NEWS CAPSULE

23 October 2000 00:00  [Source: ICB Americas]

Ban Sought for PPA

A Food and Drug Administration panel is recommending that phenylpro-panolamine (PPA, also called nore-phedrine), a common ingredient in decongestants and appetite suppressants, be removed from OTC products on the basis of a Yale study indicating that it may increase the risk of stroke in young women. Producers of PPA include Knoll AG (Germany), Alps Pharmaceutical Ind. Co., Tanabe Seiyaku Co. (Japan), Cheng Fong Chemical Co. (Taiwan) and Shanghai Huaihai Pharmaceutical (China).

BFGoodrich Idles Capacity

BFGoodrich Performance Materials will stop producing benzothiazole disulfide rubber vulcanization accelerator. Production at its Henry, Ill., plant will cease on December 31 or sooner, depending on market conditions.

Wacker Ups Custom Synthesis

Wacker-Chemie GmbH is investing DM2 million ($866,000) in a new cryogenic reactor for fine chemicals. The unit will allow reactions to be performed at temperatures as low as -100 degrees Celsius. The reactor is scheduled to start up next July.

Dow Buys Out Auto JV

Dow Chemical Company, through its Dow Automotive unit, has agreed to buy the 50 percent interest in Gurit-Essex AG it did not previously own from partner Gurit-Heberlein AG. Girit-Essex is the largest European supplier of auto adhesives and sealants for the auto OEM and aftermarket.

Agrium Gets Regulatory Nod

Agrium Inc. has received approval from a Buenos Aires provincial regulatory agency to start up the urea plant of Profertil SA, Agrium's 50-50 JV with YPF in Bahia Blanca, Argentina. Agrium is also continuing to investigate the cause of a tank failure at its Conda, Ida., phosphate plant on October 3. The earliest restart would be in December.

Albemarle Expands Biocides

Albemarle Corporation has expanded the availability of Stabrom liquid stabilized bromine biocide to all 50 states, as well as new international locations including Europe.

PolymerAdditives.Com Launch

Albemarle Corporation, Cytec Industries Inc. and GE Specialty Chemicals Inc. have launched their new business-to-business (B2B) Internet joint venture PolymerAdditives.com LLC. The initiative was announced last July.

Roche Plans Vitamin E Plant

Roche's vitamins and fine chemicals division plans to build a manufacturing plant for vitamin E in Sisseln, Switzerland. The facility, an investment of SFr 170 million ($95 million), will have a capacity of 25,000 tons.

Sinopec Lists on NYSE

China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange on October 18. Sinopec offered around 167.8 million ADRs (American Depository Receipts) at $20.645. Shares ended the day up 10 cents to $20.75.

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