manufacturer. They havecommercialised a photochemicalcement (TX Active®) which is currentlybeing used in building a large officecomplex in Milan, scheduled forcompletion in Dec 2011. It will beimpossible to quantify the effect this willhave on the air quality in Milan,notorious for its air pollution, but thegeneral idea has to be applauded.

Alan E. Comyns

MARKETS ANDBUSINESS

Unpredictable rise in palladium prices

A graph gives palladium pricemovements on the London market for2 Jan 2007 – 21 Sep 2010. Chinesedemand for automotive catalyticconverters has pushed up prices.Some 2M new vehicles are put on theroad each month in China. From2011, the vehicles will have to beequipped with a catalytic converter.Around half of palladium productioncomes from Russia. In the past,Norilsk Nickel has regularly releasedstocks from the former USSR.However, the firm says this will notcontinue. Norilsk Nickel is expecting adeficit of 1M ounces in 2010.Palladium prices rose sharply at thestart of 2010. According to an analystat UniCredit, prices could rise to$700-800/ounce if Russian stocks areeffectively depleted. The stock levelsheld by the Russian governmentremain unknown.

La Tribune, 22 Sep 2010, (4561), 30 (in French)

Rare earths and China: dirty business

China, the largest producer of rareearth metals, is limiting exports andthus restricting supplies. Japan, whichaccounts for 20% of global demandfor use in the automotive andelectronics sectors, has beenadversely impacted since it is thelargest importer of rare earths.Chinese exports have been reducedby 5-10%/y since 2006 and in Jul2010 the export quota was reducedby 40%. The price of cerium oxide,which is often used in catalysts, hasrisen sixfold since Jan 2010 and is 20times higher than in 2005. Whereas

85,000 tonnes of rare earth shipmentswere worth $500 M in 2003, sales of125,000 tonnes in 2010 are likely tobe valued at almost $2 bn. Chinasupplies over 95% of global demandfor rare earths and for some metalslike dysprosium is the only source ofsupply. New production facilities forrare earths are expected to becomeoperational in Australia and Californiaduring 2011-2014 and mining capacityis being increased in India andVietnam. China could see its marketshare fall by 15%. Silmet, an Estonianfirm that is the only rare earthproducer not dependent on Chineseore, is currently inundated with orders.

Economist, 2 Oct 2010 (Website:http://www.economist.com) & Chemistry World, Nov2010, 7 (11), 11

Metallocenes continue to rise

The history and status of metallocene-catalysed olefin polymerisation isreviewed in an extended editorial.Patent activity peaked in 2002. Today,millions of tons of metallocene resinsare made annually and the technologyis still developing.

Chemical and Engineering News, 18 Oct 2010, 88(42), 10-16

COMPANYNEWS

Albemarle achieves record quarterlyearnings for 3Q 2010

Albemarle Corp reported 3Q endedSep 2010 earnings of $93.7 M, or$1.02/share, (earnings of $52.1 M, or57 cts/share in 3Q ended Sep 2009).The company reported net sales of$585 M in 3Q 2010 ($515 M in 3Q2009). Earnings for the nine monthsended Sep 2010 were $238.7 M, or$2.59/share, (earnings of $116 M, or$1.26/share, in nine months endedSep 2009). Net sales for the ninemonths of 2010 were $1.76 bn ($1.45bn in nine months of 2009). R&Dexpenses were $14.336 M for 3Q2010 ($14.983 M in 3Q 2009) and$43.722 M in nine months of 2010($46.08 M in nine months of 2009).Polymer Solutions delivered net salesfor 3Q 2010 of $231.8 M, an 18%increase over net sales in 3Q 2009,due primarily to improved volumes

and pricing in its fire safetybusinesses, partly offset byunfavourable foreign exchange rateimpacts. Catalysts generated netsales for 3Q 2010 of $214.8 M, a 14%increase over net sales in 3Q 2009,due primarily to higher volumes and afavourable mix in its refinery catalystsbusiness, as well as higher volumesin the polyolefins business. FineChemistry net sales for 3Q 2010 were$138.4 M, a 7% increase over netsales in 3Q 2009, due primarily tohigher volumes and improved pricing.

Albemarle results 3Q and nine months of 2010, 21 Oct2010 (Albemarle Corp, 330, South Fourth Street, POBox 1335, Richmond, VA 23210, USA. Tel: +1 804 7886000. Fax: +1 804 388 7686. Website:http://www.albemarle.com)

Almac continues biocatalysis businessgrowth with a further $4 M R&Dinvestment

In 2009 Almac launched carbonylreductase, transaminase, hydrolase,nitrilase, and nitrile hydratase enzymescreening kits and is continuing toboth advance the biocatalysisbusiness and to broaden applicationof its biocatalysis expertise with afurther $4 M R&D investment. Theinvestment will be used primarily tofocus around discovery of newbiocatalytic platforms that can berapidly implemented and scaleddelivering cost effective processes tochiral intermediates. The latestaddition to the application of Almacbiocatalysis expertise is for the ‘clean-up’ of chemical reactions. Whencrystallisation or partition does notprovide sufficient purity, Almac hasused a biocatalytic process toselectively modify impurities. Theimpurities are then sufficientlydifferent in physical properties fromthe desired product that they can beremoved using conventionalseparation techniques. The AlmacGroup comprises five closelyintegrated divisions offering a broadrange of services from R&D,biomarker discovery, anddevelopment, API manufacture,formulation development, clinical trialsupply, and IXRS technology, tocommercial-scale manufacture.

Press release from: Almac Group Ltd, Almac House,20 Seagoe Industrial Estate, Craigavon, BT63 5QD,UK. Tel: +44 (0)28 3833 2200. Fax: +44 (0)28 38332299. E-mail: info@almacgroup.com. Website:http://www.almacgroup.com (7 Oct 2010)

2 DECEMBER 2010

F O C U S O N C A T A L Y S T S