Industry: Chemicals & Plastics

HF Sinclair plans to separate its Lubricants & Specialties business, retire its 15,600-barrel-per-day Ontario base oil refinery, and replace internal production with long-term supply agreements. Similar portfolio activity is visible across the industry: BP sold a controlling interest in Castrol, Saudi Aramco acquired Valvoline’s global products business, and private-equity-backed distributors continue to add local businesses. […]

In September 2026 edition, chemical portfolio realignment continued to accelerate. Shell is exploring the sale of its U.S. chemicals business, while TotalEnergies acquired Shell’s European renewables unit and Lotte Chemical moves to divest its Southeast Asian petrochemical subsidiaries. Sika expanded its adhesives and sealants footprint in Turkey, and Mitsui increased its stake in Nutrinova to […]

The catalyst industry is entering a new phase, with 2026 marking a period of significant portfolio realignment and expansion into adjacent catalyst technologies and services across refining, petrochemical, polymer, and emissions-control markets. The transactions shown in Exhibit 1 highlight a broader shift in how companies are positioning themselves across the catalyst value chain. For instance, […]

Semiconductor and specialty chemical investment is driving new industrial gas and materials capacity. Linde and Air Liquide are expanding air separation and industrial gas production in the U.S. and Taiwan to supply advanced semiconductor and memory chip manufacturing, while PetroChina and Epigral are advancing ethane cracker and epoxy resin projects in China and India. Sasol […]

The engineered pump industry is seeing growing demand from AI infrastructure, LNG expansion, critical minerals development, and industrial modernization. At the same time, aftermarket services and digital monitoring are becoming larger contributors to industry profit pools. These trends are changing industry growth drivers and profit pools (see Exhibit 1). Exhibit 1.  Growth drivers in the […]

Convened in collaboration with a Fortune 500 company exploring the future evolution of materials markets. Houston, Texas | August 31, 2026 What is the ADI Thinklab? Invitation-only series ADI ThinkLab is ADI Analytics’ invitation-only series of executive discussions that brings together industry leaders, researchers, technology developers, investors, and other experts to explore emerging trends shaping […]

Recent disruptions in the Middle East—including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the shutdown of Shell’s Pearl GTL facility in Qatar—have significantly tightened global supplies of Group III and Group III+ base oils, the primary feedstocks used in synthetic lubricants. At the same time, substantial capacity additions from LAO producers in Asia and […]

In a significant milestone for aviation decarbonization, the methanol-to-jet (MTJ) pathway for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production received approval last month under ASTM D7566 Annex A5. Exhibit 1 below shows all the approved SAF production pathways. The approval also includes e-methanol produced via power-to-liquid (PtL) processes using renewable electricity and captured CO₂ as an eligible […]

The EU’s CBAM is increasing cost pressure on emissions-intensive imports and accelerating the shift toward lower-carbon supply chains, as evolving chemical regulations continue to shape compliance and sustainability strategies. Capacity expansions by Covestro and Diamines & Chemicals signal confidence in long-term specialty chemicals demand, even as recent transactions and plant closures reflect ongoing portfolio optimization […]

Liquid bulk storage operators are entering a more selective growth cycle. Demand remains resilient across fuels, chemicals, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), natural gas liquids (NGLs), biofuels, ammonia, and methanol. Increasingly, value is shifting toward terminals that can handle a broader range of products, connect to major trade routes, and generate higher returns from existing assets. […]

Specialty metallocene resins have emerged as a resilient bright spot in a structurally oversupplied petrochemical landscape where standard polyolefins face historically low margins at a 15-year trough. Driven by our ongoing market tracking and newly updated Multi-Client Study on Global Polyolefin Elastomers and Plastomers, ADI Chemical Market Resources has mapped three critical trends reshaping the current mPOE […]

In the June 2026 edition, we highlight how evolving regulatory frameworks and technology innovation are accelerating the transition to low‑carbon and high‑performance solutions across the chemical industry. The IMO’s approval of ammonia fuel safety guidelines and China’s tightening carbon accounting standards signal growing momentum behind decarbonization, while advances in battery materials and thermal management solutions […]