ICIS - Search Articles by Date : May 26 2003 - June 01 2003

Product Profile: Caustic soda
Caustic stocks are set to dip again as chlorine output is reduced. Demand, however, remains depressed. Weaker players need shaking out sooner rather.... more
(30 May 2003 14:49)

News in brief
H 2 O 2 price rise MedAvox/Degussa is set to increase prices for all grades of hydrogen peroxide in Italy by E60/tonne as of 1 July or.... more
(30 May 2003 14:34)

Snia to Sell Novaceta Stake
Snia has agreed to sell to G.Z. Fin Srl its 50 percent stake in Novaceta, a joint venture with Acordis Europe Investments in cellulose acetate more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

Natural Gas Supply Issues Deemed Urgent
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) says it welcomes comments by a top Bush administration official calling for urgent steps to address imbalances more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

SolVin Plans PVC and VCM Plant Closures
SolVin PVC, a leading European polvinyl chloride (PVC) producer, plans to close a 145,000 metric ton-per-year PVC plant and a 100,000 ton-per-year more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

Breaking News Roundup
Nova Sells Stake in Ethylene Storage Facility Nova Chemicals Corp. will sell its 50 percent share of the Fort Saskatchewan ethylene storage more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

Oils In Brief
ANIMAL FATS Prices have recently surged for animal fats and greases following reports of mad cow disease in Canada, a major global tallow supplier. more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

News In Brief
Samsung, Atofina Agreement Samsung General Chemicals Co. Ltd. and Atofina have signed a final agreement to launch a $1.55 billion 50/50 more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

Vegetable Wax Sees Opportunity From Shrinking Petroleum Wax Supply
Despite being a new entrant in the wax industry, vegetable oil-based waxes are gaining attention in major end-use markets such as in candles and more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

Amino Forges Into Fermentation-Based Amino Acids
Building on an initiative launched in early 2002 to reinforce its presence in the market for pharmaceutical and nutritional-grade amino acids, more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

Pharma In Brief
CHEMPACIFIC Corp. plans to build a custom chemical manufacturing plant in Shanghai, China. The Baltimore-based company says the facility will go on more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

Ethylene Glycol May See Second Half Recovery
After a significant run-up in pricing during the early first quarter, prices for ethylene glycol have plummeted thanks to lack of demand in China, more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

CMR Technology Watch: 193-nm and 157-nm Photoresists
To make finer features on microchips, shorter wavelengths of light are used in the photolithographic process, but the matter is not nearly so more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

Despite Overcapacity Concerns, PET Is Poised for Growth
Since its introduction as a beverage container in the late 1970s, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has enjoyed phenomenal success in both growth more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

Portfolio Management: The Underlying Guide to Value
Whoever looks upon the chemical industry concludes: it struggles, it moves and it consolidates. Confronted with economic cycles and shrinking more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

Newly Formed CPGA Targets Generics Industry
Responding to significant market changes, Italian producers of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and intermediates formed a new more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

Macroeconomic Snapshots: Inflation-Friend or Foe?
As the US economy struggles to get back on track, the rate inflation has slowed to a point where the economy could be experiencing an infrequent more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

Rohm and Haas Collaborates With Chinese Universities to Develop Polymer Nanotechnology
Rohm and Haas Company is strengthening its presence in China by entering into separate one-year agreements to develop polymer nanotechnology with more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

IT in Brief
IBM, ChevronTexaco Team ChevronTexaco Corp. has selected IBM as a global preferred provider for strategic, financial, management, and more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

Specialties Pricing
COGNIS Corp.'s coating technology business will be increasing the price for its line of G-Cure, Sovermol, Versamine, Hydropalat, Photonol, more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

ROW2 Technologies Targets Life Sciences and Chemical Companies
Although informatics is widespread in drug discovery, its use has lagged in chemical process development. Gaining access to commercially viable more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

Electronics Market Looks to Semicon West
When chemical companies, material and equipment suppliers gather next month for Semicon West, the annual trade show and exhibition sponsored by the more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

Patchouli Oil Shows Upward Pricing Pressure in F&F Market
Short supply has been cited as the reason behind a recent price increase of Indonesian patchouli oil to $35 per kilo. And because buyers usually more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

Honeywell's Spectra Poised for Growth
The specialty materials business of Honeywell is seeing double-digit annual growth for Spectra, its extended-chain polyethylene fiber. Spectra is more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Watch
ASTRAZENECA PLC reports that a US district court dismissed numerous class-action lawsuits against AstraZeneca and Barr Laboratories Inc. and upheld more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

