The ICIS contingent at last night's Chemical Industries Association (CIA) dinner has now recovered sufficiently to be able to string a few words together about the event...

A great time was had by all in the Great Room at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on Thursday evening at the CIA's annual dinner. The CIA had made something of a coup in attracting UK Business Secretary Lord Mandelson to speak. He was a little late and it was generally assumed that he had been involved in the horse trading which saw Baroness Ashton of Upholland (what a great title) become the EU's first High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy and Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy EU President. Mandelson had also been a potential UK candidate for the High Representative post.

He gave a good speech vowing support for the industry in innovation and skills while warning of the "huge challenge of decarbonising industrial chemistry." (Says chemical engineer Simon: "Just how we're going to do that in an industry based on organic chemistry is beyond me, but where there's a will and unlimited science budget there could be a way.")

Numbers were down, but that had to be expected given the dire year we've had. What was noticeable was that a lot of diners stayed in the Great Room to chat after the meal rather than dash off to company hospitality suites (of which there were pitifully few), and it only thinned out at close to 1.00 am.

The CIA used its most important gathering of the year to launch a new "blueprint" for UK chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing. The £60 billion industry helps support 600,000 jobs and makes a big positive contribution to the UK balance of trade and, the CIA feels, deserves wider recognition.

(Event coverage by Nigel Davis, Will Beacham, Simon Robinson, Franco Capaldo.)

Click here for ICIS news articles:

UK chemicals face total re-invention

UK chemical industry at risk - CIA

Truong Mellor, editor of the ICIS butanediol (BDO) report writes ...

In a petrochemical story unlikely to make the ICIS news website, the Australian media has reported that a high-ranking member of a Hells Angels motorcycle gang is facing serious drug charges.

It is alleged the gang has been involved in trafficking large amounts of 1,4-Butanediol between Sydney and Melbourne, which when ingested turns into liquid Ecstasy, also known as GHB.

A UK bus driver became allergic to his wife due to his reaction to polyethylene glycol, according to this article in the Telegraph.

He discovered his allergy when he was given a steroid injection containing polyethylene glycol to treat a problem with his foot. His face swelled up, his heart stopped and he had to be resuscitated.

Now he finds he comes out in a rash whenever he goes near his wife, since polyethylene glycol is a frequent ingredient in skincare products.

It's been a bad week for glycol stories in the press ...

Polyurethane swimsuits are again causing an uproar in the international world of swimming. The 50,000 members of U.S. Masters Swimming are divided over the neck-to-ankle polymer suits, and some members of the association are accusing their fellows of unfair propulsion and are pushing for a ban.

This follows the decision in July by the sport's ruling body, the Fédération Internationale de Natation, or the International Swimming Federation, known as FINA, that it would ban the suits as of January 2010 following pressure from coaches.

"The costume magically helps the wearer shed decades and seconds off the clock. The suits provide a kind of support that elite athletes never have to think about. They suck in nonaerodynamic paunches, flatten aging flab and bolster arthritic knees," according to an article in the Wall Street Journal.

(photo: Adidas)

Glycols are back in the news and not in a good way. I read at the weekend about cats being poisoned when they drink up glycol-based antifreeze in the streets. Keen chemical reporters who set up Google alerts on glycols find that they are regularly sent news items about accidental deaths and even murders. Last year the Blog was shown news of two murder cases involving ethylene glycol (MEG).

On the same theme, a colleague who was following the nylon market, found that she was constantly being alerted to news about people hanging themselves with nylon cord. And another reporter in the ICIS London office has had to stop receiving alerts after coming across some very unpleasant news articles on the use of Butanediol (BDO) as a date rape drug.

The Blog traded free tickets to the Goodwood Festival of Speed with Max Kingsley Jones, editor of  Commercial Aviation, in return for this posting on chemicals in Formula One racing ...

It may be a surprise to hear that among the many varied roles found within a Formula 1 Grand Prix racing team, there is one for a fully qualified doctorate of polymers and plastics.

At Renault F1 - based in Enstone near Oxford - that person's name is Dr Gary Hall and he is the Team's "composites scientist", says the team's operations director John Mardle.

With Formula 1 racing car designers having to obey three masters - regulation, weight and aerodynamics - it is not surprising that carbonfibre - thanks to its high strength and low weight properties - has long been a fundamental of car construction. It is used for everything from brakes and suspension parts to bodywork and heatshields.  

Chewing gum, yuk. The Blog is not a fan, especially open-mouthed chewing and filthy streets, but now a UK scientist has discovered a way to use polymer chemistry to make chewing gum that will not stick to pavements and shoes.

Prof Terence Cosgrove of Bristol University is listed as one of the Times' top 15 scientists tackling some of the world's most pressing problems, in the paper's glossy science supplement today.

"He has developed the idea that new polymers -- large molecules made up of repeated simple molecules -- could be made from existing polymers. He and his team have used this idea to make a polymer which can be added to chewing gum. Cosgrove says: "Chewing gum is oil based, the new polymer makes it capable of absorbing more water." He adds that this makes the gum degradable and it gives the chewing gum a lower energy surface, meaning that when it sticks to a surface it is easy to pull off. It is, he says, green because it is completely solvent free."

Chemical folk who were worrying that the NECA Winter Meeting at the Pierre in New York just wasn't glamorous enough, will be relieved to read that the hotel has just undergone a $100 million renovation of its rooms and public areas, under its new owners the Taj hotel group, according to a snippet which the Blog came across in the British Airways in-flight magazine on the flight home from EPCA.

Built in the 1930s, the refined Pierre is so under-stated that newcomers may have difficulty finding the entrance or even the lobby, let alone the ballroom set aside for the NECA lunch.

The Blog was very taken with this photo of another chemical reception in the Pierre for the Jackson Laboratory National Gala in September 2008. That centrepiece of chemical flasks would be just the thing to brighten up the NECA meeting.

(photo Rex)

Andy Brice from ICB has a few words to say on his newest campaign and blog ...

ICIS Chemical Business is almost a month in to its year-long Education and Recruitment Campaign, and it's already garnered widespread support from many leading trade associations and chemical producers.

It's no secret that the industry is facing a severe labour crisis and there's an urgent need to attract new recruits.

There's a wealth of opportunities for those wishing to pursue a career in chemicals but are students and graduates aware of them? What is your company doing to swell your ranks and how are you reaching out to bright, young talent?

If you fancy sharing news, views or concerns, why not join our online web forum, ICIS connect. http://www.icis.com/icisconnect/groups/recruitment-campaign/default.aspx. There you can take part in discussions, upload videos and documents, and help to address this key issue.

ICIS Chemical Business will be running a series of articles over the coming months - (all ideas and contributions are welcome - email andy.brice@icis.com) and a blog has been launched to highlight the industry's efforts. http://www.icis.com/blogs/recruitment-campaign/

The labour shortage isn't going to go away, so take a moment to share your views. The chemical industry needs YOU!