Chemical Week articles from July 2005

Chemical Week archives from July 2005

Security legislation.(Jack N. Gerard views on chemical industry security investment)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... America's chemical makers create the products that protect our troops, keep our food safe, and help people live longer. Our government--and industry itself--must do everything feasible to protect this key sector of our nation's critical...

Dow Corning boosts silicone rubber.(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Dow Corning says it will increase manufacturing capacity of certain liquid silicone rubbers by up to 50% at its Wiesbaden, Germany site by year-end. "Unprecedented demand for silicon-based products, and for high-consistency rubber and liquid...

Solvay expands trona in Wyoming.(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Solvay says it has expanded its trona facility at Green River, WY, citing strong demand. The expansion raises production of its high-assay trona from 80,000 tons/ year, to 320,000 tons/year; and coarse trona from 120,000 tons/year, to 350,000...

Celanese closes Acetex purchase.(acquisition deal)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Celanese says it completed its $492-million purchase of after receiving necessary regulatory and shareholder approvals. "Acetex will play a key role in our strategy of increasing the productivity of our acetyls chain of products in order to...

DSM gains full control of Biologics.(DSM Pharmaceutical Products acquired DSM Biologics)
July 20, 2005... DSM Pharmaceutical Products says it has acquired Societe generale de financement du Quebec's (SGF; Montreal) 40% share in DSM Biologics. DSM gains full ownership of DSM Biologics with the transaction. Terms were not disclosed, DSM Biologics...

China currency shift could lift U.S. chemical exports.(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... China's decision last week to loosen its currency peg to the U.S. dollar is not likely to have an immediate impact on chemical trade flow unless the value of the RMB continues to appreciate, say producers and analysts. China says it will stop...

Albemarle hikes hydroprocessing catalyst capacity.(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Albemarle says it will increase its worldwide hydroprocessing catalysts capacity to meet growing demand from the refining industry. The expansion includes: a new 10,000-m.t./year plant at Pasadena, TX due onstream by the end of 2006; a...

ACC-distribution group form alliance.(Chemical Distribution Institute, ACC Chemical Co.)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... ACC says it has signed a three-year agreement with inspection and audit organization Chemical Distribution Institute (CDI; Brussels) to promote "high levels" of environment, health, and safety, as well as security performance. The alliance...

Bayer sets up distribution in China.(Bayer MaterialScience L.L.C.)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Bayer MaterialScience says it has established a local distribution network with import and export rights at Shanghai. The network will supply customers in China with products manufactured at Bayer's new polycarbonate, polyurethane, and...

Terra signs AN supply deal with Orica.(ammonium nitrate)(Terra Industries)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Terra Industries says it has signed a 10-year, renewable agreement to supply industrial-grade ammonium nitrate (AN) and ammonium nitrate solution to Orica. Technology and other support provided by Orica will allow Terra to modify the smaller...

Chemical firms join consortium to negotiate electricity prices in France.(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Large industrial consumers of electricity in France plan to form a consortium that will negotiate long-term electricity supply contracts at lower prices with power generating companies. The decision was the main outcome of a July 20...

Samsung and Linde land contract to build Saudi cracker.(Tasnee Petrochemicals, Samsung Engineering and Construction Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Samsung Engineering and Linde say they have been selected to jointly build an ethylene plant at Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia for a consortium of private-sector companies led by Tasnee Petrochemicals (Riyadh) (CW, March 9, p. 17). The contract is...

PKN must resubmit buyout offer for Unipetrol.(acquisition deal of PKN Orlen)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... The Czech Securities Commission (Prague) has rejected PKN Orlen's (Plock, Poland) mandatory tender offer to buy out minority shareholders in Unipetrol (Prague), and in Unipetrol's Paramo and Spolana subsidiaries, citing "irregularities" in...

DSM completes bakery ingredients exit.(Daniel Mills & Sons, DSM Chemicals North America Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Daniel Mills & Sons (Johannesburg) has agreed to acquire DSM's 50% stake in the companies' Rymco (Johannesburg) yeast products joint venture for 39 million [euro] ($47 million), DSM says. The deal is expected to close in September. Selling...

