Industry News
Chemical Industry News
Europe’s GIE calls for long-term reassessment of gas storage regulation
GIE calls for policymakers to rethink storage regulation changes long-term It recommended a 'toolbox' that includes country-tailored incentives, mechanisms This comes ahead of the preparation of...
Roehm hosts opening ceremony for US MMA plant in Texas
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Roehm hosted a grand opening ceremony on 4 June for its US methyl methacrylate (MMA) plant in Bay City, Texas. The plant broke ground in 2022 and was commissioned in 2025. It is now...
Celanese closes compounding plant in South Korea
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Celanese is closing its Engineered Materials compounding facility in Ulsan, South Korea, as part of a “network optimization”, with production there to cease immediately, the...
US economy adds 172,000 jobs in May, more than expected
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Total US nonfarm payroll employment rose by 172,000 month on month in May, slightly lower than April’s upward-revised gain of 179,000, but well above expectations, according to data...
Europe glycerine spot prices climb amid biodiesel plant maintenance
LONDON (ICIS)--Biodiesel spot prices strengthened this week despite losses in the weekly gasoil settlement, while the refined vegetable glycerine spot price increased in response to extreme scarcity....
Could AI research assistants speed up scientific discovery?
Google’s Co-Scientist and Futurehouse’s Robin can help scientists generate hypotheses, design experiments and analyse data
What do university chemistry practicals really test?
In Nitheeshan Guanantham’s experience, stamina can become a stand-in for skill
US initiates sunset review of antidumping duties on China melamine
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--The US Department of Commerce (DOC) has initiated reviews of its five-year antidumping duty (ADD) and countervailing duty (CVD) on China-origin melamine, it announced on 1 June. In...
Plant status: China’s Bluestar Harbin delays restart of phenol/acetone unit
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Bluestar Harbin Petrochemical Location: Harbin, Heilongjiang, China Product: Phenol and acetone Capacity (tonnes/year): 75,000 of phenol, 45,000...
Nanodiamonds by Molecular Design
Nanodiamonds are tiny diamond particles only a few nanometres in size. Because they are chemically highly stable and can host so-called colour centres, optically active defects in the crystal lattice, they are considered promising materials
Carbon dimer: precision measurement delivers new record value
A team led by Innsbruck physicist Roland Wester has determined a fundamental property of the carbon dimer with unprecedented accuracy in the laboratory. The results provide a high-quality reference value for future calculations of the
Atomic reshuffle paves way for record-breaking catalysts for hydrogen production
Researchers have discovered that atoms can be mixed, separated and recombined within the same experiment, providing a pathway to a record-breaking catalyst for green hydrogen production. In the study, the team created nanoscale particles containing only a few dozen platinum and nickel atoms and obs...
Taiwan’s FPCC lifts force majeure on olefins as operating conditions improve
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Formosa Petrochemical Corp (FPCC) lifted its force majeure (FM) declaration on its olefins division on 3 June, citing improved operating conditions, the Taiwanese producer said in a...
India synthetic rubber import discussions slipping with upstream losses
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Discussions for Indian spot imports of synthetic rubbers, from styrene-butadiene-rubber (SBR) to polybutadiene rubber (PBR), are easing fast, alongside plummeting upstream butadiene...
June BD discussions in Asia split amid undulating supply-demand outlook
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Sentiment in Asia’s butadiene (BD) spot market was very mixed as opposing supply-demand forces pulled pricing appetite in different directions. Supply picture mixed Longer-term...
Plant status: S Korea Kumho Petrochemical runs ABS unit around 60-65%
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Kumho Petrochemical Location: Ulsan, South Korea Product: Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) Capacity (tonnes/year): 250,000 Event start:...
Plant status: S Korea’s LG Chem runs ABS production at 90%
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: LG Chem Location: Yeosu, South Korea Product: Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) Capacity (tonnes/year): 900,000 Event start: June 2026 Event...
Plant status: China’s LG Chem Huizhou runs ABS units at 70%
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: LG Chem (Huizhou) Petrochemical Location: Huizhou, Guangdong, China Product: Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) Capacity (tonnes/year):...
South Korea isomer MX export prices decline on softer July deal
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Spot export prices for South Korea-origin isomer-grade mixed xylenes (MX) declined on 4 June, reflecting a lower deal concluded for July. Market discussions were notably active,...
Plant status: China’s LG Yongxing Chem ABS units run at 90%
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: LG Yongxing Chemical Location: Ningbo, Zhejiang, China Product: Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) Capacity (tonnes/year): 850,000 (six units...