April 2009 Archives

ICIS reporter Shelley Kerr was lucky enough to attend the recent "Newstone Winter Event" hosted by the brokerage at the ski resort of Engelberg in Switzerland ....

"Attendees were treated to a boozy buffet lunch before being escorted in horse drawn carriages to the slopes where they were to sample air boarding to the sound of the alpine horn (she writes).

For those not in the know, air boarding involves flinging yourself headfirst down a ski slope on a miniature air bed at high speed...needless to say much fun was had by all!

Newstone's team scooped up the awards, with Joelle Kastler winning the slalom crown. Meanwhile, Jeffrey Kellerman sustained the award for most injuries after taking down a slalom pole and later hitting his head on the restaurant's ceiling when the group retired for some après-ski.

After some pre and post dinner entertainment those that still had the stamina danced until the small hours...Good food, good wine, good entertainment and great company...what more could you ask for?"

The next EPL (European Petrochemical Luncheon) is scheduled for 25 June 2009 at the Westin Palace Hotel in Madrid.

The cocktail party will be sponsored by Tricon Energy.

Registration will close on 19 June. The guest speaker will be the American comedian, Ruby Wax.

The following EPLs are planned for:

3 September 2009 - EPL Lunch in Brussels

10 December 2009 - EPL Dinner in Brussels 

How insidious sporting metaphors are as they sneak unremarked into our corporate-speak.

• how to stand up and sit down in quick succesision
• how to shout and swear in front of children
• how to be highly partisan but still make small talk with the enemy
• and how to wave a flag without poking someone's eye out.

•  any meat from any stand, even Deathburgers, smells DELICIOUS
• any song is invested with great emotion and poignancy if sung in the open-air by enough people (so long as they don't fluff the words.)

If you thought that the whitening pigment titanium dioxide (TiO2) was just for paint, coatings and plastics, you might want to think again.

Take an 'extra close' look at the ingredients the next time you're gnawing away on your chewing gum. Most contain the E number 'E171', or food grade TiO2. Because the mineral titanium is biologically inert, it is neither harmful or beneficial to us, making it ideal for whitening gum, medication coatings and other foods.

To get a brighter, whiter smile you're best to opt for a toothpaste with plenty of whitening TiO2. The pigment has also increasingly found its way into new, high tech dental bleaching kits as a photo catalyst. Using more TiO2 decreases the amount of hydrogen peroxide necessary in whitening kits to achieve the same effect, eliminating many side effects, such as tooth and gum sensitivity.

Helping us win in the battle against the bulge, you'll also find TiO2 in skimmed milk. Studies have shown that on top of adding opacity and colour, the palatability of skimmed milk is also improved when TiO2 is added.

Because you're worth it, more and more cosmetic companies are now using TiO2 for 'mineral based' make-up, a fast growing sector of the cosmetics industry as more consumers opt for natural ingredients over those with chemical bases. This same mineral base also finds its way into tattoo pigments.

Want a glowing tan? The latest sunscreen technology contains TiO2 nano-particles, making it ideal for reflecting the suns harmful UV rays, while avoiding that annoying, streaky application that takes too long to sink in.

Let it snow... Film and television companies can use TiO2 as a substitute for fake snow when filming scenes that require a winter setting.

And finally, TiO2 can be used in pet food to as an additive to improve colour and texture (probably more for the owners feeding their beloved animals rather than the pets themselves). However, while dogs are seemingly unfussy, studies have shown that discerning cats prefer the taste of their meal when it has a hint of TiO2 - bon appetite!

My colleague Stephen Burns, managing editor of ICIS Houston, has compiled a short video of some of the conference activity in the ICIS suite and beyond, on the sidelines of the 2009 NPRA conference in San Antonio. 

My fellow ICIS blogger Doris has a great posting on the new washable men's business suit made from Teijin's Eco-A-Wear fabric, on her Green Chemicals blog:

"The fabric is composed of 54% recycled polyester, 42% wool and 4% stretched spandex. Teijin's recycled polyester by the way is made from used polyethylene terephtalate (PET) bottles. According to them it took 25 2-litre bottles to make one suit ....

And since it's washable, Teijin emphasized that there is no need to dryclean them which is a big plus in saving money and reducing the use of perchloroethylene."

There's more persecution from LinkedIn on Tuesday morning at NPRA when Andy and I both get LinkedIn requests from a former Russian employee who has sent us an "invitation to connect." At first sight, says Andy, the email with its smiling photo looks like it's for Russian mail-order brides.

I'm already being pursued via LinkedIn by another former contact to provide an online testimonial, and every few days by LinkedIn's "TripIt" to tell everyone on LinkedIn about my travel plans. I feel aggrieved because I didn't want to join in the first place, but it was the only way to write a testimonial for Paul Streeter.

Click here for more wingeing about LinkedIn.

Mikhail Gorbachev's speech to the NPRA Luncheon on Tuesday, in the Ballroom of the main conference hotel, the new Grand Hyatt, was attended by around 600 delegates.

I wasn't there myself but I was leaving for the airport just as everyone was piling in to the hotel for the 11 am start to the lunch event. It was the busiest I had seen the lobby all conference.

I crossed the road with my friend Kevin, who said that he saw Mr Gorbachev in the hotel that morning, and went up and shook his hand and gave him a business card.

"You never know when he might want to buy some benzene," said Kevin hopefully.

Press delegates to the conference were allowed in to sit at the back of the room after the lunch had been served and cameras were strictly forbidden.

Delegates commented that the speech was vague on specifics and not helped by Gorbachev speaking over the translator.

I was sorry to miss it. Two of the recent NPRA Luncheon speakers - Gen Colin Powell and John Major - were really excellent.

Click here to see Stephen Burns' full article on Gorbachev's speech on ICIS news.