Hexion to cut jobs in the U.K.(Hexion Specialty Chemicals)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Hexion Specialty Chemicals (Columbus, OH) says it will cease output of phenolic resins in powder form at Barry, U.K. and transfer production to sites in Germany and Italy. The move will result in the loss of 40-50 jobs at Barry in the second...

ICI's pension deficit to swell.(Imperial Chemical Industries PLC reviewing its service)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... ICI says its pension deficit could rise by 100 million [pounds sterling]-250 million [pounds sterling] ($175 million-$438 million), from the 443 million [pounds sterling] reported at the company's last triennial pension fund review in 2003,...

Degussa forms Agchem jv in China.(Yingkou Sanzheng Fine Chemicals)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Degussa says it has agreed to form a 6535 joint venture to produce the agchem intermediate cyanuric chloride in China. Liu Zhixun, the biggest shareholder in cyanuric chloride producer Yingkou Sanzheng Fine Chemicals (YSFC; Yingkou, China),...

ExxonMobil jv breaks ground.(Saudi Arabian Oil Co.)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... ExxonMobil says it has broken ground on a previously announced $3.5-billion project to build an 800,000-m.t./year ethylene plant and derivatives units, and increase refining capacity, at Quangang, China. The project is a 50-25-25 joint...

SQM buys mideast fertilizers firm.(SQM Nitratos)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... SQM Nitratos (Santiago) says it has acquired Kemira Emirates Fertilizers Co. (Kefco; Dubai) for an undisclosed amount. Kemira owned 50% of Kefco and local investors held the rest. Kefco produces urea phosphate at a 30,000-m.t./year plant...

Construction chemical group formed.(European Federation for Construction Chemicals)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... European producers of construction chemicals have formed an industry association, the European Federation for Construction Chemicals (EFFC; Brussels). EFFC's members include BASF, Degussa, Henkel, MC-Bauchemie, and Wacker-Chemie.

Second-quarter earnings rise despite softer demand.(top of the week)
July 20, 2005... Most early reporting chemical makers posted second-quarter earnings above year-ago levels, despite a slowdown in demand. Higher selling prices offset raw material increases and helped spur earnings growth, companies say. PPG Industries...

International Paper eyes sale of Arizona Chemical.(top of the week)
July 20, 2005... International Paper (IP) says it plans to sell or spin-off its Arizona Chemical (Jacksonville, FL) unit as part of a "business transformation" that will narrow the company's portfolio to two key platform businesses: uncoated paper; and...

CDC exposure report prompts calls for more health effects research.(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
July 20, 2005... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC; Atlanta) third national report on human exposure to environmental chemicals shows a "significant decline" in exposure to lead and second-hand tobacco smoke. The report is also the first...

Security experts debate need for inherently safer processes.(Senate Homeland Security Committee)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... The Senate Homeland Security Committee recently examined the role that federal agencies should have in plant security legislation, and whether the government should require facilities to consider inherently safer processes or products. ...

Aker Kvaerner to close NJ unit.(Aker Kvaerner Pharmaceuticals)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Aker Kvaerner Pharmaceuticals says plans to wind down its Bridgewater, NJ operations. "While the operations in Bridgewater have been unable to book additional contracts in the U.S., the Aker Kvaerner group will continue to service other parts...

DSM Pharma relocates to U.S.(DSM Pharmaceutical Products)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... DSM Pharmaceutical Products says it has moved its headquarters from Sittard, the Netherlands to Parsippany, NJ. The new office will house senior management, as well as support functions for marketing, sales, human resources, information...

EU clears PAI's Chr. Hansen unit buy.(PAI Partners, Chr. Hansen Holding A/S)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... The European Commission has approved private equity firm PAI Partners' (Paris) acquisition of Chr. Hansen (Horsholm, Denmark) from Chr. Hansen Holding. PAI announced plans earlier this year to pay DK8.2 billion ($1.4 billion) for the...

R&D vital to fuel the electronic materials sector.(research and development in chemical industry)
July 20, 2005... Electronic chemical and material suppliers have a technologically challenging but potentially profitable future, according to executives at the Semicon West conference and trade show, held in San Francisco earlier this month. Suppliers say...

