Chemical Week articles from April 2012

Chemical Week archives from April 2012

Protex International: on a path to growth.(chemweek.com)(Interview)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Online this week, an exclusive interview with Robert Moor, CEO and owner of specialty chemicals firm Protex International (Paris). Protex manufactures and sells specialty chemicals, including textiles chemicals, around...

Lonza to market spider silk.(chemweek.com)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Lonza says it has formed a partnership with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO; Clayton South, Australia) to bring new insect silk products to the global market, chemweek.com/envirotech

Intermediates contracts settle lower.(chemweek.com)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... In a clean sweep for the first time in many months, all of the major intermediates contracts were settled before the last week of the month. April para-xylene was agreed lower by 2.5 cts/lb in North America. chemweek.com/pricewatch

U.K. allocates $97 million for CCS.(chemweek.com)
April 30, 2012... The U.K. government plans to invest 60 million [pounds sterling] ($97 million) for development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies in emerging markets. chemweek.com/regions/western_europe

Weekly industry news round-up.(chemweek.com)
April 30, 2012... CW publishes a round-up of the most important stories of the week online every Friday. chemweek.com/chem_ideas

Most read stories online.(chemweek.com)
April 30, 2012... As of CW press time on April 25 1. Novozymes Earnings Up 4%, CEO Expects Higher Growth for Full Year 2. Syngenta and Novozymes Partner in Bioactive JumpStart 3. Novozymes and Chinese Company Form Cellulosic Ethanol Partnership 4....

Japan looks outward.(viewpoint)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Japan's chemical industry has faced severe challenges in the past year. The Great East Japan Earthquake and Thailand floods in 2011 stressed supply chains, and weaker markets in China and Europe have limited exports. The near-term outlook is...

Deacero taps Praxair.(Praxair Mexico)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Praxair says its Praxair Mexico (Mexico City) subsidiary has signed a new contract with Deacero (Garza Garcia, Mexico), a leading steel company, to supply oxygen, argon and nitrogen to a new steel plant being built at Ramos Arizpe, in northern...

Codexis API approved.(active pharmaceutical ingredient)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Codexis (Redwood City, CA) says that the U.S. FDA has approved a new process co-developed by Codexis for the manufacture of sitagliptin, the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in Merck & Co.'s (Whitehouse Station, NJ) Januvia, a...

Fynwald next Univar CEO.(Erik Fyrwald)(John Zillmer)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Univar has named Erik Fyrwald, currently president of Ecolab, president and CEO, effective May 7. John Zillmer, Univar's current president and CEO, will become executive chairman, succeeding William Stavropoulos, who will become bead director....

BASF acquires Novolyte Technologies.(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... BASF says it has acquired Novolyte Technologies (Cleveland), a manufacturer of electrolyte formulations for lithium-ion batteries, as well as specialty chemicals for several market segments, from private equity firm Arsenal Capital Partners (New...

FDA strengthens safety of imported drug products.(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... The U.S. FDA says it is taking several steps to ensure that imported drugs meet the same rigorous standards for safety and quality as those manufactured domestically. The FDA detailed its activities and strategies in a new report. Each year from...

UOP lifts Honeywell's chemical results.(Financial report)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Honeywell's performance materials and technologies (PMT) unit posted first-quarter segment profit of$ 319 million, a 12% gain from the year-ago quarter. Sales were up 19%, to $1.62 billion. Profit rose on higher volumes, partly offset by higher...

ADM and Kost introduce bio-heat transfer fluids.(Archer Daniels Midland Co.)(Kost USA)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and Kost USA (Cincinnati), a manufacturer of heat transfer fluids, have jointly developed a new line of heat transfer fluids derived from renewable raw materials. ADM's biobased propylene glycol is used in the heat...

Chemical units at oil majors post lower profits.(Financial report)
April 30, 2012... Chemical business units of oil majors posted mostly lower results, on weak volumes and margins. ExxonMobil Chemical reported firstquarter net income of $701 million, down 54% from the year-ago quarter. Sales volumes were flat, at 6.3 million...

Rockwood and Kemira mull divestment of Ti[O.sub.2] jv.(titanium dioxide)(joint venture)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Rockwood Holdings and Kemira have hired Lazard to advise on options, including a potential sale or listing, for the companies' Sachtleben (Duisburg, Germany) titanium dioxide (Ti[O.sub.2]) joint venture. Kemira confirmed a German press report...

