Industry News
Chemical Industry News
Europe MA spot prices continue to climb on constrained supply intensified by Middle East war
LONDON (ICIS)--European maleic anhydride (MA) spot prices climbed sharply again in the week ended 13 March, as supply constraints deepened in local and imported markets, with several producers either...
Plant status: Polynt resumes MA production at Ravenna facility
LONDON (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Polynt Location: Ravenna, Italy Product: Maleic anhydride (MA) Capacity (tonnes/year): 6,000 Event start: 12 January (estimated) Event end: 18...
Brazil sulphur imports fell in Jan-Feb as relations between US and Iran sour
LONDON (ICIS)--In Brazil, the import of sulphur during January-February this year declined due to lack of shipments from the Middle East as relations between the US and Iran turned hostile. Earlier...
Hungarian Q2 power exports to ramp up if solar remains strong
Strong solar output will provide Hungary with ample exporting capacity Potential maintenance in Croatia and Slovenia could limit power demand Low Romanian hydro stocks could worsen impact of lower...
INSIGHT: Global chemical prices spike at fastest pace in almost 20 years as Europe faces Q2 import supply crunch
BARCELONA (ICIS)--Global chemical prices are rising at the fastest pace in almost two decades as the war in Iran crimps production in the Middle East and Asia, leaving Europe facing a potential...
Dow to run crackers flat out for rest of the year as orderbooks bulge – CEO
NEW YORK (ICIS)--US-based Dow will run its crackers at maximum rates for the rest of the year as orderbooks fill up against the backdrop of the Middle East crisis and disruption, its CEO said....
US ammonia imports up 26% in January year on year
LONDON (ICIS)--US ammonia imports increased by 26% in January year on year, according to customs data. The main exporter was Canada, followed by Trinidad and Tobago. US domestic demand is expected to...
Middle East conflict: Top Questions & Answers for energy markets
Hormuz shipments return - but not LNG Short-term buying/ downstream measures working but for how long? Oil, gas prices stabilise but could swing quickly LONDON (ICIS)--US political focus continues on...
Legislative reform needed due to ‘inadequate’ German gas injection incentives – INES head
Storage operators warn current regulatory tools inadequate to ensure security of supply 78TWh volume recommended for potential strategic reserve Challenging injection season likely amid volatility,...
Molecules with largest dipole moments aren’t due to electronegativity differences
Computational analysis challenges Pauling’s idea of polarity
Explainer: what is thermal paper?
Many thermal papers use toxic bisphenols, which react with dyes under heat to print text for receipts, labels and tickets
Sharpening chemical intuition
Chemists are moving beyond hand-waving explanations by quantifying factors like the anomeric effect and steric repulsion
New characterization system simplifies thin-film testing with automated software
The Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS has launched the publicly funded SMut project, in collaboration with its partners Credoxys and SweepMe! to develop an innovative measurement system for precise thin-film characterization. This system will
Energy storage breakthrough solves the fast-charging problem
Electrochemical capacitors, often called supercapacitors, are the sprinters of the energy world. They charge instantly and deliver massive bursts of power on demand. The trade-off, however, is their lack of endurance: they cannot store much
Plastic bottles turned into Parkinson’s medication
A drug to treat Parkinson’s disease can be made from waste plastic bottles using a pioneering method, a study shows. The approach harnesses the power of bacteria to transform post-consumer plastic into L-DOPA, a frontline
PFAS detected in 99 percent of all Swiss soils
PFAS are found throughout Switzerland, but elevated levels are only found at specific locations. A new evaluation combines over a thousand measurements of PFAS contamination in Swiss soils and thus provides a more accurate picture
Plant status: TSRC plans Q2 maintenance for SBR unit in Taiwan
CHANGSHA (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: TSRC Corp Location: Kaohsiung, Taiwan Product: Styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) Capacity (tonnes/year): 100,000 Event start: H2 April 2026 Event...
NYMEX: US gas futures edge up on late winter cold snap
Front-month US natural gas futures gained slightly on 17 March, on late winter cold temperatures ahead of upcoming warmer spring weather The April 2026 Henry Hub contract on NYMEX settled at...
SE Asian EPDM prices at year-high with soaring upstream values
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Spot prices in southeast Asia for ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer (EPDM) have spiraled to year-high levels, and poised to rise more, alongside sharp increases in various related...
AFPM ‘26: US GDP forecast revised down as resilient economy faces another headwind in Iran war
NEW YORK (ICIS)--As the world’s leading oil and gas producer, the US is arguably the most insulated and resilient of economies amid the Iran war and resulting surge in crude oil and liquefied...