France. The multinational chemical company Arkema announced the suspension of production at the La Chambre plant in France. This production unit specializes in the production of amines and various oxygenated solvents, including methylethylketone, mainly used in the manufacture of paint and varnishes.
The decision was motivated, in part, by difficulties in the supply of secondary butanol, one of the raw materials used in production.
The company said in a statement that the closure of La Chambre would be completed by the end of this year and would result in the loss of 22 jobs.
Arkema, which has about 15,000 employees in 40 countries, reported sales of 5.6 billion euros (about $7.354 billion) in 2008.
USA USA After approving the negotiation between the chemical companies Rohm and Haas and Dow Chemical, it was known that the purchase process will result in the elimination of about 3,500 jobs, according to the news portal of the plastic sector PRW.
According to the information provided by both companies, 24 offices and between 10 and 15 plants will be closed to make the layoffs effective. These cuts are in addition to the 5,000 layoffs announced by Dow and the 1,500 reported by Rohm and Haas at the end of last year.
The combination of the two companies will also reduce budgeted operating expenses, which would go from $2.3 billion to $1.1 billion. The wage freeze decreed for workers in 2009 will also mean savings of US$200 million.
With the negotiation, Dow will also benefit from a greater presence in the Asia-Pacific region, where Rohm and Haas generate 24% of its annual sales. Dow currently gets only 12% of its sales from that region.
Rohm and Haas operates in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico, while Dow has had a presence in Latin America since 1957.
USA U.S. chemical compound and resin maker A. Shulman Inc. has announced it will restructure its global operations in order to cut costs. The first measure resulting from this decision is the order to cut 5% of its workforce, which implies the elimination of 64 specific positions in Europe and Mexico.
In Europe, the company will concentrate its largest production volumes in a few facilities and will restructure its plants with lower production capacity to have better local service with lower volume orders, adapting manufacturing to continue supplying the needs of its customers.
These adjustments are expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2009 and generate annual savings of between US$2.5 million and US$3 million after taxes, according to the Empresas Exterior portal.
The company clarified that no facility will be completely closed as a result of this action.
USA The new edition of DuPont's "Color Popularity Report" states that white is, for the second year in a row, the most chosen color by motorists in the United States. Also, in the world this color has a strong presence. Black and silver, with their variants, have also had good results on a global scale.
White and pearl white obtained 16% and 4%, respectively; black and pearl black 11% and 6%. On the other hand, silver, a color that was leading the list for six consecutive years, obtained 17% of the share of the United States market.
The report reveals that preferences are converging around the world, although within this homogeneity there are subtle differentiations between markets. As DuPont reported in June 2008, blue is becoming a more popular color and currently ranks in the United States with 13% of the total market.
In South America, neutral colors predominate to a greater extent. In general, white, black and silver are preferred by Latin American citizens. The percentages of choice are between 30% and 13%, with black being one of the most chosen colors. If chromatic colors are considered, it is red that leads the elections of Latin Americans. In Argentina punctually, the silver color is still the most chosen.
Holland. A group of researchers from Wagenigen University developed a variety of potato plants capable of producing itaconic acid, an input used in the manufacture of resins and synthetic fibers.
This acid, which has a structure similar to that of citric acid is used in the production of methacrylate and polymethyl methacrylate. In nature, itaconic acid is produced by the fungus Aspergillus terreus that is already used commercially in some companies, although it is expensive and has a high energy consumption.
In order to reduce production costs, the Dutch researchers modified the plants with genetic information from this fungus. The process had good results, but it still needs to be refined before it is introduced commercially.
"We now want to investigate where in the plant, and in which compartment of cells, itaconic acid can be best synthesized and accumulated," said Ingrid van der Meer, one of the participating scientists. "We already know, for example, that tubers are much more suitable for this process."
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