Developing markets boost Air Liquide in first quarter.(Air Liquide Finance)(Financial report)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Air Liquide says its sales in the first quarter of 2012 increased 6.7%, to approximately 3.78 billion [euro] ($5 billion), compared with 3.54 billion [euro]in the first quarter of 2011. First-quarter 2012 sales growth reflects a progressive...

Bayer beats first-quarter estimates.(Financial report)
April 30, 2012... Bayer posted a strong set of first-quarter 2012 results with net profits increasing 53% compared with the same period of 2011, to 1.05 billion [euro] ($1.4 billion), on sales up 7%, to 10.06 billion [euro]. Ebitda before special items increased...

Stolt profits sink.(Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group Ltd.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Stolt-Nielsen says net profits for its fiscal first quarter ended February 29, 2012 dropped to $7.9 million from $31.2 million in the year-earlier quarter. Sales, however, went up 10% in the first quarter, to $505.7 million. Stolt-Nielsen...

Russia to join Cefic.(Russian Chemists Union)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Industry association the Russian Chemists Union (RCU; Moscow) has applied for associate membership of Cefic. The application was received recently by Cefic's board of directors, and it is set for final approval on September 28, at the Cefic...

Sibur-Rhodia JV.(joint venture )(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Rhodia, a member of the Solvay group, and Sibur (Moscow) have completed studies to establish a previously announced specialty surfactants manufacturing joint venture at Sibur's Dzerzhinsk, Russia petrochemical site. Completion of the new plant...

Diversified earnings mixed; trends signal improvement.(top of the week)
April 30, 2012... First-quarter earnings reports at diversified, commodity, and industrial gases firms showed mixed results, as increasing stability in U.S. markets and industrial segments were offset by tepid conditions in Europe. Several firms beat analysts'...

Most specialty firms report increased profits.(business & finance news: United States/Americas)(Ashland Specialty Chemical Co.)(Financial report)
April 30, 2012... Specialty chemical companies reported solid first-quarter results, with most companies beating estimates and reporting rising profits. Ashland's International Specialty Products (ISP) acquisition contributed to strong results, while Rockwood...

Fertilizer firms expect strong second half of 2012.(business & finance news: United States/Americas)(Potash Corporation Of Saskatchewan Inc.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (PotashCorp) posted a 33% decline in profits, as potash buyers continued to hold off purchases and margins sunk on higher costs, although the company says inventory draw-downs and strong farm fundamentals...

U.S. reviews carcinogen report.(business & finance news: United States/Americas)
April 30, 2012... Industry representatives told U.S. lawmakers last week that the process used to compile the National Report on Carcinogens (RoC) lacks proper criteria for ensuring the scientific data used is consistent and transparent, lacks checks and balances...

Chemical companies look to fill nylon-12 supply gap.(business & finance news: United States/Americas)
April 30, 2012... Many chemical companies are looking to step into the supply gap opened by the explosion and fire at Evonik's Marl, Germany cyclodecatriene (CDT) plant (CW, April 16/23, p. 10). The explosion led to a shortage of nylon-12, a CDT-derived product...

Dow sees U.S. ethylene advantage widening.(business & finance news: United States/Americas)(Dow Chemical Co.)
April 30, 2012... Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveris told investors last week that conditions will grow more favorable for U.S. ethylene makers, adding an estimated $2 billion/year in Ebitda to Dow's results by 2017. Dow's 2011 Ebitda was $6.5 billion. U.S....

Methanex signs offtake agreement with OCI at Beaumont, TX.(business & finance news: United States/Americas)(Orascom Construction Industries)(Beaumont, Texas)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Methanex says it has entered into a long-term offtake agreement with Orascom Construction Industries (OCI; Cairo), for a significant portion of the production from its methanol plant at Beaumont, TX, which is expected to begin commercial...

Sunoco and Carlyle Group to consider refinery jv.(business & finance news: United States/Americas)(joint venture)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Sunoco has signed an exclusive agreement with The Carlyle Group (New York), a private equity firm, relating to a potential joint venture at Sunoco's 330,000 bbls/day refinery in Philadelphia. The deal would involve Sunoco selling a majority...

