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
Merck announced that a comprehensive agreement has been signed between the company management and the Joint Works Council for the Darmstadt site. The goal is to secure and further expand the future viability of corporate headquarters as a central hub for science and technology. For this purpose, up to 2025, the company will invest a … 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
Arkema and Hexcel have announced that a joint research and development laboratory will be opened in April in Les Avenières (Isère), France. The R & D facility is part of Arkema and Hexcel strategic alliance, formed in March 2018 to develop thermoplastic composite solutions for the aerospace industry, combining Hexcel’s expertise in carbon fiber with … 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
Dow Chemical announced that after separation from DowDuPont on 1 April, it will set an initial annual dividend payment of $2.1 billion and launch a $3-billion stock buyback program. The company will target shareholder remuneration of approximately 65% of operating net income across the cycle, including dividend and share repurchases. Dow confirmed its plans to … Read more