World Chemical Outlook
Quote of the Week
"This toothless declaration, being spun by the U.S. as a historic success, reflects contempt for the multilateral process, and we expect more from our Nobel Prize-winning President."
KATE HORNER, INTERNATIONAL POLICY ANALYST, FRIENDS OF THE EARTH U.S. – p. 27
January 11, 2010
In This Issue:
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Highlights
Government & Policy
Shifting Climate (Member Content)
News Analysis: Copenhagen meeting falls victim to evolving global-warming politics. (pp. 27-29)
Science & Technology
China Ascendant
Measured by patent applications or journal articles, growth in Chinese scientific output is stupendous. (pp. 35-37)
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Table of Contents
World Chemical Outlook (pp. 11-19)
Markets
Construction: Recovery From Recession Will Be Long And Slow
Crop Protection: Watching Out For El Niño
Electronics: New Products Will Put Industry Back On Track
Finance: Credit Returns, But Overcapacity Casts A Shadow
Fine Chemicals: The Outlook Is Good, But The Caveats Are Several
Instrumentation: Nonindustry Users Buoy Business In Lean Times
Inorganics: Caustic Soda, Soda Ash Producers Hope For A Calmer 2010
Petrochemicals: Although Recovering, The Industry Will Soon Bear The Brunt Of New Capacity
Pharmaceuticals: Big Firms Will Fight The Patent Cliff
Specialties: 2010 Will Be All About The End Market
Regions
Asia: Economies are generally buoyant, except in Japan
Canada: Hard hit in the downturn, the country eyes recovery in 2010
Europe: Fragile recovery awaits the return of end-market demand
Latin America: Dodging the economic bullet, the region has ambitious plans
Middle East: A big chunk of ethylene capacity is coming onstream this year
United States: Chemical industry prepares for a slow recovery in 2010
News Of The Week
Finally, Palau'amine p. 5
Organic Synthesis: Ring formation anchors landmark conquest of complex marine natural product.
Novartis Acts To Acquire Alcon p. 6
Pharmaceuticals: Deal will make Swiss giant a big player in eye care.
Restricting Dioxin In Dirt p. 6
Environment: EPA proposes to strengthen cleanup guidelines.
Paper About Reactome Array Stirs Controversy p. 7
Interdisciplinary Research: Work on a sensitive new array describes chemistry that experts see as unclear at best.
Biogen Idec's CEO To Retire p. 7
Biotechnology: James Mullen will leave as the company grapples with a stagnant pipeline.
Burden Of Pollution p. 8
Superfund: EPA explores tougher financial requirements to ensure that companies pay for cleanups.
Gilded Graphene p. 8
Materials: Gold coat and microscopy methods offer new way to see and analyze atoms-thick carbon sheets.
Targeted For Regulation p. 9
Toxic Substances: EPA names four categories of chemicals for action, including restrictions and bans.
Industrial Safety p. 9
Explosion at Japanese fluorine chemistry plant kills four workers.
Business
Instrumentation The Dionex Way pp. 22-23 (Member Content)
Even after 35 years, chromatography company stays focused to retain technological edge.
BASF Puts Its Mark On A Ciba Business pp. 24-25 (Member Content)
BASF is trying to make the most of its new position in plastics additives.
Business Concentrates pp. 20-21 (Member Content)
- Pirates Nab Tankers
- Pirates operating off the coast of Somalia hijacked two chemical tankers in recent weeks...
- Cleantech Funding Declines In 2009
- According to preliminary data from the information provider Cleantech Group, venture capital funding for so-called clean technologies fell to $5.6 billion in 2009...
- BASF Additives Used In The Burj Dubai
- BASF’s Glenium SKY concrete plasticizer was used in the world’s tallest building, the Burj Dubai...
- India’s Dorf Ketal Gets DuPont Catalysts
- India’s Dorf Ketal Chemicals has acquired DuPont’s specialty catalyst business, which generated roughly $50 million in sales in 2008...
- Bain Capital Invests In India’s Himadri
- Bain Capital, the Boston-based private equity firm, will invest up to $124 million in Himadri Chemicals & Industries...
- DSM Buys Into Segetis, Nylon
- DSM’s venture capital arm has made an equity investment in Golden Valley, Minn.-based Segetis...
- Ineos Venture To Make Phenol In China
- Ineos Phenol and Sinopec Yangzi Petrochemical will form a joint venture to build and operate a phenol and acetone manufacturing site at Nanjing Chemical Industrial Park...
- Elusys Receives Anthrax Contract
- New Jersey-based Elusys Therapeutics could get up to $143 million in Department of Health & Human Services funding...
- Ranbaxy Unit Gets FDA Warning Letter
- FDA has sent a warning letter to Ohm Laboratories for not complying with current Good Manufacturing Practices...
- Anika Therapeutics Buys Biopolymer Firm
- Anika Therapeutics has acquired Fidia Advanced Biopolymers for $17 million in cash and nearly the same amount in stock...
