UniCat Cluster of Excellence and BASF to establish joint lab

(BASF) -- On December 8, 2011, the Cluster of Excellence ⌠Unifying Concepts in Catalysis (UniCat) and the chemical company BASF SE signed a cooperation agreement establishing a new joint lab dedicated to the development of new catalytic processes for raw material change. The move promotes the search for alternatives to petroleum, in particular the use of natural gas. The long term goal is to ensure the continued future availability of raw materials for the production of chemicals.

BASF SE and Technische Universitat Berlin are putting substantial resources into setting up the UniCat-BASF Joint Lab. BASF plans to invest up to EUR6.4 million during the first five years. The total volume amounts to about EUR13 million. Twelve postdocs and postgrads will do research in the 900 square meter lab. Installation of equipment for catalyst synthesis, characterization and testing starts in January 2012.

Unifying Concepts in Catalysis (UniCat) is the Cluster of Excellence within the framework of the German Initiative for Excellence researching the economically important field of catalysis. More than 250 chemists, physicists, biologists and engineers from four universities and two Max Planck research institutes from Berlin and Potsdam are involved in this interdisciplinary research network. The Cluster is hosted by the Technische Universitat Berlin. The subject areas covered range from the chemical conversion of natural and biogas, the activation of carbon dioxide and the creation of hydrogen from light and water, to the synthesis of active ingredients using enzymes.

MRC

(Lanxess) -- The placement of floor screed has begun at the new corporate headquarters of specialty chemicals company LANXESS in Cologne, Germany. Raised access flooring is to be installed over the next five months on some 38,000 square meters of office space, including a load-bearing layer made of self leveling calciumsulfate screed. The self leveling screed is supplied by Dusseldorf-based CEMEX Deutschland AG on behalf of system flooring manufacturer Sybotec GmbH, Frammersbach, Germany, which is performing the work.

One unique feature: The screed is based on the LANXESS calcium sulfate binder CAB 30 Compound. As the future tenants, we are really pleased that our own products form the best basis for flooring, says engineer Michael Witte, Anhydrite Marketing Director in LANXESS' Advanced Industrial Intermediates business unit.

The raised access flooring, also referred to as raised flooring, enables occupants later on to design office space flexibly: Wherever a desk area is to be located, an opening is provided in the load-bearing layer. After completion of the floor, telecommunications equipment and electrical connections lie hidden in the hollow space between the load-bearing layer and the concrete floor.

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Spot prices started to rally in late November after slumping 40% from early August, ICIS data showed. ⌠The main driver for the SBR price rebound is increasing feedstock BD costs, rather than demand. We are not optimistic about the first quarter of 2012 as there are concerns over a global slowdown next year, said a major tyre maker based in China.

BD prices rose toUSD2,100-2,150/tonne CFR NE Asia in the week ended 2 December, up by 35% from early November, according to ICIS.

BD is a major raw material in the production of SBR, making up more than 70% of the rubber's composition and cost. SBR is used in the production of tyres for the automotive industry. But auto sales in Asia have been slowing down, which will translate to weaker demand for tyres. Auto sales growth in China slowed to 3.2% in the first 10 months of 2011 against the 32% growth recorded in 2010, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

Most major tyre makers in China, southeast (SE)Asia and India are operating at reduced rates of around 80%, industry sources said.

MRC

(platts) -- OPEC Secretary General Abdalla el-Badri said Wednesday he hoped that the European Union would not agree an oil import embargo on Iran over its controversial nuclear program.

Badri said a threat against any member of the oil producer club could affect oil supply to world markets and that an EU ban on oil imports from OPEC member Iran would remove a large volume of crude that would be difficult to replace.

"We are against threatening any OPEC country because that will effect production and supplies and the market. We want to solve those problems in peaceful ways without any threatening," Badri told reporters on the sidelines of the World Petroleum Congress in Qatar.

"I really hope that there will be no embargo from the EU," Badri said.

"But it is really very difficult to replace this 865,000 b/d that's coming to Europe, and Europe is now facing some difficulties...to cut 865,000 b/d immediately I think would be a problem," he said.

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(Reuters)-- Chongqing Changan Automobile, China's No.4 car maker was one of the obscure winners of Beijing's decision to release a flood of cash into its economy during the darkest moment of the global financial crisis.

After car sales growth of 46 percent in 2009 and 32 percent in 2010, the maker of the squat Ben Ben mini car and Changan Star van saw a modest 3 percent rise in the first 10 months of 2011. It also watched its share price plunge.

"China's leaders understand that safeguarding growth is very important, but in 2008 the government had more policy tools they could use," said Liang Youcai, a senior economist at the State Information Centre, a top government think-tank in Beijing.

"They won't unveil a large-scale economic stimulus anywhere close to the 4 trillion yuan program."
Beijing has reasons to steer clear of big stimulus, including the need to avoid firing up inflation, which remains relatively high.
A local government debt crisis is an awkward side effect of the government incentives in 2008, making stimulus a loaded word.

And a looming 2012 political transition that will see top leaders step down, leaves policymakers aiming for stability, not a big fiscal injection of cash into the economy.
Furthermore, China may have the fiscal leeway to do enough for the economy anyway, with the "fine tuning" that Premier Wen Jiabao has said will keep its economic engine running smoothly, analysts say.

China's latest five-year plan set a conservative GDP growth target of 7 percent, widely regarded as giving the government political leeway to rebalance the economy without having to simultaneously maintain breakneck economic expansion.

So whether by design or by default, major stimulus seems decidedly unlikely this time around.
Of course that may not do much good for China's automakers, with the industry facing an uphill struggle next year.
"I am not optimistic about Q4, and Q1 next year could be similar," Changan's president, Zhang Baolin. "China's car market next year is likely to remain in a slow growing trend overall."

MRC