BASF

Flotations plans revived / Former Dow business hopes to raise USD 200m and pay down debt

Ineos chairman Ratcliffe sees demise of European chemical industry if energy questions not resolved / Open letter to EU president Barroso / “Rabbits with our trousers down”

Syndicate plans to lobby EU to prolong use of HBCD as flame retardant / Decision expected by year's end / Ban already enforced in Switzerland / German association members plan to follow in mid-2014

PolyAd Services subsidiary sold to Edgewater Capital Partners / Focus on light stabilisers, antioxidants and customer specific blends

Changes in Ludwigshafen “Ultramid” polyamide production setup / Raising output of “Ultramid C” for flexible packaging films

Follow-up: BASF-Purac joint venture begins commercial biobased succinic acid production

Production at Hungarian PU systems house to cease

Focus on petrochemical strengths boosts earnings power / CEO Kurt Bock says Europe should embrace shale gas / “Happy shareholder” in styrenics jv Styrolution

Strong finish to 2013, despite stiff headwinds / All segments aside from Performance Products improve EBIT before special items

US agricultural giant ADM invests USD 25m in biotech company / Processes for renewable-based PA

European PA 6 base polymer and intermediates price increase

Liquid masterbatch business to be sold to Audia International / Not a strategic focus

Engineering thermoplastics consumption recovers slightly in 2013 / Gains driven by ABS and PMMA / Import volumes of PC, PA and SAN down / Asian producers increasingly step into the fold / Low local capacity utilisation rates / Plastinfo report

Commencing commercialisation of crosslinkable PA 6.6 compound developed with Sweden's Nexam Chemical / Automotive and E&E applications

Sustainability as key theme at this year's plastics mega-event in Shanghai / Organisers expect almost 3,000 exhibitors / “Green Forum” co-organised by PIE / Last call for registrations for exclusive readers' trip to China

Immediate price hike for polyetheramines sold across Europe

“Ultrason” high-performance thermoplastics plant starts up in Korea

Evonik added to list of investors in US start-up of flame retardants

Expansion of TDI capacity in Shanghai

Spanish succinic acid plant production underway / Commercial volumes expected in Q1

2.7m t of engineering thermoplastics consumed in 2012 / National strategy to raise domestic output / Self-sufficiency does not preclude imports

Testing of bio-based BDO yields strong results / Preparation for commercial production next step

European market shifts / Switch from HBCD to other flame retardants / Slashing white EPS capacities / Output of grey material on the rise

Collaboration with Renmatix on industrial sugar from biomass / US firm patented technology

European Commission opens proceedings against German price relief for energy-intensive companies / Support for renewables also eyed critically