Rubber Polyurethanes
BASF increases prices for polymer dispersions and powders

Effective 1 March 2012, or as contracts allow, BASF will increase prices in Europe, Africa and Western Asia for polymer dispersions by 80 EUR per tonne and ...

Rubber Polyurethanes
VIETNAM: French keen on Vietnam's plastic, packing industries

A delegation representing 10 French companies will travel to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from 28 Feb. – 2 March 2012 to examine the plastics and packing ...

Rubber
Lanxess increases prices for chloroprene rubber

Lanxess will increase its prices worldwide for its Baypren branded chloroprene rubbers by up to EUR 160 / USD 210 per tonne effective 1 March 2012.

Polyurethanes
Sabic acquires license to manufacture TDI and MDI from Mitsui

The Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) has signed a TDI and MDI technology license agreement with Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. Under the agreement, Mitsui ...

Rubber
SRI LANKA: Demand for rubber increases

A shortage of rubber to meet the required rubber production and an increasing demand for natural rubber had led the Rubber Development Department (RDD) to ...

Rubber
VIETNAM: Rubber trade with China booms

Unofficial, small border trade transactions continue to flourish in Vietnam's rubber export to China although their number has fallen recently, industry ...

Polyurethanes
Bayer receives building permit for new TDI plant in Dormagen

Bayer MaterialScience can begin construction in Dormagen, Germany, of its new EUR 150 million world-scale TDI plant. According to the company, the Cologne ...

Rubber
Sibur and RIL form JV to produce butyl rubber in India

Sibur and Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) have agreed to form a joint venture named Reliance Sibur Elastomers Pvt. Ltd. to produce 100,000 t/y of butyl rubber ...

Rubber
Freudenberg investigates sale of brake components business to ContiTech

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies is investigating whether to sell the business of precision moulding parts for brake systems to ContiTech Vibration Control GmbH.

Rubber Polyurethanes
SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi petrochemical firms healthy despite global uncertainties

The growth outlook for Saudi petrochemical companies is healthy, despite the lingering uncertainties in the global economy. Though product prices are at ...

Rubber Thermoplastic Elastomers
Dreyplas has started market activities

In November 2011 a new pan-European distributor has started market activities: Dreyplas GmbH, based in Meerbusch, Germany. The company’s diversified portfolio ...

Polyurethanes
Significant growth of PDA’s 2012 Annual Conference over 2011

PDA, the Association for High Performance Elastomeric Technologies, announced its 2012 Annual Conference and Exposition is showing significant growth compared ...

Rubber
MALAYSIA: Rubber prices will sustain over long-term

The current upward trend in natural rubber prices will continue to sustain over the long-term, says Rubber Industry Smallholder Development Authority (RISDA) ...

Rubber Polyurethanes
SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Royal Commission grants approval for five PC projects costing USD 5.6 billion

Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu has approved five large petrochemical projects to be built in Jubail and costing SR 21.2 billion (USD 5.6 ...

Rubber Polyurethanes
CHINA: Sinopec, China Coal JV plans PP project in Ordos using Ineos’ Innovene process

Zhong Tian He Chuang Energy Co., a joint venture between Sinopec and China Coal Group, plans to build a polypropylene (PP) plant in Ordos, China, based on Ineos ...

Rubber
Zorge strengthens rubber activities in Hungary

Zorge has recently increased its production capacity in Hungary to meet the growing demand for rubber parts.

Rubber
Arizona Chemical and IMCD Group conclude distribution agreement

Effective from 1 January 2012, IMCD Group B. V. distributes Arizona Chemical’s refinery product lines in Western Europe.

Rubber
Onex acquires Davis-Standard

On 23 December 2011, the extrusion systems supplier Davis-Standard, LLC was sold by Hamil­ton Robinson Capital Partners to Oncap, the middle market investing ...

Rubber
BASF participates in Renmatix

BASF is participating with USD 30 million through BASF Biorenewable Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG in the US technology firm Renmatix Inc., in Philadelphia, PA.

