Chemical Week articles from February 2009

Chemical Week archives from February 2009

Rapid response.(Viewpoint essay)
February 16, 2009... The brutal situation in the industry continues as Asian and European firms weigh in with results that are just as distressed as that of their U.S. counterparts. The downturn, which accelerated quickly in late 2008, has been far more brutal...

Gases deal extended.(Air Products and Chemicals Inc.)(Technip S.A.)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... Air Products and Technip say they have extended their global alliance in hydrogen beyond the year 2020. Under the partnership, which was formed in 1992, Technip provides technology licensing, design, and engineering services for steam methane...

Terra restarts site.
February 16, 2009... Terra Industries says it has resumed production at its Woodward, OK fertilizer plant, which has been idle since last December due to weak demand. The facility's ammonia plant will operate at "optimal rates to manage inventories in the...

RPM acquires in China.(RPM International Inc.)(Carboline Dalian Paint Production Co. Ltd.)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... RPM's Carboline unit says it has acquired a 49% stake in its licensee, Carboline Dalian Paint Production (Dalian City, China), for an undisclosed sum. UniChemical (Nara-Ken, Japan) owns the remaining share of the joint venture, which makes...

Celanese closes Mexican VAM unit.(vinyl acetate monomer)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... Celanese says it will permanently shut its 115,000-m.t./ year vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) production unit at Cangrejera, Mexico by the end of February. Celanese cites "the significant change" in the global economic environment, the cost...

Invista pays down debt; shuts site in Germany.
February 16, 2009... Invista, a subsidiary of Koch Industries (Wichita, KS) says it has reduced debt by $1.6 billion, roughly 63%, since June as part of a refinancing and recapitalization effort. Invista's remaining debt is mostly in the form of unsecured bonds...

Syngenta earnings rise, cautious on 2009.(Financial report)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Syngenta says 2008 net income rose 25%, to $1.38 billion, on strong demand for seeds and crop protection products. Sales rose 21%, to $11.6 billion. Earnings per share (EPS) rose 420, to $16.26, excluding...

Former Grace executives face trial in Libby.(W.R. Grace and Co.)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... The criminal case against W.R. Grace and five former executives went to trial last week after four years of legal wrangling between the company and federal prosecutors (CW, July 18, 2007, p. 8). EPA sued Grace in 2005, alleging that the...

Dow nixes cash bonuses for senior execs.(Dow Chemical Co.)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... Dow Chemical says its executive management team, including chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris, will not receive 2008 performance awards. The decision was taken "after Dow management recommended this action as a prudent and appropriate alignment...

Europe's High Level Group on chemicals reaches its final conclusions.
February 16, 2009... The European Commission's High Level Group (HLG) on the Competitiveness of the European Chemicals Industry met for the last time in Brussels on February 19. The HLG adopted a report that analyzes the key challenges the European Union (EU)...

Italian government rescues Ineos Vinyls sale.(Safi)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... Ineos has signed a final agreement to sell most of the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) assets of Ineos Vinyls Italia to Safi (Cornuda, Italy), controlled by Italian businessman Fiorenzo Sartor. Ineos reached a...

EU fails to overturn bans on Monsanto GM corn.(European Union)(genetically modified)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... The European Commission has failed in a bid to force France and Greece to allow the planting of Monsanto's MON810 genetically modified (GM) corn. The European Union's (EU) standing committee on food chain and animal health, meeting in...

Huntsman MDI on hold.(methylene di-para-phenylene isocyanate)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... Huntsman Corp. says it has suspended work on design and feasibility studies for a 400,000-m.t./year methylene di-para-phenylene isocyanate (MDi) project at Rozenburg, the Netherlands because of the downturn in global economic growth....

Turkey okays Kyoto deal.(Protocol to the Framework Convention on Climate Change, 1997)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... Turkey has ratified the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. The Turkish parliament approved a bill on February 5 covering the country's participation in the Kyoto initiative, and the law came into effect on February 17. Turkey had rejected...

China petchems slump.(petrochemical)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... Sales by the Chinese petrochemical industry declined in December 2008, the first monthly decline in 10 years, according to a report by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Association (CPCIA; Beijing) quoted by the China Daily newspaper....

Dow slashes dividend, scales back expansion plans.(TOP OF THE WEEK)
February 16, 2009... Dow Chemical last week slashed its quarterly dividend, permanently shut a Texas polyolefins site, and scaled back plans for projects in the U.S. and South America. Dow's announcements come as it prepares to defend against a Rohm and Haas...

