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The true cost of price fixing
F O C U S of vegetable oil-based lubricants. It is low foaming and goes well with phosphate esters. It is suitable for making stable macro- or microemulsions and has a low pour point and low toxicity. APCJ, Asia Pacific Coatings Journal, Feb 2006, 19 (1), 43
PATENTS
ON
S U R FA C TA N T S
P&G patents silicone polymers Procter and Gamble Co has obtained Patent No US 6,972,279 B2 for a consumable detergent composition, which are silicone polymers for lipophilic fluid systems. The composition has silicon-containing polymers functionalized with hydrogen-bonding substituents. HAPPI, Household & Personal Products Industry, Feb 2006, 43 (2, Pt 1 Buyer’s Guide 2006), 36
Unilever patents fabric conditioning compositions
Colgate-Palmolive patents antiperspirant salts
Unilever Home and Personal Care USA has been awarded Patent No US 6,992,059 B2 for fabric conditioning compositions having 7.580% by weight of an ester-linked quaternary ammonium fabric softening material with at least one mono ester linked component. The compositions also contain 0.01-10% by weight of a nonionic surfactant and more than 1.5-15% by weight of fatty alcohol with tallow alcohol, behenyl alcohol and perfume.
Colgate-Palmolive has received Patent No US 6,969,510 B2 for glycine-free antiperspirant salts with betaine for improved cosmetic products.
HAPPI, Household & Personal Products Industry, Mar 2006, 43 (3), 30
Unilever Home and Personal Care USA has been awarded Patent No US 6,986,895 B2 for a cosmetic composition with around 0.01-20% of a C1-C25 alpha or beta-hydroxy carboxylic acid. The composition also contains approximately 0.01-10% of taurate copolymer and a cosmetically acceptable carrier.
Chemical companies are facing tough scrutiny from regulation authorities worldwide, especially in Japan and Europe, as cases of chemical antitrust violations are being uncovered. Just recently, in the third week of Mar 2006, Solvay and Akzo Nobel admitted involvement in a price-fixing cartel for peroxygen bleaching chemicals, for which the Department of Justice (DOJ) sanctioned them with large fines. The DOJ discovered that Solvay and one of its competitors were price fixing sodium perborate to Procter and Gamble. Akzo Nobel first participated in hydrogen peroxide price fixing in 1998. The company stated that it is carrying out a zero tolerance policy on participants of anti-competitive activities, and is executing policy changes to avoid recurrences. Observers forecast that while companies involved in such cases have admitted to guilt and agreed to work with the DOJ in its antitrust probes, an increasing number of individual or class action cases may be filed by buyers and other indirect victims against them.
HAPPI, Household & Personal Products Industry, Mar 2006, 43 (3), 30
Chemical Week, 22 Mar 2006, (Website: http://www.chemweek.com)
P&G patents dishwashing composition Procter and Gamble has been awarded Patent No US 6,992,052 B2 for a method of preparing in-situ a water-soluble zinc salt for automatic dishwashing compositions. The method involves dispersing zinc oxide in water and combining an acid with the mixture, mixing, maintaining a pH range and blending the mixture with a rinse aid ingredient. HAPPI, Household & Personal Products Industry, Mar 2006, 43 (3), 30
Unilever patents cosmetic composition
MAY 2006
HAPPI, Household & Personal Products Industry, Feb 2006, 43 (2, Pt 1 Buyer’s Guide 2006), 36
ENVIRONMENT Czechs ban phosphates in detergents The Czech Republic has implemented a ban on the production and sale of detergents formulated with phosphates. The ban, which will be effective from 1 Jul 2006, was enforced in order to prevent the depletion of oxygen in local waterways. The sale of phosphateladen detergent products must cease from 1 Oct 2006. ICIS Chemical Business, 20 Mar 2006, (Website: http://icischemicalbusiness.com)
MARKET REVIEWS Household products struggle
LEGISLATION The true cost of price fixing
The US household products industry is still struggling to return to growth. Market maturity and price discount stores again slowed overall sales in 2005. Margins were affected by rising raw material and energy prices. In the laundry segment, sales fell 4.5% in 2005 (excluding Wal-Mart, dollar and club store sales) to $4.9 bn. The category comprises liquid and powder detergents, bleach, fabric softeners, fabric washes and detergent boosters. Total US laundry detergent sales fell 4%, volume falling 1%. Liquid detergent sales rose 6% to $2.6 bn, powder detergent sales fell 11% to $764 M. Sales of bleach, fabric softeners and detergent boosters declined 1-3%, but special fabric washes rose 9% to $70 M. Overall sales of household cleaners were unchanged in 2005 at $2.9 M. Dish detergents, which include liquid, automatic and dishwasher rinsing aids, had overall sales mostly flat at $1.1 bn. Chemical Market Reporter, 20 Mar 2006 (Website: http://www.chemicalmarketreporter.com)
M & A: stirring up new deals Merger and acquisition (M & A) transactions in the chemical industry totalled around $33 bn in 2005, worth over $25 M each. This compares to the 2004 total of $31 bn. The total 5
PATENTS
ON
S U R FA C TA N T S
P&G patents silicone polymers Procter and Gamble Co has obtained Patent No US 6,972,279 B2 for a consumable detergent composition, which are silicone polymers for lipophilic fluid systems. The composition has silicon-containing polymers functionalized with hydrogen-bonding substituents. HAPPI, Household & Personal Products Industry, Feb 2006, 43 (2, Pt 1 Buyer’s Guide 2006), 36
Unilever patents fabric conditioning compositions
Colgate-Palmolive patents antiperspirant salts
Unilever Home and Personal Care USA has been awarded Patent No US 6,992,059 B2 for fabric conditioning compositions having 7.580% by weight of an ester-linked quaternary ammonium fabric softening material with at least one mono ester linked component. The compositions also contain 0.01-10% by weight of a nonionic surfactant and more than 1.5-15% by weight of fatty alcohol with tallow alcohol, behenyl alcohol and perfume.