Rubber
Lanxess strengthens phthalate-free plasticiser portfolio

Lanxess has acquired Unitex Chemical Corporation located in Greensboro, NC, USA. Unitex has about 40 employees and achieved sales of about USD 30 million in 2010.

Rubber Polyurethanes
Bekaert to cut 1,850 jobs in China and Belgium

Bekaert has announced a reduction of 1,850 jobs in its sawing wires and stainless steel wire operations. The measures affect a total of 600 jobs in Aalter, ...

Polyurethanes
Perstorp strengthens sales channels in Germany, Austria and Switzerland

In the fourth quarter of 2011, Perstorp has agreed on a strengthened cooperation with the Hamburg-based German chemical distributor Nordmann, Rassmann GmbH (NRC).

Polyurethanes
Huntsman breaks ground on new Asia Pacific Technology Center

On 15 February 2012, Huntsman held a ground-breaking ceremony for its new Asia Pacific Technology Center (ATC) in Shanghai's Minhang Economic & Technological ...

Rubber
SOUTH KOREA: LG Chem wins patent suit against Dow Chemical

LG Chem Ltd., Korea's leading chemical maker, said Thursday it has won an elastic polymer patent lawsuit against Dow Chemical Co. of the United States.

Polyurethanes
ISL-Chemie looks back on more than 40 years of history in colouring polyurethane

The 75th anniversary of the invention of polyurethane gives the Kürten-based German manufacturer of colour pastes and speciality lacquers for the PU industry, ...

Rubber
Cooper Standard buys sealing business of Sigit

Effective 1 January 2012, Cooper Standard has acquired the automotive sealing business of Sigit S.p.A., operated primarily from manufacturing locations in ...

Rubber
VIETNAM: Rubber trading bounces back after lull

Rubber trading rebounded significantly for the past few weeks after a long period of stagnation thanks to rising demand and restricted supply on the global ...

Rubber
THAILAND: State stands by B15 billion rubber fund

Despite rising prices, the government sees the newly established 15-billion-baht fund to intervene in the rubber market as essential for stabilising prices.

Rubber Polyurethanes
INDONESIA: Honam signs Indonesian land deal for cracker & downstream units

Honam Petrochemical Corp. has signed a memorandum of understanding with Indonesia’s Krakatau Steel for land in Cilegon on which Honam plans to build a new ...

Rubber Polyurethanes
VIETNAM: Partners sign joint venture agreement for Long Son PC complex

PetroVietnam, Vinachem, Qatar Petroleum International, Siam Cement Group (SCG) and Thai Plastic and Chemicals have signed a joint venture agreement to invest in ...

Rubber Polyurethanes
CHINA: New Five-Year Plan envisions four refining, three ethylene bases

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has released general details on the country’s new five-year plan (2011-2015), including ...

Polyurethanes
PPI moving to larger facility in Greensburg, PA

For the second time in four years, Polyurethane Process Industries, LLC, (PPI) is moving to larger quarters to accommodate the needs of its growing customer base.

Rubber
Trelleborg and Freudenberg to form JV for antivibration solutions

Trelleborg and Freudenberg have agreed to form a 50/50 joint venture to produce antivibration solutions for light and heavy vehicles.

Polyurethanes
PFF buys second continuous panel laminating system from BGA

Bradbury Group Australia (BGA) is set to deliver a second continuous panel laminating system to Georgia-based Precision Foam Fabricators (PFF), a manufactuer of ...

Polyurethanes
CPI upgrades www.polyurethane.org website

The clean, new design gives www.polyurethane.org the same look and feel of the American Chemistry Council’s (ACC) main site, which makes it easier for visitors ...

Rubber
QATAR: QP and Qapco to build USD 5 billion petrochemical plant

Ras Laffan will be home to a USD 5.5 billion world-scale stream cracker petrochemical complex by 2018.

Rubber
Pallmann and GMN establish tyre recycling joint venture

The German Pallmann Group, a developer and producer of size reduction technologies, has formed a partnership with the Spanish tyre recycler GMN.

