Industry News
Chemical Industry News
South Korea sulphuric acid interactive trade map January-March 2026
LONDON (ICIS)--South Korea’s Trade Statistics Promotion Institute (KTSPI) has released sulphuric acid trade data for January-March...
Europe toluene spot prices continue downward trend
LONDON (ICIS)--European toluene spot premiums continued to generally trend down in the week ending 17 April, despite the spread widening from midweek onwards. Gasoline prices remain generally high on...
‘Human-in-the-loop’ approach could cut costs of robotic labs by 90%
Reducing costs may democratise field by making self-driving labs more accessible
The battery chemistry race shaping the future of electric vehicles
Science and global politics intertwine in the rivalry between lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxides and lithium iron phosphate
Evonik reorganizes its executive leadership: CEO stays on, CFO joins
Christian Kullmann will remain Chief Executive Officer of Evonik until 2030. That’s what the Supervisory Board agreed to at an extraordinary meeting. It also appointed Michael Rauch as new Chief Financial Officer for the chemical company. Both decisions were taken unanimously. Kullmann has been with...
A chance discovery in the lab earns a startup a NATO grant
Prof Dr Rainer Herges was actually looking for molecules that could be used as infinitely small switches - a hundred thousand times tinier than the tiniest transistors. The discovery he made by chance may save
Green hydrogen from sunlight and water – without electrolyzers and without electricity
No electrolyzers, no power consumption and no grid connection required - photreon, a founding project of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), wants to advance the hydrogen economy with mass-produced photoreactor panels. The panels make
AI company Synera receives 35 million euros
Bremen-based startup Synera, which develops AI agents to automate industrial product development processes, has closed a Series B financing round of 35 million euros. The round is led by European growth investor Revaia with significant
Leonhard Zirkler takes over management of HÖFER CHEMIE
Leonhard Zirkler is the new Managing Director of HÖFER CHEMIE® GMBH. He took over the position in January 2026 and has since been responsible for the strategic and operational development of the company. Leonhard Zirkler
Izatt-Christensen Award 2026 for Frank Würthner
The prestigious Izatt-Christensen Award 2026 goes to Professor Frank Würthner, Chair of Organic Chemistry II and Director of the Center for Nanosystems Chemistry at the University of Würzburg. The prize is regarded as the world’s
Europe ABS April contract prices rise triple digits, driven by feedstock price surges
LONDON (ICIS)-- Europe acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) contract prices have sharply increased by €500-600/tonne for April, at a midpoint increase of €550/tonne, mainly driven by feedstock...
US acetone price ceiling tested as upward pressure builds
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Upward price pressure on US acetone is building, driven by feedstocks, supply and import dynamics. Including all the announcements since February, total price increases as high as 47...
Europe PS April contract prices increase triple digits, mainly driven by styrene
LONDON (ICIS)--Europe polystyrene (PS) contract prices have increased €450-500/tonne for April, a mid-point increase of €475/tonne, mainly driven by the €469/tonne upstream styrene contract...
Global conflict unleashes impacts on US farmers, domestic fertilizers
HOUSTON (ICIS)--The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has had a direct impact on American farmers, primarily through higher fertilizer and diesel fuel prices. After several years of already tight...
Europe EPS April contract prices surge triple digits on feedstock, energy costs
LONDON (ICIS)--April contract prices in the European expandable polystyrene (EPS) market have increased €575/tonne, mainly driven by the upstream styrene increase of €469/tonne, and additional...
NYMEX: US gas futures edge up as some cooler weather approaches
Front-month US natural gas futures gained on 17 April on below-normal temperatures in some regions and lower gas production The May 2026 Henry Hub contract on NYMEX settled at $2.674/MMBtu, up nearly...
Plant status: CosMar Louisiana styrene unit restarts
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: CosMar Location: Carville, Louisiana Product: Styrene Capacity (tonnes/year): 435,000 Event start: Late February (Estimate) Event finish: 16-17...
Asia-US container rates mostly higher as Middle East conflict persists; tanker rates remain elevated
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Rates for shipping containers from east Asia and China to the US were mostly higher this week, and liquid chemical tanker rates remain elevated amid announcements that the Strait of...
CRUDE SUMMARY: Oil prices plummet as Iran reopens Strait of Hormuz
Oil prices dip sharply as Tehran declares Strait open for duration of existing ceasefire Israel-Lebanon ceasefire stokes optimism for an end to the conflict US reported to be optimistic that a peace...
INSIGHT: US ADD ruling on China MDI opens unusual window for importers
HOUSTON (ICIS)--The US polyurethane (PU) industry finds itself at a precarious crossroads following the US Department of Commerce (DOC)'s ruling in the antidumping case against Chinese methylene...