DuPont has introduced a new line of automotive DuPoint Premium Interior Air Filters that feature exclusive filtering technology that cleans the outside air before it enters the cabin of the automobile.  The filters are said to capture up to 96% of fine dust, pollen, allergens and other airborne particles.  They are also available with an added Activated Carbon Layer that reduces unpleasant odors inside the vehicles.

Fiber optic network

BP America plans to invest $80 million to construct an 800 mile undersea fiber optic system in the Gulf of Mexico to provide continuous broadband connectivity to the company’s offshore oil and gas facilities.  The system will allow greater operating flexibility, including the ability to continue producing safely for longer periods when hurricanes enter the Gulf and to return more quickly to production after storms pass.  In some cases, the system may enable facilities to not have to be shutdown at all.  Currently, hurricane-related shutdowns each year reduce oil and gas deliveries to refineries and power plants, sometimes resulting in higher gasoline and electricity prices, or shortages in some areas.  The system will initially link seven of BP’s deep water production facilities including Marlin, Horn Mountain, Na Kika, Thunder Horse, Atlantis, Mad Dog and Holstein to the new Advanced Collaborate Environment (ACE) centers in Houston, Texas.  Each facility will have direct optical connectivity to Houston via two independent routes, ensuring continued operations independent of any other facility in the system during hurricanes.  TYCO Telecommunications will construct the undersea fiber optic system with plans for the project to be operational in late 2007.

Bayer Material Science and Dubai-based Pear Insulation Materials Industries are establishing a polyurethane (PU) joint venture in the United Arab Emirates to take advantage of growth opportunities in the construction industry throughout the Middle East.  The joint venture will operate under the name Bay Systems Pearl with operations beginning next year.

Divestment

China Resources Enterprise will divest its chemical and piped gas business in China to its parent company.  The change will be made so China Resources can focus on its consumer industries, mainly its retail, food and beverages business.  The entire stake in China Resources Petrochems Holdings will be sold for $357.5 million. 

Coating center

BASF opened a new application center in Mangalore, India, for automotive OEM coatings.  The center will provide customer support to the growing Indian car market.  The facilities include conveyorized advanced electrostatic bell applicators and will allow simulation of the conditions of any paint booth.

New market

Asahi Kasei, a Japanese chemical company, has found a new market for the acrylonitrile-styrene (AS) resin it produces.  The product has recently been accepted by a lens manufacturer for use in rear projection screens, and is already on the market.  Traditionally, the AS resin was used for cosmetic containers and liquid crystal displays.

Plastics facility

Mitsubishi Plastics is building a new facility at its Nagahama factory in Shiga prefecture to increase its capacity for engineering plastics.  The facility should be completed by March, with commercial operations scheduled to start in April.  The $8.6 million project is going to be phased in.  The first phase will increase the capacity of polyetherimide film with a new unit at the facility.  Other expansions are planned, but details were not released.  The expansion is in response to the growing demand of engineering plastics for information electronics applications.

Doubling capacity

Brazil’s Policarbonatos de Brasil plans to build a plant to more than double its current polycarbonate (PC) capacity of 15,000 tons/year.  The plant is scheduled to come online in 2009 and will add new products to the company’s portfolio, including CDs and DVDs.  The plant will be built at Camacari in Bahia next to the company’s existing plant.

Expansion

Ciba Specialty Chemicals is looking to Asia to expand its business.  Of the $241 million the company sets aside annually for new capacity, a disproportionate amount is planned to go to Asia.  The company’s strategy is to keep what it has in Europe and expand its business in Asia, with focus areas in China and India.  In China, it sees potential for water chemicals, paper chemicals, plastic additives for the automobile industry, antioxidants and chemicals for personal care products.  Ciba hopes to expand its lubricants business in China through backward integration.  In India, it is involved in the manufacture of chemicals for the lubricants, water treatment and electronics industries.

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