Solvay Sets 3-Billion [Euro] Ebitda Target Post Rhodia Acquisition
April 30, 2012... Solvay has outlined profitability targets for 2016 as part of the groups planned transformation following the acquisition of Rhodia seven months ago. Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, who will become Solvay's CEO on May 11, announced the company's...

Merck KGaA to close Geneva site; major job cuts planned.(business & finance news: Europe/Mideast)
April 30, 2012... Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany) has announced plans to close the Geneva headquarters of the company's Merck Serono business as part of efficiency measures announced in February. The move forms part of a program by Merck KGaA to cut jobs across...

Polimeri Europa becomes versalis, seeks market focus.(business & finance news: Europe/Mideast)
April 30, 2012... Polimeri Europa (Milan), the petrochemicals arm of energy company ENI (Rome), is changing its name to Versalis. Polimeri Europa SpA in Italy, as well as liaison offices in Russia and Egypt, adopted the new name earlier this month. Foreign...

Sasol seeks exit from petrochemicals jv in Iran.(business & finance news: Europe/Mideast)
April 30, 2012... Sasol has entered into preliminary talks to divest its stake in Arya Sasol Polymers (Assaluyeh, Iran), an equally owned petrochemicals joint venture with Pars Petrochemical Co., a subsidiary of National Petrochemical Co. (NPC; Tehran). Sasol...

Mitsui Plant Fire Kills One, Injures 21: Production Halted
April 30, 2012... Mitsui Chemicals says that a fire broke out following an explosion on April 22 at a resorcinol plant at the company's Iwakuni-Ohtake production complex at Waki, Japan. The blast killed one Mitsui employee and injured 21 people, including lo...

Reliance Industries reports fall in Quarterly profits.(business & finance news: Asia/Pacific)(Financial report)
April 30, 2012... Reliance Industries says net profits for its fiscal fourth quarter ended March 31, 12012 decreased 21.2% compared with the same period of the previous year, to about Rs42.3 billion ($813 million). Fourth-quarter sales increased 16.7%, to Rs878.3...

Ube forms China Dimethyl carbonate venture.(business & finance news: Asia/Pacific)
April 30, 2012... Ube Industries says it has reached an agreement with Henan Zhongyuan Dahua Group (Puyang, China) and HighChem Co. (Tokyo), to establish a joint venture in China for manufacturing dimethyl carbonate. The jv company will be called Henan Tanyi New...

PhosAgro expands phosphate rock and fertilizer capacity.(new construction projects)
April 30, 2012... PhosAgro (Moscow) is progressing with plans to raise phosphate rock capacity at the Apatit complex on the Kola Peninsula, Russia. The company was recently granted permission by the Russian antitrust authorities to raise its stake in Apatit, a...

Nigerian firm and Mitsubishi ink ammonia-urea project deal. (new construction projects).(Notore Chemical Industries)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Notore Chemical Industries (Notore; Lagos) has signed a joint venture agreement with Mitsubishi Corp. to develop an ammonia and urea complex at Notore's Onne, Nigeria site. Notore already owns and operates an ammonia and urea plant at Onne, the...

Tecnimont signs LDPE plant contract with Slovnaft. (new construction projects).(Maire Tecnimont SpA)(low-density polyethylene)(Slovnaft Bratislava a.s.)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Maire Tecnimont has been awarded a 204-million [euro] ($268 million) contract to build a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plant for Slovnaft (Bratislava, Slovakia) at Bratislava. The new 220,000-m.t./year plant, LDPE 4, forms part of a...

ONGC seeking partners for urea complex at Tripura.(new construction projects)(Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd.)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Indian state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp. (ONGC, New Delhi) says it is planning to invest RsS0 billion ($947.1 million) in a fertilizer complex in northern Tripura, India. The plant will be a joint venture between ONGC and the Tripura...

Jacobs awarded contract for Sabic Olefins upgrade. (new construction projects).(Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.)(Saudi Basic Industries Corp.)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Jacobs Engineering says it has received an engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) services contract from Sabic, to support the upgrade of the Olefins 4 plant at Sabic's petrochemical production complex at Geleen, the...

Japan: refocus and recovery: Japan's recovery will be slow as the country confronts what producers and analysts call a "sextuple whammy" of competitive challenges in the domestic market and weak export demand. Japanese chemical makers have long acknowledged the need to become more global, but efforts to accelerate globalization appear to be advancing in the face of severe challenges at home.(Industry overview)
April 30, 2012... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Japanese chemical makers are talking more publicly about challenges at home, and the need to accelerate globalization. The Great East Japan Earthquake and last year's floods in Thailand, where Japanese chemical makers...

