STYROLUTION

EU sets 1 June for Styrolution decision / Plant disposal likely / Deal to create EUR 5 bn business

POLYMER PRICES

Polyurethane feedstocks in May 2011: Margins on polyols improve further / Pure MDI moves up, TDI sideways / Many buyers on allocation / Order volume robust / No price hikes announced for June

GERMAN PLASTICS PRODUCERS

Production volume and value back at pre-crisis level in 2010 / Margin stabilisation is the target / Strong demand from China

LOGISTICS

New rail freight line halves transport time from Chongqing to Antwerp / Safer and cheaper

POLYMER PRICES

Standard Thermoplastics Trend May 2011: Prices near market limit / Producers unable to pass on costs in full / Oil price dip pressures polymers / PVC and EPS somewhat better / Buyers stage boycott

SOLVAY

Operating profit on plastics more than doubles in Q1 2011 / Continued improvement since 2010 / French financial markets authority approved bid to acquire Rhodia

AOC

Manufacturing agreement for UPR with BASF / Products produced at BASF site in Spain

BASF

North American “Styropor” prices to rise

BASF

Higher volumes and higher selling prices buoy plastics division in Q1 2011 / Hambrecht retires

POLYMER PRICES

Standard Thermoplastics in April 2011: Polyolefin producers almost cover costs / HDPE, PVC with stronger rises / PS follows SM down / EPS improves / Chronic bottlenecks / Feedstocks up again / Fresh hikes

PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS

BASF's larger Ludwigshafen cracker to undergo maintenance turnaround

BASF

Simulation brings considerable weight savings for PA 6 parts

BASF

Automotive materials design tool wins SPE award / 30 different product samples

BASF

New PU Systems House in Dubai

STYROLUTION

April's PS price adjusted downward / ABS rolls over

BASF

“Uvinul” light stabiliser approved for food contact applications

AUTOMOTIVE MARKETS

How severely will the Japanese catastrophe hit the international automotive industry? / Supply problems reach Europe / Regional shifts in polymer demand possible / Plastixx automotive price indices continue to rise unabated

BASF

North American polyamide prices to rise

BASF

Higher prices for PA, PBT and POM

POLYMER PRICES

Polyurethane feedstocks in March 2011: MDI takes a giant step forward / TDI sees minimal gains / Cost pass-through for polyols / High starting materials prices limit PU output / Demand becoming more dynamic / Calls for hikes despite stagnating costs

JAPAN

The post-quake reality: One-third of ethylene capacities offline / Petrochemical industry crippled by electricity shortages / European and US companies appear largely unaffected / Numerous plants idled as a cautionary measure

RECTICEL

Cost rises pressure earnings in 2010 / Automotive top performer / Restructuring in flexible foam

BASF

European BDO and derivatives prices to rise

BASF

Engineering plastics capacity to increase in Korea

BASF

Price hike for antioxidants and process stabilisers