ECN-European Chemical News articles from September 2005

ECN-European Chemical News archives from September 2005

Katrina hits markets, but is there a silver lining? Major disruption to oil and gas supplies could hamper US economic growth for the rest of 2005. Petrochemical markets have reacted sharply, but price hikes could give producers a boost next year.(COMMENT)
September 5, 2005... HURRICANE KATRINA has had a huge impact on the US Gulf Coast, both physically and psychologically. Apart from the widespread human suffering and disruption to the pattern of daily life, the storm has shut down oil and gas production, refineries...

All change for Lanxess.(BUSINESS: Headlines)
September 5, 2005... LANXESS IS to close some smaller sites and consolidate unprofitable facilities in the US and Europe in a second restructuring that will involve the loss of about 450 jobs. The restructuring was announced at the end of August, together with...

Hydro upgrades Rafnes plant.(BUSINESS: Headlines)(Hydro Polymers)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... HYDRO POLYMERS, the petrochemical arm of Norsk Hydro, has plans for further investment in its operations in Qatar. Hydro has joint ownership of chlorine, caustic soda and VCM production facilities there, said divisional president Anders...

DuPont to team with Tate & Lyle.(BUSINESS: Headlines)
September 5, 2005... DUPONT AND Tate & Lyle, working in a joint venture (jv), have 50% completed a $100m plant that will convert maize into 1,3-propanediol (PDO). Construction began in July last year on the unit in Loudon, Tennessee, US, and is on-time and...

Investment plans show faith in PVC.(BUSINESS: Headlines)
September 5, 2005... THE SUCCESSFUL recapitalisation of German polyvinyl chloride (PVC) producer Vinnolit in late August, and unconfirmed news that private equity owner Advent International has put the company up for sale, may be signs that the industry's fortunes...

Boehringer tops A-list.(Boehringer Ingelheim Group listed as best german company)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... FOR THE fourth consecutive year, Boehringer Ingelheim finished at the top of the list of the best German companies to work for, compiled annually by VAA, the association of German of academic and managerial employees in the chemical and related...

Borealis warns of continued margin squeeze.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... The margin squeeze across the polyolefins industry is likely to continue into the third quarter, says John Taylor, chief executive of Borealis, the polyolefins joint venture now majority owned by Abu Dhabi's International Petroleum Investment...

Privatisation of Tupras group draws closer.(News Watch)
September 5, 2005... Several groups of international companies and local firms have been formed to bid for 51% of Turkish state oil refining and petrochemicals group Tupras. Final offers for the Tupras stake, valued at around $2bn, were due to be submitted by 2...

Dupont buys Rhodia's Isceon refrigerants.(News Watch)
September 5, 2005... Rhodia has completed the sale of its Isceon hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerant blends business to DuPont Refrigerants after all regulatory approvals were met. Isceon refrigerant blends are used as a replacement for ozone-depleting refrigerants...

Honeywell exits nylon carpet fibres business.(News Watch)
September 5, 2005... Honeywell will sell its US nylon carpet fibres business to Shaw Industries Group, part of Berkshire Hathaway, for an undisclosed sum. The firms also agreed a long-term supply deal which will see Honeywell supply Shaw with caprolactam and nylon...

Fipronil likely to get EU approval in 2006.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... BASF expects its controversial insecticide active ingredient fipronil to be approved for use throughout Europe by 2006, following conclusion of an EU safety review requested by the German group. The insecticide was banned in France in 2004 and...

Clariant takes over Bayer Agrochems plant.(News Watch)
September 5, 2005... Clariant's German subsidiary is taking over production of active ingredients for agrochemicals at Bayer's site in Frankfurt-Griesheim and integrating the business into its new spin-off, Clariant Specialty Fine Chemicals (Deutschland). The...

News barometer.(BUSINESS: Headlines)
September 5, 2005... Last week we asked our readers: Is energy pricing fair? Yes 35% No 65% This week's question: What proportion of cracker capacity being planned will come on stream in the future? ...

2 September 1985.(BUSINESS: Headlines)(BASF AG and Bayer Chemicals AG)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... The two West German petrochemical majors BASF and Bayer recorded strong growth in the first six months of 1985, despite a slowing in the US economy, which was expected to have a negative impact. BASF achieved a 37% advance in pre-tax...

