Industry News
Chemical Industry News
Volatility amid Middle East conflict lifts EEX Q1 2026 power traded volumes
EEX Q1 2026 traded volumes supported by conflict-driven volatility GO liquidity booms on price swings – EEX CEO Exchange in talks with market participants on extended trading hours for power...
Europe MIBK April pricing stable to firm
LONDON (ICIS)--European spot pricing for methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) has narrowed to €1,350-1,550/tonne FD (free delivered) NWE (northwest Europe) during April on reduced length compared with...
‘Basic research is needed more than anything else’
Christian Hackenberger, co-founder of Tubulis, is excited that his team’s initial research is now creating clinical impact
Stringent regulations on dichloromethane are forcing US labs to rethink use of common solvent
As broad ban on DCM is finalised, US labs have either abandoned the chemical or readied themselves for exposure monitoring in November
Vanadium-based medicines & sustainable labs
Vanadium-based medicines? We discuss the 23rd element’s little-known potential in pharmaceuticals. Plus, how labs across the UK are making achievable changes to increase their sustainability.
The evolving landscape of pain drug discovery
Harnessing the power of human-relevant in vitro models
Three-atom bismuth ring reveals new form of aromaticity
All-metal ring is the heaviest analogue of an aromatic three-membered ring
Kai Beckmann to become Merck’s new CEO on May 1, 2026
Merck symbolically marked the change of the company’s leadership at the Jahrhunderthalle in Frankfurt am Main on the occasion of the 31st Annual General Meeting. Kai Beckmann is to be appointed Chair of the Executive
Are critical raw materials for EVs less critical than previously thought?
The development of batteries for electric vehicles has progressed much faster than experts and policymakers had anticipated. New research shows that the market is well equipped to cope with both raw material shortages and price
Biological recycling of electronic waste shows great potential
Microorganisms and microalgae can be used to recover valuable metals from electronic waste – in an environmentally friendly, selective manner with potential for industrial application. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology
Mexico’s Orbia maintains 2026 guidance; posts smaller Q1 net loss
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Mexico vinyls producer Orbia reaffirmed its earnings guidance for 2026, after posting on Tuesday a smaller net loss in Q1 compared with the same period last year. Orbia expects...
US Q2 epoxy resins in limbo as price fatigue grows
HOUSTON (ICIS)--There is tension in US epoxy resins as bullish feedstocks and lower import inventory run up against price fatigue in a low-demand environment. CONTRACTS MOVE HIGHER IN APRILApril...
US PPG reaffirms 2026 guidance after hitting Q1 sales target
HOUSTON (ICIS)--US-based paints and coatings producer PPG reaffirmed on Tuesday its earlier earnings guidance for 2026 after reporting Q1 organic sales figures that fell in line with those earlier...
NYMEX: US gas futures gained slightly on below-normal temperature outlook
Front-month US natural gas futures edged up on 28 April on colder temperatures The May 2026 Henry Hub contract on NYMEX settled at $2.559/MMBtu, up less than 1% from the previous session Lower 48 gas...
CRUDE SUMMARY: Oil prices supported as US-Iran peace agreement unlikely in short term
Reports that Trump unhappy with latest Iranian peace plan details No news on resolution of US-Iran impasse UAE quits OPEC and OPEC+ to position itself for post US-Iran war future LONDON (ICIS)--Crude...
Brazil’s manufacturers input costs rise across the board on tightening supplies – Fiesp
SAO PAULO (ICIS)--Brazil’s industry faced a broad-based increase in raw material prices - with plastics topping the rises - in the first quarter of 2026 and a sharp deterioration in supply...
US petchem margins jump as Hormuz disruptions may stretch into 2027
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Petrochemical margins through the ethylene chain have spiked following the closure of the strait of Hormuz, and those disruptions may persist at least through 2026 and possibly into...
Brazil’s Petrobras CEO flies to Mexico as Braskem debt crisis deepens, control transfer faces delays – bank
SAO PAULO (ICIS)--Brazil’s state-owned energy major Petrobras’ CEO Magda Chambriard has travelled to Mexico to meet President Claudia Sheinbaum and executives at Pemex as pressure mounts on...
INSIGHT: Mexico’s rPET demand finds near‑term support amid virgin PET uptrend
SÃO PAULO (ICIS)--Mexico’s recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) market is proving relatively insulated from the sharp uptrend in global virgin PET prices, as stable feedstock availability...
GAS ALERT: Bosnia and Herzegovina inks agreement with Croatia to build gas interconnector
LONDON (ICIS)--Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)’s Council of Ministers has signed an agreement with the Croatian government to construct a gas pipeline connecting the two countries. The project, called...