Economic woes impact European companies' earnings.(TOP OF THE WEEK)(Financial report)
February 16, 2009... Total's chemical business posted a more than doubling in adjusted net profits for the fourth quarter of 2008, to 177 million [euro] ($228 million), compared with the year-earlier period. Earnings fell 33% compared with the previous quarter,...

LyondellBasell misses European debt payment; idles units.(BUSINESS & FINANCE NEWS: UNITED STATES/AMERICAS)
February 16, 2009... LyondellBasell's European subsidiary did not make a scheduled interest payment earlier this month, raising concern that the European operations will follow the company's U.S. division into bankruptcy protection. LyondellBasell has a 30-day...

Celanese CEO to chair ACC board.(BUSINESS & FINANCE NEWS: UNITED STATES/AMERICAS)(David Weidman has been appointed)(Tom Bates and Bob Beckler have also been appointed)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... ACC has elected David Weidman chairman of its board for 2009. Weidman is chairman and CEO of Celanese. This year "will be a year of challenges," Weidman says. "ACC will continue to work with Congress, the administration, and state and local...

Cleaning product firms sued over non-disclosure.(BUSINESS & FINANCE NEWS: UNITED STATES/AMERICAS)
February 16, 2009... Earthjustice (Washington), an environmental group representing a coalition of public health and environmental advocacy groups, has filed a lawsuit against Church and Dwight, Colgate-Palmolive, Proctor & Gamble, and Reckitt-Benckiser for not...

Industry losses mount as weak demand hurts profits.(BUSINESS & FINANCE NEWS: UNITED STATES/AMERICAS)
February 16, 2009... Profits at most late-reporting chemical companies declined during fourth-quarter 2008, with several firms falling into the red due to weak demand as well as inventory write-downs and other charges. Rohm and Haas (R&H) reported earnings...

Study finds refineries can meet biofuel mandate using cellulosic feedstock.(BUSINESS & FINANCE NEWS: UNITED STATES/AMERICAS)
February 16, 2009... Refineries will be able to meet a government mandate to produce 36 billion gal/year of biofuels providing they make technological advances, according to a new study. Some 21 billion gal of that production is achievable using non-food...

Chemical makers mixed on U.S. stimulus package.(BUSINESS & FINANCE NEWS: UNITED STATES/AMERICAS)
February 16, 2009... Industry groups expressed relief that the $787-billion U.S. stimulus package, approved by President Obama last week, does not contain any of the revenue-generating measures, such as Superfund taxes or tax accounting law changes, that...

Strong pricing boosts fertilizer profits.(BUSINESS & FINANCE NEWS: UNITED STATES/AMERICAS)
February 16, 2009... Most fertilizer producers reported profit gains and strong sales in the fourth quarter, as higher selling prices helped offset weaker demand. Agrium's earnings, however, tumbled on inventory write-downs and other charges. Agrium posted...

Ohio dismisses suit against paintmakers.(BUSINESS & FINANCE NEWS: UNITED STATES/AMERICAS)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... Ohio's Attorney General Richard Cordray has dismissed a lawsuit the state had filed against 10 former makers of lead-based paint. Ohio's decision came after carefully reviewing "the law, the facts, and adverse legal rulings in these types of...

Clariant's net losses widen; more job cuts are likely.(BUSINESS & FINANCE NEWS: EUROPE/MIDEAST)(Financial report)
February 16, 2009... Clariant announced a widening of its net losses and a decrease in sales for the fourth quarter of 2008, and says it will launch a program to raise profitability and competitiveness to levels higher than the average of its peer group....

Yara reports a loss in the fourth quarter.(BUSINESS & FINANCE NEWS: EUROPE/MIDEAST)(Yara International)(Financial report)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... Yara International reported a net loss of ' NK2.1 billion ($311 million) for the fourth quarter of 2008, compared with a net profit of about NK2 billion in the year-ago period. Fourth-quarter sales were up 9%, to about NK19 billion. The...

Nine-month profits tumble at leading Japanese firms.(BUSINESS & FINANCE NEWS: ASIA/PACIFIC)(Statistical data)
February 16, 2009... Major Japanese chemical companies have reported huge falls in profits for the nine months ended December 31, 2008, citing the market downturn and falling product demand. Quarterly profits were not disclosed. Deteriorating results have...

Indian Oil plans derivatives at Panipat, advances Paradip.(NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS)(Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.)
February 16, 2009... Indian Oil Corp. (IOC; New Delhi) is planning to further develop its Panipat, India petrochemical complex and has selected technologies for a separate, previously announced project at Paradip, India, CW has learned. IOC is due to complete a...

