Westlake announces third-quarter earnings Westlake Chemical Corporation reported a net income of $43.5 million and income from operations of $70.1 million on net sales of $605.4 million for the third quarter of 2005. This compares favorably with the third quarter 2004 net income of $28.3 million and income from operations of $68.9 million on…
Titan to undergo expansions – adding polypropylene and metathesis unit Titan Chemicals is investing $158 to expand its petrochemical complex in the southern Malaysia state of Johore, a company. The company plans to build a 100 KT/year butadiene plant, a new metathesis unit to produce at least 115 KT/year of propylene, and a second…
My Turn – By Dr. Balaji B. Singh The Mood in Polyolefins Elastomer Organizations As a part of our work, we continue to keep our fingers on the pulse of the Global Polyolefins and Elastomers industry. The current mood in the industry, especially in the top Global organizations in North America, Europe, and Japan…
My Turn – Comments on Global Polyolefins & Elastomers – Dr. Balaji B. Singh Welcome to 2006 – May the New Year bring peace and prosperity – traditionally associated with a peak year. The argument from most of the pundits is not whether this is a peak year for petrochemicals, but how long it…
My Turn- Commentary on Global Polyolefins & Elastomers – Dr. Balaji B. Singh Most polyolefins & elastomers are preoccupied with Global developments in the next decade. All the major organizations are planning on production facilities for commodity-oriented polyolefins for developing countries and are putting most of the innovations and specialties (a bad word) on…
My Turn – Commentary on Global Polyolefins and Elastomers – Dr. Balaji B. Singh Disappearing Giants of Polyolefins and Elastomers – With the recent disappearance of Amoco-BP-Innovene, another giant bit the dust. The difference this time – Innovene a much-tooted polyolefins spin-off of BP-Amoco did not even survive the first anniversary of their inauguration.…
My Turn – Commentary on Global Polyolefins and Elastomers – Dr. Balaji B. Singh Conferences serve a vital role in keeping up with the latest developments and interacting with colleagues who have the same goals and objectives in mind. We don’t understand what it is with the organizations. The marketing/salespeople who have the money…
My Turn – Commentary on Global Polyolefins and Elastomers – Dr. Balaji B. Singh India – China Opportunities and Reactions of people who visit for the first time With PlastIndia just completed and ChinaPlas around the corner, the thoughts turn to the media coverage of the plastics industry and life in these countries. It…
My Turn – Commentary on Global Polyolefins and Elastomers –The Shift of Basic R&D to India and China – Dr. Balaji B. Singh Chemical Market Resources Inc. just completed the FlexPO2006 conference in Singapore. The conference was a roaring success. After the last four years of languishing in depressing North American polyolefins prospects, no…
My Turn – Commentary on Global Polyolefins and Elastomers –The Shift of Basic R&D to India and China – Dr. Balaji B. Singh The polymer industry unanimously decided to shift the basic R&D functions to China and/or India. Both China and India, without a doubt, offer a better Intellectual capita/ R&D dollar. The shift,…