JCIA Responsible Care awards.(Company Profile: RESPONSIBLE CARE)(Japan Chemical Industry Association)
April 30, 2012... Members of the Japan Chemical Industry Association (JCIA) have been conducting Responsible Care (RC) activity with a focus on chemical manufacturers. RC is a voluntary initiative of the chemical industry, whereby each company that handles...

In pursuit of stable high growth through Creative Hybrid Chemistry.(Company Profile: SUMITOMO CHEMICAL)(Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.)
April 30, 2012... About Somitomo Chemical Sumitomo Chemical is one of Japan's leading chemical companies, offering a diverse range of products in the fields of basic chemicals, petrochemicals, IT-related chemicals, health and crop sciences, and...

Making a Difference
April 30, 2012... About Mitsui Chemicals Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., one of Japan's leading chemical companies and a member of the Mitsui group, was established in 1997 through a merger of Mitsui Petrochemicals Industries and Mitsui Toatsu Chemicals. The Company's...

Creating for tomorrow.(Company Profile: ASAHI KASEI)(Company overview)
April 30, 2012... The business of the Asahi Kasei Group dates back to 1922, with our founding mission being "we serve to supply the people with an abundance of high-quality daily necessities at low prices to enhance the quality of life." We have grown over the...

"Status and outlook of the petrochemical industry".(Comment: JAPAN PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION)(Industry overview)
April 30, 2012... 2011 was a very difficult year for the Japanese economy--industrial activities were interrupted by natural disasters and exports were curtailed by an unsustainable level of the Japanese yen. As a result, the country's GDP fell by 0.2% in 2011....

JCIA reinforces chemical management.(Comment: JAPAN CHEMICAL INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION)
April 30, 2012... Although a year has passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, there seems to be no end to the suffering and difficulties facing those whose lives were touched by this tragedy. We continue to offer our heartfelt sympathy to all...

Toward becoming a specialty chemical company with a global presence.(Company Profile: KURARAY)(Kuraray Chemical Company Ltd.)(Company overview)
April 30, 2012... About Kuraray Kuraray has developed a host of technological applications based on its expertise in polymerization and synthetic chemistry and diversified technology. Our range of highly original products, made by this solid technological...

"Color and comfort by chemistry": DIC steps up efforts to realize its management vision.(Company Profile: DIC CORPORATION)(Company overview)
April 30, 2012... About DIC DIC Corporation is a diversified manufacturer of specialty chemicals with a leading position in its principal markets, which include printing inks and organic pigments. DIC is also the core of the DIC Group, a multinational...

Arkema selling tin stabilizers?(specialties)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Arkema is in the process of selling its tin stabilizer business, according to sources in the financial community. The unit, a part of Arkema's functional additives segment, generated 10 million [euro]-50 million [euro] ($13 million-$66 million)...

Omkar pharma acquisition.(specialties)(Omkar Speciality Chemicals Ltd.)(LASA Laboratory)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Omkar Speciality Chemicals (Thane, India) says it has acquired LASA Laboratory (Raigad, India), the company's first foray into pharmaceutical ingredients. LASA owns an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing facility and makes...

Wacker expands tech center.(specialties)(Wacker-Chemie GmbH)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Wacker Chemie says it has expanded the service portfolio at its technical center in Singapore. The center now includes laboratories, applications technology and test equipment for vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer dispersions needed as binders...

Rhodia and Tantalus Sign Rare Earth Cooperation Deal
April 30, 2012... Rhodia, a Solvay subsidiary, and resources company Tantalus Rare Earths (Dusseldorf) have signed a letter of intent (LOI), under which Tantalus will provide an exclusive supply of rare earths to Rhodia. The two companies will also cooperate to...

Oxiteno completes acquisition of Pasadena, TX site.(Surfactants)(Texas)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Oxiteno (Sao Paulo) says it has completed its acquisition of Pasadena Property's (Pasadena, TX) facilities for about $15 million, and will invest another $15 million to retrofit the plant to produce specialty chemicals including surfactants,...

