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Braskem takes licence for metallocenes
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Braskem takes licence for metallocenes
Technologies & Innovation, a wholly owned corporate venture firm
Braskem is licensing Univation’s XCAT metallocene catalysts for its Unipol PE plant at Camacari, Brazil. The company will use the catalysts to make LLDPE and very low density PE. Rio Polimeros is also erecting a Unipol PE plant that will license Univation metallocene catalysts. It is expected onstream late in 2004.
Speciality Chemicals, Dec 2003-Jan 2004, 24 (1), 4
Chemical and Engineering News, 8 Dec 2003, 81 (49), 12-13 (Website: http://www.cen-online.org) & European Chemical News, 8/15 Dec 2003, 79 (2080), 28 & BNAmericas Oil & Gas News, 2 Dec 2003 (Business News Americas Ltda. Website: http://www.Bnamericas.com)
JFC, Prokaria join forces German enzymes specialist Jülich Fine Chemicals (JFC) has formed an agreement with Prokaria, a specialist in sequence-based discovery and screening of natural diversity from Iceland’s arctic areas and hot springs. As part of the deal, the companies will initially screen and develop programme for novel enzyme-based biocatalysts to synthesize chiral alcohols.
JM forms new unit for life sciences Johnson Matthey announced at CPhl that it has formed a new business unit called Catalysis & Chiral Technologies (CCT) targeted at the life science and fine chemicals industries. CCT will provide services in chiral technologies, many palladium coupling catalysts, some base metal catalysts, and catalytic process development and optimisation. CCT has made a technology transfer agreement with Japan Science & Technology on catalyst families for asymmetric hydrogenation and transfer hydrogenation. Speciality Chemicals, Nov 2003, 23 (9), 6
Speciality Chemicals, Nov 2003, 23 (9), 5
Degussa splits fine chemicals into two Degussa revealed at CPhl that it is restructuring on 1 Nov 2003 its Fine & Industrial Chemicals division by forming two new business units, the €400 M Exclusive Synthesis & Catalysts unit and the €800 M Building Blocks unit. The Exclusive Synthesis & Catalyst unit, which includes the Pharma Intermediates & Exclusive Synthesis business and Catalysts, will focus on the company’s technological and catalysis expertise particularly for the pharmaceuticals industry. The Building Blocks unit consists of the Agrochemicals & Intermediates, Standard & Performance Intermediates, and Chlor Alkali Chemicals unit. It will supply synthetic building blocks and intermediates of various kinds for the pharmaceutical, agricultural, cosmetics, coatings, and plastics industries, among others. Speciality Chemicals, Nov 2003, 23 (9), 6
Still plenty of catalysts around to make JM one to buy Johnson Matthey “enjoys a close relationship” with AngloPlat, the platinum arm of the giant Anglo American mining empire. Enjoyment isn’t really the word for it, and it was made plain yesterday who wore the trousers in the 70-year-old relationship. JM refines platinum for AngloPlat and also turns the metal into products used in areas as diverse as jewellery and catalytic converters. New long-term contracts between the pair have cut the commissions and discounts given to JM, which will reduce revenues by £500,000 a month. Not a small sum, and the disappointment is compounded because AngloPlat is about to announce cutbacks in its plans to expand platinum production. And long-term the company is progressing its work on revolutionary fuel cell technology. The Independent, 28 Nov 2003 (Website: http://www.independent.co.uk)
Degussa’s homogeneous catalysts spun off Degussa plans to establish a new company called Degussa Homogeneous Catalysts for the purpose of commercially launching homogeneous catalyst products and technologies. It will offer products such as ligands, and metal complex catalysts from 10 patented product ranges for asymmetric hdyrogenation and C-C coupling reactions. The startup will have 11 employees and will be managed by Creavis
FEBRUARY 2004
JM’s profits rise For its fiscal 1H 2003 ending 30 Sep 2003, Johnson Matthey reported pretax profits of £97.5 M, 4% higher than for the same period in 2002. Sales amounted to £2.17 bn. Factors affecting performance include growth in pharmaceutical materials and catalysts, and lower prices and poorer markets for rhodium and palladium. European Chemical News, 8/15 Dec 2003, 79 (2080), 8
Mitsubishi Chem seeking ethylene glycol/oxide expansion at Kashima Mitsubishi Chemical will increase ethylene oxide capacity, at its Kashima, Japan, site from 260,000 to 290,000 tonne/y through debottlenecking of the plant. The ethylene glycol capacity at the site will consequently be increased by 50,000 tonne/y to 300,000 tonne/y. The expansion is being driven by expansion of the Chinese polyester market. There is a brief technical discussion of the company’s new phosphoric acid catalyst-based process for the production of ethylene glycol. Japan Chemical Week, 18 Dec 2003, 44 (2250), 4
Shell Research Ltd signs first licensing agreement for MEG On 15 Dec 2003, Shell Research Ltd announced that it had entered into a licensing agreement with China ManMade Fiber Corp (CMFC) to provide a new very selective process technology to convert ethylene into monoethylene glycol (MEG) for CMFC’s No 3 MEG plant in Taiwan. The breakthrough Shell OMEGA process is considered the most efficient technology currently available in the world to convert ethylene into MEG. While Shell has chosen this technology for its own investment, this is the first licensing agreement with a third party customer. CMFC’s decision to build a world class 400,000 tonne/y MEG plant using CRl’s high selectivity EO catalyst and Mitsubishi Chemical’s selective MEG process (which forms part of the Shell OMEGA process) will
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ON
C ATA LY S T S
Braskem takes licence for metallocenes
Technologies & Innovation, a wholly owned corporate venture firm
Braskem is licensing Univation’s XCAT metallocene catalysts for its Unipol PE plant at Camacari, Brazil. The company will use the catalysts to make LLDPE and very low density PE. Rio Polimeros is also erecting a Unipol PE plant that will license Univation metallocene catalysts. It is expected onstream late in 2004.
