Industry News
Chemical Industry News
US July housing starts rise 5.2%, but permits fall 2.8%
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Overall US housing starts rose 5.2% month on month in July, marking a second consecutive increase, according to US Census Bureau data released on Tuesday. However, building permits...
Ghana launches $3.5 million fertilizer blending plant to tackle import dependence
LONDON (ICIS)--Ghana has inaugurated a $3.5 million fertilizer blending plant located in the Greater Accra region, designed to address the country's significant reliance on fertiliser imports. The...
New discounted routes to Ukraine could shift Azeri flows but traders see limited uptake
Up to 46% discount on two new ICGB gas routes to Ukraine from Greece Likely to shift regional flows but traders cite limited access and tight spreads as barriers First auctions set for late August,...
Europe MTBE prices soften along with lower Eurobob gasoline values
LONDON (ICIS)--European methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) prices weakened in the week ended Friday, 15 August, alongside lower Eurobob gasoline values. The MTBE factor to gasoline was assessed at...
American Chemical Society announces new support for at-risk master’s and PhD chemistry students
$2.5 million programme launched to fund 100 students whose PI’s grants were cancelled by the Trump administration
Plant status: Seqens completes brief France IPA turnaround
LONDON (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Seqens Location: Roussillon, France Product: Isopropanol (IPA) Capacity (tonnes/year): 120,000 (two units: 70,000 and 50,000) Event start: 9...
Europe PA spot prices roll over on weak demand and ample supply
LONDON (ICIS))--European phthalic anhydride (PA) spot prices have been assessed steady for both grades in the week ending 15th August following limited activity reported in the market, attributed to...
Canada cuts urea import dependence on the US, turns to other markets
LONDON (ICIS)--Canada has reduced its dependence on the US for urea imports, shifting to suppliers in Egypt, Azerbaijan, Qatar, and Europe due to tariff-related uncertainties. Despite this shift, it...
Plant status: Brazil´s Braskem, Rio de Janeiro, complex to undergo maintenance in September
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report. Name: Braskem S/A. Location: Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Product: Ethylene, propylene, linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE),...
Will oral weight loss drugs challenge injectables?
Pills may offer convenience for manufacturers, but it’s not clear they will overtake existing drugs
US Chemours to gain access to fluoropolymer capacities in India
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Chemours has signed strategic agreements with India’s SRF Limited (SRF) under which it will get access to fluoropolymers and fluoroelastomers capacities in India, the US-based...
China’s Shanghai SECCO lowers ACN weekly price on weak demand
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s Shanghai SECCO Petrochemical cut its acrylonitrile (ACN) weekly price to yuan (CNY) 8,700/tonne ex-tank, down by CNY100/tonne from the previous week, a company source said...
Sri Lanka aims to boost fertilizer production through SSP plant
LONDON (ICIS)--Sri Lanka has asked investors for expressions of interest (EOIs) for a major project aimed at boosting domestic fertilizer production, including phosphate rock processing. The Value...
ICIS TTF Early Day assessments: 19 August 2025
- Ukraine has claimed responsibility for the drone attack on the Druzhba oil pipeline that supplies Hungary and Slovakia with Russian crude. The attack on the transformer station has caused multiple...
Branched polymers protect cell mimics that can interact with biological cells
Dendritic polymers encase coacervate microdroplets, enabling them to closely mimic natural cells
A hybrid approach for analyzing and designing graphene sheet-based materials
The Helfrich theory of membrane bending, supported by molecular dynamics simulations, is a promising approach for evaluating mechanical properties of graphene sheets, report researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo. This hybrid approach allows direct evaluation
Borophene directs light on a nanoscale
Electron microscopes are investigating it today, tomorrow it could be part of microscopes themselves: a metal consisting of just one atomic layer directs light across its surface and focuses it in a very small space
Breakthrough in catalysis research: splitting CO2 with nickel
Researchers at Technische Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in the Cluster of Excellence Unifying Systems in Catalysis (UniSysCat) have elucidated the molecular mechanism by which bacteria efficiently convert CO₂ into carbon monoxide. The study,
NYMEX: US gas futures slide on milder weather outlook
Front-month US natural gas futures traded slightly lower on 18 August as forecasts for the remainder of August suggested even more mild weather than previously expected The September Henry Hub...
US corn 97% silking and 3% mature with soybean blooming up to 95%
HOUSTON (ICIS)--The US corn crop has reached a 97% rate of silking with 3% now mature, and soybean blooming is up to 95% according to the latest crop progress report from the US Department of...