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Chemical Industry News
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Optically Active Metals for the Technologies of Tomorrow
An international research team led by the University of Bayreuth has discovered a metal that combines electrical conductivity with internal polarity. This enables it to exhibit second harmonic generation – an optical effect typically observed
Prize for bioconversion of renewable raw materials
Until now, plastics could only be produced using crude oil. In his dissertation at Ruhr University Bochum, Dr. Daniel Eggerichs developed a way to produce precursors for plastics using genetically modified bacteria from paper industry
Single-step battery cathode recycling
A new battery recycling method developed by Illinois Grainger engineers removes scarce, expensive metals from old battery cathodes and coats them onto new cathodes in a single step. The result is significantly more affordable, less
Asia isocyanates face mixed Golden Week demand
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Demand signals are mixed going into China’s Golden Week, with steady domestic prices in China lending some stability to methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and toluene...
LG Chem to sell $1.43 billion worth of LG Energy Solution shares
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--South Korea’s LG Chem will sell around won (W) 2 trillion ($1.43 billion) worth of shares in its subsidiary, battery-maker LG Energy Solution (LGES), the chemicals firm said in a...
Plant status: Mitsubishi Chem to have Kashima cracker turnaround in 2026
JAKARTA (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Mitsubishi Chemical Location: Kashima, Ibaraki, Japan Product: Ethylene (C2), propylene (C3) Capacity (tonnes/year): 564,000 (C2); 270,000 (C3)...
Plant status: Japan’s ENEOS mulls over 2026 Tonen cracker overhaul
JAKARTA (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: ENEOS Location: Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan Product: Ethylene (C2), propylene (C3) Capacity (tonnes/year): 540,000 (C2); 308,000 (C3) Event start:...
Asia glycerine market grinds to a halt amid Golden Week holiday in China
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Asia’s glycerine spot market activities have ground to a halt this week as players retreat to the sidelines amid the Golden Week holiday in China. China, a major consumer of...
Plant status: Petro Rabigh phenol/acetone plant early Oct restart planned
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Company (Petro Rabigh) Location: Rabigh, Saudi Arabia Product: Phenol, acetone Capacity (tonnes/year): 270,000...
India’s Reliance H1 Oct MEG contract nomination down by $5/tonne
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--India’s Reliance Industries announced its nomination for the first half of October monoethylene glycol (MEG) contract price at $525/tonne, a company source said. The price is on a...
ICIS launches index for domestic India LAB on 1 Oct
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--ICIS has introduced a new weekly price index for the Linear alkyl benzene (LAB) domestic India market. This spot assessment, denominated in the local currency Indian rupee (Rs/kg),...
Plant status: FPCC resumes operations at its No 2 BD unit in Taiwan
SINGAPORE (ICIS) – Here is a plant status report: Name: Formosa Petrochemical Corp (FPCC) Location: Mailiao, Taiwan Product: Butadiene (BD) Capacity (tonnes/year): 162,000 (No 2) Event start:...
Plant status: FPCC shut No 1 BD unit in Taiwan for maintenance
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Formosa Petrochemical Corp (FPCC) Location: Mailiao, Taiwan Product: Butadiene (BD) Capacity (tonnes/year): 109,000 (No 1) Event start: H2...
NYMEX: Henry Hub prices elevate as gas production slips
Front-month US natural gas futures rose on 1 October with easing of dry natural gas production The November Henry Hub contract on NYMEX settled at $3.476/MMBtu, up 5.2% from the previous session The...
US Phillips 66 idles several units at Los Angeles, California, refinery ahead of shutdown
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Phillips 66 has idled several units at its Los Angeles, California, refinery as it moves forward with its plans to shut down the refinery by the end of the year, the US-based refiner...
CDI US September styrene prices finalized
Contract prices for US styrene have been finalized for September 2025. The large buyer contract was assessed at 47.5 cents/lb and the blended contract was assessed at 40.6...
ICIS Economic Summary: US economy in flux, but resilience set to continue
NEW YORK (ICIS)--The US economy is in flux as the Federal Reserve prepares to cut rates further in the face of a weakening labor market, even as inflation creeps further away from its 2% target....
CRUDE SUMMARY: Oil prices finish down on latest global economic concerns, oversupply fears
US government shutdown adds to global economic concerns US EIA showed weekly increase in crude inventory Concerns persist over potential OPEC+ output increase in November LONDON (ICIS)--Crude...
Chile’s chemicals output down; wider manufacturing up, copper woes persist
SAO PAULO (ICIS)--Chile's manufacturing activity rose by 0.5% in August, year on year, but within it chemicals performed negatively, the country’s central bank said on Wednesday. According to the...