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MIT signs technology deal for chiral catalysts
F O C U S take advantage of the costcompetitiveness that the country offers. It would be able to supply products to Japanese-affiliated companies via reverse imports. Japan Chemical Week, 25 Jul 2002, 43 (2181), 11
JM’s Chairman’s AGM statement Johnson Matthey has made a good start to the new financial year with profits before tax, exceptional items, and goodwill amortization for 1Q up on last year. The Catalysts and Chemicals Division continues to deliver good growth with the auto catalyst business benefiting from the worldwide introduction of the group’s precision coating technology. Profits of the Precious Metals Division were down on last year, reflecting lower average prices for platinum and palladium. Press release from: Johnson Matthey, 2-4 Cockspur Street, Trafalgar Square, London, SW1Y 5BQ, UK. Tel: +44 (0)20 7269 8435. Website: http://www.matthey.com (16 Jul 2002)
JM posts higher profits Johnson Matthey plc posted a 10% rise in operating profit £193 M for the year ending Mar 2002. Sales during the period fell 18% to £4.8 bn. Sales by the catalysts and chemicals business declined 11% to £1.3 bn; attributed to weak platinum group metal prices. The division’s operating profit increased by 17% to £95 M. JM is currently building a fuel cell components plant in Swindon, UK. Chemical Market Reporter, 10 Jun 2002 (Website: http://www.chemicalmarketreporter.com) & Chemical Week, 19 Jun 2002, 164 (25), 18 & Johnson Matthey Annual Report and Accounts 2002, 20 May 2002, 1213 (Johnson Matthey, 2-4 Cockspur Street, Trafalgar Square, London, SW1Y 5BQ, UK. Tel: +44 (0)20 7269 8400. Fax: +44 (0)20 7269 8433. Website: http://www.matthey.com)
MIT signs technology deal for chiral catalysts Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has signed a licence agreement with Rhodia ChiRex and Bayer to develop catalytic processes to prepare aromatic amines and ethers. MIT’s patented technology uses innovative and efficient catalysts which contain transition metal complexes. European Chemical News, 15 Jul 2002, 77 (2014), 38
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Symyx Technologies: patent rights Symyx Technologies has been awarded US patent 6,410,331 for methods that cover high-throughput screening of inorganic and organometallic materials for catalysis. The technology is being used in its polymers and polyolefin research programmes, as well as research into heterogeneous catalysis. European Chemical News, 15 Jul 2002, 77 (2014), 35 & Chemical Market Reporter, 15 Jul 2002 (Website: http://www.chemicalmarketreporter.com)
Synetix opens chiral lab Synetix, ICI’s catalysts business, has opened a £2 M chiral catalyst laboratory in Cambridge, UK. The lab houses combinatorial chemistry technology systems to pursue novel immobilized catalysts, mostly for pharmaceutical chiral compounds. Chemical Week, 26 Jun 2002, 164 (26), 30
Syntroleum pursues global GTL opportunities Various gas-to-liquids (GTL) projects are being considered by Syntroleum. These include one in the former Soviet Union, two in South America, and two in the Middle East. The facilities could be under construction within three years. In Western Australia, Syntroleum has encountered difficulties in obtaining finance for its 11,500 bbl/day plant at Sweetwater. The future of this project is not clear. In the US, engineering and construction contracts have been arranged with Mustang Engineering for a GTL demonstration plant at Port Catoosa. European Chemical News, 29 Jul 2002, 77 (2016), 26
UOP’s Torial arm will provide tools and services Torial is a combinatorial chemistry tools company established by UOP as a 100% owned subsidiary. The new company also offers research services in Norway, at the facilities of the SINTEF research foundation. SINTEF and UOP have worked together in the Combinatorial Chemistry Alliance. European Chemical News, 29 Jul 2002, 77 (2016), 24 & Chemical and Engineering News, 29 Jul 2002, 80
(30), 12 & Chemistry and Industry, 5 Aug 2002, (15), 6 & Press release from: UOP LLC, 25, East Algonquin Road, Des Plaines, IL 60017-5017, USA. Tel: +1 847 391 2000. Website: http://www.uop.com (22 Jul 2002)
NEW PLANTS Engelhard Corp brings clean air technology to China Engelhard has become the first of the world’s major auto emission catalyst suppliers to start production in China. A new plant was commissioned there this week. It will be able to produce 1 M/y automotive catalysts and will be operated by Shanghai Engelhard Sinopec Environmental Technologies Ltd, a 60-40 jv of Engelhard and a Sinopec subsidiary. Press release from: Engelhard Corp, Shanghai, China. Website: http://www.engelhard.com (27 Jun 2002)
Engelhard, Sasol open catalyst unit A gas-to-liquids catalysts plant has been jointly commissioned by Engelhard and Sasol at Engelhard’s De Meem site in The Netherlands. A cobalt catalyst will be produced at the site for use in Sasol’s proprietary lowtemperature Fischer-Tropsch slurry bed reactor process. Chemical Week, 3/10 Jul 2002, 164 (27), 10 & Press release from: Engelhard Corp, USA. Tel: +1 732 205 6360. Website: http://www.engelhard.com (27 Jun 2002)
Honeywell commissions cyanide catalyst plant Honeywell Speciality Chemicals has commissioned a plant for making potassium hexacyanocobaltate in Seelze, Germany. The product is a key intermediate in the production of double metal cyanide catalysts. Chemie Produktion, Jul-Aug 2002, (7-8), 8 (in German)