Senators seek more information on alleged MTBE-cancer link.(methyl tert-butyl ether)
July 20, 2005... Senators have asked EPA officials for more information on an internal EPA risk assessment that reportedly classifies methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) as a likely human carcinogen. The assessment's conclusions were first reported in the...

American pacific buys Aerojet.(American Pacific Corp. acquires Aerojet Fine Chemicals)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... American Pacific (Las Vegas) says it has agreed to acquire Aerojet Fine Chemicals (AFC; Rancho Cordova, CA), the custom pharma intermediates business of GenCorp (Sacramento, CA), for approximately $119 million plus the assumption of certain...

Lanxess upgrades ABS plant controls.(investments and appointments)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Lanxess says it will spend $1.3 million to upgrade its computer process control system at its Addyston, OH acrylonitrile butadiene styrene plant as part of a previously announced global restructuring plan for its styrenics business. The...

Dow plans share repurchase program.(Dow Chemical Co.)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Dow Chemical says its board has authorized the repurchase of up to 25 million outstanding common shares by year-end 2007. Dow reported roughly 951 million shares outstanding as of March 31. At Dow's closing share price of $47.35 on July 14,...

ACC outlook finds chemical growth slowing.(UNITED STATES/AMERICAS)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Demand growth in the U.S. chemical industry slowed in first-half 2005, according to ACC's mid-year report. ACC says that higher energy prices, inventory restocking, and the maturing chemical business cycle are the culprits for the slowing...

Alpek to expand PET, double PTA.(Alpek S.A. de C.V.)(polyethylene terephthalate, purified terephthalic acid)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Alpek says it will expand its polyethylene terephthalate (PET) capacity in the U.S. by 200,000 m.t./year, to 500,000 m.t./year, and double its purified terephthalic acid (PTA) capacity at Altamira, Mexico to 900,000 m.t./year, both scheduled...

Nova forms EPS jv in Mexico.(joint venture between Nova Chemicals Corp. and Grupo Idesa)(expandable polystyrene)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Nova Chemicals says it has reached an agreement to form a 50-50 joint venture with Grupo Idesa (Mexico City) to produce and sell expandable polystyrene (EPS) in Mexico. The jv, to be called Novidesa, will be formed by a cashless transaction...

Borouge adds metathesis unit.(Borouge Private Ltd. plans)
July 20, 2005... Borouge says it will build a metathesis plant to produce propylene as part of a previously announced $2.5-billion project to expand capacity at the company's Ruwais, Abu Dhabi complex (CW, Nov. 10, 2004, p. 23). The metathesis unit will use...

Distributor IMCD transfers between private equity firms.(acquisition deal)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Private equity firm ABN Amro Capital (Amsterdam) says it has acquired specialty chemicals distributor IMCD (Rotterdam) in a secondary buyout from AlpInvest Partners, formerly known as NIB Capital Private Equity (Amsterdam). Terms were not...

SK, Axens sign licensing deal.(business & finance news)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Axens (Rueil-Malmaison, France) says it has been selected by SK Corp. (Seoul) as the licensing partner for SK's Advanced Pygas Upgrading (APU) technology. The APU process converts pyrolysis gasoline produced at a naphtha cracker into benzene,...

Brenntag acquires in Switzerland.(Chem-On)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Brenntag says it has acquired Chem-On (Zurzach, Switzerland) for an undisclosed amount. Chem-On distributes inorganic industrial chemicals in the Swiss market, and generates sales of about SF17 million/year ($13 million).

Solvay finalizes Fournier deal.(acquisition of Fournier Pharma)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Solvay says it has finalized an agreement for the company's 1.6-billion [euro] ($1.9 billion) acquisition of Fournier Pharma (Dijon, France) (CW, March 30, p. 7). The European Commission approved the deal in mid-July.

Europe gets fuel cell testing unit.(European Commission opens a testing facility)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... The European Commission says it has opened a hydrogen and fuel cell testing facility at the commission's Institute for Energy (Petten, the Netherlands). The facility will help to provide independent evaluation of the performance of hydrogen...

Private firm buys Rhodia fibers plant.(Lamato)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Lamato (Arras, France) says it has acquired Rhodia's nylon carpet fibers plant at Arras for an undisclosed amount. Rhodia ceased production at the plant earlier this year due to poor profitability (CW, Feb. 23/March 2, p. 7). Lamato, says it...