EuroChem to build fertilizer complex in Kazakhstan.(NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... EuroChem (Moscow) says it will build a phosphate mining and enrichment complex as well as fertilizer production facilities in Kazakhstan. The mining and enrichment complex will use phosphate deposits at Karatau, Kazakhstan. The fertilizer...

Uhdenora lands chlor-alkali contract in Turkey.(NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... Uhdenora (Milan) says it has been awarded a contract by private-sector company Koruma Klor Alkali Sanayi ve Ticaret (Izmit, Turkey) to build a membrane-cell, chlor-alkali plant at Iskenderun, Turkey. The plant will be designed to produce 28...

BASF launches small-scale 2-PHA manufacture.(NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS)(propylheptyl acrylate)(BASF AG)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... BASF says it has scaled up from pilot manufacture to multiton-scale production of 2-propylheptyl acrylate (2-PHA), a new specialty monomer used mainly in the production of pressure-sensitive adhesives and tapes. BASF, the only maker of 2-PHA,...

Yara goes ahead with Libyan fertilizer JV.(NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS)(National Oil Corp. (Tripoli, Libya))(Yara International ASA)(Libyan Norwegian Fertiliser Co. (Lifeco))(Libyan Investment Authority)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... Yara International, National Oil Corp. (NOC; Tripoli), and Libyan Investment Authority (LIA; Tripoli) have signed final agreements to create a previously announced joint venture, Libyan Norwegian Fertiliser Co. (Lifeco) (CW, July 28, 2008, p....

Alternative feedstocks: the solution to petchem volatility?(Cover story)
February 16, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The volatility of oil-based petrochemical prices, which constrained margins and crippled industry earnings last year, forced chemical producers to take a closer look at diversifying their feedstock base. Many firms...

Genencor: betting on the viability of bio-based feedstocks.(E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co.)(Genencor)(Goodyear Chemical)(Cover story)
February 16, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Six months ago the price of sweet crude oil hit $147/barrel and not long before that some analysts predicted it could go as high as $200/bbl. The situation prompted some chemical companies to investigate the...

Informex: moving ahead amid economic uncertainty.(CONFERENCES)
February 16, 2009... Fine and specialty chemical suppliers are concerned about the economic downturn but feel they are well-positioned to ride it out, attendees at the Informex expo, held last month in San Francisco, told CW. The pharmaceutical industry is...

Phthalates ban in toys spurs alternatives.(PLASTICS ADDITIVES)
February 16, 2009... Just a half year since Congress banned several phthalate esters as vinyl plasticizers in toys and child-care articles, industry has responded by expanding sales of substitutes and alternatives (p. 81). BASF, ExxonMobil Chemical, and Ferro are...

Danisco and Mingtai partner in MCC food deal.(FOOD INGREDIENTS)
February 16, 2009... Danisco says it has joined with microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) manufacturer Mingtai Chemical (Taoyuau Hsien, Taiwan) to develop MCC products for the food industry. The deal adds MCC to Danisco's Grindsted line of hydrocolloids. Financial...

SW buys polish paintmaker; Jotun expands in the U.S.(SPECIALTIES)(Sherwin-Williams)(Altax )(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... Sherwin-Williams (SW) says it plans to acquire protective wood coatings producer Altax (Poznan, Poland), for an undisclosed sum. Altax has 70 employees and will be folded into SW's Ronseal coatings business that serves the professional and...

Clariant partners with XL in foam-control product deal.(SPECIALTIES)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... Clariant says its Functional Chemicals Division and XL Performance Chemicals (Dalton, GA) have formed an alliance to produce and market products for the $2.3-billion global foam-control market. Initial production will be at the Greenville,...

Ethylene margins remain negative despite price hike.(OLEFINS)(Statistical data)
February 16, 2009... U.S. ethylene producers cut their losses in January with average ethylene margins of -2 cts/lb, compared with -4 cts/lb in December, analysts say. Margins remained negative despite a 3-cts/lb increase in contract prices. The January contract...

Oxea to increase prices.(BASIC CHEMICALS & PLASTICS)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... Oxea (Oberhausen, Germany) says it has increased the price of dioctyl phthalate in Northwest Europe by 25 [euro]/m.t., effective mid-February. The company will also increase the price of n-butyl acetate by 25 [euro]/m.t. in Europe beginning...