Mitsubishi doubles NOx removal catalysts capacity. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has increased its production of catalysts for breaking down nitric oxide by 250%. Its 2 units now have 26,000 cu m/y capacity (30% worldwide production). Demand for these catalysts is growing rapidly in the US
SEPTEMBER 2002
JM’s Chairman’s AGM statement Johnson Matthey has made a good start to the new financial year with profits before tax, exceptional items, and goodwill amortization for 1Q up on last year. The Catalysts and Chemicals Division continues to deliver good growth with the auto catalyst business benefiting from the worldwide introduction of the group’s precision coating technology. Profits of the Precious Metals Division were down on last year, reflecting lower average prices for platinum and palladium. Press release from: Johnson Matthey, 2-4 Cockspur Street, Trafalgar Square, London, SW1Y 5BQ, UK. Tel: +44 (0)20 7269 8435. Website: http://www.matthey.com (16 Jul 2002)
JM posts higher profits Johnson Matthey plc posted a 10% rise in operating profit £193 M for the year ending Mar 2002. Sales during the period fell 18% to £4.8 bn. Sales by the catalysts and chemicals business declined 11% to £1.3 bn; attributed to weak platinum group metal prices. The division’s operating profit increased by 17% to £95 M. JM is currently building a fuel cell components plant in Swindon, UK. Chemical Market Reporter, 10 Jun 2002 (Website: http://www.chemicalmarketreporter.com) & Chemical Week, 19 Jun 2002, 164 (25), 18 & Johnson Matthey Annual Report and Accounts 2002, 20 May 2002, 1213 (Johnson Matthey, 2-4 Cockspur Street, Trafalgar Square, London, SW1Y 5BQ, UK. Tel: +44 (0)20 7269 8400. Fax: +44 (0)20 7269 8433. Website: http://www.matthey.com)
MIT signs technology deal for chiral catalysts Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has signed a licence agreement with Rhodia ChiRex and Bayer to develop catalytic processes to prepare aromatic amines and ethers. MIT’s patented technology uses innovative and efficient catalysts which contain transition metal complexes. European Chemical News, 15 Jul 2002, 77 (2014), 38
4
O N
C ATA LY S T S
Symyx Technologies: patent rights Symyx Technologies has been awarded US patent 6,410,331 for methods that cover high-throughput screening of inorganic and organometallic materials for catalysis. The technology is being used in its polymers and polyolefin research programmes, as well as research into heterogeneous catalysis. European Chemical News, 15 Jul 2002, 77 (2014), 35 & Chemical Market Reporter, 15 Jul 2002 (Website: http://www.chemicalmarketreporter.com)
Synetix opens chiral lab Synetix, ICI’s catalysts business, has opened a £2 M chiral catalyst laboratory in Cambridge, UK. The lab houses combinatorial chemistry technology systems to pursue novel immobilized catalysts, mostly for pharmaceutical chiral compounds. Chemical Week, 26 Jun 2002, 164 (26), 30
Syntroleum pursues global GTL opportunities Various gas-to-liquids (GTL) projects are being considered by Syntroleum. These include one in the former Soviet Union, two in South America, and two in the Middle East. The facilities could be under construction within three years. In Western Australia, Syntroleum has encountered difficulties in obtaining finance for its 11,500 bbl/day plant at Sweetwater. The future of this project is not clear. In the US, engineering and construction contracts have been arranged with Mustang Engineering for a GTL demonstration plant at Port Catoosa. European Chemical News, 29 Jul 2002, 77 (2016), 26
UOP’s Torial arm will provide tools and services Torial is a combinatorial chemistry tools company established by UOP as a 100% owned subsidiary. The new company also offers research services in Norway, at the facilities of the SINTEF research foundation. SINTEF and UOP have worked together in the Combinatorial Chemistry Alliance. European Chemical News, 29 Jul 2002, 77 (2016), 24 & Chemical and Engineering News, 29 Jul 2002, 80
(30), 12 & Chemistry and Industry, 5 Aug 2002, (15), 6 & Press release from: UOP LLC, 25, East Algonquin Road, Des Plaines, IL 60017-5017, USA. Tel: +1 847 391 2000. Website: http://www.uop.com (22 Jul 2002)
NEW PLANTS Engelhard Corp brings clean air technology to China Engelhard has become the first of the world’s major auto emission catalyst suppliers to start production in China. A new plant was commissioned there this week. It will be able to produce 1 M/y automotive catalysts and will be operated by Shanghai Engelhard Sinopec Environmental Technologies Ltd, a 60-40 jv of Engelhard and a Sinopec subsidiary. Press release from: Engelhard Corp, Shanghai, China. Website: http://www.engelhard.com (27 Jun 2002)
Engelhard, Sasol open catalyst unit A gas-to-liquids catalysts plant has been jointly commissioned by Engelhard and Sasol at Engelhard’s De Meem site in The Netherlands. A cobalt catalyst will be produced at the site for use in Sasol’s proprietary lowtemperature Fischer-Tropsch slurry bed reactor process. Chemical Week, 3/10 Jul 2002, 164 (27), 10 & Press release from: Engelhard Corp, USA. Tel: +1 732 205 6360. Website: http://www.engelhard.com (27 Jun 2002)
Honeywell commissions cyanide catalyst plant Honeywell Speciality Chemicals has commissioned a plant for making potassium hexacyanocobaltate in Seelze, Germany. The product is a key intermediate in the production of double metal cyanide catalysts. Chemie Produktion, Jul-Aug 2002, (7-8), 8 (in German)
Mitsubishi doubles NOx removal catalysts capacity. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has increased its production of catalysts for breaking down nitric oxide by 250%. Its 2 units now have 26,000 cu m/y capacity (30% worldwide production). Demand for these catalysts is growing rapidly in the US
SEPTEMBER 2002