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News•Feb 27, 2026
The Chemical Industry Promises Another Year of Cutbacks
The chemical sector entered 2026 with a renewed wave of cost‑cutting after 2025 earnings slumped across major players. BASF aims to trim $2.7 billion in costs, Dow expands its $2 billion streamlining plan, and Eastman leverages a new methanolysis plant for modest profit gains. Solvay and Celanese also announced multi‑hundred‑million savings, while DuPont rode health‑care demand to modest growth and is positioning for acquisitions. Collectively, firms are reshaping portfolios, shedding staff, and divesting assets to offset weak demand and volatile pricing.
By Chemical & Engineering News (ACS)
News•Feb 27, 2026
Can Recycled Lab Gloves Capture Carbon Dioxide?
Chemists at Aarhus University have up‑cycled discarded nitrile gloves into polyamine membranes that capture carbon dioxide. By hydrogenating the rubber with a ruthenium pincer catalyst, the team converts nitrile groups into amines, creating a non‑porous sorbent. The resulting material achieves...
By Chemical & Engineering News (ACS)
News•Feb 27, 2026
Covalent Organic Frameworks Electrify Carbon Capture
Researchers at Northwestern University have created an electrically driven carbon‑capture system using quinone‑functionalized covalent organic frameworks (COFs). The open‑flask synthesis produces gram‑scale COF powders that can be spray‑coated onto electrodes, enabling CO₂ adsorption and release via electrochemical redox cycles without...
By Chemical & Engineering News (ACS)
News•Feb 26, 2026
This Biomaterial Becomes Stronger when Wet
Researchers at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia have created a nickel‑linked chitosan material that becomes stronger when wet, achieving nearly a 50 % increase in tensile strength. By incorporating small amounts of nickel ions, the polymer forms water‑bridged networks that...
By Chemical & Engineering News (ACS)
News•Feb 26, 2026
Turning Europe’s Crisis Into an Opportunity
Bondalti Chemicals is investing $90 million in new electrolyzers, a 30 MW solar farm and a 12 MW battery system while pursuing a $411 million acquisition of Spain’s Ercros. The upgrades aim to cut greenhouse‑gas emissions, reduce electricity consumption and double chlorine capacity to...
By Chemical & Engineering News (ACS)
Deals•Feb 26, 2026
Bondalti Chemicals to Acquire Spanish Chlor‑Alkali Producer Ercros in $411M Deal
Portuguese chemical maker Bondalti Chemicals announced a $411 million bid to acquire Spanish competitor Ercros, with Spanish authorities approving the purchase. The acquisition would double Bondalti’s chlorine production capacity and create the largest chlor‑alkali player in the Iberian region, supporting its...
Chemical & Engineering News (ACS)
News•Feb 25, 2026
Japanese Chemical Firms Pivot From China to India
Japanese chemical giants such as Mitsui Chemicals and Sumitomo Chemical are scaling back their China operations and redirecting capital to India. Investment in China dropped 46% year‑over‑year in 2024, while the number of Japanese sites in India rose to 5,205,...
By Chemical & Engineering News (ACS)
News•Feb 24, 2026
New Report Confirms Business and Economic Benefits of Using Green Chemistry
The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation announced a $93.4 million, seven‑year Green Chemistry Initiative, the first chemistry‑focused effort in its 25‑year history. A new report, Green Chemistry in America 2026, surveyed 300 R&D leaders and 3,000 consumers, revealing strong industry support for...
By Chemical & Engineering News (ACS)
News•Feb 20, 2026
EPA Moves to Rescind Much of a 2024 Chemical Safety Rule
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a proposal to roll back most of the 2024 amendments to its Risk Management Program (RMP) rule, which governs safety at roughly 11,000 chemical manufacturing, storage, and warehousing facilities. The 2024 rule introduced...
By Chemical & Engineering News (ACS)
News•Feb 20, 2026
ACS Nigeria 11th Annual Symposium Focuses on Emerging Technologies and Chemistry for Sustainable Development
The American Chemical Society Nigeria Chapter hosted its 11th Annual Symposium from Feb. 8‑11 at the University of Ibadan, spotlighting “Emerging Technologies in Chemistry for Sustainable Development.” The event featured international academics and industry leaders, including speakers from Cambridge and Bristol...
By Chemical & Engineering News (ACS)
News•Feb 20, 2026
Feb. 20 Policy Watch: Trump Orders More Glyphosate and Phosphorus Production
President Donald Trump invoked the Defense Production Act on Feb. 18 to prioritize domestic production of glyphosate‑based herbicides and elemental phosphorus, granting liability protection to Bayer, the sole U.S. phosphorus supplier, amid thousands of cancer lawsuits and an upcoming Supreme Court...
By Chemical & Engineering News (ACS)
News•Feb 19, 2026
Europe Promises Protection for Chemical Makers
European leaders announced a package of measures to rescue the ailing EU chemical sector at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp. The European Commission introduced antidumping duties on imported ABS (5.2%‑21.7%) and BDO (up to 142.5%), targeting South Korean, Taiwanese,...
By Chemical & Engineering News (ACS)