Chemical Business Newsbase articles from August 2001, page 4

Chemical Business Newsbase archives from August 2001

NACHRICHTEN FUER AUSSENHANDEL: Pharmaceuticals in France. Pharmacies have actual monopoly. Changes in the distribution of parapharmaceuticals.
August 30, 2001... Traditional distribution channels of parapharmaceuticals in France are changing. Prior to this, expensive brands were available exclusively in perfumeries and pharmacies and cheaper products were sold by supermarkets. ...

NACHRICHTEN FUER AUSSENHANDEL: Chemical industry in the Russian Federation. Zimmer builds new polyester plant.
August 30, 2001... German company Zimmer AG in Frankfurt (part of mg technologies ag) received a contract by Austrian company Petrochemical Holding AG in Vienna. Zimmer will supply a discontinuous plant for the manufacture of polyester granulate for...

NACHRICHTEN FUER AUSSENHANDEL: Merck sells shareholding in generic drugs manufacturer PRI.
August 30, 2001... German Merck KGaA in Darmstadt sold its minority shareholding in US generic drugs manufacturer Pharmaceutical Resources Inc (PRI) for more than EUR 400 M. The shares will be acquired by a group of private investors. Original text in...

NACHRICHTEN FUER AUSSENHANDEL: Chemical industry in Russia. Sibur plans to build polyethylene factory.
August 30, 2001... Petrochemicals company Sibur (Siberia-Ural) in Russia and its subsidiary Sibur-Neftechim signed a contract and licence agreement with Swiss company Basell and Italian company Tecnimont in Milan regarding the construction of a polyethylene...

NACHRICHTEN FUER AUSSENHANDEL: Chemical industry in Kazakhstan. Chemicals factory to be auctioned off.
August 30, 2001... The administration of the Rawlodar Region in Kazakhstan decided to auction off 60% of shares in chemicals factory Pawlodar to save the company from bankruptcy. The new investor is expected to rehabilitate the financial situation of the...

THE STAR (MALAYSIA): Pharmvision taps into IBM e-Incubatee to offer solution.
August 30, 2001... In Malaysia, Pharmvision Ventures Sdn Bhd will produce a world-class pervasive e-procurement solution for the pharmaceutical industry using IBM's e-Incubatee to access IBM's technology. Pharmvision has 350 direct pharmaceutical customers...

ASIAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Light at the end of the tunnel for Orica?
August 30, 2001... The Australian explosives, fertilisers and plastics producer Orica is anticipating a better performance in the next financial year after a poor performance in recent months. In Jul 2001, the company's chief executive officer/managing...

ASIAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Orica: disappointing financial results since 1997.
August 30, 2001... For the period Oct 2000 - Mar 2001, the Australian explosives, fertilisers and plastics producer Orica reported net profits of A$49.4 M, 51% lower than for Oct 1999 - Mar 2000. For the year ending 30 Sep 2001, Orica has issued a revised...

ASIAN CHEMICAL NEWS: A tale of two climates: no recovery for Asian petrochemicals.
August 30, 2001... During 2001, the expected recovery in the Asian petrochemicals sector has not appeared. This is due to global economic problems and political instability in South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia. Bank restructuring and...

ASIAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Glowing with confidence: Iranian petrochemicals receive foreign investment.
August 30, 2001... An overview of Iran's petrochemicals sector is presented. There is significant Japanese involvement in the industry, with respect to financing and engineering/procurement activities. The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC)...

ASIAN CHEMICAL NEWS: China: boom amid the gloom.
August 30, 2001... China is highlighted as having the best prospects for the Asian petrochemicals sector. Targets in the country's tenth 5- year plan include plans to raise ethylene capacity to 9 M tonne/y by 2005, making China 60% self sufficient. ...

ASIAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Huntsman set for China titanium dioxide.
August 30, 2001... A 100,000 tonne/y titanium dioxide facility will be constructed in China by Huntsman. The company plans to open a 50,000 tonne/y unit in 2006, followed subsequently by a second 50,000 tonne/y unit. The exact location has yet to be...

ASIAN CHEMICAL NEWS: India NH3 study to be revived.
August 30, 2001... The viability of an ammonia-urea plant, first considered by Krishak Bharati Cooperative (Kribhco) and Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (Iffco) in 2000, is to be evaluated further. The facilities, with the capacity to produce 511,500...

ASIAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Indo Rama polyester: new site?
August 30, 2001... Plans by Indo Rama Synthetics (India) to open a 300,000 tonne/y polyester facility in Karnataka, India, by 2003 have been changed. The capacity will be lowered to 16,500 tonne/y of partially oriented yarn and 148,000 tonne/y of polyester...

ASIAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Sanyo planning expansions in Japan.
August 30, 2001... By 1H 2002, styrenic acrylic toner resins capacity will have been raised by 2500 tonne/y to 4500 tonne/y at Sanyo Chemical Industry's facilities in Kashima, Japan. The company may also add 10,000 tonne/y of super-absorbent polymer...

ASIAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Taiwan chemicals hail bid to ease curbs.
August 30, 2001... In Aug 2001, Thailand's National Economic Development Advisory Council recommended that the government removed the $50 M limit placed on investments in China. Companies intending to invest in China would still need to obtain official...

ASIAN CHEMICAL NEWS: ICIIC invites partners for LAB.
August 30, 2001... In Iran, a 50,000 tonne/y linear alkyl benzene (LAB) complex is being planned by Iran Chemical Industries Investment Co (ICIIC). The facilities will be located in either Bandar Bushehr or Bandar Abbas, and start-up is expected in 2005....

ASIAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Fajr utilities centre ready in early Dec.
August 30, 2001... Plans by Amir Kabur Petrochemical to open a 140,000 tonne/y HDPE facility in Bandar Imam, Iran, have been delayed by five months, due to a lack of utilities. Originally, the plant had been due to open in Sep 2001, with utilities...

ASIAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Methanol Aust: mid-2002 nod?
August 30, 2001... In Australia, approval is being sought by Methanol Australia for a A$2 bn methanol complex. The facilities will be built in two phases, with one 5000 tonne/day plant opening by the end of 2006 and a second 5000 tonne/day plant...

ASIAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Amig + Vogl progress with Orissa chem complex.
August 30, 2001... The latest developments for the planned energy and chemicals complex in Gopalpir, Orissa, India, are reported. The project is owned by Vavasi Oil & Gas Ltd (Vogl) and Al-Mahal International Group (Amig). The companies are devising a...

ASIAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Bayer reviews PC.
August 30, 2001... Plans by Bayer to raise polycarbonate capacity at facilities in Thailand should have been realised by 2004. The company had originally expected to add 100,000 tonne/y of new capacity at its 250,000 tonne/y plant by 2005.

ASIAN CHEMICAL NEWS: C2 shutdowns depress naphtha.
August 30, 2001... Several Asian crackers are due to be taken off-line for maintenance projects in 3Q 2001, adversely affecting naphtha demand. The facilities include those of Formosa Petrochemical (450,000 tonne/y, 40 days off-line in Sep and Oct); Honam...

ASIAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Restart delayed for urea plants.
August 30, 2001... 1.1 M tonne/y of urea capacity at facilities owned by Pupuk Iskandar Muda and Asean Aceh Fertilisers are due to come back on line in Sep 2001, slightly later than expected. The delay is due to problems with LNG supplies.

BIOTECHNOLOGY BUSINESS NEWS: UK to modernise generics supply.
August 30, 2001... The Department of Health in UK is to modernise supply of generic pharmaceuticals and has given companies and other interested parties until 22 Oct 2001 to make comment on plans to include statutory price control and central purchasing. ...

BIOTECHNOLOGY BUSINESS NEWS: Transgene losses grow.
August 30, 2001... Transgene, the French gene therapy company, recorded net loss of EUR 5.5 M ($4.9 M) for 2Q 2001 compared to net loss of EUR 3.9 M for 2Q 2000. Revenues for 2Q 2001 totalled EUR 0.2 M compared to 2Q 2000 revenues of EUR 1.7 M. The...

BIOTECHNOLOGY BUSINESS NEWS: Abbott Laboratories becomes big player in Hungarian market.
August 30, 2001... Abbot Laboratories following its merger with Knoll of Germany is set to become on of the top ten pharmaceutical companies in Hungary with forecast annual turnover of $26.8 M. Abbott Laboratories acquired Knoll for $6.9 bn in Mar 2001 and...

BIOTECHNOLOGY BUSINESS NEWS: Russian region aims to develop pharmaceutical industry.
August 30, 2001... Russia is to spend Roubles 608 M ($14.5 M to develop the pharmaceutical industry in the Sverslovsk region over 2001-2005. The five-year plan with include Roubles 31 M from the regional budget, Roubles 230 M by way of loans and Roubles 347...

