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Chemical Industry News
Asia base oils supply outlook: Week of 13 May
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Asia base oils supply outlook for week of 13 May Asia’s base oils supply likely to get support from firm margins, scant plant maintenance work over the coming months, and limited...
China April acetic acid output down by 7.6% month on month
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s overall production of acetic acid in April was around 937,400 tonnes, down by 7.6% month on month, ICIS data showed. The total output in January-April 2024 reached around...
Asia’s March base oils supply up but remains below typical levels on demand surge
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Asia’s base oils supply stayed lower than usual for March even as it rose from a thirty-three-month low in February. Asia’s base oils output recovered to more than 870,000...
INSIGHT: Favourable policies, advanced tech and competition in China automotive PP market
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--New energy vehicles (NEVs) have become an important driver to the growth in demand for polypropylene (PP) copolymer, with major producers participating in the competition. The...
Japan’s Mitsui Chemicals full-year net income falls 40% amid weak demand
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Mitsui Chemicals' net income fell by 39.7% year on year to yen (Y) 50 billion in the year ending 31 March on poorer sales volumes due to weak demand, the Japanese producer said on...
CO2 as a sustainable raw material
Scientists at TU Berlin have presented a combination of two electrolysis cells that can convert carbon dioxide together with water directly into basic chemicals for the chemical industry with the help of electricity. In the
Milestone in plasma acceleration: New energy record for next generation proton accelerators
The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) has made a significant advance in laser plasma acceleration. By employing an innovative method, a research team managed to substantially exceed the previous record for proton acceleration. For the first time,
Machine learning and AI aiding in the prediction of chemical reaction outcomes
There are few problems now that AI and machine learning cannot help overcome. Researchers from the Yokohama National University use this modern advantage to overcome what conventional methods cannot. There are many rules to remember
US hikes tariffs on $18bn worth of China imports, including EVs
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--US President Joe Biden is ramping up tariffs on $18 billion worth of imports from China, including electric vehicles (EVs), semiconductors, batteries and other goods, in a move that...
Plant status: China’s PetroChina Dushanzi shut PE units for annual maintenance
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: PetroChina Dushanzi Petrochemical Location: Dushanzi, Xinjiang, China Product: Polyethylene (PE) Capacity (tonnes/year): 345,000(No 1...
China BDO plants’ average run rate down to 64.5%
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s butanediol (BDO) plants posted a lower average run rate of 64.5% in the week ended 14 May 2024, ICIS data showed. The decrease was mainly due to planned maintenance at...
Plant status: China’s ZPC shuts No 3 PX plant
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Zhejiang Petroleum & Chemical (ZPC) Location: Zhoushan, China Product: Paraxylene (PX) Capacity (tonnes/year): 2.4 million Event start: 15...
Asia melamine stable despite increased urea costs
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Asia melamine spot discussions for China-origin product were largely stable thus far on 15 May, in spite of rising feedstock urea prices. This would be the third week that China...
Plant status: China’s PetroChina Dushanzi shuts No 3 and No 4 PP units for annual maintenance
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: PetroChina Dushanzi Petrochemical Location: Dushanzi, Xinjiang, China Product: Polypropylene (PP) Capacity (tonnes/year): 270,000 (No 3),...
Japan’s Asahi Kasei building new LIB separator plant in Canada
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Asahi Kasei is investing yen (Y) 180 billion to build a new lithium-ion battery (LIB) separator plant in Ontario, Canada, the Japanese chemicals major said on Wednesday. The new...
Plant status: China’s Sinochem Quanzhou shuts EVA unit for maintenance
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Sinochem Quanzhou Petrochemical Location: Quanzhou, Fujian, China Product: Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) Capacity (tonnes/year): 140,000 Event...
MOVES: Brazil’s Petrobras CEO Prates resigns; Chambriard appointed as successor
SAO PAULO (ICIS)--Petrobras' CEO Jean Paul Prates has offered his resignation after just nearly a year-and-a-half on the post, the Brazilian state-owned energy major said late on Tuesday. Prates was...
US propylene trades at 43.75 cents/lb
US May polymer-grade propylene (PGP) traded at 43.75 cents/lb on Tuesday. That compares with the most recent trades at 43.50-43.75 cents/lb on...
Indorama seeks June price increases for US MEG, DEG
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Indorama has announced it is seeking a 2 cent/lb price increase for monoethylene glycol (MEG) and a 2 cent/lb price increase for diethylene glycol (DEG), effective 1 June, according...
Mexico February PP imports down 2% month on month
SAO PAULO (ICIS)--Mexico polypropylene (PP) imports decreased by 2% in February month on month, totaling 94,635 tonnes, according to the latest figures from the ICIS Supply & Demand database...