conditions in the washing productsector are expected to improve.

Net Posten, 3 Feb 2005 (Website:http://www.netposten.dk/) (in Danish)

Novozymes moves activities to China

Novozymes is to relocate a large partof its production and sale of enzymesfor the textile industry to China.Management of the global textile-related business will be located inBeijing from Jul 2005 and will haveresponsibility for global marketing andleadership. Product management andall Novozymes’ R&D activities for thetextile industry will also be moved toBeijing where there will be a newtechnical services laboratory. Atpresent Novozymes sells slightly overhalf its enzymes to the global textileindustry from plants in China, USA,and Europe. The new Chineseheadquarters will initially have 20employees.

Dagbladet Borsen, 1 Feb 2005, 110 (22), 5 (in Danish)

Pertamina’s Cilacap Refinerysuccessfully reloads Tatoray Unit withUOP’s catalyst

Pertamina’s Cilacap Refinery,Indonesia, successfully reloaded itsTatoray unit with TA-20 catalystfollowing a refinery turnaround in Aug2004. The Cilacap Refinery selectedthe TA-20 catalyst as part of itsongoing goal to maximize benefitsfrom existing facilities and remain themajor supplier of p-xylene andbenzene to the Indonesian market.The TA-20 catalyst has met allperformance expectations and hasenabled the Cilacap Refinery toincrease p-xylene production by 20%.Pertamina is Indonesia’s national oiland gas company. Pertaminaoperates seven oil refineries,including the Cilicap Refinery, with atotal processing capacity of 1.050 Mbbl/day.

Press release from: UOP LLC, 25 East AlgonquinRoad, Des Plaines, IL 60017-5017, USA. Tel: +1 847391 2000. Website: http://www.uop.com (20 Jan2005)

Pfizer signs deal with Solvias

Pfizer has agreed a deal with Solviaswhich will allow it access to Solvias’chiral ligand and asymmetric catalysistechnology for pharmaceutical

development. Financial details havenot been disclosed.

Chemical Week, 19 Jan 2005, 167 (2) & ChimiePharma Hebdo, 24 Jan 2005, (284), 4 (in French)

Rohm and Haas acrylic acid: propaneproposal paves cheaper, greener way

Technology for the production ofacrylic acid using propane rather thanpropylene is to be developed byRohm and Haas and Engelhard withthe support of a US Department ofEnergy grant of $5.2 M from itsIndustrial Technologies Program.Unique catalysts will be screened anddeveloped over the next five years,with computational modelling beingprovided by the University of Delaware.As well as reducing pollution, the useof propane would significantly reducecosts as propylene prices are rising onthe back of higher prices for crude oilprocesses.

European Chemical News, 10 Jan 2005, 82 (2129), 33& Chemical and Engineering News, 3 Jan 2005, 83(1), 11 (Website: http://www.cen-online.org) &Chemical Week, 5/12 Jan 2005, 167 (1) & EuropeanPaint and Resin News, Dec 2004, 42 (12), 11

Sinopec Catalyst Co established inBeijing

On 29 Dec 2004, Sinopec Catalyst Cowas established to meet marketcompetition in the catalyst sector andto improve production competitiveness.This follows the restructuring of thecatalyst sector already underwaythrough the formation of Lubricant Co,Acrylic Fibre Co, and Asphalt Co. Sofar the restructuring has involved 9catalyst producers listed in the stockmarket and 2 catalyst producers inSinopec Corp. There are 18 grades ofcatalysts for catalytic cracking,hydrogenation, reforming,polymerisation, ethylene cracking andbasic organic raw materials. Totalcatalysts capacity is 86,930 tonne/yand actual output in 2003 was 60,086tonnes. Sinopec Catalyst Co’sstrategy is to create unified Sinopecbrands and occupy domestic andoverseas markets. The company willestablish three production systems forcatalysts for oil refining, polyolefins,and basic chemical raw materials.Target sales revenue will be RMBYuan 3 bn with profits of RMB Yuan300 M by about 3 years.

China Chemical Reporter, 16 Jan 2005, 16 (2), 4

Symyx signs $120 M pact with Dow

On 16 Dec 2004, Symyx announcedthat it had signed a 5-year, $120 Mstrategic alliance with Dow Chemical.The deal represents anothersignificant validation on Symyx’sthroughput experimentationtechnologies and informaticssolutions, which Dow has used overthe past six years to discovernanoscale catalysts used tomanufacture its Versify plastomers.Symyx has reaffirmed 2005 revenueforecasts of $108-118 M.

Press release from: Symyx Technologies, 3100 CentralExpressway, Santa Clara, CA 95051, USA. Tel: +1 408764 2000. Fax: +1 408 748 0175. Website:http://www.symyx.com (16 Dec 2004)

Symyx, Univation extend alliance

A research agreement betweenSymyx Technologies and UnivationTechnologies has been extended fora further 3 years in a deal valued at$10 M. The companies arecollaborating over the development ofcatalysts for Univation’s polyethylenelicensing business. The deal will lastuntil 2007.

Chemical Week, 19 Jan 2005, 167 (2), 6 & EuropeanChemical News, 17 Jan 2005, 82 (2130), 6 &Chemical and Engineering News, 24 Jan 2005, 83 (4),11 (Website: http://www.cen-online.org) & ChemicalMarket Reporter, 17 Jan 2005 (Website:http://www.chemicalmarketreporter.com)

Syntroleum adds GTL patents

ExxonMobil Research andEngineering (EMRE) and Syntroleumhave signed an agreement that givesSyntroleum a global licence underExxonMobil’s gas-to-liquids (GTL)patents to manufacture and marketfuels from natural gas and coal. Theagreement covers syngas productionand Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.

European Chemical News, 17 Jan 2005, 82 (2130), 39

FCC prices on the rise at long last

W R Grace has increased N Americanprices for its fluid cracking catalysts(FCC) and FCC additives by 8% witheffect from 12 Jan 2005. It is thecompany’s first price rise for theseproduct lines in at least 20 years. Therises have been triggered by risingcosts for alumina-based products andcaustic soda. Increasing energy costshave also contributed. The price

MARCH 2005 5

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