BIOTECHNOLOGY BUSINESS NEWS: Barr ships generic Prozac to Eli Lilly's chagrin.
August 30, 2001... Following the recent US expiry of Eli Lilly patents on Prozac fluoxetine antidepressant Barr Laboratories has started marketing and distributing a generic version of the drug in North America. Other cheaper generic version of fluoxetine...

BIOTECHNOLOGY BUSINESS NEWS: Safety concerns hold up nasal spray flu vaccine.
August 30, 2001... The US Food and Drug Administration has delayed its approval of Aviron's FluMist nasal spray vaccine pending the clarification of some manufacturing issues and conduct of further studies on interaction with other vaccines and its suitability...

BIOTECHNOLOGY BUSINESS NEWS: Non-trademark drugs a big seller.
August 30, 2001... US companies Ivax Corporation of Florida and Mylan Laboratories of Pennsylvania have reported increased 2Q 2001 sales as a result of US doctors changing their prescribing of cancer and anti-anxiety drugs to cheaper nontrademark products. ...

BIOTECHNOLOGY BUSINESS NEWS: GlaxoSmithKline terminates Biota partnership.
August 30, 2001... GlaxoSmithKline has terminated its influenza treatment development partnership with Biota of Australia. Biota's share price has gone down considerably with the growing realisation that Relenza zanamivir flu treatment is unlikely to reach...

BIOTECHNOLOGY BUSINESS NEWS: Faulding sees record surge in profits.
August 30, 2001... Faulding of Australia had record 35% increased net profit of A$106 M for its financial year ending in Jun 2001 mainly due to the strong performance of its US generics subsidiary Purepac. Revenues for 2000-2001 increased 17.5% to A$2.73...

BIOTECHNOLOGY BUSINESS NEWS: US pharma shows strong growth in 2Q 2001.
August 30, 2001... This article reviews the performance of the main US pharmaceutical companies during 2Q 2001. Eli Lilly increased its net income from $666.2 M in 2Q 2000 to $827.7 M in 2Q 2001 with sales increased 16% to $3.03 bn. Johnson & Johnson...

BIOTECHNOLOGY BUSINESS NEWS: US sales drive forward growth of GlaxoSmithKline.
August 30, 2001... GlaxoSmithKline recorded 12% increased 2Q 2001 sales of GBP4.32 bn of which business in USA accounted for GBP2.3 bn. The antiasthmatic Seretide/Advair had sales of GBP71 M for its first twelve weeks on the US market. Sales in Europe...

BIOTECHNOLOGY BUSINESS NEWS: GlaxoSmithKline takes an exceptional $436 M charge on Affymax spin-off.
August 30, 2001... GlaxoSmithKline is to incur an exceptional charge of $436 M (GBP305 M) through the sale of its California-based Affymax drug discovery subsidiary to Affymax Inc. which is a new company formed by a capital venture syndicate headed by Patricof...

BIOTECHNOLOGY BUSINESS NEWS: Richter profits for 2Q 2001.
August 30, 2001... Richter Gedeon of Hungary increased its profits 52% during 2Q 2001. Net income increased from Forints 4.2 bn in 2Q 2000 to Forints 6.4 bn ($23 M) in 2Q 2001 with sales increased 35% to Forints 23.8 bn. Net profit for 1H 2001 increased...

BIOTECHNOLOGY BUSINESS NEWS: Novartis licenses diabetes drug.
August 30, 2001... Novartis has acquired exclusive US rights to DRF-2725 (NN622) a diabetes drug originally developed by Dr Reddys Laboratories of India and already licensed to Novo Nordisk of Denmark. As well as controlling blood sugar levels DRF-2725 has...

BIOTECHNOLOGY BUSINESS NEWS: Zocor slowdown due to stockpiling, says Merck.
August 30, 2001... Merck has reported a slowing of 2Q 2001 sales of its Zocor simvastatin cholesterol lowering drug which it attributes partly to wholesaler stockpiling during 1Q 2001. Sales of Zocor increased 5% to $1.36 bn during 2Q 2001. Wholesaler...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Arnaud, France, and Novorchem DistribuzioneArnaud, Novorchem merger.
August 30, 2001... The distribution companies Groupe Arnaud, France, and Novorchem Distribuzione, Italy, have merged under a holding company Azelis, Luxembourg, which now holds 100% of the shares of both companies. The merger costing EUR 90 M ($80.6 M) was...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Copenhagen acquires Armada.
August 30, 2001... Copenhagen Tankers Group, has acquired the Armada Group, with completion on 31 Aug 2001. This increases the size of Copenhagen's fleet of ocean going chemicals vessels by 33% and provides extra stainless steel tanks. Armada has 11...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Exel/Rhodia deal.
August 30, 2001... Exel and Rhodia have agreed a 4-year logistics and distribution contract, in which Exel will provide for all Rhodia's bulk liquid logistics, management of distribution in the UK and inbound raw materials from national ports. It will also...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Exclusive agent: Carbotech/Newport Chemicals.
August 30, 2001... Carbotech has named Newport Chemicals as its exclusive agent for ammonium, potassium and sodium thiocyanates as solids and in solution to the UK, Ireland and Southeast Asia. Newport is a subsidiary of Megachem, Singapore.

