Industry News
Chemical Industry News
US May auto sales rise year on year, but remain down year to date on affordability issues
HOUSTON (ICIS)--US May sales of new light vehicles ticked higher from April and rose by 3.2% compared with the same month a year ago, but are down by 4.5% year to date as affordability remains
CRUDE SUMMARY: Oil prices climb as conflict between US and Iran escalates
US and Iran increase attacks in Middle East despite ongoing peace discussions EIA data shows decline in US crude stocks, increases in gasoline and distillate inventories US SPR levels almost 45...
NYMEX: US gas futures climb on weather
US natural gas futures rose on 3 June, supported by expected weather demand and some gains in feedgas demand, though volumes remained down The July ’26 front-month contract settled at $3.214/MMBtu,...
Argentina’s Milei window for structural reforms narrows, voter fatigue remains on uneven upturn – economist
SAO PAULO (ICIS)--Argentina’s President Javier Milei maintains considerable social support for its economic ‘shock therapy’, but in Parliament the window of opportunity to pass much-needed...
N America chemical rail traffic rises for fifth week
HOUSTON (ICIS)--North American chemical railcar traffic rose 1.4% year on year, to 49,325 loadings for the week ended 30 May, for a fifth consecutive increase, according to freight rail...
US April core capital goods orders fall 1% from March
HOUSTON (ICIS)--US “core” capital goods orders fell by a revised 1.0% month on month in April, following increases of 3.8% in March and 1.6% in February, the US Census Bureau reported in updated...
Polish regulator publishes 2027 gas tariffs, confirming deep cuts and lower multipliers
Polish regulator publishes 2027 gas tariffs, confirming significant cuts Multipliers for daily products also lower Two-tariff system for Yamal-Europe pipeline abolished, lowering cost of imports...
Hungarian power July ’26 contract could take bullish direction if Middle East conflict continues
TTF gas prices likely to remain main driven in news focused market - traders High temperatures triggering cooling demand Nuclear, CCGT plants to come back online limiting upside LONDON (ICIS)--Gas...
INSIGHT: UK lubricant blenders braced for potential closures amid supply shortages, end-user demand destruction
LONDON (ICIS)--Lubricant blenders in the UK are preparing for potential closures in the market as upstream base oils shortages worsen and end-user demand weakens amid sharp price hikes. Blenders are...
European white spirit and C9 truck numbers fall on lower feedstocks, limited demand
LONDON (ICIS)--White spirit and solvent naphtha (C9) truck prices were lower this week on the European market. Hexane truck numbers rose on average. For white spirit, reductions in feedstock jet...
US services sector continues to expand; prices keep rising, but employment contracts
HOUSTON (ICIS)--The US services sector expanded for a 23rd consecutive month in May, with the pace of the expansion accelerating from April, according to the latest purchasing managers indicator...
Why I think it’s time to change how we teach the inductive effect
New evidence challenges the idea of long‑range inductive transmission, highlighting that some textbook explanations of inductive effects are oversimplified and, in key cases, completely wrong
Boron equivalent of buckminsterfullerene finally observed after decades of research
Careful control of cluster cooling conditions enables resolution of long-sought photoelectron spectrum, but DFT confirmation remains elusive
(±)-Conidiogenone B
A beautiful synthesis that measures up to an ideal
Plant status: S Korea’s Lotte Chem to keep SM plant running at full in near-term
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Lotte Chemical Location: Daesan, South Korea Product: Styrene monomer (SM) Capacity (tonnes/year): 580,000 Event start: Around 28 April 2026...
cylib and Vianode are joining forces to close the loop on battery graphite
cylib, a specialist in sustainable battery recycling and graphite recovery, and Vianode, an advanced battery materials company, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) outlining a collaboration on the development and potential future supply of
Magnetic field during catalyst synthesis triples ammonia yield
Applying an external magnetic field during the synthesis of CoFe₂O₄ electrocatalysts triples the ammonia yield during electrocatalytic conversion. The magnetic field alters the surface states of the spinel oxide thin films, making catalytically active sites
China’s Jiangsu Sopo eyes private placement for VAM, DMC plants
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s Jiangsu Sopo is seeking to finance its proposed vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC) facilities through private placement, the company said in a stock...
Plant status: China’s Ningbo Juhua expected to start new glycol ethers unit in Jun
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Ningbo Juhua Chemical & Science Location: Ningbo, Zhejiang, China Product: Glycol ethers Capacity (tonnes/year): 50,000 Event start: June...
Plant status: Taiwan’s OUCC shuts glycol ethers unit
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Oriental Union Chemical (OUCC) Location: Kaohsiung, Taiwan Product: Glycol ethers Capacity (tonnes/year): 120,000 Event start: Early June 2026...