Akzo Nobel and BASF announced a swap of coatings businesses in transactions that will send BASF's Glasurit Construction coatings business to Akzo Nobel and transfer parts of Akzo Nobel's Car Refinishes business in Europe to BASF.
Bayer Group formally announced the launch of a new company, LANXESS Corp., as part of a plan to spin off major portions of Bayer's chemicals and polymer operations, including inorganic-pigments and paint-additives businesses.
Eastman Chemical Co. completed the sale of certain businesses and product lines of the company's coatings, adhesives, specialty polymers and inks (CASPI) segment to the private investment firm Apollo Management L.P. Eastman said the sale is part of a plan to boost profitability.
The major suppliers of titanium dioxide (TiO2) pigments, citing strong economic growth rates and rising demand, recently announced the latest of several price-increase moves taken since the start of the year. Price hikes of 6¢/lb. were announced for the United States, effective Oct. 1, with comparable increases announced for other regions of the world.
Kerr-McGee Chemical L.L.C. announced plans to shut down sulfate titanium dioxide (TiO2) pigment production at the company's Savannah, GA, site in a move the company said would take effect by the end of September.
BASF AG and The Dow Chemical Co. announced plans to proceed with the construction of a "world-scale" propylene oxide production plant in Antwerp, Belgium, using the companies' hydrogen peroxide-to-propylene oxide technology.
The Sherwin-Williams Co. and three partners announced the development of polyurea-based construction technology designed to provide resistance to the effects of explosions
ASTM International, the U.S.-based standards-development organization, announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the national standards body of China, the Standardization Administration of the People's Republic of China (SAC).