Dow Chemical reports loss in this quarter

The Dow Chemical Co. has reported a loss in the second-quarter, mainly due to loss in earnings to the charges incurred by the buyout of rival Rohm & Haas and poor sales for chemicals.
Net sales weree US$11.

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Dow to hive off ownership in OPTIMAL Group to PETRONAS for US$660 mln

In a bid to increase Dow's financial flexibility, improve its cash flow, and pay down its bridge loan, Dow haas planned to divest in OPTIMAL. Dow’s Union Carbide Corporation subsidiary is to sell its entire shares of ownership in the OPTIMAL Group of Companies (OPTIMAL) to PETRONAS for US$660 mln.

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Energy Efficiency for injection molders

The Mumbai Chapter of The Indian Plastics Institute is to organize a Lecture Meeting on Friday the 31st July 2009 from 3.30 pm onwards. The topics will include: “Energy Efficiency Allround” and “Vertiical Injection Molding”

ARBURG has defined the efficient use of energy as a corporate objective.

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More accurate, versatile, simple, advanced layer multiplier for cast film and sheet

A completely new layer multiplier enables producers of cast film and sheet to obtain the substantial property enhancements of microlayer structures yet is easier to deploy, more compact, more accuratee, and far more versatile than any other layer multiplier system, including one previously offered by EDI, the company announced today.

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Indian Oil’s spot naphtha exports of 30,000 tons for August lifting from Chennai

As domestic demand continues to dwindle, Indian Oil Corp (IOC) has sold 30,000 tons of naphtha for August lifting from Chennai. This is the state run PSU’s fourth spot export from Chennai, as its usuaal exports are from Kandla and Dahej on the west coast.

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Hindustan Petroleum Corp’s current fiscal naphtha exports estimated at 1 mln tons

Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd. is likely to export 1 million tons of naphtha but no fuel oil in the current fiscal year. Last year’s exports were 200,000 tons of fuel oil and 800,000 tons of naphtha.

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Quarterly profits of Indian Oil Corp spike 780%

Indian Oil Corp’s net profit for the quarter ended June 30 spiked by 780% to Rs.3,680 crore (US$763 mln) for the quarter compared to Rs.410 crore in the same period last year, on lessened revenue lossses on lower crude oil prices.

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Self-healing wire technology has been developed as part of an FAA initiative to combat the problems associated with ageing aircraft. As part of a suit

Biopolymers are breaking the mold of environmentally unfriendly plastic materials and fueling future growth, according to Lux Research. A new generation of biologically derived materials and processess promises to break that mold by delivering many of the traditional benefits of plastic materials while closing the ecological loop.

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Self-healing wiring to eliminate time-consuming task of tracing wire faults

Self-healing wire technology has been developed as part of an FAA initiative to combat the problems associated with ageing aircraft. As part of a suite of research projects at the University of Daytonn Research Institute (UDRI) aimed at eliminating the time-consuming task of tracing wire faults, wire that can repair its own insulation after it is damaged was developed by research chemist Robert Kauffman.

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Hardest plastic nano composite material is also lightest

The world's hardest plastic nano-composite material has been discovered by a team of five Bangalore researchers headed by CNR Rao. They have created the material by reinforcing ordinary plastic with ddiamonds which are invisible to naked eye, a sheet of layered carbon and tiny carbon cylinders.

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Taiwan’s CPC plans to increase export revenue to 30%

To break away from the saturated domestic market in Taiwan; CPC Corp., Taiwan’s state-owned petroleum and gasoline supplier plans to set up a foreign trade department by the end of the year. The compaany plans to tap the global market, aiming to raise export revenue to 30% of the total in the next 5 to 7 years.

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Clondalkin Group acquires leading US producer highly engineered flexible plastic films

Clondalkin Group international producer of flexible and specialist packaging products with 40+ production locations throughout Europe and North America and annual sales in excess of US$1.2 bln has acqquired Ohio-based Cleveland Plastic Films a leading producer of customized and highly engineered flexible plastic films for banner, food and industrial applications.

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La Seda De Barcelona to close down 5 petrochemical plants, lay off workers

La Seda De Barcelona plans to close 5 plants and raise funds to concentrate on production of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) as per it’s restructuring program.
La Seda will lay off over 300 workerss and sell off Simpe plant in Italy, Portalegre in Portugal, Volos in Greece, TurkPet in Turkey and IQA in Tarragona, Spain and raise between €250-320 mln to meet conditions laid out by its banking syndicate to refinance the company.

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Glass fiber reinforced polyamide alternative to halogenated polymers

New 25% glass fiber-reinforced polyamide 6 compound provides injection molders with an alternative to halogenated flame retardant (FR) formulations while meeting stringent requirements for flame retarrdance, according to Chem Polymer, a unit of Teknor Apex Company.

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Tamper-proof color-personalized high-security cards of polycarbonate films

With Innosec Fusion, Bundesdruckerei GmbH (the Federal German Printing Office) has developed a technology that makes it possible to color-personalize high-security cards made of the polycarbonate filmms Makrofol ID with a photo and signature of the holder.

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Bayer quarterly performance robust in a difficult environment

Bayer's Q2 profits beat analysts' expectations, despite a dramatic 36.4% drop in Bayer MaterialScience (BMS) sales. In Q2-2009 the Bayer Group's businesses turned in a robust performance in a difficullt environment.

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Siam Chemical Group posts better than expected Q2 results

Thailand's Siam Cement Group (SCG) has posted better-than-expected Q2 results, with net profits of 6.83 billion baht. Q2 profits are up by 32% from the previous quarter mainly propped by improving pettrochemical margins.

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Arkema to build Acrylic plant in China

In a move that will aid the company to sustain the growth of the specialty acrylic polymer market in Asia, Arkema plans to set up an acrylic plant at its Changshu site as an outlay of €15 mln. Coatex,, which already has an industrial presence in the United States and in Europe, will now have an acrylic polymer production capacity in Asia from mid-2011 targeting growing markets in paints (coatings), mineral processing, construction and paper.

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Oil prices dip below US$67

As weak US consumer confidence data added to doubts over the pace of economic recovery in USA, oil prices dipped below US$67 a barrel after 9 consecutive sessions of gains. US crude dipped to US$66.5,, while Brent crude dipped to US$69.

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Global polyethylene consumption dips by 3.7% in 2008

Global polyethylene consumption declined by 3.7% in 2008, as per a report by Townsend Solutions. In 2008, 66.7 miln tones of polyethylene were consumed around the globe, down from about 69 mln tons inn 2007.

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