Industry News
Chemical Industry News
New polymers to be tested in extreme conditions aboard the International Space Station
The materials might one day make it into spacecraft components
AI-driven mobile robots team up to tackle chemical synthesis
Researchers at the University of Liverpool have developed AI-driven mobile robots that can carry out chemical synthesis research with axtraordinairy efficiency. In a study publishing in the journal Nature, researchers show how mobile robots that use
LANXESS significantly increases earnings in the third quarter of 2024
Specialty chemicals company LANXESS saw a significant earnings increase in the third quarter of 2024: EBITDA pre exceptionals came in at EUR 173 million, up 45.4 percent from the prior-year quarter’s EUR 119 million. This
Interstellar Methane as Progenitor of Amino Acids?
Gamma radiation can convert methane into a wide variety of products at room temperature, including hydrocarbons, oxygen-containing molecules, and amino acids, reports a research team in the journal Angewandte Chemie. This type of reaction probably
Nutrien undergoing planned turnaround at ammonia plant in Trinidad
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Nutrien confirmed that one of its ammonia plants in Trinidad is undergoing turnaround activities that were planned. The Canadian fertilizer major said that despite the situation it...
Brazil’s Braskem lobbying for ADDs on Chinese PVC – CFO
SAO PAULO (ICIS)--Braskem is to present to the Brazilian government plans to impose antidumping duties (ADDs) on China-produced polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the CFO at the Brazilian polymers major said...
Fed to continue rate cuts amid restricted policy, balanced labor
HOUSTON (ICIS)--US monetary policy remains restrictive, and labor markets appear balanced, which lead to continued cuts to the benchmark interest rate by the Federal Reserve. Even with Thursday's...
CRUDE SUMMARY: Expectations of 25 basis point US interest rate cut supports oil benchmarks
US Federal Reserve is anticipated to cut interest rates by 25 basis points Hurricane Rafael shuts off about 17% of oil production in the US Gulf of Mexico Weakening Chinese oil demand, indicated by...
US Fed cuts rates by a quarter point, as expected, as inflation remains somewhat elevated
HOUSTON (ICIS)--As expected, the US Federal Reserve lowered its benchmark interest rate for the second time in a row, cutting its federal funds rate by 0.25 percentage points to 4.50-4.75, the...
European gasoil demand subdued; premiums pressured amid little optimism
LONDON (ICIS)--Sentiments in the European gasoil market remains depressed on the relatively warm start of the winter season with differentials softening slightly. Gasoil premiums have been under...
More battery capacity needed to eliminate negative prices – expert
With growing occurence of negative prices amid renewable penetration, more battery storage capacity will be needed Wide intra-day spreads to remain top revenue option for BESS, but margins can...
Germany’s auto sales and production rise in October
LONDON (ICIS)--Germany’s domestic new car sales and production rose year on year in October but remained well below pre-pandemic crisis levels from 2019, according to data from the German...
PET pulled out of Europe to fill gap from Alpek UK’s force majeure
LONDON (ICIS)--Low demand saw growing availability of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in Europe, but a force majeure at Alpek Polyester UK’s plant is going some way to absorbing the excess. The...
US Trinseo latest chem to expect pronounced Q4 customer shutdowns
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Trinseo expects a pronounced number of Q4 shutdowns among its customers' plants, and it plans to run its operations accordingly, the chief financial officer of the engineered...
Financially embattled Azoty cuts Q3 net loss to Zl 226.4 million
LONDON (ICIS)--Financially troubled Grupa Azoty cut its third-quarter net loss to zloty (Zl) 226.4 million ($56.6 million) from Zl 743.4 million a year ago amid a drive for cost savings in the face...
Competitive imports drive Europe plasticizer DOTP spot prices to 14-month low
LONDON (ICIS)--Unrelenting competition between sellers drove European plasticizer dioctyl terephthalate (DOTP) spot prices to the lowest level since August 2023 this week. “I have lost a lot of...
Europe plasticizers demand exceeds expectations, spot prices extend losses
LONDON (ICIS)--Demand in the European plasticizers market is better than expected for diisononyl phthalate (DINP) and dipropyl heptyl phthalate (DPHP) but spot prices continued to fall this week....
PhosAgro profits up Jan-Sept as phosphate fertz output grows
LONDON (ICIS)--PhosAgro’s net profit rose over 14% annually in the first nine months of 2024 on the back of higher production and foreign exchange tailwinds, the Russia-based fertilizers major said...
Sweden’s rejection of 13 offshore wind farms could worsen grid bottlenecks
The Swedish government has rejected 13 offshore wind projects due to defence concerns Lack of wind expansion in Sweden’s southern pricing zones could exacerbate grid bottleneck issues Despite a...
Plans to scrap German gas storage fees may fall through as government coalition collapses
LONDON (ICIS)--Germany’s controversial gas storage fee may be rolled forward into January 2025 as plans to scrap it may not be approved following the fall of the coalition government. The German...