Intrepid halts production.(BASIC CHEMICALS & PLASTICS)(Intrepid Potash)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... Intrepid Potash (Denver) says it will temporarily halt production and cut shifts at its New Mexico mines, to reduce inventory as sales of crop nutrients remain weak. "While Intrepid anticipates this reduction in our production rates to be...

Arkema acquires PEKK producer.(BASIC CHEMICALS & PLASTICS)(Oxford Performance Materials)(polyether ketone ketone)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... Arkema says it has acquired Oxford Performance Materials (OPM; Enfield, CT). OPM makes polyether ketone ketone ultrahigh performance technical polymers, marketed under the OXPEKK brand name. OPM will operate as an Arkema subsidiary from its...

Ineos reviews PVC pricing in Europe.(DIGEST)(Ineos ChlorVinyls)(polyvinyl chloride)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... Ineos ChlorVinyls, an Ineos subsidiary, says it will review its pricing mechanisms for contract polyvinyl chloride (PVC) customers in Europe, to "counterbalance misleading PVC market reports and to provide contract customers with more...

Equistar to cut workforce, continue plant remediation.(DIGEST)(Equistar Chemicals L.P.)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... Equistar Chemicals, a LyondellBasell subsidiary, says it will reduce its workforce by about 75 at the company's PD Glycol plant at Beaumont, TX following completion of the initial phases of post-hurricane remediation at the site. PD Glycol, a...

Titanium dioxide.(PRODUCT FOCUS)(Statistical table)
February 16, 2009... Prices U.S.: $2,450-$2,510/m.t. Outlook The global $10.2-billion titanium dioxide (Ti[O.sub.2]) market reached 5.1 million m.t. in 2008, says SRI Consulting (SRIC; Menlo Park, CA). Demand is expected to grow at 4.1%/year, to hit...

Commentary.(CW PRICE REPORT)(Statistical table)
February 16, 2009... Petrochemical markets were mixed last week, while feedstock prices declined. West Texas Intermediate crude oil dipped $2.62/bbl, to $34.93/ bbl, and Brent crude skidded almost $5/ bbl, to $39.44/bbl. Natural gas on the Henry Hub Index dropped...

Bid to suspend product safety law fails.(PHTHALATES)(Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act)
February 16, 2009... Congress will not take a up proposal by Senator Jim DeMint (R., SC) that would have altered a controversial product safety law. Lawmakers have stripped DeMint's amendment, which would have delayed and changed the law, from the economic...

U.S. lawmaker moves to reverse TRI changes, levy superfund taxes.(LEGISLATION)(Toxics Release Inventory )(Toxic Right-to-Know Prevention Act)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... Representative Frank Pallone (D., NJ) has introduced a bill that would rescind EPA's 2006 changes to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and reinstate the original reporting threshold of 500 lbs/year of a given pollutant. The Toxic...

GAO: revise EPA toxics program.(REGULATORY)(Government Accounting Office)(Toxic Substances Control Act )(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... The Government Accounting Office (GAO; Washington) has identified EPA's chemical management program as a high-risk area of federal government in need of significant changes. GAO's biennial report highlights areas of federal government that...

FDA to update public on BPA.(REGULATORY)(bisphenol A)(United States. Food and Drug Administration)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... The FDA will update the public about bisphenol A (BPA) at a February 24 public meeting, according to a notice published in the February 10 Federal Register. FDA has ruled that BPA is safe for use in food packaging and beverage containers, a...

Chemtura fights for survival: ongoing credit crunch forces asset sales.(COMPANIES)
February 16, 2009... Looming debt repayments and a brutal industry downturn have put Chemtura in a fight for survival. The company faces a $374 million bond repayment due July 15, and refinancing that debt is nearly impossible with the ongoing credit freeze. ...

Economy tumbles.(VITAL STATISTICS--KEY CHANGES)(Statistical table)
February 16, 2009... The U.S. economy shrank at an annualized rate of 3.8% in the fourth quarter of 2008, following a 0.5% drop in the third quarter. Business investment in the quarter fell 19.1%, spending on new homes tumbled 27.8%, and consumption dropped 3.5%....

Toray Plastics.(VITAL STATISTICS--KEY CHANGES)(appointment of Chad Hedden and Craig Miller)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... Toray Plastics has named Chad Hedden national sales manager/Torayfan Division. Hedden was previously manger/Toray's Strategic Alliance Group. He succeeds Christopher Voght, who has been promoted to sales manager/Toray Films Europe. Toray has...

