Like many industries, the chemical industry is benefiting from advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and cloud computing capabilities. Both large tech companies and small startups are capitalizing on the capabilities of AI to spur development in the chemical industry. Research and development, process design, supply chain management, and predictive maintenance are the…
DetailsMethanol is a versatile chemical traditionally used to produce a wide range of other commodity chemicals like formaldehyde, acetic acid, and MTBE. Formaldehyde, acetic acid, and MTBE are the three primary chemicals that make up around 85% of methanol’s use in chemical applications. Formaldehyde is used to make urea-formaldehyde and phenol-formaldehyde resins, which are widely…
DetailsAmmonia is mainly used in fertilizer production which represents ~70% of global ammonia demand. A rising population is expected to support consistent ammonia-based fertilizer demand growth in the medium term. Traditionally, ammonia has been produced via steam methane reforming (SMR) or auto-thermal refining (ATR) of methane gas which can emit 1.9 to 2.6 tons of…
DetailsThe global chemical industry struggled in 2023. The year was marked by rising inflation rates and low demand from major markets. With China still in recovery, the growth the industry was hoping for never came to fruition. In 2024 we expect things to stay the course and see no drastic changes up or down in…
DetailsIn line with the Paris Agreement’s targets of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 45% by 2030 and reaching net zero emissions by 2050, companies across the world are looking for ways to reduce their emissions. There are some seeing this trend as an emerging market and are working to monetize other companies’ carbon emissions.…
DetailsThe C&EN has announced their Global Top 50 chemical firms for 2023, and many of them have invested into sustainability projects. These projects include initiatives to decarbonize energy and to improve current recycling capabilities.
DetailsU.S. private equity (PE) deals declined in value by 30% in 2022 from the record high of 2021 but dry powder changed marginally. Materials and resources were hard hit and deal value and transactions both fell by ~70% and ~40%, respectively. (Figure 1) Figure 1: Private equity deals and assets Plastics M&A also fell from…
DetailsAfter a few good years, outperforming broader markets in the past decade, the chemicals industry currently faces significant challenges moving forward. Feedstock cost competitiveness and new markets, two of the more significant market drivers, have a positive outlook. However, other drivers are negative, such as the current direction of interest rates, or neutral, such as…
DetailsIn 1987, the world collectively decided to ban chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) after discovering their devastating impact on the ozone layer. Despite the industry’s initial concerns about the economic implications, the ban was successful, and the ozone layer is now on the road to recovery. The ongoing debate around “forever chemicals” such as PFAS calls for a…
DetailsAfter a tumultuous recovery in 2021, the global chemical industry was expecting a strong rebound in 2022. Feedstock supply constraints, high energy prices, and slowing economic conditions, however, dampened the industry’s performance in 2022. A number of these challenges will persist and likely intensify in 2023 and continue to challenge the industry. Key trends with…
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