Colgate-Palmolive has received Patent No US 6,969,510 B2 for glycine-free antiperspirant salts with betaine for improved cosmetic products.
HAPPI, Household & Personal Products Industry, Mar 2006, 43 (3), 30
Unilever Home and Personal Care USA has been awarded Patent No US 6,986,895 B2 for a cosmetic composition with around 0.01-20% of a C1-C25 alpha or beta-hydroxy carboxylic acid. The composition also contains approximately 0.01-10% of taurate copolymer and a cosmetically acceptable carrier.
Chemical companies are facing tough scrutiny from regulation authorities worldwide, especially in Japan and Europe, as cases of chemical antitrust violations are being uncovered. Just recently, in the third week of Mar 2006, Solvay and Akzo Nobel admitted involvement in a price-fixing cartel for peroxygen bleaching chemicals, for which the Department of Justice (DOJ) sanctioned them with large fines. The DOJ discovered that Solvay and one of its competitors were price fixing sodium perborate to Procter and Gamble. Akzo Nobel first participated in hydrogen peroxide price fixing in 1998. The company stated that it is carrying out a zero tolerance policy on participants of anti-competitive activities, and is executing policy changes to avoid recurrences. Observers forecast that while companies involved in such cases have admitted to guilt and agreed to work with the DOJ in its antitrust probes, an increasing number of individual or class action cases may be filed by buyers and other indirect victims against them.
HAPPI, Household & Personal Products Industry, Mar 2006, 43 (3), 30
Chemical Week, 22 Mar 2006, (Website: http://www.chemweek.com)
P&G patents dishwashing composition Procter and Gamble has been awarded Patent No US 6,992,052 B2 for a method of preparing in-situ a water-soluble zinc salt for automatic dishwashing compositions. The method involves dispersing zinc oxide in water and combining an acid with the mixture, mixing, maintaining a pH range and blending the mixture with a rinse aid ingredient. HAPPI, Household & Personal Products Industry, Mar 2006, 43 (3), 30
Unilever patents cosmetic composition
MAY 2006
HAPPI, Household & Personal Products Industry, Feb 2006, 43 (2, Pt 1 Buyer’s Guide 2006), 36
ENVIRONMENT Czechs ban phosphates in detergents The Czech Republic has implemented a ban on the production and sale of detergents formulated with phosphates. The ban, which will be effective from 1 Jul 2006, was enforced in order to prevent the depletion of oxygen in local waterways. The sale of phosphateladen detergent products must cease from 1 Oct 2006. ICIS Chemical Business, 20 Mar 2006, (Website: http://icischemicalbusiness.com)
MARKET REVIEWS Household products struggle
LEGISLATION The true cost of price fixing
The US household products industry is still struggling to return to growth. Market maturity and price discount stores again slowed overall sales in 2005. Margins were affected by rising raw material and energy prices. In the laundry segment, sales fell 4.5% in 2005 (excluding Wal-Mart, dollar and club store sales) to $4.9 bn. The category comprises liquid and powder detergents, bleach, fabric softeners, fabric washes and detergent boosters. Total US laundry detergent sales fell 4%, volume falling 1%. Liquid detergent sales rose 6% to $2.6 bn, powder detergent sales fell 11% to $764 M. Sales of bleach, fabric softeners and detergent boosters declined 1-3%, but special fabric washes rose 9% to $70 M. Overall sales of household cleaners were unchanged in 2005 at $2.9 M. Dish detergents, which include liquid, automatic and dishwasher rinsing aids, had overall sales mostly flat at $1.1 bn. Chemical Market Reporter, 20 Mar 2006 (Website: http://www.chemicalmarketreporter.com)
M & A: stirring up new deals Merger and acquisition (M & A) transactions in the chemical industry totalled around $33 bn in 2005, worth over $25 M each. This compares to the 2004 total of $31 bn. The total 5