Covid-19 crisis highlights foam's benefits for medical packaging, says Eumeps

Demand for functional coatings to accelerate through 2025 / Fastest growth to be seen in aluminium oxide coatings, driven by Asia / Smithers report

LLDPE: Qapco declares force majeure on supply from Qatar / Less material from the US

LDPE: Borealis declares force majeure on cracker supply / Bottlenecks with some PE grades / Inovyn's PVC production largely unaffected

ACC's chemical industry projections show possible rebound in 2021 / Domestic polymer production rises in March

Dutch study into compostable plastics for packaging / Research results important for "Green Deal"

PVC: Kem One lifts FM on supply from Saint-Fons

Polypropylene prices surge on the back of demand for medical masks / Government intervention to control market

LLDPE: Europe becomes the stage for a sales battle for film grades / Prices for C4 and C6 materials nearly equal in some areas / Can plastics converters benefit from the price pressure?

Global consumption to grow by 5.5% per year to 2024 / Asia Pacific share to reach 54% / E&E makes up one third of consumption / Smithers report

Caprolactam: Ube Industries declares force majeure on production in Spain due to fire / PA production unaffected

Historic collapse in demand due to coronavirus / Opec+ agrees to cut production / US stocks full / Refineries limit output / Polymer supply so far unaffected / Polyolefin niches face rising prices

Fracking giant Whiting Petroleum falls victim to fall in oil prices

Elastomers: Lanxess declares force majeure in India due to Covid-19

US polyethylene exports started 2020 on a strong note / LLDPE exports at all-time high in January / Marked slowdown expected as coronavirus situation intensifies