ICIS - Search Articles by Date : April 28 2003 - May 04 2003

Scientific Design changes hands
Sabic and Sud-Chemie are acquiring Little Ferry, New Jersey, US-based Scientific Design from Germany's Linde more
(02 May 2003 14:50)

Czech company wins Shiraz bid
Czech Republic company, Chemoprojekt, has been selected as engineering, procurement and construction contractor for a urea expansion project in Iran.... more
(02 May 2003 14:52)

Republicans Offer Chemical Plant Security Bill
White House and Senate Repub-licans have released draft legislation that would impose mandatory security requirements on the nation's chemical more
(02 May 2003 21:37)

Management In Brief
China Is PoisedFor Further M&A Activity Most regions experienced a downturn in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activities in 2002, but more
(02 May 2003 21:37)

Pharmaceutical in Brief
CORDIS Corp., a unit of Johnson & Johnson Company (J&J), has received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to market its Cypher more
(02 May 2003 21:37)

Petrochemicals In Brief
BTX May benzene contracts have reportedly settled at $1.25 per gallon, down 65c. versus April contracts. Spot prices for May delivery have been more
(02 May 2003 21:37)

Specialty Chemical Firms Post Mixed Results
The last batch of specialty chemical earnings is coming in mixed, reflecting pockets of strength in certain product areas amid high raw material more
(02 May 2003 21:37)

BASF, Sunoco Deal Reshuffles NA Plasticizers
BASF Corp.'s agreement to buy Sunoco Inc.'s plasticizers business will more than double BASF's position in plasticizers and will move BASF close to more
(02 May 2003 21:37)

Specialties Pricing
Baerlocher USA will be increasing the prices on all its liquid mixed metal stabilizers by 7 percent, effective May 15 or as contracts allow. Dow more
(02 May 2003 21:37)

BASF Posts Strong First Quarter Results; but Is Cautious for the New Year
BASF warned last week that a 7 percent rise in its group sales and a 15 percent increase in its operating profit before special items in the first more
(02 May 2003 21:37)

Rhodia's Jean-Pierre Tirouflet Survives Leadership Challenge
Jean-Pierre Tirou-flet, Rhodia's chairman and chief executive, has comfortably survived an attempt by discontented minority shareholders to topple more
(02 May 2003 21:37)

Inks Mark the Spot in Specialty Chemicals
Industrial inkjet, UV/EB curing and security applications are strong areas. Patricia Van Arnum reports. more
(02 May 2003 21:37)

Specialty Paper Chemicals Plagued by Price Pressures
Recent market lows in the US paper market put even greater pressure on the suppliers of specialty paper chemicals. Cynthia Challener reports. more
(02 May 2003 21:37)

Adding Value to the Mix in Plastics
Innovative products and services give plastics additives a boost as the market continues its recovery. Jennifer Markarian reports. more
(02 May 2003 21:37)

Technology Watch: Zinc-Air Fuel Cells
There is more than one kind of fuel cell. Hydrogen fuel cells dominate the public imagination, but the zinc-air fuel cell also has a promising more
(02 May 2003 21:37)

Water Treatment Companies Stay the Course By Adopting an Integrated Business Model
Water treatment has adapted to consolidation and maturing markets by developing new products and emphasizing services. Cynthia Challener reports. more
(02 May 2003 21:37)

Huazi to build first methanol facility
Baotou Huazi Industry plans to build its first methanol facility in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China, a company source told ACN more
(28 April 2003 13:01)

Shahid Tondguyan to start up 4 PET lines in 2 stages
Shahid Tondguyan Petrochemical plans to bring onstream two lines at its No1 PET project at the same time as its No1 PTA unit, and to start up two.... more
(28 April 2003 12:55)

Shanghai Wujing to add 50ktpa EA line
Shanghai Wujing Chemical plans to add a 50 000 tonne/year ethyl acetate (EA) line in Wujing, Shanghai, China, a company source told ACN more
(28 April 2003 12:58)

News in brief
Carbon black delay The Al-Zamil Group has delayed by one month, until June, the deadline for submission of revised bids for its 20 000.... more
(28 April 2003 13:01)

Will idea of Peni-Chandra Asri merger be revived?
Now that the Indika Group has acquired PE producer Petrokimia Nusantara Interindo (Peni) for US$50m more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

SK Corp may now help Global
SK Corp has apparently changed its position regarding financial support for the SK Group's trading arm, SK Global more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

Reliance goes big on gas and oil
Reliance Industries has drawn up an ambitious capital expenditure plan to boost its presence in the gas and oil exploration, telecom, refining and.... more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

Asahi Glass move to improve set-up
Asahi Glass is to set up two committees - a Nominations Committee and a Compensation Committee - at the end of June this year more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

