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The main theme for 2010 for the chemical industry was recovery especially since it followed the Great Recession. The recovery was led by China while the recovery in the U.S. has been more fragile. The highlights of the year for chemical companies around the world are discussed.

Polymer manufacturers have been offering millions of tons of resins based on metallocene catalysts, posting growth rates that have been more robust compared with that of traditional plastics. Metallocenes are metal complexes that can accurately bond together olefin monomers. Breakthroughs that have overcome the technical impediments of metallocene-based resins are discussed.

A survey of the global top 50 chemical companies reveals that 2009 revenue at these companies fell 21% from the previous year while profits decline by only 6.2% for the 46 companies that disclosed this information. A ranking of these companies based on sales is presented.

The 50 U.S. chemical firms that posted the highest revenues for 2009 are ranked. Overall, these companies have had $247.5 billion in sales, a 21 percent decrease compared with a previous year period. Chemical firms that posted the highest non-pharmaceutical sales, and market capitalizations are also presented.

The North American petrochemical industry is anticipating the emergence of new capacity from the Asian market, which is expected to create competition. The opening of new Asian plants in the next two years could lead North American companies to have capacity more than what the market demands. Other oversupply concerns are discussed.

The chemical industry is expected to see improvements in free cash flow and credit quality in 2010, but related construction is expected to continue to struggle. Chemical industry forecasts on the inorganics, fine chemicals and specialty chemicals market, crop protection, pharmaceuticals, and laboratory instrumentation are discussed.

Reports show that chemical companies and their clients invested heavily in alternative energy in 2009 despite the bleak economy. Most chemical makers also anticipated government action that would put limits on carbon emissions. Many firms took steps to reduce their carbon footprints even though they were uncertain of the form such action will take.

Chemical makers are trying to make additives that can make tires more fuel efficient, saf er, and longer lasting. Silica is one material that lowers a tire's rolling resistance while tire maker Lanxess wants to incorporate Nanoprene which improves the abrasion resistance, grip, and rolling resistance of tires.

The ranking of the world's top 50 chemical companies based on the full-year 2008 sales shows that the sales figure rose 9.6 percent to $892 billion for this group. The data shows a relatively strong first three quarters followed by one of the worst quarters that the industry has ever experienced.

The results of the survey of U.S. chemical companies reveal the top 50 companies in terms of sales. The top spot is retained by Dow Chemical for 2008 with sales of $57.5 million. Data on the sales of the top 50 companies is presented through a table.

The next few years from 2009 could be the worst for North American petrochemical companies. The financial crisis has produced a drop in demand and prices. The facilities being built in the Middle East and Asia is also expected to flood the market with products which will depress prices and pinch profits.

Trends show that demand in the chemical industry declined in 2008 due to the global economic crisis. Most chemical companies cut capacity and employment in contracting markets, and introduced 'green' products and processes to satisfy demand for environmentally benign chemicals. Information about the rising energy costs is also presented.

The impact on the environment due to use of plastics prompts industries to examine the option of biobased plastics. Biobased plastics or biopolymers are manufactured from raw materials like corn, which are biodegradable after disposal.

The market and business growth benefits that Basell Polyolefins will gain following the acquisition of Lyondell are discussed.

Chemical industry officials are examining options of using coal as a feedstock amid rising oil prices. Many useful chemicals and synthetic fuels can be isolated from coal.

Chemical companies in the U.S. have showed improved performance in the fourth quarter of 2007 despite the economic recession and other relevant factors.

No major changes are forecasted for the growth of the chemical industry in the U.S. in 2008.

Thermochemical conversion is useful in making cellulosic ethanols and wide variety of biofuels.

The recycling out-reach program launched by the not-for-profit Council for Environment, New York City to help New Yorkers to participate in recycling products is reviewed.

The market demand is growing for paints and resins that are easy to use and are able to keep bridges and other infrastructure safe.

The survey of the profits of 44 companies carried out by C and EN in 2007 show a limited improvement in the sales and profit compared to that in the previous years. The article presents a detailed survey report of top 50 companies with an account of the increase rate in their sales.

The chemical industry saw solid profits in 2006 with calm weather and fairly stable energy prices. Sales and earnings grew in 2006 as the companies continued to emphasize building large projects in the emerging markets, and employment prospects improved in the industry, achieving new standards in safety and security and environmental regulations.

High-performance plastics are increasingly used by automakers for making cars as an estimate reveals that every 10% reduction in vehicle weight yields about a 5% increase in fuel economy. Plastic reduce costs when automakers replace traditional materials like steel and also allow greater flexibility for car makers to differentiate themselves through design.

The C&EN's 2006 survey of the top US chemical producers disclose that US chemical industry is flourishing with strong growth and profitability with total sales estimated $281.5 billion, a 10.9% increase over last year's sales. It is reported that Dow Chemical is the top among the surveyed 50 top US chemical companies with a growth of 15.3% and revenues of $46.3 billion.

Jon M. Huntsman, founder and chairman of Huntsman Corp. describes his formative years in the chemical business with reference to its merging with Dow Chemical, its acquisitions and his opportunity to diversify the business. Huntsman in 2006 would be awarded the Chemical Industry Medal of the Society of the Chemical Industry's American Section which recognizes Huntsman's more than 35 years as a corporate leader and an advocate for the chemical industry.

Printable electronics are much cheaper and more physically flexible than conventional electronics, using semiconductors based on organic inks printed on flexible plastic substrates similar to how labels and newspapers are made. Plastic Logic, a company launched in 2000, is working on technologies for commercial applications and while some applications incorporating printable circuitry in toys are already commercial, more sophisticated displays and radio frequency identification (RFID) tags could be launched by 2008.