Cognis transfers oleochemicals business to Malaysian jv.(joint venture)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Cognis says it will transfer its oleochemicals and derivatives business to Cognis Oleochemicals, a 50-50 joint venture between Cognis and palm oil producer Golden Hope Plantations (Kuala Lumpur). The deal will make Cognis Oleochemicals one of...

ExxonMobil extends gas supply deal for Aceh fertilizer plant.(ASIA/PACIFIC)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... ExxonMobil has extended an agreement to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) to urea producer PT Pupuk Iskandar Muda (PIM; Lhokseumawe, Indonesia), according to the Indonesian government. ExxonMobil agreed to resume LNG supplies to PIM at the...

Sika acquires in New Zealand.(Fosroc operations)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Sika (Baar, Switzerland) says it has acquired Fosroc's (Tamworth, U.K.) operations in New Zealand for about SF16 million ($12 million). The business produces adhesives and sealants, as well as waterproofing and other protective materials,...

Dow takes control of epoxies unit.(Dow Chemical Co. acquires Pacific Epoxy Co.)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Dow Chemical says it has increased its stake in Pacific Epoxy Co. (PEC)from 80%, to 100%, by acquiring the stake of Saehan Industries (Seoul). PEC operates a 30,000-m.t./year plant at Kumi, Korea that produces converted epoxy resins.

Lummus lands metathesis contract from LG.(ABB Lummus Global Inc., LG Petrochemical)
July 20, 2005... ABB Lummus Global says it has been awarded a contract by LG Petrochemical to supply its metathesis Olefins Conversion Technology (OCT) for a project at LG's Yeosu, Korea petrochemical complex. The OCT process converts ethylene and butenes to...

Chandra Asri expands olefins capacity.(P.T. Chandra Asri Petrochemical Centre)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... PT Chandra Asri (Jakarta) says it will debottleneck its Anyer, Indonesia olefins plant in 2006, raising ethylene capacity from 520,000 m.t./year, to 600,000 m.t./year, and propylene from 243,000 m.t./year, to 343,000 m.t./year. No further...

Clariant to build glyoxilic acid plant.(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Clariant says it plans to build a 10,000-m.t./ year glyoxilic acid plant, using a novel proprietary technology. The company says it will decide on the location of the project soon, and that the plant will start up in early 2007.

Jacobs lands phosacid contract in Morocco.(Societe Pakistan Maroc Phosphor, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Jacobs Engineering says it has received a contract to build a previously announced phosphoric acid plant at Jorf Lasfar, Morocco (CW, Aug. 11, 2004, p. 12). The 375,000-m.t./ year plant will be built for Societe Pakistan Maroc Phosphor, a...

Sabic awards ethylene glycol contract to Toyo.(Saudi Basic Industries Corp., Toyo Engineering Corp.)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Sabic says it has awarded Toyo Engineering a contract to build a 700,000-m.t./year ethylene glycol (EG) plant at Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. The plant will form part of Sabic's previously announced YanSab petrochemicals complex (CW, May 18, p. 14)....

Lanxess builds engineering plastics unit in China.(new construction projects)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Lanxess says it will invest 20 million [euro] ($24 million) to build a plant at Wuxi, China that will produce engineering plastics. The unit will make Lanxess's Durethan polyamide and Pocan thermoplastic polyester polymers, and have a...

Omfico plans DAP complex in Oman.(diammonium phosphate, Oman-India Fertilizer Co.)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Oman India Fertiliser Co. (Omfico; Muscat) says it is studying a diammonium phosphate (DAP) complex at Sur, Oman that will be built after Omfico's first fertilizer complex comes onstream there in the next few months. The first complex has...

Carmel olefins ups PP investment plan.(polypropylene)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Carmel Olefins (Haifa, Israel) says it has decided to expand polypropylene (PP) capacity at Haifa by more than was originally planned, under a previously announced project (CW, Feb. 4, 2004, p. 16). PP capacity will rise from 200,000...