Katrina could lead to US petchems peak in 2006.(BUSINESS: Headlines)
September 5, 2005... SURGING OIL and US natural gas prices were made worse by Hurricane Katrina last week, and companies in states close to Katrings landfall are likely to see their third quarter profits hit. Crude topped $70/bbl and natural gas touched $12/m Btu...

MMA price-fixing probe.(BUSINESS: Headlines)
September 5, 2005... THE EUROPEAN Commission is investigating Repsol, BASF, Arkema, Degussa, Lucite International and ICI over possible price-fixing and other anti-competitive behaviour in the European methylmethacrylate (MMA) market. All the firms said they...

Clariant to cut 1128 jobs in German overhaul.(BUSINESS: Headlines)(Clariant GmbH)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... CLARIANT HAS identified the potential to cut 1128 of its 7000 jobs in Germany and save 146m [euro] in overheads at the 11 production sites in the country. The cuts are part of the Clariant Performance Improvement Program announced in...

Celanese Corp reaches deal with hold-out shareholders.(BUSINESS: Headlines)
September 5, 2005... AN AGREEMENT between US-based Celanese Corp and Paulson & Co and Arnhold and S Bleichroeder Advisers, institutional investors with shares in Germany-based Celanese AG, will allow the Dallas, Texas, firm to gain direct control of its European...

TCG continues its fight with Indian oil.(The Chatterjee Group eyes stake of Haldia Petrochemicals)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... THE CHATTERJEE Group (TCG) will have to wait until at least the end of September to see if it can prevent Indian Oil gaining a 7.5% stake in Haldia Petrochemicals. TCG is trying to cancel a share allotment to Indian Oil, which it fears...

BASF buys east German nylon manufacturer.(BUSINESS: Headlines)
September 5, 2005... BASF IS to buy east German engineering plastics producer Leuna-Miramid for an undisclosed sum in a deal due to be completed in the fourth quarter. Leuna-Miramid employs about 140 people and has a production capacity of about 30 000...

ICL unveils sharp 57% profit rise.(BUSINESS: Headlines)(Israel Chemicals Ltd.)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... ISRAEL CHEMICALS (ICL) unveiled a 57% increase to $142.2m in second quarter operating profits driven by cost savings and higher product prices. The company managed to increase profits sharply, although prices of raw materials jumped and...

BP puts customers on allocation warning.(BUSINESS: Global roundup)
September 5, 2005... BP's Innovene is expecting to place customers of its damaged Chocolate Bayou, Texas, US, ethylene (C2) cracker plant on allocation in September or October The Olefins 2 cracker at the plant was damaged in a fire on 10 August. The company said...

Sud-Chemie rejects takeover offer.(BUSINESS: Global roundup)
September 5, 2005... Sud-Chemie's management has formally rejected a revised takeover offer by the New York-based venture capital group One Equity Partners (OEP). OEP failed to improve the 35[euro]/share bid price, which both the board and almost all minority...

Solvay in agreed Girindus BID.(BUSINESS: Global roundup)
September 5, 2005... Solvay has made an agreed bid for Girindus, a German speciality chemicals company, with acceptances from shareholders owning 70.43% of the firm. Solvay's offer, made in July, was 7 [euro]/share. valuing Girindus at around 45m [euro].

EU chemical new orders up in June.(European Union chemical contracts growth)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... New orders for chemicals and chemical products in the 25-member European Union rose by 2.8% in June compared with the same period last year, according to figures released by Eurostat. Growth in chemicals orders in the 12-memper eurozone was up...

Prime minister's aide quits over Unipetrol.(Unipetrol Nigeria Ltd. sale to PKN Orlen corruption case)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Allegations of corruption in the sale of Unipetrol to PKN Orlen have forced Zdenek Dolezel, head of the Czech prime minister's office, to resign from his position. The Czech government filed a criminal complaint against Dolezel and Polish...

SOCMA sells Informex to CMP FOR $4m.(Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association)(Informex trade show)(CMP Information)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... The Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association (SOCMA) has sold its Informex trade show to UK-based CMP Information for $24m. CMP Information, part of United Business Media, may take the US trade show globally, said SOEMA president...

