Bayer MaterialScience

Research partnership with Chinese auto maker

Bayer MaterialScience appoints Michael Koenig the new head of Polycarbonates

Investing USD 120m into Texas site / Money to go towards MDI debottlenecking and TDI upgrades

PC capacity expansion in Uerdingen / Output to go towards meeting rising global demand

Higher volumes help operating profits rise by 50% in Q1 2011 / Construction and automotive sectors see strongest sales growth / Full year sales and earnings forecast raised

Bayer lifts force majeure for polyols from Fos / Flexible foam grades still in short supply

Polyurethane feedstocks in April 2011: Low quarterly notations make a sudden leap / Rises hit TDI and polyols / Increasing demand from the building industry generates bottlenecks / Solid orders for long month of May / Calls for significant hikes

Prices of “Desmodur” polyisocyanates to rise

Price hike for polyurethane products

PU solutions for composites displayed at JEC show in Paris / Automotive applications in focus

Mito polimeri is new distributor in Italy

Bayer MaterialScience declares force majeure for polyols from Fos

Polyurethane feedstocks in March 2011: MDI takes a giant step forward / TDI sees minimal gains / Cost pass-through for polyols / High starting materials prices limit PU output / Demand becoming more dynamic / Calls for hikes despite stagnating costs

The post-quake reality: One-third of ethylene capacities offline / Petrochemical industry crippled by electricity shortages / European and US companies appear largely unaffected / Numerous plants idled as a cautionary measure

Carbon nanotubes portfolio strengthened / Licence agreement with Hyperion Catalysis

New world-scale MDI plant to be realised in Germany by 2016 / EUR 100m investment

Technology for incorporating fillers into reactive PU blends / New perspectives for composites

Lightweight recyclate grades for auto applications / Joint presentation with BMW at VDI conference

MaterialScience triples EBITDA in 2010 against 2009 / Volumes but not prices at pre-crisis level

New isocyanates R&D centre at Dormagen

Price hike for engineering thermoplastics

Polyurethane feedstocks in February 2011: Cost pressure drives MDI and polyols / Downturn in TDI ends / Producers unable to pass on all hikes / Unusually strong demand / Heightened risk of increase in March

Inauguration of CO2-to-polyols pilot plant / Commercial production possible by 2015

New Colour Competence and Design Center in India

Wanhua acquires all shares of Hungarian isocyanate manufacturer / Additional capacity expansions in store