PEOPLE

Wolfgang Heuchel to become new CEO of Lanxess Central Eastern Europe

PLASTICS AND CLIMATE

CO2 utilisation making strides but barely dents emissions growth / Nova-Institute conference

BAYER

Group CEO upholds 2012 forecast despite weak Q3 / BMS will improve year-on-year in Q4

POLYMER PRICES

Polyurethane feedstocks in September 2012: Upstream price driving TDI and MDI sharply upward / MDI in a strong rollover / Improved demand / Lingering maintenance turnarounds / Steep hikes in Q4

LANXESS

Chemical and plastics producer in blue-chip stock index / Share nearly quadruples in eight years

BAYER

Group guidance raised after strong first half / MaterialScience reports highest EBITDA increase since Q2 2007

PEOPLE

Peter Vanacker joins Treofan Group as CEO

CORRECTION - POLYMER PRICES

Polyurethane feedstocks in June 2012: Most MDI, TDI and polyol notations roll over / First signs of seasonal downturn / Maintenance cycle causes small TDI bottlenecks / Polyol prices could follow olefins downward

PEOPLE

Bayer names Philip Blake Senior Representative USA

SOUTH AFRICA

Demand for plastics picks up again / Good prospects for insulation materials / Significant increase in imports

THAILAND

Map Ta Phut accidents prompt government to set up new industry control regime / Explosion at Bangkok Synthetics leaves 12 dead / Dozens hurt as chlorine escapes from Aditya Birla Chemicals' plant

BAYER

Earnings and margins at MaterialScience hit by higher costs in Q1 / EUR 19m gain on full takeover of Baulé

PLASTIC FANTASTIC

A plastic companion that works like a dog

US SHALE GAS

Shell signs land option agreement to evaluate Pennsylvania site for possible ethane cracker / Aither Chemicals mulling complex in West Virginia

BAYER

Plastics woes pull group results down in 2011 / BMS sees profits plunge 64% in Q4 / Price drive ahead

FAIRS

“UTech Europe Exhibition and Conference” in Maastricht

PEOPLE

Bayer Corporation CEO Greg Babe to retire in mid-2012

POLYMER PRICES

North America January 2012: PE and PP hold firm / PVC sees a slight rise / PS follows costs upward / Engineering plastics still moving sideways / C3 cost explosion in February will propel notations upward

DOMFOAM

Canadian PU foam producer files for bankruptcy after found guilty of price fixing / Bayer reportedly one of the biggest creditors

BAYER

MaterialScience leads Chinese sales, investment / Dedication of new Shanghai TDI plant / Overproportional expansion of PC and PU consumption in China

TRONOX

Acquisition of Exxaro's mineral sands operations allow for backward integration in titanium dioxide production

BAYER MATERIALSCIENCE

Bayer Sheet Europe is incorporated into Bayer MaterialScience

BAYER MATERIALSCIENCE

Adjusted sales up 8% in Q2, but EBITDA flat / Forecast for full year is now more conservative

PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS

North American shale gas deposits shift the feedstock balance / Second cheapest route to ethylene / Asian naphtha base too costly? / Large gas deposits in France and Poland / Public sentiment sours on fracking

SHELL

Plans to build large-scale ethane cracker fed from Marcellus Shale Basin / Output could reach 1m t/y