PKN Orlen increases its offers for minority shares in unipetrol and subsidiaries.(News Watch)
September 5, 2005... PKN Orlen's revised its mandatory offer of Koruna 139/share (4.72 [euro]/ share/$5.83/share), up from Koruna 135/share, for minority shares in its Unipetrol acquisition have been accepted by the Czech Securities Commission. The Polish energy...

Dupont faces more lawsuits in Mississippi after cancer sufferer wins $15.5m in damages.(News Watch)
September 5, 2005... A Laurel, Mississippi jury has awarded $15.5m to a man who claimed his cancer was caused by chemical emissions from a DuPont chemical plant. The lawsuit alleged that DuPont released dioxins, arsenic, chromium and nickel from its DeLisle plant...

Hungary saves MOL for later sell off.(News Watch)
September 5, 2005... Hungary's government has shelved its plans to sell off the state's remaining 11.8% stake in oil, gas and petrochemicals group MOL by the end of the year because the state privatisation agency has already reached its revenue target according to...

Akzo Nobel pays to settle Remeron case in us.(News Watch)
September 5, 2005... Akzo Nobel has paid $75m to settle remaining claims in US anti-trust litigation over its anti-depressant drug Remeron. The settlement, by Akzo Nobel's US human healthcare business Organon was made with drug wholesalers which bought Remeron...

Basell launches no frills Alastian in US.(News Watch)
September 5, 2005... Basell is set to launch its Alastian web-based polyolefins business channel in North America on 1 October. Alastian is designed for polyolefins customers who are familiar with the polyolefin products they use and who require little or no...

South Africa's AECI sells water treatment stake to black-owned Tiso Group.(News Watch)
September 5, 2005... South African chemicals firm AECI has sold a 25.1% stake in its ImproChem water treatment to black-owned Tiso Group for Rand94m (12m [euro]/ $14.6m). ImproChem, a part of AEI's Chemical Services division, supplies products and services to the...

Little hope for improved Q3 VAM contracts.(vinyl acetate monomer market conditions)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... DISCUSSIONS ARE set to end soon for European third quarter (Q3) vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) contracts, with most producers expecting little change from Q2 levels. Some VAM buyers had anticipated a price drop after Q3 ethylene numbers plummeted,...

CIRFS enters textile fray.(MARKETS: Report)
September 5, 2005... COLIN PURVIS, director general of CIRFS, the European manmade fibres association, has thrown his organisation's support behind moves to retain the 10 June Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between China and the EU, limiting imports of certain...

Gas price gets blame for site closure.(MARKETS: Report)
September 5, 2005... METHANOL PRODUCER Methanex plans to close its Kitimat facility in British Columbia, Canada, in January 2006 because of soaring natural gas prices (see opposite). The Vancouver-based firm told staff last week it was no longer economically...

Market promises upturn.(caustic soda price hike)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... SEPTEMBER SHOULD herald an upturn for the European caustic soda market say producers. As the typically quiet summer period draws to a close, sellers are 'relatively optimistic' that the return of key players from their holidays should see...

US fertilisers up as feedstock soars.(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... DRY FERTILISER prices in the US are up by as much as 30% this year as a result of higher feedstock costs, according to one analyst. In New Orleans, Louisiana, where US ammonia is traded, prices jumped to $281/ tonne fob in August compared with...

Therminol price is up.(Solutia heat transfer fluid price hike)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Solutia has announced plans for a 5-7% price increase on some of its Theminol heat transfer fluids, including Therminol 55, 66, 72, VP-1, LT, XP and D-12. The hike will affect all orders shipped on or after 1 September, for non-contract...

Borsodchem fourth.(Markets Watch)
September 5, 2005... Hungary's BorsodChem is investigating the potential production of a fourth key material. Various products are being explored, although these have not yet been named. The company, which currently produces polyvinyl chloride, methylene diphenyl...

Russia drops duty.(Markets Watch)
September 5, 2005... Russia will drop the petrochemical products export duty on benzene, xylene, toluene and polyisobutylene (butyl rubber) from 20 September. The duty has amounted to $106.6/tonne since 1 August. Ethylene, propylene, butylene and butadiene are...

European price hikes.(Markets Watch)
September 5, 2005... From 1 September, BASF will raise European prices for its Terluran (ABS) and Luron (SAN) styrene polymers. The company says the 150 [euro]/tonne hike is needed because increased raw material and energy costs continue to erode margins on these...