North American market has room to grow.(Propylene)(Industry overview)(Statistical data)
April 30, 2012... North American polymer-grade (PG) and chemical-grade (CG) propylene production reached 13.8 million m.t. in 2011, and is forecast to grow a mere 0.5% this year, as domestic producers crack lighter feedslates and therefore produce less propylene,...

BASF builds presence in high growth excipients.(Excipients)(Statistical data)
April 30, 2012... BASF is strengthening its pharmaceutical excipients business through a recently formed alliance with Catalent Pharm Solutions (Somerset, NJ), and the introduction of a new range of excipients for promoting drug solubility. BASF says there are...

Electroactive polymers: the new buzz at Bayer.(companies)
April 30, 2012... Bayer's inventions within the past 100 years include polycarbonates used in products such as ski goggles and compact discs, neonicotinoid insecticides for protecting crops, and other world-changing products such as polyurethane (PU) and the...

Cw75 stock performance.(Chemical Week)(Statistical data)
April 30, 2012... Overview [GRAPHIC OMITTED] [GRAPHIC OMITTED] The CW75 index declined 1.4% for the eek ended April 24, matching the S&P 00, which was also down 1.4%. The MSCI World Index posted a narrower loss, at 1.1%. Basic chemical shares fell...

Chemtura.(key changes-leading indicator)(appointment of Anne Noonan and Keith DuPont)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Chemtura has named Anne Noonan v.p./strategic business development. Noonan will continue as president/Great Lakes Solutions, Chemtura's flame retardants, bromine and brominated products business. Keith DuPont has been named v.p. and general...

Songwon.(key changes-leading indicator)(appointment of K.Y. Lee)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Songwon has named K.Y. Lee managing director/Korea and sales director/Northeast Asia, effective May 2. The post is a newly created role within the company's technical service organization. Lee, who holds a bachelor's degree in organic chemistry...

Archer Daniels Midland.(key changes-leading indicator)(appointment of Kyle James)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Archer Daniels Midland has named Kyle James general manager/glycols, a newly created post. James will be responsible for commercial operations of the company's glycols business, including propylene glycol and glycerin sales. James joined Archer...

RPM International.(key changes-leading indicatornot)(appointment of Thomas Gross)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... RPM International has named Thomas Gross to its board of directors. He replaces Donald Miller, who is retiring after 40 years on RPM's board. Gross is vice chairman and CO0 for the electrical sector of Eaton Corporation, a power management...

Quality Distribution.(key changes-leading indicator)(appointment of Randall Strutz)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Quality Distribution has named Randall Strutz president/Quality Carriers, the company's chemical logistics business. Strutz has been working in transportation and logistics for over two decades. He joined Quality Distribution in 2010 as senior...

Tessenderlo Kerley.(key changes-leading indicator)(appointment of David Skillstad)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Tessenderlo Kerley has named David Skillstad specialty sales manager/Nebraska. Skillstad has diverse experience working in the agriculture business, including as a crop consultant, sales manager and fertilizer plant manager.

Cambridge Major Laboratories.(key changes-leading indicator)(appointment of Dirklan Vermass)(Brief article)
April 30, 2012... Cambridge Major Laboratories has named Dirklan Vermass leader of manufacturing operations in Europe. Vermass had served in a variety of roles in pharmaceutical manufacturing and development over a 34-year career with Oragnon and, later,...

Positive signs.(key changes-leading indicator)(Production of chemicals)(Statistical data)
April 30, 2012... The leading indicator for the chemical industry has risen for the sixth consecutive month. The index is now at its highest level since early 2008. Production of chemicals and allied products rose at a 7.6% annualized rate in the first quarter,...

Electroactive polymers: the new buzz at Bayer.(chemweek.com)
April 16, 2012... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Think of Bayer and you might envisage inventions such as polyurethane and the iconic aspirin (salicylic acid). The company's next big success could be in electroactive polymers (EAPs)--a family of polymers based on...

