The Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB) a leading economic indicator created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.), fell 5.4 percent in May on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis following a 5.4 percent decline in April. On a year-over-year…
Mondi (Vienna, Austria) is set to build new production lines in its plant in Gronau, Germany, to produce melt blown nonwoven fabric and surgical face masks. This is part of Mondi's efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and respond…
PolyOne Corp. (Cleveland, Ohio) launched a new functional additive for protective face masks as part of its Fiber Solutions portfolio. MagIQ Non-Woven Electret Plus improves the dielectric properties in face masks, extending filtration efficiency and the length of time masks…
Clariant AG (Muttenz, Switzerland) has initiated the production of sanitizer solutions from its facilities in India to help curb the spread of COVID-19. Clariant’s sites across Roha, Maharashtra; Bonthapally, Telangana; Rania, Vadodara and Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu committed to supply the…
Sumitomo Chemical Co. (Tokyo, Japan) has decided to provide about 70% of the funds necessary for NanoScent, a startup company in Israel, to develop a rapid diagnostic sensor for COVID-19, using their scent recognition devices. NanoScent is developing various new…
According to the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.), the U.S. Chemical Production Regional Index (U.S. CPRI) tumbled 3.1 percent in April following a 1.0 percent decline in March and a 0.4 percent decline in February. During April, chemical output…
The American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.) reported that U.S. specialty chemicals market volumes fell 11.3 percent in April, accelerating from a 4.0 percent decline in March and a 0.5 percent decline in February. Of the 28 specialty chemicals segments…
Currently available face masks are often uncomfortable to wear. And, most are also disposable, which generates waste. Ennmotive has launched an international challenge to find new, more-efficient and reusable face masks that comply with the specifications of the N95, FFP2,…
Specialty chemical company Sika AG (Baar, Switzerland; www.sika.com) has commenced production of respiratory masks in France. In addition to hand sanitizer, which is being manufactured at over 15 Sika national subsidiaries since March 2020, safety masks are now being produced…
For healthcare professionals battling the COVID-19 pandemic, isolation gowns are among the most used and needed personal protective equipment (PPE). In response to this critical need, Dow (Midland, Mich.) collaborated with nine key partners across a myriad of industries to…