- RWE And Brain In R&D Collaboration
- Germany’s RWE Power and the biotech firm Brain will jointly develop biotech-based processes to convert carbon dioxide into microbial biomass...
- PerkinElmer, VWR To Offer Lab Service
- Scientific instrument maker PerkinElmer and VWR International have agreed to develop a one-stop equipment services offering for lab customers...
- Pfizer Signs Another Indian Generics Deal
- Pfizer has struck a deal with Strides Arcolab under which it will commercialize generic injectable and oral drugs in the U.S....
- Business Roundup
- Lanxess, ExxonMobil and Qatar Petroleum, Albemarle, BASF has sold its Aurora special-effects films business to Peekskill, N.Y.-based RMS Packaging. Under terms of the agreement, BASF, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Roche, Cleveland BioLabs, H. Lundbeck, QLT has paid Othera Pharmaceuticals...
Awards
2010 ACS National Award Winners pp. 40-45 (Member Content)
ACS Award In Pure Chemistry p. 41 (Member Content)
Earle B. Barnes Award For Leadership In Chemical Research Management pp. 41-42 (Member Content)
ACS Award In Organometallic Chemistry p. 42 (Member Content)
ACS Award For Creative Advances In Environmental Science & Technology pp. 42-43 (Member Content)
James T. Grady-James H. Stack Award For Interpreting Chemistry For The Public pp. 43-44 (Member Content)
Alfred Burger Award In Medicinal Chemistry p. 44 (Member Content)
ACS Award For Creative Invention pp. 44-45 (Member Content)
ACS Award For Research At An Undergraduate Institution p. 45 (Member Content)
Government & Policy
Shifting Climate pp. 27-29 (Member Content)
News Analysis: Copenhagen meeting falls victim to evolving global-warming politics.
Trade Deal In Limbo pp. 30-32 (Member Content)
Exporters seek ratification of U.S.-Korea trade pact amid rising protectionist sentiment in Congress.
Government & Policy Concentrates p. 26 (Member Content)
- Antimicrobial Soap Raises Concerns
- Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Energy & Environment Subcommittee, is urging federal regulators to look more closely at two chemicals widely used in antimicrobial hand soaps...
- DOE To Invest $336 Million In R&D Hubs
- The Department of Energy announced in late December 2009 its intention to invest $336 million to establish and operate three Energy Innovation Hubs for the next five years...
- Chemical Weapon Destruction Ahead Of Schedule In Arkansas
- The Army’s Pine Bluff Chemical Agent Disposal Facility in Arkansas has destroyed more than half the mustard agent stored there...
- President Expands Education Campaign
- President Barack Obama announced a second wave of public-private partnerships under the Administration’s Educate to Innovate campaign...
- Court Bans Pesticide, Cites Bee Toxicity
- A federal court in New York has banned the pesticide spirotetramat, which environmental groups say is potentially toxic to honeybees...
» more government & policy news...
Books
Saying 'No' To Science pp. 38-39
Book excoriates the antiscience crowd by examining recent controversies.
ACS Comment
Keeping Pace With Member Needs p. 40 (Member Content)
This Week Online
Reel Science
"Whiz Kids" documents two years in the lives of some of the smartest science-minded high school students around.
» read more...
Science & Technology
China Ascendant pp. 35-37
Measured by patent applications or journal articles, growth in Chinese scientific output is stupendous.
Tools For Foreign Authors Web Exclusive
Manuscript-polishing services multiply as more authors aim to publish in English-language journals.
Science & Technology Concentrates pp. 33-34 (Member Content)
- Molecular Donut And Its Hole
- A Mo36 cluster serves as a structure-directing template for formation of a spherical Mo150 cluster.
- Human Blueprint Contains Code From Surprise Viral Source
- A previously unknown source of viral genetic code infiltrated our genome about 40 million years ago.
- Selenium’s Role In Mercury’s Toxicity
- Structure and binding study shows that Mercury’s “selenophilicity” is greater than its “thiophilicity”.
- Ubiquitin Unfolds Doomed Proteins
- Besides tagging proteins for destruction, ubiquitin also assists in the process by helping unfold the proteins.
- Speedy Nonlinear Optical Analysis
- Combining novel laser-probe method with fast statistical evaluation speeds up thin-film analysis.
- Atom Versus Superatom
- A photoelectron imaging spectroscopy study finds that periodic trends can predict molecules that behave like single atoms.
- Infectious Prions Mutate Structurally
- Researchers have discovered that misfolded prions can refold, suggesting a new approach to drug design.
- Clay-Polymer Nanolayers Improve Gas-Barrier Films
- A composite composed of alternating nanolayers could better protect electronics, food, and pharmaceuticals.
» more science & technology news...
Meetings
Pacifichem 2010 pp. 46-49
Editor's Page
After Copenhagen p. 3
The United Nations-sponsored climate conference held in December in Copenhagen...
The Departments
Letters p. 4
Newscripts p. 56
Frigid Flies, It's In His Buzz
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