18.04.2012

Cheap Natgas to Help US Chemical Makers' Earnings

Cheap natural gas from North American shale developments and growth in Latin American markets likely helped U.S. chemical makers offset weak first-quarter demand from Europe, which is struggling with a sovereign debt crisis and high unemployment. Dow Chemical, Dupont and others in the sector produce many of the building blocks for clothing, construction materials, food and thousands of other items. The industry's results are often a key barometer of broader economic trends. more12.04.2012

Dow Announces Coatings Manufacturing Investment in Saudi Arabia

Dow announced plans to invest in a new manufacturing facility for its Dow Coating Materials (DCM) business unit in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The planned facility, which will be located at the Jubail Industrial City, will manufacture a wide range of coating materials for both the Kingdom and export markets worldwide. more29.03.2012

Dow’s William Kruper Earns ACS Award for Affordable Green Chemistry

William J. (Jack) Kruper has been honored with the American Chemistry Society (ACS) Award for Affordable Green Chemistry.
Dr. Kruper earned the award for successfully developing a new process for converting glycerin to epichlorohydrin, an intermediate in the production of liquid epoxy resins commonly used in the electronics industry. more27.03.2012

Dow Court Case Pushes Limit of U.S. R&D Tax Credit

Dow Chemical is challenging the U.S. Internal Revenue Service in a rare court case over expanding the research and development tax credit to cover the costs of supplies used to improve the ways existing products are made. Oral arguments are set for Thursday at the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York in a case that pits Union Carbide, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dow, against the IRS. more15.02.2012

Clariant Prepares For Sluggish Start To 2012

Clariant is bracing for a sluggish start to the year, the Swiss specialty chemicals maker said on Wednesday when it posted a sharper-than-expected drop in fourth-quarter profit. Net profit fell to 10 million Swiss francs ($11 million) from 47 million in the 2010 period, compared with a forecast for 40.5 million as the strong franc and higher raw material prices took their toll. more06.02.2012

Dow Chemical Profit, Revenue Miss; Shares Slip

Dow Chemical's quarterly profit and revenue missed Wall Street's expectations as demand for electronics, plastics and coatings plunged, causing the company to slash production and aggressively discount some products. The results sent shares of Dow, the largest U.S. chemical maker by revenue, down as much as 3% before they pared back losses following positive comments from executives about first-quarter demand for electronic products. more21.11.2011

Sinopec, KPC Begin $9.3 Billion Petrochemical Project

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp (Sinopec) and Kuwait Petroleum Corp have started building their joint refining and petrochemical complex in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, the top Chinese oil refiner said. more14.11.2011

Braskem Books Deep Loss on Currency Swing

Brazil's Braskem, the largest petrochemical company in the Americas, booked a steep third-quarter loss as Brazil's tumbling currency drove up the cost of its foreign debts. Braskem posted a net loss of 1.046 billion reais ($588 million) compared to a 532-million-real profit a year ago. more09.11.2011

New Cyber Attack Targets Chemical Firms

At least 48 chemical and defense companies were victims of a coordinated cyber attack that has been traced to a man in China, according to a new report from security firm Symantec Corp. Computers belonging to these companies were infected with malicious software known as "PoisonIvy," which was used to steal information such as design documents, formulas and details on manufacturing processes, Symantec said. more01.11.2011

Dow Chemical Profit Narrowly Misses Expectations

Dow Chemical narrowly missed Wall Street's quarterly profit expectations as cost increases and economic worries dented demand in Europe and North America. Dow raised prices during the third quarter to offset a $1.7 billion increase in raw material costs, a step that brought flat volume growth globally. The results Thursday show that for at least some of customers, the price hikes were too much. more