Kolon to pay fine for missing sale target
Kolon Industrial has not been able to meet the twice-extended deadline for the sale of at least one of the two 3700 tonne/year nylon-film lines more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

Mitsubishi to set up R&TD company
Mitsubishi Chemical is to set up a research and technology development (R&TD) company on 1 July more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

Boost for Reliance
Reliance Industries' recent strategic alliance with DuPont on polyester products R&D would give the former access to archives of DuPont's past.... more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

Good growth in '02, but reforms still a must
Despite a 4% rise in GDP last year, the Philippines must solve the problems of a huge fiscal deficit, increasing debts, corruption and tax evasion,.... more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

Against all odds
Competition, an anomalous tariff structure, lack of integration and high costs of production threaten the survival of the plastics-processing.... more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

Oleochemical industry stuck in a rut
Feedstock production might be high, but coconut oil supply is under threat from urbanisation and competing applications. In addition, the industry.... more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

More fear than substance?
...maybe, but as John Richardson discovers with help from the ACN and ICIS-LOR teams, even if the danger has been overstated, the impact on the.... more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

Global roundup
Maruzen reduces C2 op rate to 90% 25 April. Maruzen Petrochemical has cut the operating rate of its 530 000 tonne/year cracker in Chiba,.... more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

Ethylene drops by $65-75
Asian C2 prices fell to US$395/tonne cfr SEA last week, US$65-75/tonne below previous business more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

Kumho to expand ABS line in Ulsan
Korea Kumho Petrochemical is planning to debottleneck its 60 000 tonne/year ABS line in Ulsan, South Korea more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

Poor polyester drags down PX and MX
Poor polyester markets in Asia pulled down prices of paraxylene (PX) and isomer-grade mixed xylenes (MX) more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

Plant shutdowns
Samsung General Chemicals last week shut its 600 000 tonne/year cracker in Daesan, South Korea, and downstream plants for a month-long.... more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

Sars, high inventories push n-butanol down
N-Butanol prices had fallen last week by as much as US$170/tonne cfr NEA/SEA from early March more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

Spot optical-grade PC shoots up to $1800-1850
Optical-grade polycarbonate (PC) spot prices were US$100-150/tonne higher last week than in February of this year as a result of higher feedstock.... more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

New projects summary
As reported in ACN 28 April 2003 Company Product Capacity Process Contractor Cost Startup Status.... more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

Hengyi ponders PTA in Ningbo
Zhejiang Hengyi Group is mulling the construction of a purified terephthalic acid (PTA) plant in Ningbo, Zhejiang, China more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

Kukdo mulls epoxy line No2 in Kunshan
Kukdo Chemical is studying doubling its epoxy resins capacity in Kunshan, China, to 40 000 tonne/year more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

Sichuan Jinlu starts caustic, PVC expansion
Sichuan Jinlu Group Co has started construction work on increasing its caustic soda and PVC capacities in Deyang, Sichuan, China more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

Jin Hua to seek govt nod on TDI
Jin Hua Chemical Group aims to seek the Chinese government's approval for a feasibility study on a 50 000 tonne/year toluene di-isocyanate (TDI).... more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

Formosa set for Taiwan No3 C2
The Formosa Plastics Group (FPG) is to build its 1m tonne/year No3 cracker in Mailiao, Taiwan, sources told ACN last week more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

UPC to start up PA plant and DOP line No2 in 2004
UPC Technology expects to start up a second dioctyl phthalate (DOP) line of 30 000 tonne/year and a 60 000 phthalic anhydride (PA) plant in June more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

PC venture shelved
Chi Mei and Asahi Kasei have postponed 'indefinitely' plans to expand their joint-venture polycarbonate (PC) plant in Tainan, Taiwan more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

Kumho mulls butadiene expansion
Korea Kumho Petrochemical is considering debottlenecking its 120 000 tonne/year butadiene plant in Yeochun, South Korea, to 170000 tonne/year more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

KMCI plans to hike MDI in Yeochun
Korea Kumho Mitsui Chemicals Inc (KMCI) plans either to double the capacity of its 50 000 tonne/year methyl di-p-phenylene isocyanate (MDI) plant more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

Yantai Wanhua MDI secures final nod
The Chinese government has approved Yantai Wanhua Polyurethanes' feasibility study on its 160 000 tonne/year methyl di-p-phenylene isocyanate (MDI).... more
(02 May 2003 14:31)

Xinjiang to set up gas-based chem park
The Xinjiang provincial government has approved the establishment of a chemical industrial zone in Shanshan, eastern Xinjiang, China more
(02 May 2003 14:31)