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Ukrainian port.
August 30, 2001... The $10 M Nikolayev Kaliyny terminal is to open in mid Aug 2001. This is a private port near Nikolayev on the Black Sea, Ukraine, with a capacity to handle 600,000 tonnes/y potassium. This has a 330 m quay with a waterfront depth of...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Germany wavers. [1 figure, 2 tables].
August 30, 2001... The possibility of recession in Germany is discussed. Germany is the largest producer of chemicals in Europe and accounts for 24% of total chemical sales in the EU. A graph from VCI gives Long-term development of chemical production...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Value for money?: propane feedstock. [2 graphs].
August 30, 2001... The competitiveness of propane as a cracker feedstock in Saudi Arabia is discussed. A 30% discount is available in Saudi Arabia for using propane as a feedstock for petrochemicals. The author claims this is not a competitive...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: ACC backs bill: on energy in USA.
August 30, 2001... The House of Representatives, USA, has passed an energy bill. The American Chemistry Council has welcomed this bill which would benefit the USA and the chemical industry. It has asked the Senate to pass similar legislation.

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: 'Green' report causes stir.
August 30, 2001... A report has been published by the European Parliament rapporteur on the White Paper entitled Future Chemicals Policy. The report is written from a very green point of view. If implemented it would make the European chemical industry...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Targets set for trading scheme: for emissions in UK.
August 30, 2001... The UK government set up an economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme in mid Aug 2001. The scheme is expected to reduce emissions by 2 M tonne/y by 2010 with prospects for new investment and jobs. The government will...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Prozac rivals hit the market.
August 30, 2001... A US court has declared a patent invalid which protected the Eli Lilly drug Prozac (fluoxetine hydrochloride) up to Dec 2003. The FDA, USA, has approved generic versions. Barr Laboratories started with a 20 mg capsule on 2 Aug 2001...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Xenova GBP75 M deal to develop cancer drug: Phogen vaccines.
August 30, 2001... Xenova has a joint venture company Phogen, which has entered an exclusive global agreement with Genencor International, Palo Alto, CA, USA, to apply the Phogen VP22 technology to develop specific therapeutic viral vaccines. This could...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Xenova GBP75 M deal to develop cancer drug.
August 30, 2001... Xenova has entered two agreements which will make up to GBP90 M ($126 M). It has signed a GBP75 M contract with QLT, Vancouver, Canada, for QLT to develop the Xenova multi-drug resistance (MDR) modulator XR9576 which treats MDR in...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Bayer unit ready: for drug research in USA.
August 30, 2001... Bayer has finished the expansion of its drug research facility in West Haven, CT, USA. With an area of 11,600 square metres and 35 laboratories, the chemistry building has cost $53 M for 125 scientists to research new compounds to treat...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Henkel starts R&D ventures.
August 30, 2001... Henkel, Germany, is to jointly develop new enzymes for laundry and home care products with Proteus, France. Henkel has also established a joint biotechnology research company Phenion with the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt,...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: BASF donates labs to university: in Nottingham, UK.
August 30, 2001... BASF intends to give its former research laboratories in Nottingham, UK, to Nottingham Trent University, (NTU) to set up a science innovation centre for biomedical research. This donation, worth more than GBP4 M ($5.7 M), will be among...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Germans seek route to Taxol.
August 30, 2001... Taxol a cytostatic is obtained from the bark of the yew tree in small quantities. The Berlin Technical University, German, and outside research institutes are to develop a fast and inexpensive route from the needles of the tree. ...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Extra drug projects: for Aventis and Millennium.
August 30, 2001... Aventis Pharmaceuticals and Millennium Pharmaceuticals have added 11 drug discovery projects to their joint development programme. These concentrate on chemokine receptors, kinases and integrins which are aiming at small molecule drugs...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Urea licensor and urea technology: for plant in Qatar.
August 30, 2001... Qatar Fertiliser Co (Qafco), a 75:25 joint venture between Qatar General Petroleum and Norsk Hydro, is to build a 3200 tonnes/day urea plant in Messaieed, Qatar for completion in 2003. This plant will use the Urea 2000plus pool condenser...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Second HAFB expansion; by BASF.
August 30, 2001... BASF is to expand its hydroxylamines free base (HAFB) capacity by 1300 tonnes/y at Ludwigshafen, Germany, to 7000 tonnes/y by Oct 2001. This is calculated as 50% solution. An expansion of 1700 tonnes/y was finished in Feb 2001.

