POLYMER PRICES

Standard Thermoplastics Trend July 2011: Producers largely pass on cost reduction / Margin improvement proves elusive / Converters are still holding back / Abundance of special offers

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

POLYMER PRICES

Standard thermoplastics in June 2011: Price cuts go beyond cost reductions / Notations down across the board / Special offers widely available / More reductions expected in July

STYRON

Dow styrenics spin-off files papers for Trinseo offering / Intake of USD 400m targeted

ASSOCIATIONS

Daniele Ferrari appointed new president of PlasticsEurope Italia

POLYMER PRICES

Standard Thermoplastics Trend June 2011: Notations slide on monomer decline / PVC with slight gains / Tendency toward surplus / Volume pressure propels special offers / Some prices could go lower

DOW

MoU with Turkey's Aksa for carbon fibre production / Plans to become fully integrated solution provider

SHELL

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

RESINEX

New distributor for Styron grades earmarked for the electrical and lighting market

POLYMER PRICES

Standard Thermoplastics in May 2011: Oil price slide reveals market limits / Polyolefin margins crumble / Producers left sitting on costs / Converters' resistance shifts the balance / Price pressure remains

NOVA CHEMICALS

Higher volumes and reduced fixed costs help improve operating profits across business / Agreements signed to assure feedstock supply for Alberta and Ontario plants

DOW CHEMICAL

Staff at Swiss packaging centre to be doubled / Combined scientific and technical expertise

UNIGEL

ABS project planned in Brazil / Output will substitute imports

DSM

Cooperation with Elevance Renewable Sciences on bio-based high performance thermoplastics

DOW CHEMICAL

Polyolefin elastomer grade introduced for automotive TPOs

POLYMER PRICES

Engineering Thermoplastics in April 2011: Upswing slows down slightly / PBT, POM and PMMA climb by nearly EUR 100/t / Q2 agreements tighten lower price levels / Price hikes likely again in May

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

DOW

Good first quarter / Basic Plastics division is dissolved / PP and HDPE activities up for grabs

DOW

US chemical giant plans to source ethane from shale gas reserves / New feedstock avenues open the way to raising North American cracker capacities

DOW CHEMICAL

Polyethylene prices to increase

STYRON

Company name to change to Trinseo later this year

POLYMER PRICES

Standard Thermoplastics in March 2011: Higher costs mostly factored in / Minimal margin gain with HDPE and PVC / PS softer / Seasonal business boosts EPS / Sales decline / Fresh price hikes for PVC and polyolefins

DOW

First licence for new flame retardant granted to Chemtura / Further licensing deals expected this year / Commercial volumes seen by 2013-2015

US SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING

Ameripen association established to promote environmentally- friendly approach / “Material neutral” perspective

DOW

Two North American VCM lines to be idled