The US chemical industries' recovery continued in 2005 despite high energy prices and disasters. The effect of hurricanes on sales and earnings of the companies, the job prospective in the US chemical sector, various mergers and acquisitions and trade issues are discussed.

The synthetic rubber business went through a bad phase as the volumes were down, raw material costs were high, and most of the rubber and tires manufacturers were into losses few years ago since 2005. Since then the recovery of the petrochemical industry lead to revival of bulk synthetic rubber business thus showing profits for the industry but the business dipped a little with sales not catching up, rising feedstock prices and impact of Hurricane Rita in 2005.

Profits for commodity polymer industry has come down in 2005 due to several reasons like low demand in North America, ever-increasing costs for both energy and raw materials and the unpredictable Hurricane Katrina. American Plastics Council believes that out of the various grades of polyethylene, only linear low-density polyethylene is posting an increase in demand through June 2005 and it is merely a 0.5% increase.

Sales and operating profits rose dramatically in 2004 for most companies as strong demand for chemical products, particularly petrochemicals, has provided chemical makers the leverage needed to raise prices. The Top 50 U.S. chemical companies had total sales of $253.9 billion in 2005 and the total marks a 23% increase over the $206.4 billion tabulated in C&EN's 2004 survey.

It is predicted that increasing R&D investment is helping to develop innovative products for fast-growing markets such as electronics and also for traditional markets. Coatings, adhesive, and detergents continue to be the areas of high R&D investment. Companies are now rationalizing their R&D spending and looking out for strategic locations like China to carry out their research activities.

North American Petrochemical producers were affected by business trough from 2001 to 2003 as they were hit by excess capacity, weak demand, high costs, and also lost international competitiveness. The industry has turned petrochemicals into a seller's market after this business trough by tightening the balances of their supply and demand.

The chemical industry showed signs of recovery in 2004, when volumes, prices, profits, and even chemical stock prices increased, private equity firms entered the industry and large companies created smaller divisions through initial public offerings. A review of industry performance in 2004 in terms of economy, employment, and company strategies is presented.

The cost of the coating has rose due to the increasing cost of steel and also due to the high cost of fuel to run the factories associated to coating and painting. The U.S. coating industry experienced a 6.8%decline in volume, to 384 million gal as of 2003 but the coating industry is showing improvement in the year 2004.

The expensive feedstocks in the United States are lamenting producers of high-volume polymers. It is reported that the strong Asian, especially China, demand has helped the world market for styrene and also has boosted the operating rates at all kinds of polymer plants.

Transformation, a predominant trend is an ongoing process as large and small companies made big moves to build platforms for growth in a sector that has lost its luster over the years. The specialty chemical companies face difficulties in financing and in integrating often-sizeable new business during the transformation process.

North American Petrochemicals executive expected recovery for their industry in 2003, but the high and volatile feedstock costs undermined the substantial recovery in the ethylene chain.

Chemical companies are increasingly interested in using heterogeneous catalysts to produce bulk chemicals. Previously, a limiting factor was that heterogeneous catalysts are solids that work best in liquid of gaseous reagents. By contrast, homogeneous catalysts that work in liquids function better for producing bulk chemicals. However, combinatorial chemistry is being used to discover uses for heterogeneous catalysts.

This article provides an overview of efforts within the polymer industry to develop new products along with new uses for existing products to prevent a loss of sales.

This article consists mainly of a statistical table of the top 50 chemical producing companies in the U.S. For the first time, this annual survey includes only U.S.-owned companies. Foreign-owned companies are now listed in a separate article. Dow, DuPont, ExxonMobil, GE, and Huntsman Corp. are the top five companies on this list.

The International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers estimated that the North American synthetic rubber industry will continue to be sluggish. While some companies are reporting losses some are reporting modest gains. For Styrene-butadiene rubber, business is so bad that some companies are closing factories. Ethylene-propylene rubber is a bright spot. Goodyear Tire and Rubber is mentioned.

Experts predict that the U.S. petrochemical industry will recover, if slowly, and it will evolve from an export-driven industry to a leaner industry concentrating on domestic sales.

At the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa this year the United Nations set a goal of providing clean drinking water to 1.6 billion peiple by 2015. This goal is projected to cost $23 billion. Currently, the world spends about $16 billion today. Chemical companies are expected to benefit from this increased spending. However, this will only come through innovation.

BASF Integrated System offers a new powder slurry coating system that is used to paint motor vehicles such as Mercedes-Benz A-Class sedans. The automotive industry is being transformed by a broad range of new products and technologies, such as DuPont?s SupraShield technology, in the paints and coatings sector.

This industry overview of the polymer industry features a number of U.S. companies to discuss the developing and marketing of polymers. Includes sidebar titled: A new polyester's big potential.

The article discusses the top 75 chemical producers in the U.S., which were all affected by a poor economy, high raw material costs, and a new top company. Dow Chemical is No. 1, with $27,805.0 million in chemical sales, followed by DuPont at No. 2 with $26,787.0, and ExxonMobil at No. 3 with $15,943.0

The U.S. petrochemical industry was confounded in 2001 by record high prices of natural gas, then a recession, and overcapacity that all combined to depress earnings in the industry. All these factors were felt throughout the world.

The engineering polymers industry is seeing intensifying competition as makers launch new materials. Some polymer firms are making great efforts to expand their markets and producing with polymers that have higher value.

The article discusses the annual ranking of the top 75 chemical producers. The top three are DuPont, Dow Chemical, and ExxonMobil, with respective sales of $28,406, $23,008, and $21,543.