Rubber
Dätwyler buys Profiles Division of Phoenix

On 2 January 2012 the Dätwyler Group completed the acquisition of the Profiles Division of Phoenix Dichtungstechnik GmbH, Hamburg.

Rubber
Synthomer to expand nitrile latex plant in Pasir Gudang

Synthomer has announced a further MYR 110 million (~EUR 27.1 million) investment to expand its Pasir Gudang nitrile latex facilities, creating, according to its ...

Rubber
JBC to expand halobutyl rubber capacity in Kashima

Japan Butyl Co. Ltd. (JBC), a 50/50 joint venture between JSR Corporation and ExxonMobil Yugen Kaisha (EMYK), will expand the capacity of its halobutyl rubber ...

Rubber
JSR completes S-SBR capacity expansion in Yokkaichi

The Japanese company JSR Corporation has completed a 25,000 t/y S-SBR capacity expansion at its Yokkaichi plant, bringing the total capacity to 60,000 t/y.

Thermoplastic Elastomers
Wittenburg opens new production site and R&D centre in Zeewolde

Wittenburg BV recently announced the opening of its new state-of-the art production facility and R&D centre in Zeewolde, The Netherlands. The company said that ...

Thermoplastic Elastomers
PolyOne GLS appoints Velox as Western Europe Distributor

PolyOne GLS has announced the appointment of Velox GmbH from Hamburg, Germany, as a distributor of its products in Western Europe. Velox is the first European ...

Rubber
Asahi Kasei to build second S-SBR plant in Singapore

Asahi Kasei Chemicals has decided to construct a second S-SBR plant with a capacity of 50,000 t/y in Singapore.

Rubber Thermoplastic Elastomers
Trelleborg strengthens and focuses the group

Trelleborg is making organisational changes in order to further strengthen and focus the group. Trelleborg Automotive will be focused on antivibration ...

Rubber
Lanxess increases price for chloroprene rubber

Lanxess announced a price increase for its Baypren branded Chloroprene business line of up to EUR 180/USD 240 per tonne on a global basis.

Polyurethanes
Johnson Controls and Harrison Spinks to jointly develop new seat concept

Johnson Controls announced it has formed a development relationship with luxury mattress manufacturer Harrison Spinks to integrate pocketed coil spring mattress ...

Rubber
SOUTH KOREA: LyondellBasell grants Lupotech license for Samsung Total LDPE/EVA plant

LyondellBasell’s Lupotech T process technology has been selected by Samsung Total Petrochemicals for a new low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and ethylene vinyl ...

Rubber
VIETNAM: Bridgestone starts work on Hai Phong tyre plant

Bridgestone Tyre Manufacturing Vietnam, an affiliate of Japan's Bridgestone Corporation, on 1 Feb. was granted an Investment Certificate to build a car tyre ...

Rubber
MALAYSIA: Some 11,000 smallholders in Sarawak apply to plant rubber

A total of 11,238 smallholders in Sarawak have applied to plant rubber as a new crop and undertake replanting in 24,197 hectares with high-yield clones.

Rubber Thermoplastic Elastomers
KUWAIT: PIC partnering with Equate to build proposed Olefins III project

Kuwait’s Petrochemical Industries Co. (PIC) is still planning to build its Olefins III complex and will cooperate with Equate to carry out the project, the ...

Rubber
CHINA: LyondellBasell licenses Hostalen process for Shaanxi Yanchang’s HDPE project

LyondellBasell says it has granted Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Yanan Energy and Chemical a Hostalen ACP (Advanced Cascade Process) technology license for a new ...

Rubber
SRI LANKA: Rubber planting subsidy extended

The Rubber Development Department (RDD) in collaboration with Sri Lanka Treasury have extended the "rubber new planting and re-planting state subsidy" for this ...

Rubber
SOUTH KOREA: LG Chem to make record investments

LG Chem, Korea’s largest chemical firm, plans to make a record investment this year as it sees an upturn in its business.