BOC builds hydrogen plant to supply U.S. refineries.(BOC Group PLC)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... BOC says it will invest $50 million to build a hydrogen plant at Chevron's Salt Lake City refining site, to supply Chevron and a nearby refinery operated by Holly Corp, (Dallas, TX). Hydrogen production is due to commence in mid-2006. Chevron...

Global warming: firms seek technology subsidies.(political pressure on chemical industry)(Cover Story)
July 20, 2005... The scientific assertion that burning fossil fuels is a significant contributor to global warming is generating political pressure for industry to play a greater part in curbing emissions. Many chemical companies say they have implemented...

The 11th Annual China Chemical Industry Conference.
July 20, 2005... 12-14 SEPTEMBER 2005 * PUDONG SHANGRI-LA HOTEL * SHANGHAI, CHINA A New Pwer is Emerging in the East: Does the Future Belong to China? This year is set to be an historic one for China. The country is now the world's largest producer...

Poland: chemical industry in pole position: riding on the wave of a positive conjuncture and a successful EU integration, Poland is now looking to a brighter chemical future. However, the industry still awaits a clearer signal on the privatization front to reach the full impetus of its development potential ...
July 20, 2005... Since the fall of the Berlin wall, and the end of communist regimes in this part of Europe, Poland has been the darling of Central Eastern European Countries (CEEC) and a major recipient of foreign direct investment. Between 1989, date of the...

Controversy surrounds Europe's new pharma manufacturing law.(CHEMSPEC 2005)
July 20, 2005... Custom pharma intermediate manufacturers say they applaud new European Union (EU) drug quality legislation, but that they are concerned about how effectively the new rules will be policed. The legislation, which comes into force at the end of...

Aceto to sell cleaning products unit.(specialties)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Aceto says it has agreed to sell the majority of its $4.3-million/year CDC Products subsidiary, part of its institutional sanitary supplies (ISS) business unit to an unspecified buyer. CDC makes cleaning solutions, fragrances, and deodorants...

Quaker forms jv in Italy.(Quaker Automotive Italia formed)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Quaker Chemical says it has formed a joint venture partnership with a group of automotive industry experts in Italy. The jv, Quaker Automotive Italia (Chieri), is primarily a distribution company focused on the Italian automotive sector and...

Quest buys custom paint maker.(Quest Specialty Chemicals Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Quest Specialty Chemicals (Seabrook, NH) says it has acquired Foxcolor (Oshkosh, WI), a maker of custom color match touchup paint. The deal will expand Quest's custom matched touch-up paint line, the company says; terms of the deal were not...

Sun brightens focus on R&D.(Sun Chemical Corp.)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Sun Chemical's Performance Pigments unit says it has formed an Advanced Technology Group to focus on product development. Advanced Technology will focus on product development in special-effect pigments, next generation security, and...

ICL hikes brine fluids prices.(specialties)(ICL Industrial Products)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... ICL Industrial Products says it will increase prices of clear brine fluids due to "continuing sharp increases in energy and logistics" costs. Bulk calcium bromide will rise to 56 cts/lb, and bulk zinc-calcium bromide will increase to 90...

Chemtura puts a new focus on organometallic specialties.(MERGERS)
July 20, 2005... Chemtura, the speciality chemicals player formed from the merger of Crompton and Great Lakes Chemical, says it has identified organometallic specialties, a former Crompton operation, as a growth business. The $100-million/year operation...

Albemarle to develop new site at Nanjing; forms second stabilizers jv.(CHINA)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Albemarle says it has signed a letter of intent to acquire land at Nanjing, China that will house a technology center, a repackaging facility for polyolefin co-catalysts, and future production of several of its polymer additives. The site is...

PET margins peak in North America, but lag in Asia and Europe.(POLYMERS)
July 20, 2005... Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) margins are expected to peak in North America in 2005, but excess capacity in Asia will likely keep margins depressed there and in Europe, says CMAI (Houston). North American PET markets have tightened in the...

Chlor-alkali cutbacks at pioneer.(basic chemicals & plastics)(Pioneer reduces production)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Pioneer says it has cut production at its St. Gabriel, LA chlor-alkali plant in response to lower demand. Production in July will be down by 3,100 electrochemical units (ECU)--the combined units of caustic soda and chlorine--compared to the...