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Plenty River makes progress: on ammonia/urea in Australia.
August 30, 2001... Plenty River Corp, Australia, has made progress in negotiations with several companies for its ammonia/urea project on the Barrup Peninsula, Western Australia. Earlier Chambal Fertilisers, India, withdrew from its memorandum of...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Enerchem to invest $5.9 M for solvents in Canada.
August 30, 2001... Enerchem International, Canada, is building a new $5.9 M fractionation facility for making solvents in the Slave Lake area, AB, Canada, to start operating by the end of Nov 2001. On present prices the unit will make solvents with gross...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Coagulant plant to be built in Ukraine: for water treatment.
August 30, 2001... Sumykhimprom, Ukraine, is to build a plant for iron-based coagulants for water treatment in Sumy, Ukraine, with start up expected in mid 2002. Kemwater, part of Kemira, will supply know-how for basic engineering, production processes and...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Urea technology: from Stamicarbon in Iran and China.
August 30, 2001... Since the beginning of 2001, the Stamicarbon Urea 2000plus technology has been used in Iran to build a 1.07 M tonnes/y urea plant for NPC and in China to build a 891,000 tonnes/y plant for CNOOC, China. Stamicarbon is the licensing...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Capacity to rise: calcium cyanamide in China.
August 30, 2001... Darong Chemicals, China, is to increase its calcium cyanamide capacity at Shizuishan City, China, from 50,000 tonnes/y to 150,000 tonnes/y. The International Finance Corp has reviewed the environmental impact of the project. This...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: CEL wins contract: for monochloroacetic acid in China.
August 30, 2001... Akzo Nobel is to invest $20 M in a monochloroacetic acid plant in Taixing, China, using CEL International as contractor for project management. This should be completed in early 2002

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: CEL wins contract: for Sevelamer in UK.
August 30, 2001... Genzyme is to invest $18.6 M in a Sevelamer plant in Suffolk, UK, using CEL International as contractor for the second time. This product is used in Genzyme's phosphate binder.

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: 'Film line 9' deal: for Mitsubishi Polyester Film in USA.
August 30, 2001... Mitsubishi Polyester Film is to expand its 'Film line 9' by 20,000 tonnes/y in Greer, SC, USA, using Jacobs Engineering as the construction contractor, for completion in 1Q 2003. In 2000 Jacobs was awarded the contracts for basic...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Technip revenue up: 1H 2001.
August 30, 2001... Technip, France, the contractor, achieved revenues of EUR 1.47 bn ($1.32 bn) for 1H 2001, which was an increase of 9.5% compared with 1H 2000.

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Bayer boosts PC capacity in China.
August 30, 2001... Bayer has established a 90:10 joint venture, Bayer Polymers Shanghai Co, with Shanghai Chlor Alkali Chemical to construct a $450 M Makrolon polycarbonates (PC) plant in the Shanghai Chemical Industrial Park, Caojing, China in two stages. ...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Bayer boosts PC capacity: in Thailand.
August 30, 2001... Bayer is constructing a 250,000 tonnes/y polycarbonates (PC) plant on its site in Mab Ta Phut, Thailand, coming on stream by 2004. The timing for increasing the capacity to 350,000 tonnes/y depends on the market. The company is...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Dow, BASF enter second phase: for ethylbenzene/styrene in Brazil.
August 30, 2001... Dow and BASF are carrying out a feasibility study for a global scale ethylbenzene/styrene monomer plant in Brazil. They have started the second phase of the study which entails an evaluation of the supply of raw material and the exact...

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL NEWS: Chengdu awards Eltech contract: hydroxide plants in China.
August 30, 2001... Chengdu Huarong Chemical is planning to build a 20,000 tonnes/y potassium hydroxide plant in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China, which would come on stream in mid 2002. It has agreed that Eltech Systems, USA, will supply its ExL bipolar...

