Weekly News Digest: March 30, 2026

Healthcare spending drives plastics demand

Iran war fuels uncertainty in resin prices

LyondellBasell moves to contain intense flare at Bayport facility

Rohm increases prices of PMMA and PMMI

Celanese increases prices on engineering grades

Sumika launches new glass fiber reinforced PP

Kuraray increases prices for PVOH, EVOH and polyamide resins

Volume resin prices mostly up, uncertainty looms

Weekly News Digest: March 23, 2026

Lanxess cutting jobs and reducing hours

Netflix’s ‘The Plastic Detox’ is a hatchet job

Arkema to boost Kynar PVDF production in China

Kraton raises prices worldwide

SABIC launches PCR based PC copolymers for automotive applications

Eastman increases polyester and copolyester prices

Envalior launches impact modified pa6 for rotational molding of tank liners

This Week in History

March 23, 1881: Hermann Stoudinger, who first characterized macromolecules as polymers was born. He would win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1953

March 26, 1956: Polypropylene was patented by J Paul Hogan at Phillips Petroleum

March 27, 1933: Polyethylene was discovered by accident at ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries) in Northwich England

Weekly News Digest: March 16, 2026

Resin Pricing Report: Commodity resin prices climb as Iran war disrupts global markets

Operations at major middle east polymer hub threatened

Plastics supply chain collateral damage in Iran war

Iran war forces numerous force-majeure declarations

LG Chemicals unveils thermal runaway delaying engineering plastic

BASF offers BPS and BPA free PPSU grades for food contact applications

This Week in History

March 22, 1949: A patent was issued on PET fiber to John Rex Whinfield and James Tennant Dickson

Weekly News Digest: March 9, 2026

Americhem launches PFAS free material for aircraft interiors

Shintech to expand Iberville Parish LA plant

Iran war will disrupt material supply chains

Why “antistatic material” is a misleading term that engineers should stop using

Former Celanese exec tapped to lead Formerra

BASF to start production of FR TPU at Shanghai plant

Polyplastics Evonik announces price increases for PEEK and PA

ALBIS, Sukhesh Group form JV in India for engineering plastics distribution

Premix opens new compounding plant in Dallas NC

This Week in History

March 14, 1876: Otto Rohm was born in Ohringen Germany. He was a chemist who was instrumental in the development of acrylic. He would later found Rohm & Haas and register the name Plexiglass

Weekly News Digest: March 2, 2026

Lubrizol unveils LED reactor technology for CPVC manufacturing

PFAS debate sparks national security concerns

Polyplastics develops new long glass fiber PP grades with PCR content

Nova Chemicals adds 2 new grades to its recycled PE portfolio

Xenia launches impact modified PA11 and PA12 grades

This Week in History

March 5, 1963: The Hula Hoop, made from Phillips Petroleum polyethylene, was patented.

Weekly News Digest: February 23, 2026

Celanese expands Michigan technology center

Plastics sector eyes stability amid demand, growth

PEI/PBPDA alloy delivers high temperature performance in capacitors

Huntsman earnings drop amid polyurethane challenges

Toray launches PFAS free flexible PPS

Lubrizol launches TPU for implantable medical devices

March 2026: Prices up for PE, PP, PS, PVC; PET flat

Formerra announces medical material agreements with Evonik & Geon

This Week in History

February 25, 1928: Shi Wen Long, the founder of Chi Mei Corporation which is the world’s largest ABS manufacturer was born in Tainan Taiwan

February 27, 1856: German chemist Alfred Einhorn was born. He is thought to have created polycarbonate in a laboratory in 1898. He also invented Novocain

February 28, 1935: Wallace Carothers at DuPont invents nylon 66

Weekly News Digest: February 16, 2026

REACH quietly redrawing the rules for North America

DOMO Engineered Materials opens new application development center in China

Envalior harmonizes branding and nomenclature of engineering plastics portfolio

Avient launches impact modified recycled nylon series

DOMO Polymer Solutions Spain files for insolvency

Understanding and troubleshooting underwater pelletizing of PE

This Week in History

February 16, 1901: John Rex Whinfield, who patented PET fiber in 1949 was born.

February 17, 2022: DuPont announces that it will sell the majority of its materials business including Zytel brand nylon to Celanese.

Febrary 20, 1987: US regulators approve acquisition of Celanese Corporation of America by West German company Hoechst AG.