Chemtura plans EPDM maintenance.(ethylene propylene diene monomer)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Chemtura, the company formed by the merger of Crompton and Great Lakes says it has taken down two of its three ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber plants at Geismar, LA for a six-week maintenance turnaround. The planned turnaround...

Agrium to continue running Kenai.(basic chemicals & plastics)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Agrium says it will continue to operate its Kenai, AK fertilizer plant through November 2006 after securing natural gas supply from several producers. The facility had been at risk of being shut this November because of natural gas supply...

Terra sells terminal to Kinder Morgan.(Terra Nitrogen Company L.P)(Kinder Morgan Energy Partners L.P)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... Terra Nitrogen says it has sold its terminal assets at Blythevilie, AR to Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (Houston) for $5 million. Terra says it will exclusively lease all of the terminal and storage from Kinder Morgan through 2010, with an...

CW price report.(alkenes)(Chemical Week)
July 20, 2005... Olefins prices have strengthened in the past two weeks in response to improved demand. U.S. ethylene spot prices jumped 4 cts/lb last week and producers are seeking a 2-cts/lb increase in for July contracts. U.S. propylene producers are...

U.S. Senators propose testing program similar to EU's reach.(PRODUCT SAFETY)(Frank Lautenberg introduces law for the safety data of chemicals)
July 20, 2005... Senator Frank Lautenberg (D., NJ) has proposed legislation that would give EPA greater authority to require chemical companies to provide safety data for new or existing chemicals, a proposal that environmentalists say would be similar to the...

Court hands EPA victory in global warming lawsuit.(Environmental Protection Agency)
July 20, 2005... A federal court has upheld EPA's legal argument that the Clean Air Act does not require the agency to regulate carbon dioxide (C[O.sub.2]) emissions from cars and trucks. A coalition of 12 states and several environmental groups had sued the...

LG Chem takes a global view: focusing on new high-growth businesses.(companies)
July 20, 2005... LG Chem (Seoul) aims to globalize its operations through major investments in China and India, and later in Russia and Brazil, says Ki-Ho No, president and CEO. The plans form part of LG Chem's strategy to increase annual consolidated sales...

Price hikes lift earnings: strong demand boosts basic chemical results.(CW100)
July 20, 2005... Most chemical companies in the CW100 reported gains in first-quarter sales and earnings, mostly helped by increased selling prices, producers say. Basic chemical makers had the strongest showing, helped by a significant rise in demand,...

CW75 stock performance.(Chemical Week)(Illustration)
July 20, 2005... Chemical stocks in the CW75 Index rose 1.9% for the week ending July 20, outpacing broader market indexes including the Morgan Stanley global composite and Standard & Poor's 500, which were each up by less than 1%. Investor confidence in...

GDP growth continues.(vital statistics)(chemical industry-economic statistics)
July 20, 2005... GDP rose at an annualized rate of 3.8% in the first quarter, the same rate as fourth-quarter 2004. Inflation rose at an annualized 2.9% rate, compared to 2.3% in the previous three months. The Federal Reserve raised short-term interest...

Nexen Chemicals.(key changes)(appointments)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... NEXEN CHEMICALS has made appointments: Gary L. Kubera as president and CEO; Richard T. McLellan as CFO; and David B. Gosse as v.p./technology and engineering. Kubera was most recently v.p./marketing and business development. McLellan was most...

Arkema.(key changes)(appointments)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... ARKEMA regional group president Doug Sharp has been elected to the Drexel College of Engineering advisory council.

Air Liquide America.(key changes)(appointments)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... AIR LIQUIDE AMERICA has named Richard Murphy director of its Alnet distributor network and business development. Murphy was previously director/ specialty gases business development for the company.

Cambrex.(key changes)(appointments)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... CAMBREX has elected David R. Bethune to its board of directors. Bethune was most recently chairman and CEO of Atrix Laboratories.

Shell Chemicals.(key changes)(appointments)(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... SHELL CHEMICALS has named David Young general manager/solvents and phenol.

Chemie GMBH Bitterfeld-Wolfen.(appointments )(Brief Article)
July 20, 2005... CHEMIE GMBH BITTERFELD-WOLFEN has named Ulrich Dilger and Karsten Mielke to Its sales team for custom manufacturing.