Recent developments
Portfolio reshaping
Private equity and portfolio reshaping accelerated. Lone Star moved to acquire DOMO's Engineered Materials business, including TECHNYL. LyondellBasell completed the sale of select European olefins and polyolefins assets to AEQUITA. INEOS agreed to sell INEOS Calabrian to Ecovyst. Elkem finalized the sale of the majority of its Silicones division. FUCHS completed the full acquisition of the OPET FUCHS joint venture.
Packaging and coatings
Packaging and coatings innovations targeted recyclability and efficiency. Stahl unveiled the Repura barrier coatings portfolio for paper packaging. UPM and BASF advanced recyclable fiber-based structures via Joncryl HPB barrier resins. AkzoNobel introduced the Iris CMX contact-sensor drone for faster aircraft coating inspections. Evonik expanded fast‑cure epoxy options with Ancamine 2868 and 2844. LANXESS and Fuelcare broaden EU fuel‑biocide access.
Advanced materials
Advanced materials capacity and standards progressed. BASF’s engineering plastics earned EN 45545 railway compliance. Evonik opened a PEEK magnet‑wire lab in China. BASF commissioned menthol and linalool plants and a citral unit. Nextchem’s NX CONSER C5+ TMA technology won a China license. Clariant launched the CATOFIN 1000 PDH catalyst.
Sustainability and market
BASF Coatings switched European production to renewable electricity. Analysis of BASF’s integrated Verbund model underscored efficiency and energy‑price exposure. Air Liquide reported record investments. BASF cited resilient performance. PPG posted net sales of $3.93B. Umicore reported a strong first quarter. Symrise was slightly lower organically. FUCHS delivered record EBIT margin. Trinseo reported $725M net sales and a net loss.