A Dry Spell for Wet Process Chemicals
As the slowdown in semiconductors extends to a third year, suppliers of wet process chemicals cut costs and add value. Clay Boswell reports. more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

TiO2 Outlook Remains Mixed and Hinges Largely on the Economy
The weak economy is pressuring the titanium dioxide (TiO2) market, although discipline by producers is keeping inventories at regular levels, and more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

Plastics In Brief
BASF Corp. will raise its prices for extrusion grades of Ultramid nylon and Capron nylon for the wire and cable compounded/color concentrate market more
(30 May 2003 21:34)

Is Sars just a handy excuse?
Asian petrochemical producers were last week feeling further pressure from the high inventory levels built up ahead of the Iraq war and the impact of.... more
(27 May 2003 16:41)

Ciba hindered by strong Swiss franc
The strong Swiss franc has continued to curb profits growth at Swiss speciality chemicals company Ciba which unveiled a 14% decline to SF259m.... more
(30 May 2003 14:33)

BASF cautious over economic outlook
BASF reported a 15% rise in first quarter operating income before special items to E944m but cautioned that second quarter earnings and sales are.... more
(30 May 2003 14:33)

Profits soar at Bayer
Bayer unveils 31% rise in earnings more
(30 May 2003 14:33)

Peakdale practises chemistry synthesis with De Novo
Peakdale Molecular and De Novo Pharmaceuticals have entered into a joint collaboration to exploit their respective skills in chemistry synthesis and.... more
(30 May 2003 14:33)

Latest survey: steady demand for biocides
Global demand for biocides should increase at an annual pace of 5.6% until 2006 more
(30 May 2003 14:33)

Thann services set to expand
Albemarle is expanding services at its research laboratory, kilo laboratory and pilot plant in Thann, France more
(30 May 2003 14:33)

UK Q1 output is static
First quarter (Q1) output growth from the UK chemicals sector output was almost static, according to data by the Office for National Statistics..... more
(30 May 2003 14:33)

Spain's production up
Spanish chemical production jumped 14.4% in March, compared with the same month last year, enabling a 9.3% rise for the year to date, according to.... more
(30 May 2003 14:33)

Akzo opens Vietnam facility
Akzo Nobel has opened its powder coatings facility in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The facility, which is operated through a 50:50 joint.... more
(30 May 2003 14:33)

Degussa makes internal move
Degussa is strengthening its nanotechnology activities by transferring its former Nanomaterials Project House into the independent internal startup.... more
(30 May 2003 14:33)

Montrose unit back on market
GSK is seeking another buyer for its pharmaceuticals manufacturing facility in Montrose, Scotland, UK more
(30 May 2003 14:33)

ICI cuts jobs and paints a gloomy picture
ICI is cutting 700 jobs, or 2% of its workforce, and says more cuts may be needed more
(30 May 2003 14:33)

Syntide joint venture looks to develop vaccine
Since the outbreak of Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome) in Asia, companies have been rushing to develop vaccines, testing kits and other.... more
(30 May 2003 14:33)

DSM reduces capacity as biopharma hype eases
DSM has scaled back its biopharmaceutical plans in Canada as the hype affecting this sector over the past 12 months begins to subside more
(30 May 2003 14:33)

Clariant pays for delays
Clariant has suffered a 37% slump to SF113m (E75m/ $86m) in first quarter operating profits after making a substantial provision for penalties over.... more
(30 May 2003 14:33)

Rhodia sees turning point
Rhodia forecasts a slight improvement in profit margins during the second quarter, followed by a more substantial recovery during the second half.... more
(30 May 2003 14:33)

DNA medicines scoop Avecia the Queen's Award for Enterprise
Avecia has received the Queen's Award for Enterprise for outstanding innovation in the development of large-scale manufacturing processes for DNA.... more
(30 May 2003 14:33)

ChemSpec Europe set to be better than ever
ChemSpec Europe 2003 is aiming to attract more visitors than ever this year and features a new ChemSource show, which will run alongside the main.... more
(30 May 2003 14:33)

Has the biopharma bubble finally burst?
"A report by Ernst & Young has said that biotech suffered its first decline in revenues in 2002 - after a decade of 30-40% year-on-year growth" more
(30 May 2003 14:33)

Surviving the storm
As the fine chemicals sector matures, declining margins and long-term difficulties in the industry are encouraging fine chemical companies to move.... more
(30 May 2003 14:33)

Pharma's forecast
The mood is subdued in many big pharma boardrooms, as older blockbusters come off patent and competition bites from generics more
(30 May 2003 14:33)