Industry News
Chemical Industry News
rPET demand surges due to Middle East crisis, PET price rises
LONDON (ICIS)--Recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) players are trying to prepare for April price discussions but anticipating what happens next poses a challenge as uncertain and volatile...
Germany competitiveness risks rise on Iran war – VCI
LONDON (ICIS)--The impacts of the US-Israel-Iran war are showing up in Asia-to-Europe supply chain disruption and could further weaken the competitiveness of German industry, the country’s chemical...
Plant status: Sweden’s Perstorp to undergo maintenance at oxo‑alcohols and plasticizers units
LONDON (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Perstorp Location: Stenungsund, Sweden Product: 2-ehythlhexanol (2-EH), di-propyl heptyl phthalate (DPHP) Capacity (tonnes/year): 2-EH (160,000),...
Poland adopts new rules to boost nuclear development
Polish government adopts amendments to boost nuclear energy investments and speed up construction of plants Pivot to nuclear energy comes as Poland aims to reduce coal dependence, decarbonize the...
AFPM ’26: US phenol/acetone grappling with feedstock and demand volatility
HOUSTON (ICIS)--US phenol and acetone are grappling with higher feedstock costs and uncertain demand growth heading into this year’s International Petrochemical Conference (IPC)....
Breaking bonds and bringing disciplines together to replace one of chemistry’s most controversial molecules
Rebecca Trager meets an organic chemist catalysing the search for BPA replacements by connecting synthetic chemists, data scientists, toxicologists and polymer chemists
From whiskey waste to powerful energy storage devices
Researchers at ACS conference unveil how they repurposed a bourbon byproduct into green, high-performance supercapacitors
Traffic jams in the chemical plant
What happens between a big order coming in and going out?
Fragmented forensics in England and Wales has led to ‘postcode lottery’ with no fix in sight
Proposed forensics service would take over from individual police forces but is still likely years away
VTU Engineering Germany gets new managing director
The VTU Group announces the appointment of Dr. Mickael Planasch as the new Managing Director of VTU Engineering Deutschland GmbH. In his new role, Mickael Planasch, together with his colleague Hubert Apfelmaier, will be responsible
ALTANA increases operating sales and earnings despite difficult market environment
Despite continuing difficult market conditions, the specialty chemicals group ALTANA closed the 2025 fiscal year with an increase in operating sales. Adjusted for currency as well as acquisition and divestment effects, sales rose by 1
Not just faster, but smarter: AI that explains its discoveries
Self-driving laboratories (SDLs) powered by artificial intelligence (AI) are rapidly accelerating materials discovery, but can they also explain their results? Researchers from the Theory Department of the Fritz Haber Insitute, in collaboration with BASF, and
WACKER expands production of silicone emulsions in India
WACKER has achieved yet another milestone in the expansion of its silicone capacities in India. A new production complex for manufacturing silicone emulsions went into operation at WACKER’s Panagarh site. The facility produces GMP-certified silicones
German analysis and laboratory industry cautiously optimistic about the current year
The German industry for analytical, bioanalytical and laboratory technology (ABL) remains robust at the world's leading trade fair analytica, which will take place in Munich from March 24 to 27, 2026, even though the market
€8.5M for blue activity’s chemical-free cooling water treatment
blue activity a CleanTech water treatment company, founded in 2021, has closed a EUR 8.5 million seed funding round. The round was co-led by Wind Capital (Paris) and Venture Stars (Munich), with participation from Angel
AFPM ’26: US aromatics facing pressure from volatility and elevated energy prices
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Heading into this year’s International Petrochemical Conference (IPC), US prices of benzene, toluene and mixed xylenes (MX) have surged in March because of volatility in energy...
NYMEX: US gas futures rise alongside crude
Front-month US natural gas futures ticked higher on 24 March, recovering a portion of the previous session’s losses in line with gains in crude oil The April Henry Hub contract on NYMEX settled at...
CRUDE SUMMARY: Crude rallies as Iran denies US talks, keeping Hormuz risk premium alive
Brent, WTI rallied after Iran rejected Trump’s claim of talks with Washington Physical market remains tight with Hormuz still effectively shut, oil flows disrupted Fresh missile strikes on Israel,...
EY-Parthenon revises US GDP growth forecast down to 2.0%, sees 40% chance of recession
NEW YORK (ICIS)--EY-Parthenon’s chief economist downgraded his 2026 US GDP growth forecast to 2.0% from a previous 2.4%, with a 40% chance of recession from the Middle East oil shock. “The Middle...
Dow revises N America PE price increase initiative for April to 30 cents/lb
NEW YORK (ICIS)--Dow is revising its proposed price hike on high density polyethylene (HDPE), linear low density PE (LLDPE) and low density PE (LDPE) sold in the US and Canada from a previously...