Versum Materials announced the filing of an investor presentation with the SEC and that the Versum Board of Directors sent a letter to Versum shareholders regarding the previously announced definitive merger agreement with Entegris, urging shareholders to vote the WHITE proxy card “FOR” the merger agreement with Entegris at the Special Meeting of Stockholders on … Read more
Eastman, a global specialty chemical company, announced a breakthrough innovation to address the plastic waste problem worldwide on Wednesday. The company announced plans in March to launch an advanced circular recycling technology that breaks down polyester waste that cannot be recycled into basic polymer building blocks by current mechanical methods that can be reintroduced as … Read more
DowDuPont announced that it has completed the separation of its Materials Science Division through the spin-off of Dow Inc. On March 21, 2019, DowDuPont common stockholders received one share of Dow’s common stock for every three DowDuPont common stock shares they held at the close of business. Common stockholders of DowDuPont will also receive cash … Read more
Tnemec Company, Inc., an industry-leading manufacturer of industrial and architectural protective coatings, announced it has acquired St. Louis-based coatings company, ProPolymer Coatings. ProPolymer Coatings provides tank linings, exterior coatings and containment products for various plants, from food and chemical processing plants to power generation facilities. “Tnemec and the ProPolymer team are both excited about this … Read more
DowDupont estimated that in the first quarter of the year, its earnings fell by a percentage in the high teens, hit by flooding in the midwest of the US, and a squeeze on margins in packaging and plastics. The company’s previous guidance was that earnings before interest, tax depreciation, and amortization would drop by a … Read more
Westlake Chemical Partners LP announced on Wednesday that it has agreed to acquire an additional 4.50% limited partner interest in Westlake Chemical OpCo LP on a fully diluted basis for approximately $201.4 million. The acquisition will increase the Partnership’s limited partner interest in OpCo from approximately 18.3% to approximately 22.8% and will represent the third … Read more
Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals) will double production capacity for solvent-based organic peroxides at its Los Reyes, Mexico site, enabling it to support the strong growth of the North American polyolefin and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) markets. The expansion is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2020. Polyolefins are used to produce a … Read more
Ineos AG is planning to double the size of subsidiary Ineos Oxide’s proposed ethylene oxide (EO) and ethylene oxide derivatives (EOD) plant to be built somewhere along the US Gulf Coast. Part of Ineos’ plan to address a fast-growing EO merchant market as well as the operator’s own requirements, the new plant—which will now produce … Read more
On Tuesday, Merck KGaA launched a hostile $5.9 billion all-cash takeover bid for Versum Materials to boost its presence on the market for semiconductor materials and sideline the bid of Entegris. Since it was first proposed last month, Versum opposed Merck’s unsolicited cash offer, saying it was committed to an all-share merger with U.S. rival … Read more
Arkema has successfully started up a Kepstan PEKK (Poly-Ether-Ketone-Ketone) plant at its site near Alabama, United States. The company considers the investment as a new step in Arkema’s ambitious growth strategy in high-performance polymers and advanced materials, the development of which is supported by the Group’s cutting-edge technologies in search of solutions for sustainable development. … Read more
Tronox Limited confirmed on Monday that the Federal Trade Commission has withdrawn the company’s proposed acquisition of The National Titanium Dioxide Company Limited’s titanium dioxide business from adjudication for the purpose of considering the proposed Consent Agreement. The transaction would then be able to be consummated if the proposed Consent Agreement were finally approved by the Commission. The … Read more
Westlake Chemical Corporation announced that the company has joined the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), an organization launched in January 2019 to advance solutions to eliminate plastic waste in the environment, especially in the ocean. “Westlake is pleased to have joined the Alliance to End Plastic Waste as part of our long-standing commitment to … Read more
Petrobras received a favorable court ruling allowing it to idle a fertilizer plant in Bahia, the Brazilian state energy producer said on Thursday. In February, Petrobras announced the decision to mothball two fertilizer plants in Bahia and Sergipe, but the SINPEQ (Sindicato das Indústrias de Produtos Quimicos para Fins Industriais, Petroquimicas e Resinas Sintéticas de Camaçari, … Read more
Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP today announced that it is currently studying the addition of a global scale 1-Hexene unit. The addition would expand the production of normal alpha olefins (NAO), marketed under the Alpha Plus brand name. “As global demand for polyethylene continues to grow, this study demonstrates Chevron Phillips Chemical ’s commitment to … Read more
INEOS has announced on Tuesday that it has signed an agreement to acquire Cristal’s (National Titanium Dioxide Company Limited) North American TiO2 business from Tronox Limited for $700 million. The North American business of Cristal includes two plants located in the complex of Ashtabula Ohio (US). The deal is the proposed remedy package submitted by … Read more
Asahi Kasei will expand its Li-ion battery (LIB) separator manufacturing infrastructure with completion planned for the first half of fiscal 2021. The company is investing around $270 million on this project. LIB is a thin polyolefin microporous film placed between the cathode and the lithium – ion battery anode. It prevents contact between the electrodes … Read more
Merck KgaA filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) a preliminary proxy statement on Tuesday urging all Versum shareholders to vote against the merger with the rival Entegris. Merck has reiterated in the statement that “it is convinced that the proposed Entegris transaction is not the best option available to the Versum shareholders, … Read more
Azelis has acquired Chemroy, a specialty food ingredients and chemical distributor from Canada. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. According to the company, the acquisition will strengthen its status as one of the leading distributors of specialty ingredients in Canada and will enhance its position in the coating, nutritional, personal care and food … Read more
On Friday, DowDuPont announced that its Board of Directors has agreed to the previously announced separation of its Materials Science Division. The division will become the new Dow on April 1. DowDuPont’s board of directors declared a dividend for the second quarter of $325 million to be paid on May 28, 2019, in the aggregate … Read more
Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals) has announced to build a world scale polymerization plant for its Expancel expandable microspheres at a location in the U.S. The plant will strengthen its leadership position significantly in expandable microspheres. Expancel microspheres are used as lightweight filler and blowing agent to lighten end products, obtain various surface effects, and … Read more