The last time our team convened with chemicals industry experts and market participants at the Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference was 2019.  This year's Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) event will be the first time we fully present our shared expertise as the new brand ResourceWise to an audience in Asia. And it marks 42 years since our chemicals-focused legacy company Tecnon OrbiChem first presented at the event.  This theme for this year's APIC is Trailblazing the Path in a Sustainable Era. The conference will be held at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas, Ko ..read more

  Historically, the chlor-alkali process is one with numerous environmental and health concerns since the diaphragm cell process and mercury cell process were first commercialized in the late 1800s. These processes, which have been used for the production of chlor-alkali products for over 100 years, include the use of mercury, asbestos in the diaphragm cell process and the production of toxic chlorine-containing chemicals. Since the 1890s, there has been much innovation in the industry including the development of the membrane cell process in 1970. This has allowed the phasing out of mer ..read more

The benefits that automated process and artificial intelligence (AI) bring to chemistry laboratories and chemical engineering development are inarguable. That’s because streamlining task-based assessments saves time and resources in R&D. Take the meticulous mapping of molecular structures in prototype materials such as engineering thermoplastics or polyurethanes for example. Historically, humans undertook the painstaking task of matching blackness intensities in X-ray diffraction spots to shades on a template strip ..read more

Planning and preparation for the 27th World Chlor-Alkali Conference is in hand. ResourceWise (formerly Tecnon OrbiChem) and partner I•C•I•S, who inaugurated the event together in the 1990s, are finalizing the agenda as we write.  It will occur at The Parkroyal Collection Pickering Hotel on Upper Pickering Street, close to Singapore's central business district. It will once again unite the industry's leading experts and decision-makers in discussing the latest developments and challenges facing the vital caustic soda, chlorine, and derivatives markets ..read more

Planning and preparation for the 27th World Chlor-Alkali Conference is in hand. ResourceWise company Tecnon OrbiChem and partner I•C•I•S—who together inaugurated the event back in the 1990s—are finalizing the agenda as we write.  It will take place at The ParkRoyal Collection Pickering Hotel in Upper Pickering Street close to Singapore's central business district. It will once again unite the industry's leading experts and decision-makers in discussion of the latest developments and challenges facing the vital caustic soda, chlorine and derivatives  ..read more

The methanol market has been evolving at an unprecedented pace, with stakeholders encountering various opportunities and challenges from regulatory, economic, and environmental fronts. In an increasingly interconnected global environment, the methanol market is a microcosm of change, presenting a mosaic of rivals, regulations, and remarkable technological advancements ..read more

Methanol prices respond to many supply and demand factors, including supply chain disruptions, natural gas and crude oil prices, environmental regulations, and demand from new applications. The chart shows how methanol prices have reacted to these factors over the last two years ..read more

Global trade and markets for methanol, glycols, and solvents became more visible and transparent. With the launch of its second chemicals pricing, production, and supply chain intelligence platform, ResourceWise is helping market participants make better business decisions. The platform leverages insight built over a quarter of a century of analysis, real-time global trade flow datasets, and up-to-the-minute price benchmarks. It allows subscribers to unravel complex market dynamics using a range of graphs and infographics.  ..read more

Phthalic anhydride is used to produce phthalate-based PVC plasticizers, resins and coatings.   Orthoxylene is the key feedstock for manufacturing phthalic anhydride, which can also be produced from naphthalene. Whatever the process route, the alkyd resins used in coatings and unsaturated polyester resins rely on a stable, economical supply of phthalic anhydride. And in this way, markets for orthoxylene and phthalic anhydride are inextricably linked.   And as economic pressures—including inflation and interest rate rises—continue to disrupt chemicals sector supply chains, both are be ..read more

A flurry of chemicals deals were signed and sealed at the start of the new year. In part, activity was triggered by fear that the US Gulf Coast chill would escalate. But the ongoing issues with Panama Canal crossings and concern over Houthi rebels targeting shipments in the Red Sea played a part too. For those wondering whether these matters created markets for buyers or sellers, it is likely the answer is neither. This latest geopolitical catastrophe—namely dangers to ships on their way to passage through the Suez Canal—is just another unwanted impact factor the chemicals sector must navigat ..read more