Speciality Chemicals, Dec 2003-Jan 2004, 24 (1), 4
Chemical and Engineering News, 8 Dec 2003, 81 (49), 12-13 (Website: http://www.cen-online.org) & European Chemical News, 8/15 Dec 2003, 79 (2080), 28 & BNAmericas Oil & Gas News, 2 Dec 2003 (Business News Americas Ltda. Website: http://www.Bnamericas.com)
JFC, Prokaria join forces German enzymes specialist Jülich Fine Chemicals (JFC) has formed an agreement with Prokaria, a specialist in sequence-based discovery and screening of natural diversity from Iceland’s arctic areas and hot springs. As part of the deal, the companies will initially screen and develop programme for novel enzyme-based biocatalysts to synthesize chiral alcohols.
JM forms new unit for life sciences Johnson Matthey announced at CPhl that it has formed a new business unit called Catalysis & Chiral Technologies (CCT) targeted at the life science and fine chemicals industries. CCT will provide services in chiral technologies, many palladium coupling catalysts, some base metal catalysts, and catalytic process development and optimisation. CCT has made a technology transfer agreement with Japan Science & Technology on catalyst families for asymmetric hydrogenation and transfer hydrogenation. Speciality Chemicals, Nov 2003, 23 (9), 6
Speciality Chemicals, Nov 2003, 23 (9), 5
Degussa splits fine chemicals into two Degussa revealed at CPhl that it is restructuring on 1 Nov 2003 its Fine & Industrial Chemicals division by forming two new business units, the €400 M Exclusive Synthesis & Catalysts unit and the €800 M Building Blocks unit. The Exclusive Synthesis & Catalyst unit, which includes the Pharma Intermediates & Exclusive Synthesis business and Catalysts, will focus on the company’s technological and catalysis expertise particularly for the pharmaceuticals industry. The Building Blocks unit consists of the Agrochemicals & Intermediates, Standard & Performance Intermediates, and Chlor Alkali Chemicals unit. It will supply synthetic building blocks and intermediates of various kinds for the pharmaceutical, agricultural, cosmetics, coatings, and plastics industries, among others. Speciality Chemicals, Nov 2003, 23 (9), 6
Still plenty of catalysts around to make JM one to buy Johnson Matthey “enjoys a close relationship” with AngloPlat, the platinum arm of the giant Anglo American mining empire. Enjoyment isn’t really the word for it, and it was made plain yesterday who wore the trousers in the 70-year-old relationship. JM refines platinum for AngloPlat and also turns the metal into products used in areas as diverse as jewellery and catalytic converters. New long-term contracts between the pair have cut the commissions and discounts given to JM, which will reduce revenues by £500,000 a month. Not a small sum, and the disappointment is compounded because AngloPlat is about to announce cutbacks in its plans to expand platinum production. And long-term the company is progressing its work on revolutionary fuel cell technology. The Independent, 28 Nov 2003 (Website: http://www.independent.co.uk)
Degussa’s homogeneous catalysts spun off Degussa plans to establish a new company called Degussa Homogeneous Catalysts for the purpose of commercially launching homogeneous catalyst products and technologies. It will offer products such as ligands, and metal complex catalysts from 10 patented product ranges for asymmetric hdyrogenation and C-C coupling reactions. The startup will have 11 employees and will be managed by Creavis
FEBRUARY 2004
JM’s profits rise For its fiscal 1H 2003 ending 30 Sep 2003, Johnson Matthey reported pretax profits of £97.5 M, 4% higher than for the same period in 2002. Sales amounted to £2.17 bn. Factors affecting performance include growth in pharmaceutical materials and catalysts, and lower prices and poorer markets for rhodium and palladium. European Chemical News, 8/15 Dec 2003, 79 (2080), 8
Mitsubishi Chem seeking ethylene glycol/oxide expansion at Kashima Mitsubishi Chemical will increase ethylene oxide capacity, at its Kashima, Japan, site from 260,000 to 290,000 tonne/y through debottlenecking of the plant. The ethylene glycol capacity at the site will consequently be increased by 50,000 tonne/y to 300,000 tonne/y. The expansion is being driven by expansion of the Chinese polyester market. There is a brief technical discussion of the company’s new phosphoric acid catalyst-based process for the production of ethylene glycol. Japan Chemical Week, 18 Dec 2003, 44 (2250), 4
Shell Research Ltd signs first licensing agreement for MEG On 15 Dec 2003, Shell Research Ltd announced that it had entered into a licensing agreement with China ManMade Fiber Corp (CMFC) to provide a new very selective process technology to convert ethylene into monoethylene glycol (MEG) for CMFC’s No 3 MEG plant in Taiwan. The breakthrough Shell OMEGA process is considered the most efficient technology currently available in the world to convert ethylene into MEG. While Shell has chosen this technology for its own investment, this is the first licensing agreement with a third party customer. CMFC’s decision to build a world class 400,000 tonne/y MEG plant using CRl’s high selectivity EO catalyst and Mitsubishi Chemical’s selective MEG process (which forms part of the Shell OMEGA process) will
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