JAPAN CHEMICAL WEEK: Kerosene/gas oil import duty petroleum tax rebate targeted.
August 30, 2001... The petrochemical and petroleum industries in Japan are to tackle the country's government to try and persuade it to introduce a system of import duty and petroleum tax rebate measures for kerosene and gas oil produced in Japan that is...

JAPAN CHEMICAL WEEK: Toray to invest Yen 52.5 bn in China, Southeast Asia.
August 30, 2001... Toray Industries is to invest Yen 52.5 bn to expand its fibre and textile production in Thailand and China by Mar 2004. During this period, the company will reduce its Textile and Fibers Division workforce by 30%.Yarn sales by the...

JAPAN CHEMICAL WEEK: DIC aims at promoting overseas deployment of water-based polyurethane.
August 30, 2001... Dainippon Ink and Chemicals (DIC) has completed a 20,000 tonnes/y water-based polyurethane plant at Mikawa, Japan. The company plans to raise its sales of the material to Yen 5 bn and its export ratio from 30% to 50% in 2 years. ...

JAPAN CHEMICAL WEEK: Zen-Noh-Aventis paddy herbicide sales top 100,000 hectares.
August 30, 2001... First year sales of a paddy rice herbicide developed jointly by Aventis Crop Science Japan and the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives (JA Zen-Noh) have reached 100,000 hectares in terms of area treated. The herbicide...

JAPAN CHEMICAL WEEK: Asahi Kasei eyes re-entering airbag foundation cloth market.
August 30, 2001... Asahi Kasei has started supplying a high-strength, lightweight airbag foundation material to Japanese automobile manufacturers. It hopes to re-enter a market from which it withdrew in 1997 due to the poor state of the market. The...

JAPAN CHEMICAL WEEK: Daicel targets Yen 20 bn enantiomer sales within 10 years.
August 30, 2001... Daicel Chemical Industries is to expand its global enantiomers business to achieve minimum sales of Yen 20 bn within 10 years. It holds a 70% share of the world market for enantiomers (optical isomers) for use in packing materials for...

JAPAN CHEMICAL WEEK: Asahi Glass takes lead in commercialising fluororesin powder coating.
August 30, 2001... Asahi Glass is building a plant in Chiba, Japan, which will be the world's first production facility for fluororesins for use in powder coatings. The powder coating fluororesin was developed jointly with BASF NOF Coatings and it is...

JAPAN CHEMICAL WEEK: Toray set to build ABS resin production foothold in China.
August 30, 2001... Toray is planning to build an ABS resin plant in China. It is currently expanding its moulding and compounding capacity by adding 2000 tonnes/y at its subsidiary Libi Plastic Compounding (Shinzhen) Co. Its target capacity is 20,000...

JAPAN CHEMICAL WEEK: Idemitsu Petrochemical augments compounds lineup.
August 30, 2001... In Mar 2001, Idemitsu Petrochemical raised its PS compounding capacity in Malaysia by 5000 tonnes/y to 23,000 tonnes/y. The expansion at Polystar-Compounds will now be followed by an expansion of the polymer types to include PE and...

JAPAN CHEMICAL WEEK: Shanghai Petchem's ethylene capacity to reach 1.6 M tonnes/y.
August 30, 2001... Shanghai Petrochemical will complete its ethylene expansion by end 2001, raising total capacity to 700,000 tonnes/y. Government approval is also expected by year end for a 900,000 tonnes/y ethylene joint venture with BP. Construction...

JAPAN CHEMICAL WEEK: Sumitomo Bakelite to mass produce radiating encapsulating agent in Singapore.
August 30, 2001... By end 2001, Sumitomo Bakelite Singapore will start up a new plant for manufacturing an encapsulating agent for semiconductors. The material has a high heat loss co-efficient. The company's total capacity for epoxy moulding...

JAPAN CHEMICAL WEEK: Tanabe builds up pharma production bases.
August 30, 2001... Tanabe Seiyaku is to expand its pharmaceutical production bases in Taiwan and China. Within 5 years it will concentrate its Japanese pharmaceutical production operations at Onoda and will convert its Osaka plant to produce clinical...

JAPAN CHEMICAL WEEK: SMI to up styrene monomer capacity to over 400,000 tonnes/y by 2003 in Indonesia.
August 30, 2001... Styrindo Mono Indonesia (SMI) is to raise styrene capacity. Its new 200,000 tonnes/y plant will be expanded to 250,000 tonnes/y during a routine maintenance closure in 2002. A further expansion programme in 2003-2004 will include a...