Chemicals & Materials Now!
From basic to specialty, and everything in between
ICIS Top 100 Data Show Companies Gaining Ground in Drive for Growth
Posted on September 19th, 2017 by Nigel Davis in Chemicals Industry News and Analysis
Preparing a list of the leading chemical companies by sales always highlights some trends worthy of note. Perhaps this year, the annual ICIS Top 100 Chemical Companies listing emphasizes the struggle for growth and the ways in which companies have used mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to achieve their goals, the pressure on organic growth being widely apparent globally. Continue reading “ICIS Top 100 Data Show Companies Gaining Ground in Drive for Growth” »
Discovering a substitute for tin as a catalyst
Posted on June 15th, 2017 by Matt Weber in Chemical R&D
When new regulations limited the use of tin catalysts for silicone-based consumer products, an R&D team in a global specialty chemicals company had to seek viable alternatives. Continue reading “Discovering a substitute for tin as a catalyst” »
R&D Layoffs at Dow and DuPont Make Room for Agile New Competitors
Posted on May 5th, 2017 by Christina Valimaki in Chemical R&D
Two of the world’s largest chemical companies have significantly reduced their R&D staff and budgets. Former rivals Dow Chemical and DuPont announced their $130 billion merger in July 2016 – heralding massive layoffs for both parties. Continue reading “R&D Layoffs at Dow and DuPont Make Room for Agile New Competitors” »
When Bad Things Happen to Good Chemicals
Posted on August 4th, 2016 by Michael D. Brown in Chemical R&D
Chemical producers often refer to products as becoming “commoditized” as the market becomes more competitive resulting in a drop in profitability. This is a fair characterization for commodity chemicals such as ethylene or methanol that by definition cannot be differentiated. Continue reading “When Bad Things Happen to Good Chemicals” »