Price-fixing hits Odfjell's Q2 earnings.(LOGISTICS & DISTRIBUTION)
September 5, 2005... SECOND QUARTER (Q2) earnings at Odfjell have been hit by a $24m provision for antitrust settlements. The money will go to customers affected by Odfjell's role in a price-fixing cartel. Net profits came in at $18m compared with $50m in Q1. ...

Azelis expands with Broste.(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... AZELIS HAS acquired Denmark-based distributor Broste in a move towards pan-European coverage. The deal is expected to take Azelis group sales to over 820m [euro] this year. Broste, with over 120m [euro] turnover, sells a range including:...

Traffic doubles from Eastern Europe.(hauliers traffic share)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... LORRY OPERATORS in the European Union accession states have doubled traffic volumes to the UK over the last year. Government statistics show that their share of traffic grew from 4% to 8%. The figures show that the biggest traffic volume...

Dutch port to add distribution centre.(LOGISTICS & DISTRIBUTION)
September 5, 2005... DAVID HART Property is building a 100 000[m.sub.2] distribution centre at Rotterdam port, the Netherlands. The centre, on Distripark Botlek, is near the core of the chemical cluster, adjacent to a specialised container terminal for inland...

Air Products to supply hydrogen to Joliet.(Exxon Mobil Oil hydrogen unit)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... AIR PRODUCTS has signed an agreement with Exxon Mobil Oil to build, own and operate an 18m [ft.sub.3]/day hydrogen unit adjacent to the Exxon Mobil Joliet refinery in Illinois, US. This integrated steam methane reformer and recovery system,...

Sumitomo affiliate to build MMA in Korea.(methyl methacrylate)(LG MMA monomer production plant)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... LG MMA, the South Korean affiliate of Sumitomo Chemical, has started constructing a 76 000 tonne/year methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer plant in Yeosu, Korea. Together with two existing plants, LG MMA's total MMA monomer production will rise to...

EIL beats competition to upgrade tank farm.(Engineers India management consultancy contract )(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... ABU DHABI Company for Onshore Oil Operations has awarded Engineers India (EIL) a project management consultancy (PMC) contract for a tank farm upgrade in Jebel Dhanna, Abu Dhabi, UAE. The engineering company beat off stiff competition to win...

Emerson process to streamline Huntsman.(NEW PROJECTS: Roundup)
September 5, 2005... EMERSON PROCESS Management has initiated an asset optimisation improvement program at Huntsman's plant in Rozenburg, near Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Huntsman is implementing a combination of planned and predictive maintenance using Emerson's...

PP prices will soar due to European tightness.(Markets Watch)
September 5, 2005... Basell hopes to raise European polypropylene (PP) prices by 70-90 [euro]/ tonne from 1 September. In a move thought to be without precedent in recent PP pricing history, the proposed price increase will differentiate between PP grades....

Aker Kvaerner ups capacity at Emmen facility.(Markets Watch)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Aker Kvaerner has increased capacity at Teijin Twaron's spinning facilities in Emmen, the Netherlands, more than four months ahead of schedule. Teijin Twaron is one of the world's largest producers of high performance fibres. The 5m [euro]...

Oxeno moves from MTBE into ETBE production.(Markets Watch)
September 5, 2005... Oxeno has closed its 220 000 tonne/year methyl tertiary butyl ether (HTBE) unit in Had, Germany, to convert it for the production of ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE). The conversion to 240 000 tonne/year of ETBE should be completed within a...

Maintenance for Huntsman's Port Neches plant.(Markets Watch)
September 5, 2005... A Huntsman subsidiary has temporarily shut down its Port Neches, Texas, polyolefin (PO)Imethyl tertiary butyl ether (HTBE) facility to carry out unscheduled maintenance. Huntsman said the shut down will last 48 days and noted that it expects it...

Dow raises VAM prices around the world.(Markets Watch)
September 5, 2005... Dow Chemical has announced a global price increase for vinyl acetate monomer (VAH) from 15 September. Dow will increase prices in Latin America by $100/tonne; in Asia-Pacific by $1001tonne; in Europe by 80 [euro]/ tonne; in the Middle East and...

Abbreviations and currency notes.(NEW PROJECTS: Roundup)
September 5, 2005... Prices contained in this magazine are obtained by ECN through consultation with producers, consumers and merchants across Europe. They are intended as a guide to price levels of recent business in Europe and reflect medium to large tonnage...