Chiral Quest.(VITAL STATISTICS--KEY CHANGES)
February 16, 2009... Chiral Quest has appointed Elena Chekhovav.p./business development, North America, and Ian C. Lennon v.p./business development, Europe. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Huntsman.(VITAL STATISTICS--KEY CHANGES)
February 16, 2009... Andre Genton has been named president/ Advanced Materials at Huntsman. Genton was most recently v.p. and global operating officer/ Advanced Materials.

Albemarle.(VITAL STATISTICS--KEY CHANGES)
February 16, 2009... Albemarle has named Milan R. Shah v.p./ business development. Shah was most recently a senior investment banker at Deutsche Banks Securities' Chemicals Investment Banking group.

Linde North America.(VITAL STATISTICS--KEY CHANGES)
February 16, 2009... Linde North America has named Warren Arenz head/safety, health, environment, and quality.

Sasol.(VITAL STATISTICS--KEY CHANGES)
February 16, 2009... Sasol has named Johnson Njeke nonexecutive director and member of its audit committee. Njeke is managing director of Kagiso Trust Investments.

Henkel.(VITAL STATISTICS--KEY CHANGES)
February 16, 2009... Henkel has appointed Luc Godefroid global sales director/Semiconductor Group. Godefroid was previously head/project management office.

DSM PTG.(VITAL STATISTICS--KEY CHANGES)(appointment of Frederik G. Hoogendijk and Robert F. Evans)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... DSM PTG has appointed Frederik G. Hoogendijk CFO and Robert F. Evans v.p./global sales marketing. Hooogendijk was previously director/finance control at DSM. Evans was formerly manager/global sales marketing for DSM Dyneema.

CW75 stock performance.
February 16, 2009... The CW75 index declined 5.3% for the week of February 17, outpacing the Morgan Stanley global composite index, which fell 5.8% but lagging the S&P 500 index, which dropped 4.5%. Basic chemical shares lost 7.5%, diversified shares dipped...

Bracing for a long winter.
February 2, 2009... On Groundhog Day each February 2, U.S. weather watchers look to Punxsutawney Phil--the famous groundhog and "seer of seers, prognosticator of all prognosticators"--for a prediction on how much longer winter will last. According to legend, if...

Phosphates restricted.(Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)(Brief article)
February 2, 2009... Wal-Mart says it will require soapers to reduce phosphates 70% by 2011 in laundry and dish detergents that it sells in the Americas region. Wal-Mart says it will also expand its U.S.-based sustainable packaging program to the rest of the...

BASF closes paint plant.
February 2, 2009... BASF says it will close its Decatur, AL coatings plant by April, affecting about 115 employees. The company has notified Alabama state officials that it may reduce personnel at the site beginning March 31. BASF announced plans to close site...

Court advances DSM suit.(Brief article)
February 2, 2009... DSM Desotech (Elgin, IL), a unit of DSM, says a federal court in Chicago has ruled that DSM's antitrust and patent infringement lawsuit against 3D Systems (Valencia, CA) can proceed. DSM chose 3D Systems as a nonexclusive distributor of its...

Air Products inks deal.(Air Products and Chemicals Inc.)(Alter NRG )(Brief article)
February 2, 2009... Air Products says it has signed a nonexclusive joint development agreement with Alter NRG (Calgary), gaining the right to license and incorporateAlter NRG'sWestinghouse Plasma Gasification technology for use in renewable energy projects in...

Ashland swings to loss, cuts workforce 9%.(Ashland inc.)(Brief article)
February 2, 2009... Ashland posted a net loss of $119 million for its fiscal first quarter ended December 31, 2008, compared with income from continuing operations of $38 million in the year-ago period. Sales were about fiat at $1.96 billion. Adjusted pro-forma...

Praxair profits fall on charges, sales decline.(Financial report)
February 2, 2009... Praxair reported fourth-quarter net income of $200 million, down 37% compared with the same period last year. Sales fell 5%, to $2.4 billion. Earnings were $1.01/share, excluding a charge of $177 million related mostly to cost-cutting measures...

Cabot closes sites as demand tumbles.(Cabot Corp.)(Brief article)
February 2, 2009... Cabot Corp. says it will close four plants and one regional office this year in response to a drop off in demand. The company will eliminate about 500 jobs, about 12% of Cabot's global workforce. Cabot will close plants at Berre, France;...

OxyChem to close Kentucky PVC site.(Occidental Chemical Corp.)(polyvinyl chloride )(Brief article)
February 2, 2009... OxyChem says it will close its polyvinyl chloride (PVC) facility at Louisville, KY by mid-February due to demand decline brought on by the economic downturn. OxyChem says it plans to demolish the plant and move PVC production to another...

