Chemicals & Materials Now!
From basic to specialty, and everything in between
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” »