Solvay selects its sulphone project site.(NEW PROJECTS)
September 5, 2005... SOLVAY ADVANCED Polymers has chosen Marietta in Ohio, US, as the site for its $50m world-scale sulphone polymers plant (ECN 25 April). Construction will begin in the fourth quarter 2005 and be completed by the end of 2006. When fully...

SBC plant for LCYCIC.(NEW PROJECTS)
September 5, 2005... LEE CHANG Yung Chemical Industry Corp (LCYCIC) will build a styrenic block copolymers (SBC) plant in Daya Bay, Huizhou, Guangdong, China. The $40m unit will produce 100 000 tonne/year of SBC and related speciality elastomers. Commissioning...

Tank farm wins for CB&I.(NEW PROJECTS)
September 5, 2005... THE CONTRACTOR CB&I has been awarded two major lump-sum turnkey contracts to supply gas storage tanks. CB&I has received a $130m contract from Snamprogetti, as the prime EPC contractor, working for Abu Dhabi Gas Industries (GASCO), which...

BASF debottleneck for extra DMAPA.(NEW PROJECTS)
September 5, 2005... BASF WILL debottleneck its dimethylaminopropylamine (DMAPA) capacity in Ludwigshafen, Germany. A BASF construction team has begun work on the project, which will raise the capacity by 14 000 tonne/year to 35 000 tonne/year by the end of...

New 1m [euro] silo to solve raw material storage program.(NEW PROJECTS)
September 5, 2005... BASF Coatings has begun installing a new silo at its Munster-Hiltrup site, Germany, which will cost over 1m [euro] With a height of 20m and a diameter of 3m the silo will store 100[m.sup.3] of bisphenol A when completed in October. ...

Green light for BASF cracker.(NEW PROJECTS)
September 5, 2005... BASF HAS decided to proceed with an expansion of its naphtha cracker in Antwerp, Belgium. The 200m [euro] project will raise the ethylene capacity from 800 000 tonne/year to 1.08m tonne/year. BASF claims this will make it the largest...

Sharq signs deal.(NEW PROJECTS)
September 5, 2005... EASTERN PETROCHEMICAL Company (Sharq), a Sabic subsidiary, has signed a letter of intent with Foster Wheeler for the construction of utility units in Al-Jubail, Saudi Arabia. The engineering, procurement and construction contract is for...

Power performers: after years of mediocre results, 2004 marks a welcome change--an upturn in the fortunes of many chemical producers. Nigel Davis reviews the Top 100.(RESULTS: Top 100)
September 5, 2005... A YEAR of strong growth for the chemical industry was topped in 2004 by sharp profit increases for many producers. After the deep slump of recent years, the return to stronger profitability had to be welcome. Volume demand climbed for most...

Poised for profit? After a five-year start-up effort, transaction hub Elemica is about to pay its own way.(FEATURE: eBusiness)
September 5, 2005... AS A rising tide lifts all boats, so can a falling tide bring them down. Nobody knows better than Elemica, which was opening its doors when so many dotcoms were dosing theirs. Not long after the company launched in late 2000, so many investors...

Fostering innovation through new partnerships & business models.(Smart innovation series brought to you by Dow Corning)(Interview)
September 5, 2005... Spurring Innovation: in this dialogue, Thomas J. Pekich, President of Genencor, and Jean-Marc Gilson, Vice-President and General Manager of the Specialty Chemicals Business Unit at Dow Corning, consider ways to spur innovation through creative...

Creative cost-cutting: BASF's i-TCM system has reduced the company's equipment and engineering costs.(FEATURE: Plant design)
September 5, 2005... DESPITE TAKING into account a myriad of different technical parameters, traditional engineering designs for a new chemical plant do not always deliver the most economical solution or lowest overall cost process. In an attempt to overcome these...

BCDTA queries UK ideas.(British Chemical Distributors and Traders Association)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... THE BRITISH Chemical Distributors and Traders Association (BCDTA) has broadly welcomed the UK presidency's compromise proposals on Reach, but cautioned that in some areas the legislation was being made more complicated. The BCDTA was...

Japan forms HPV initiative.(High Production Volume chemicals information management)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... JAPAN'S MINISTRY of health, labour and welfare; the ministry of economy, trade and industry; and the ministry of environment are undertaking a programme to facilitate the collection of information on High Production Volume (HPV) chemicals. ...

