Industry: Specialty polymers

The greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint of plastics continues to find attention with a recent report published by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL) in April 2024. In the past, this issue was looked at by McKinsey in July 2022 when they estimated life cycle GHG emissions of plastics. According to the LBNL report, in […]

In the September 2024 edition of the ADI chemicals newsletter, we covered on how the chemical and energy sectors are increasingly focused on sustainability. This was evidenced by strategic acquisitions like LyondellBasell’s purchase of APK for advanced recycling and new plant launches dedicated to green hydrogen and waste-to-ethanol production. Major companies, including Nouryon and Evonik, […]

Increasing recognition of environmental issues, like carbon emissions, has catalyzed investment in sustainable packaging. Sustainable packaging is designed to reduce environmental impact while keeping both consumers and producers satisfied with functional products. Many conventional plastics do not reach this environmentally friendly threshold, but polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) offers a promising alternative to conventional plastics with its versatile […]

ADI Chemical Market Resources (ADI CMR) has launched a multiclient study on polypropylene catalyst technologies. The report covers the evolution from early Ziegler-Natta (ZN) catalysts to advanced fourth- and fifth-generation systems using phthalate, diether, and succinate donors. It analyzes market drivers across key end-use segments such as injection molding, fibers, films, and automotive applications. The […]

At the 2024 ADI Forum, Jim Simon, CEO, Braven Environmental, presented the afternoon keynote address on chemicals day. This was followed by a fireside chat with Uday Turaga, CEO, ADI Analytics. Key topics included industry challenges like feedstock sourcing and regulatory hurdles, highlighting Braven’s technological solutions. It also covered investor interest, the use of pyrolysis […]

At the 2024 ADI Forum, Jeffrey Dysard, CTO & EVP, NuMat Technologies, and Matthew Seabaugh, Founder, HeatPath Solutions, joined Uday Turaga, CEO, ADI Analytics, for the panel discussion on engineered materials. Key topics included the commercialization of engineered materials to meet evolving market demands, driven by megatrends like electrification and sustainability. The discussion emphasized strategic […]

At the 2024 ADI Forum, Uday Turaga, CEO, ADI Analytics provided an outlook of the chemicals and plastics industries’ expected performance. Key topics included the chemical industry’s mixed outlook, driven by energy transition and sustainability investments, alongside regional shifts in production and an intensifying regulatory landscape. The discussion also touched upon the competitiveness of petrochemical […]

The global chemical industry struggled in 2023. The year was marked by rising inflation rates and low demand from major markets. With China still in recovery, the growth the industry was hoping for never came to fruition. In 2024 we expect things to stay the course and see no drastic changes up or down in […]

U.S. private equity (PE) deals declined in value by 30% in 2022 from the record high of 2021 but dry powder changed marginally. Materials and resources were hard hit and deal value and transactions both fell by ~70% and ~40%, respectively. (Exhibit 1) Exhibit 1: Private equity deals and assets Plastics M&A also fell from […]

After a few good years, outperforming broader markets in the past decade, the chemicals industry currently faces significant challenges moving forward. Feedstock cost competitiveness and new markets, two of the more significant market drivers, have a positive outlook. However, other drivers are negative, such as the current direction of interest rates, or neutral, such as […]

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have gained significant attention due to their widespread use, persistence in the environment, and potential adverse health effects. A recent study on landfill leachate conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found PFAS in 95% of landfills. Based on these findings, in January 2023 the EPA announced that they […]

Nova chemicals launches metallocene film grade PEs –SURPASS Nova chemical is launching four film grade resins –the first of its new high-performance PE resins underSURPASS trade name, produced with NOVA SCLAIRTECH technology using proprietary single-site catalysts. SURPASS resins deliver a unique combination of properties like toughness, tear strength, clarity and processability. The grades include FPs […]