Jan. 27, 2012

Alternative Feedstocks, Reducing Costs

Challenges Ahead - This year will bring many challenges and opportunities for the chemical industry. There will be opportunities with alternative feedstocks and challenges to reduce costs while sustaining asset performance in order to capitalize on favorable markets as they occur.

John Gilbert, managing director of a $4 billion line of business for a global chemical company, sees bright spots of opportunity for the customer-centered specialty chemical firms, despite the predicted gloom of global growth slowing to 2.2% this year. moreJan. 27, 2012

Reach In 2013

First Round - By Dec. 1, 2010, the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) had received approximately 25,000 registration dossiers for about 4,700 different chemical substances that are produced in or imported into the European Union, mainly in the tonnage band of over 1,000t/y.

Furthermore, it received more than 3.1 million notifications from approximately 110,000 different substances where basic classification data were communicated. It has been estimated that this huge effort has cost the European chemical industry already more than €1.2 billion.
moreDec. 09, 2011

Solutions for Global Megatrends

Is it possible to strike a balance between megatrends like climate protection and rising global mobility? What possibilities do plastics offer for increasing the range of electric cars? When it comes to lighting, can energy efficiency, safety and modern design be combined? And how can we conserve dwindling resources if product quality is to remain at a high level? Bayer MaterialScience presented answers to all these questions at this year's Fakuma trade fair in Friedrichshafen.
moreDec. 09, 2011

Emission Regulations for Paint

Adjusting Accordingly - There is a growing public and political concern for the environmental impact and safety of paint and other building materials. In France, legislation has been recently approved to label all indoor paint and construction products according to their level of emission. As a result, manufacturers of materials such as paints and coatings are looking to adjust their portfolios and production accordingly. moreDec. 08, 2011

M&A in the Chemical Industry

Megadeals - What trends are influencing deals in the chemical industry? There are several, according to the latest edition of PricewaterhouseCooper's (PwC)Chemical Compounds report, which analyzes M&A activity in the global chemical industry. The report finds that while the number of M&As dropped during Q3 2011, the proportion of megadeals (deals valued at $1 billion or more) increased.
moreNov. 23, 2011

Strategic Chemicals Management and Reach

Deep Impact - Reach affects almost all departments in a chemical company. It is not only an issue for the regulatory affairs manager, but has an overall impact on procurement, production, distribution, sales and marketing. Customers, authorities and investors need to be assured that a company is compliant with the Reach legislation. TNO Triskelion advises that Reach compliance relates to your license to operate and therefore has to be a priority for management all the way up to board level. ‘We Buy, Transform and Sell Chemicals' moreNov. 11, 2011

Biorefineries for a Bio-Based Economy in Europe

New Energy - Fossil resources are limited, but the global demand for fuels and chemicals is continuously rising. In addition to European and national legislations that set ambitious targets for greenhouse gas reductions, there is also increasing public and industrial pressure to develop alternative technical solutions for an economically viable supply of bio-based fuels and chemicals.
moreNov. 09, 2011

Communicating Nanomaterials

Polarizing Debate - From lighter materials for cars, stronger wind turbine blades to better insulation for homes, nanomaterials help create innovative products and improve processes in many sectors.

The results help build sustainable, competitive industries while improving quality of life in Europe. Polarization of the debate on nanomaterials, however, is creating a gap between innovation opportunities on the one hand and safety concerns on the other. New mindsets are needed to unlock the European nano debate. more