ACSH claims carcinogen tests are 'junk science'.(American Council on Science and Health petition)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... THE AMERICAN Council on Science and Health (ACSH) has petitioned the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to eliminate what it calls 'junk science' from the processes used to determine if a substance is carcinogenic. The petition was filed...

Patagonia undresses to address recycling.(Environmental Watch)
September 5, 2005... Patagonia, a producer of outdoor garments and apparel, has linked up with Teijin to launch the 'Common Threads Recycling Programme' The programme asks Patagonia customers to return worn-out Capilene underwear to Patagonia to be recycled into...

Greener energy deal.(IFC-Netherlands Carbon Facility carbon credit agreement)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... The IFC-Netherlands Carbon Facility (INCaF), an initiative between the International Finance Corporation and the Dutch government, has signed agreements to purchase greenhouse gas emission reductions from renewable energy projects in Sri Lanka...

Only five implement recycling legislation.(ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS)
September 5, 2005... ONLY FIVE member states have told the European Commission that they have transposed into national legislation a European Union directive setting higher recycling and recovery targets for packaging waste. The Packaging Directive doubles...

Natureworks buy-back.(polylactic acid bottles recycling programs)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... NATUREWORKS has announced plans to establish a large-volume buy-back programme for post-consumer polylactic acid (PLA) bottles. The programme also provides an additional landfill waste dispersion option for PLA bottles. NatureWorks said...

US chemists find a safer route to stain resistance.(INNOVATION)
September 5, 2005... US CHEMISTS have developed an alternative way of making stain-resistant coatings that promises significantly to reduce contamination of the environment by the suspected carcinogen perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Used in the manufacture of...

Genetic vaccine boosts TB fight.(INNOVATION)
September 5, 2005... EFFORTS TO curb the rise of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis bacteria should be helped by the development of a more effective TB vaccine. The BCG vaccine is already available against TB, but fails to protect against pulmonary TB in adults--the...

Cost-cutting nanocatalyst.(QuantumSphere catalysts the nickel/ cobalt alloy )(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... AT ABOUT one-fifth of the cost of platinum powder, a nickel/ cobalt alloy developed by US company QuantumSphere, promises to offer an effective and much cheaper electrode for use in batteries and fuel cells, according to energy and battery...

Producers achieve summer hikes.(MARKETS: Plastics monitor)
September 5, 2005... IT HAS been a successful summer for European commodity producers, who on the whole managed to initiate another round of price hikes in August following increases in July. As in 2003, the traditional summer lull did not materialise, as a...

Prices soar in aftermath of US storm.(MARKETS: Trends)
September 5, 2005... Ethylene spot prices jumped to $930-950/ tonne cif NWE, although prices remain largely notional with no confirmed business at the higher levels. Numbers off the ARG pipeline have moved up to 760 [euro]/tonne, with a 3000-tonne parcel sold...

Cumene.(CHEMICAL PROFILE)
September 5, 2005... 5-11 September 2005 USES Cumene is used almost exclusively (about 98% of output) to make phenol and co-product acetone. Other uses are as a thinner for paints, lacquers and enamels, as a constituent of some petroleum-based solvents,...

London Metal Exchange (LME).(People on the move)
September 5, 2005... CHARLES STONEHILL an investment banker, has been appointed as a second independent director on the London Metal Exchange (LME) board. Stonehill's appointment will take effect from 1 September when he replaces John Poulter. The LME said...

Ciba Specialty Chemicals.(People on the move)
September 5, 2005... BRENDAN CUMMINS, Ciba Specialty Chemicals' head of plastics, has been named chief operating officer (coo) within the company's newly adapted executive committee. The operating executive committee will comprise the coo, the cfo and the four Ciba...

Giordano Righini.(People on the move)
September 5, 2005... GIORDANO RIGHINI, Ciba's head of business line coatings, will succeed Brendan Cummins as global head of the plastics additives business segment and also becomes a member of the executive committee. Righini is a chemist and joined Ciba in 1979....

Lyndon Cole.(People on the move)
September 5, 2005... LYNDON COLE, president of Ticona, the technical polymers business of US chemical giant Celanese, has added to his responsibilities leadership for the entire Asia region.