.4bn (€6.5bn).... more
(20 November 2006 11:34)

IN BRIEF Food additives/nutrition
Algatechnologies launches astaxanthin line more
(22 November 2006 10:41)

LATE SPOT PRICES
  Crude vegetable oils Coconut oil, t.l. N.Y. lb 34.50c Corn oil, Midwest lb 27c Linseed oil,.... more
(22 November 2006 10:46)

Epoxy oils unglued on Dow's exit
NORTH AMERICAN epoxidized oil producers are trying to plug the supply gap created by Dow Chemical's exit from the market last month. more
(22 November 2006 10:46)

Speciality Distributors: Service is the Key
ICIS TV interviews Peter Fields, the chief operating officer of Azelis, which is Europe's largest distributor of speciality chemicals. more
(21 November 2006 00:01)

ICIS radio: Chemical News Central: 24 November 2006
Air Products RSS more
(24 November 2006 16:29)

Clariant wields the axe
Clariant is to close 10% of its sites, slash 2,200 jobs and reduce its product range by at least 25%, under radical restructuring plans aimed at.... more
(20 November 2006 11:32)

Reliance set to expand?
Reliance Industries has been linked to a potential deal worth $2bn (€1.6bn) to buy BP's Belgian refinery and petrochemicals business, in what would.... more
(20 November 2006 11:34)

Fighting off washday blues
With surfactants feeling the pressure, sectors in the market struggle to keep up with the latest trends and standards more
(24 November 2006 14:19)

UnPOPular thresholds
Two years after the European Union's sanction of the Stockholm convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, there is discontent with how some of the.... more
(24 November 2006 14:24)

Facing the fight in Asia
The battle against POPs exists worldwide, but some regions more than others are struggling to keep up more
(24 November 2006 14:28)

US struggles with Stockholm POPs treaty
Procrastinating over how to progress the Stockholm Convention is jeopardising the US chemical industry. A shift of power within Congress is set to.... more
(24 November 2006 14:26)

Cognis Q3 profits up by 48%
THIRD-QUARTER operating profits from Cognis leapt by 48% to €43m ($55m) compared with the same period last year, thanks mainly to strong growth from.... more
(25 November 2006 10:51)

People on the move
Jurg Fedier, head of finance at Dow Chemical Europe, has been named as new chief financial officer (CFO) of Ciba Specialty Chemicals. Fedier will.... more
(24 November 2006 14:55)

Ironmen stick to the road
IRONMEN AROUND the world could be cycling faster and more safely, thanks to the use of an adhesive with high shear tolerance on high-performance.... more
(24 November 2006 14:52)

IN THIS WEEK 20 YEARS AGO - 10 YEARS AGO
The Soviet Union is, at last, facing up to the problems that blight its chemical industry. In a move away from the rigid centralised planning that.... more
(24 November 2006 14:53)

EU INSIDER
A neater and more logical route through the veritable "Spaghetti Junction" of rules governing state aid for research and development (R&D) in Europe.... more
(24 November 2006 13:25)

VIEW FROM VIETNAM
It's like a teenager coming of age. Vietnam's approval by the WTO to become its 150th member, which is about to be ratified any day now by.... more
(24 November 2006 13:24)

IN BRIEF Asia Watch
Natural Fuel, an Australia-based biofuels company, plans to raise A$80m ($61.5m, €47.9m) in a share sale on the Australian Stock Exchange. It is.... more
(24 November 2006 13:20)

WASHINGTON INSIDER
The sharp and continuing decline in the US home segment could push the US into recession, warned a leading business economist. more
(24 November 2006 15:13)

IN BRIEF Americas Watch
Brazil's chemicals ­industry is expected to invest $14.1bn (€11bn) in new capacity by 2011, according to national chemicals association Abiquim..... more
(24 November 2006 13:18)

THINK TANK
Iran finds oppertunities out of hardship more
(24 November 2006 15:21)

Azelis buys Thorson
FAST-EXPANDING chemicals distributor Azelis has further extended its focus on the coatings and plastics sectors with the acquisition of Germany's.... more
(24 November 2006 14:44)

Bertschi's new rail link to support rising EU imports
RISING IMPORT volumes into Europe have prompted Swiss logistics firm Bertschi to invest €10m ($13m) in a rail terminal in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. more
(24 November 2006 14:43)

Forever young
With the battle to retain a youthful look responsible for the soaring cosmeceuticals market, industry giants plan to cash in on the latest craze more
(24 November 2006 14:21)

IN BRIEF Environment Watch
Vinyl is emerging as one of the preferred materials for "green buildings". Commenting at the GreenBuild International Conference & Expo, held in.... more
(24 November 2006 13:05)

