ICIS - Search Articles by Date : August 22 2005 - August 28 2005

Valspar in massive restructuring
Squeezed by raw material costs and struggling to boost margins, paint and coatings producer Valspar Corp. is initiating a massive restructuring of.... more
(22 August 2005 07:44)

Rockwood’s IPO disappoints
After more than six months in the IPO pipeline, Rockwood Holdings Inc. has finally arrived on the public market with 20.4 million shares priced at.... more
(22 August 2005 07:47)

Lonza moves into Singapore
Swiss chemical and biotechnology company Lonza has teamed up with the Singapore-based biomedical sciences investment firm Bio*One Capital to.... more
(22 August 2005 07:57)

Ciba considers options for textile effects biz
Ciba Specialty Chemicals is reviewing strategic options for its textile effects business, including sale. more
(22 August 2005 07:56)

IN BRIEF News Watch
Canadian Natural secures BOC as supplier more
(22 August 2005 07:56)

IN BRIEF News Watch
Celanese to buy out minority shares more
(22 August 2005 07:55)

Marsulex plans to sue Chemtrade over Peak
Marsulex Inc. is seeking damages of C$72.8 million and other relief for alleged breach of a noncompete clause following Chemtrade’s acquisition of.... more
(22 August 2005 07:56)

LG and Mitsui in licensing deal
LG Chem Ltd. and Mitsui Chemicals Inc., have agreed to a partnership granting LG Chem exclusive rights to license Mitsui’s vinyl chloride.... more
(22 August 2005 07:56)

TPC again ups its polyisobutylene
Texas Petrochemicals LP (TPC) recently completed a major expansion of its existing polyisobutylene (PIB) unit in Houston and is currently planning.... more
(22 August 2005 07:56)

Serono is investing in Genmab antibody
European biotech major Serono is positioning itself to reap benefits from the increasingly lucrative market for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). more
(22 August 2005 07:55)

IN BRIEF News Watch
BASF breaks ground on new Texas plant more
(22 August 2005 07:54)

BASF faces NA challenges
Despite margins that far outpace European producers, North American chemical companies still face a number of challenges in the coming years thanks.... more
(22 August 2005 07:55)

M&A breather near an end?
The fundamentals of a robust market remain in place. Joseph Chang reports more
(23 August 2005 15:47)

Energy bills offset conservation
ENERGY PRICES have outstripped UK chemical manufacturers’ efforts to improve efficiency and save fuel. more
(23 August 2005 15:47)

EU and eurozone production is up
Production of chemicals in the 25-member European Union (EU) rose by 1.9 percent in June year-over-year, say figures released last week by official.... more
(22 August 2005 07:52)

Cognis experiences a moderate first half
Cognis saw adjusted first-half EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) rise by 1.1 percent to €200 million last week in.... more
(22 August 2005 07:54)

Pennonplast seeks suitors as the firm reorganizes
Hungary’s Pannonplast is inviting offers for majority stakes in two subsidiaries as it continues with a reorganization designed to put it back into.... more
(22 August 2005 07:52)

Norway may ban retardant
The Norwegian Pollution Control Authority (SFT) is considering a ban on perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in fire extinguishing foam, SFT’s assistant.... more
(22 August 2005 07:53)

Report outlines yuan options
The US has several options for encouraging China to continue with a market-based revaluation of its currency, according to a Congressional Research.... more
(22 August 2005 07:54)

Safety board gives BP its guidelines
The Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) last week issued its first “urgent” safety recommendation for an independent review of safety.... more
(22 August 2005 07:54)

Phenol-acetone cutbacks planned on low demand
With weak export demand putting a squeeze on margins, four major Asian phenol-acetone facilities could cut operating rates or shut their units.... more
(22 August 2005 07:50)

Shenhua gets OK for coal-to-olefins
Shenhua Group has received preliminary approval from the central government for its northern China coal-to-olefins project, a source from the Chinese.... more
(22 August 2005 07:51)

Petron enters into petrochemicals with cracker and aromatics
Petron Corp. plans to build a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit, which would yield 140,000 metric tons per year of propylene, at its refinery in.... more
(22 August 2005 07:51)

Baling plans PP unit
Baling Petrochemical, a subsidiary of Chinese major Sinopec, plans to build a 200,000 metric-ton-per-year polypropylene (PP) unit at Yueyang, Hunan.... more
(22 August 2005 07:48)

Chandra Asri mulls upping its ethylene
Chandra Asri could build a second cracker in Indonesia that caters to rising domestic demand, a company spokesperson says. more
(22 August 2005 07:49)

Ningxia postpones project start-up to 2007
Ningxia GeoMaxima Fengyou Chemical has pushed back the start-up of its ammonia and urea project in China to the first half of 2007, according to a.... more
(22 August 2005 07:49)

Preservatives add life to foods
Demand for food preservation in the US has seen explosive growth over the past decade and is poised for a strong future. Feliza Mirasol reports more
(22 August 2005 07:45)

Food additives/nutrition in brief
Zhejiang Hangzhou Xinfu Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (formerly Xinfu Biochemical Co. Ltd.) has completed its acquisition of Zhejiang Huzhou LionKing Fine.... more
(22 August 2005 07:48)

Commodities in brief
BTX more
(22 August 2005 07:47)

US Gulf Coast faces challenges
AFTER YEARS as a global leader in petrochemical production, the US Gulf Coast is seeing its position begin to erode, thanks to soaring feedstock.... more
(23 August 2005 15:47)

Worldwide demand boosts MTBE prices
A confluence of international events has sent the price of methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) soaring, providing producers with record margins. more
(22 August 2005 07:48)

Truvada combo a no go?
Despite recent disappointments, Gilead Sciences Inc. intends to push forward with the development of a new HIV combination pill joining Gilead’s.... more
(22 August 2005 07:48)

Russia a hot spot for C&T growth
The robust growth of Russia’s cosmetics and toiletries (C&T) market is attracting investment from multinational consumer products manufacturers and.... more
(23 August 2005 15:46)

Ship coatings remain buoyant
Despite escalating raw material prices, reports of increased demand for ships and containers bode well for protective coatings in marine.... more
(22 August 2005 07:47)

Linseed oil still tight
LINSEED OIL supply is in a tight spot following the one-two punch of continued strong demand and last year’s bad flaxseed crop in Canada and North.... more
(23 August 2005 15:47)

Markets: OILS, FATS & WAXES
Late spot prices more
(23 August 2005 15:47)

Honeywell hits sweet spot
CEO Dicciani prepares for growth and innovation, post restructuring more
(22 August 2005 07:46)

Chemcentral grows in Asia
Chemcentral recognizes Asia-Pacific’s importance to the future of the business and has increased efforts to expand in the region. more
(22 August 2005 07:46)

Jobs and People
MILTON BOYER more
(22 August 2005 07:46)

Meetings Calendar
September – October 2005 more
(22 August 2005 07:46)

Benzene
August 22-September 4 more
(23 August 2005 15:48)