Informex: fine and specialty chemical firms view 2009 with 'guarded pessimism'.(Report)(Brief article)
February 2, 2009... The economic downturn is a concern for fine and specialty chemical manufacturers, but is not yet a major problem, according to attendees and presenters at the Informex fine and specialty chemical expo, held in San Francisco late last month....

PlastIndia: India's plastics industry to expand through 2015.(Brief article)
February 2, 2009... India's plastics industry is expected to grow at about 5%/year through 2015, the highest growth rate in Asia, Pratibha Devisingh Patil, president of India, said during an inauguration ceremony at PlastIndia, a triennial plastics show, held...

Clariant to cut 1,000 jobs as revenues decline.(Clariant AG)(Brief article)
February 2, 2009... Clariant says it will reduce its headcount by 1,000 or 5% of its total workforce, under a recently announced savings plan. The move aims mainly to reduce costs in sales and general administration areas and is in response to deteriorating...

Borealis sells melamine resin business in Italy.(Borealis A/S )(Borgo Olona Srl )(Brief article)
February 2, 2009... Borealis says that its AMI Agrolinz Melamine subsidiary has agreed to sell its melamine resins and additives business in Italy to Borgo Olona (Milan), a group of Italian investors. The business is at Castellanza and has capacity for about...

Mitsui Closes Aniline, EG Plants; Plans Hexene Unit
February 2, 2009... Mitsui Chemicals says it will close permanently a 66,000-m.t./year aniline plant at Chiba, Japan by March and stop selling the product by September. The company cites weak demand and poor profitability. Mitsui will continue to make aniline at a...

Evonik closes H2O2 unit.(Evonik Industries AG)(Brief article)
February 2, 2009... Evonik Industries has announced that its Evonik Medavox subsidiary will permanently close its production of hydrogen peroxide ([H.sub.2][O.sub.2]) and sodium percarbonate at Bussi sul Tirino, Italy by the end of March. "The company is forced...

Forecasts cut in Japan.(Mitsubishi Chemical Corp.)(Sumitomo Chemical Company Ltd.)(Asahi Kasei Corp.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
February 2, 2009... Three of Japan's leading chemical companies have reduced their net profits and sales forecasts for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2009, citing the global economic downturn in 2008 and a worsening of conditions at the beginning of 2009. Two...

Arkema buys in Italy.(CECA )(Winkelmann Mineraria )(Brief article)
February 2, 2009... Ceca, an Arkema subsidiary, has acquired Winkelmann Mineraria (Milan) for an undisclosed amount. Winkelmann Mineraria produces cellulose and expanded perlite at Foggia, Italy and has sales of about 6 million [euro]/year ($7.7 million). The...

Dow posts sharp loss; lays out defense in R&H case.(TOP OF THE WEEK)(Financial report)
February 2, 2009... Dow Chemical posted a fourth-quarter net loss of $1.58 billion as the global economic slowdown and inventory depletion across nearly all product chains fueled a 17% decline in Dow's global volumes and decimated profits. Sales fell 23%, to $10.9...

Chemical profits tumble as demand drops.(BUSINESS & FINANCE NEWS: UNITED STATES/AMERICAS)(E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co.)(Eastman Chemical Co.)(Celanese Corp.)(Lubrizol Corp.)(Financial report)
February 2, 2009... Most chemical companies reporting in the last two weeks posted losses in the fourth quarter, as lower volumes, as well as restructuring and other charges took a toll on earnings. Not all results were negative, however (table). FMC and Olin...

Chemical earnings take a hit at oil firms.(BUSINESS & FINANCE NEWS: UNITED STATES/AMERICAS)(ExxonMobil Chemical Co.)(Chemical industry)(ChevronPhillips Chemical Co.)(Financial report)
February 2, 2009... Chemical units at major oil companies posted earnings losses or declines for the fourth quarter. Oil companies do not disclose their quarterly chemical sales. ExxonMobil Chemical reported earnings of $155 million, down 86% from the...

CF Industries' bid for Terra turns hostile.(BUSINESS & FINANCE NEWS: UNITED STATES/AMERICAS)(Terra Industries Inc. appoints John Lilly, David Wilson and Irving Yoskowitz)(C.F. Industries Inc.)
February 2, 2009... CF Industries (Deerfield, IL) says it will launch a hostile bid for Terra Industries and nominate three members to replace three of Terra's current board members. The move comes after Terra's board rejected the $2.1 billion bid from CF late...