5-minute market watch
Warm temperatures across Europe have hit the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) market, say traders. European temperatures for 18 November were forecast.... more
(24 November 2006 12:50)

5-MINUTE PROJECT WATCH
Lanxess is to invest €6m ($7.7m) expanding its ion exchange resin production facility in Bitterfeld, Germany, at the end of 2007. "Owing to increases.... more
(24 November 2006 12:46)

China takes growth over green
If you analysed the frequency, length and prominence of stories appearing in the China Daily, the government's mouthpiece, you might get confirmation.... more
(24 November 2006 12:43)

French Geodis marries TNT Freight
FRENCH company Geodis has bought TNT Freight Management (TFM) in a deal valued at €460m ($590m). more
(24 November 2006 14:44)

Petrobras' hands-on aim
PETROBRAS INTENDS to increase its participation in the petrochemicals sector by investing in new projects, asserted Jose Sergio Gabrielli, president.... more
(25 November 2006 10:53)

Sipchem denies Celanese claims
SAUDI INTERNATIONAL Petrochemical Co (Sipchem) has refuted allegations by Celanese that it misappropriated trade secrets. more
(24 November 2006 14:08)

Taiwan goes ahead with food plastic ban
TAIWAN'S TOP environmental watchdog is pressing ahead with a ban on plastics used to wrap food products, despite stiff resistance to the policy. more
(24 November 2006 14:08)

PE price probe results due
SOUTH KOREA'S Fair Trade Commission is expected to announce within the next five weeks the results of a probe into alleged price fixing among local.... more
(25 November 2006 10:52)

The future's set in PET
EASTMAN chemical intends to build a world-scale polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plant as part of plans to transform its PET polymers business. more
(24 November 2006 14:13)

Jv plans world's largest TDI facility
A BASF and Dow Chemical joint venture (jv) is to carry out a feasibility study into the construction of what would be the world's largest integrated.... more
(24 November 2006 14:35)

APPC joins Saudi listings rush
Saudi Arabian petrochemical companies are continuing a headlong rush to list on the local stock exchange with Advanced Polypropylene Co (APPC), the.... more
(24 November 2006 12:41)

Sinochem set to boost liquid chemical sales
SINOCHEM'S EXPANSION into shipping could see sales of liquid chemicals surge by 35%, said an analyst based in China. more
(24 November 2006 14:42)

Commission approves UCB purchase of Schwarz Pharma
THE EUROPEAN Commission has cleared the proposed ­acquisition of Germany's Schwarz Pharma by Belgian biopharmaceuticals and ­chemicals company UCB. more
(24 November 2006 12:57)

GEM takes first ship of big order
DUBAI'S GULF Energy Maritime (GEM) has received the first of 13 double-hulled tankers ordered from South Korea's Hyundai Mipo shipyard. more
(24 November 2006 14:45)

Dynea delves into stickier markets
FINNISH ADHESIVE resin producer Dynea is to sell its North American operations to a Canadian private-investment company and plans to invest the.... more
(24 November 2006 14:10)

Hikes after MEK probe
CHINA'S LAUNCH of an antidumping probe into methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) imports from Japan, Singapore and Taiwan has seen a surge in domestic prices. more
(24 November 2006 14:36)

ACN prices fall as demand drops
ASIAN ACRYLONITRILE (ACN) prices have come under downward pressure from easing supply, falling propylene prices and weak demand, say traders. more
(24 November 2006 14:37)

Caustic stocks low
EUROPEAN CAUSTIC soda producers want to raise prices following ongoing tightness. more
(24 November 2006 14:39)

China and South Korea bring in versions of RoHS
CHINA AND South Korea will introduce their own versions of the EU's Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive (RoHS), a sign that ­environmental.... more
(24 November 2006 14:56)

ICIS set to launch Asia polybutadiene report
A growing demand for Asia-Pacific pricing information on polybutadiene prompts ICIS' latest addition more
(24 November 2006 15:11)

Innovative new ways to keep ICIS online users in the loop
The Big Biofuels Blog aims to bring you information from sources that you may not have see. more
(24 November 2006 15:12)

BASF stays cutting-edge to expand
BASF EXPECTS new or improved products and applications that are less than five years old to generate annual sales of more than €4bn ($5.1bn) from.... more
(24 November 2006 15:02)

INEOS gets savvy with MA catalysts
INEOS TECHNOLOGIES has developed an improved maleic anhydride (MA) catalyst for both fluid-bed and fixed-bed systems. more
(24 November 2006 15:01)