U.K. mulls new fracking procedures.(chemweek.com)
April 16, 2012... A U.K. government-appointed panel of experts has recommended a series of procedures to reduce the environmental impact of fracking. chemweek.com/envirotech

BASF expands excipients range.(chemweek.com)(Brief article)
April 16, 2012... BASF has launched a new series of fine chemical excipients with enhanced solubility, as well as excipients with enhanced properties for medical creams applied to the skin. chemweek.com/markets/fine_chemicals

Blog: new toxicity tests required.(chemweek.com)
April 16, 2012... Geert Dancet, executive director of the European Chemicals Agency (Helsinki) on issues to be discussed at the upcoming Helsinki Chemicals Forum. chemweek.com/chem_ideas

Aromatics activity uneven, players say.(chemweek.com)
April 16, 2012... Aromatics were traded raggedly, players say. Spot benzene on the U.S. Gulf Coast was unchanged for the second week in a row. chemweek.com/pricewatch

Most read stories online.(chemweek.com)
April 16, 2012... As of CW press time on April 19 1. Syngenta's Sales Rise by 9% 2. ConocoPhillips Says First-Quarter Ethylene Margins Near 20-year High 3. Cabot JV Breaks Ground on Carbon Black Plant in China 4. PPG Expects Strong First-Quarter,...

Avoiding the spring stall.(view point)
April 16, 2012... Earnings are handily beating lowered expectations (p. 7, 16). Albemarle, DuPont, and PPG Industries reported solid gains in profits. In Europe, AkzoNobel posted an earnings decline but did beat consensus estimates slightly. Estimates were taken...

RPM buys HiChem Paint.(HiChem Paint Technologies Pty. Ltd.)(RPM International Inc.)(Brief article)
April 16, 2012... RPM has acquired HiChem Paint Technologies (Hallam, Australia), an automotive aftermarket coatings maker. HiChem also makes coatings for industrial and home maintenance applications. Financial terms were not disclosed.

NGL pipeline advances.(natural gas liquids)(Brief article)
April 16, 2012... Enterprise Products Partners says it will partner with Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (Denver) and DCP Midstream (Denver) to build a 435-mile natural gas liquids pipeline from Weld County, CO to the U.S. Gulf Coast. The pipeline is expected to...

BASF Partners with Fluor.(Brief article)
April 16, 2012... BASF has chosen Fluor as engineering partner for its chemicals capital projects across North America. BASF has awarded Fluor an umbrella services agreement for an undisclosed contract value, Fluor says. Services will include conceptual and...

Shulman to move HQ.(A. Schulman Inc. (Akron, Ohio))(Brief article)
April 16, 2012... A. Schulman is planning to move its global corporate headquarters to Fairlawn, Ohio, a suburb of Akron, in 2013, the company says. Schulman is currently headquartered in Akron, Ohio. The new headquarters building will house 130 employees.

DuPont prevails in court.(E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co.)(Brief article)
April 16, 2012... A U.S. federal judge has sided with DuPont in a Kevlar antitrust case brought by Kolon Industries, in which Kolon accused DuPont of attempting to build a monopoly in the aramid fibers market. The case is a counter-claim to DuPont's trade secrets...

Cytec net income rises 14%.
April 16, 2012... Cytec Industries's first-quarter net income from continuing operations rose 14% year-on-year, to $53.1 million, or $1.14/share, on sales up 2% to $783.3 million. Adjusted earnings of $1.28/share beat analysts' consensus of $1.14/share, according...

H.B. Fuller to cut jobs in Forbo integration.(Brief article)
April 16, 2012... H.B. Fuller has announced 130 job cuts and the closure of six manufacturing facilities as part of the integration of Forbo's industrial adhesives business. The plant closures will be in Quebec, Illinois, Kansas, Oregon, Tennessee, and Texas....

Petrobras, Vale study joint potash, fertilizer projects.(Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.)(Brief article)
April 16, 2012... State-controlled energy company Petrobras (Rio de Janeiro) and mining company Vale (Rio de Janeiro) have agreed to study the joint development of projects in a range of sectors. They include potash, nitrogen fertilizers, and biodiesel. The...

Bayer MaterialScience names new Nafta President.(Jerry MacCleary)(Brief article)
April 16, 2012... Bayer MaterialScience has named Jerry MacCleary president for the Nafta region, effective June 1. MacCleary succeeds Greg Babe, who recently announced his retirement. MacGleary will retain his leadership of the polyurethanes marketing and...

Vision Capital buys BOPP maker Vitopel.
April 16, 2012... Private equity firm Vision Capital (London) has acquired Vitopel (Buenos Aires), a producer of biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film with plants in Argentina and Brazil from DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and JPMorgan. Financial terms were...