Epoxy

July 11, 2022

BASF to Expand Specialty Amines

BASF expands capacity for key specialty amines in North America

  • Focus on polyetheramines and tertiary amines
  • Increase of production capacities at Geismar site on-stream in mid-2023
  • BASF aims to reliably support customers in North America

FLORHAM PARK, NJ, June 28, 2022 – BASF will increase the production capacity for key specialty amines manufactured at its Geismar, Louisiana site. After the completed production capacity expansion of a flexible world-scale production asset by mid-2023, BASF will be able to produce more of its key polyetheramines and tertiary amines marketed under the Baxxodur® and LupragenTM brands. These assets in North America will complement a global network of specialty amines production plants including those at Verbund sites in Ludwigshafen, Germany, and in Nanjing, China.

“This investment underlines our commitment to continuously support the growth of our customers with high-quality specialty amines,” said Kevin Anderson, Vice President, Business Management Amines, Acetylenics and Carbonyl Derivatives, Chemical Intermediates, North America for BASF. “The additional capacity in Geismar will allow us to respond quickly and reliably to increasing market demand.”

BASF’s Baxxodur portfolio is utilized by customers as highly efficient curing agents and chain extenders in epoxy and polyurea applications for the wind, electrical, composites, adhesives and flooring industries. The usage of Baxxodur products allows customers to achieve a wide range of benefits in their formulation, including curing time, hardness, flexibility, peel strength, chemical and temperature resistance.

BASF’s Lupragen products are highly efficient amine catalysts for Polyurethanes (PU). Those catalysts are typically tertiary amines, which are required to facilitate the reaction of the main components – isocyanate and polyol. Depending on the choice of catalyst, the polyurethane forming process can be controlled to enhance the gelling or blowing reaction. BASF’s Lupragen portfolio includes several low-VOC catalysts which offer support to address the increasing target of sustainable emission reductions.

With about 300 different amines, BASF has one of the world’s most diverse portfolio of chemical intermediates. Along with alkyl-, alkanol- and alkoxyalkylamines, BASF offers heterocyclic and aromatic as well as specialty amines. The range is completed by an expanding portfolio of chiral amines of high optical and chemical purity. The versatile products prove themselves mainly to manufacture process chemicals, pharmaceuticals and crop protection products, as well as cosmetic products and detergents. They also serve to produce coatings, special plastics, composites and special fibers.

Baxxodur® andLupragenTM are trademarks of BASF SE.

https://www.basf.com/us/en/media/news-releases/2022/06/basf-expands-capacity-for-key-specialty-amines-in-north-america.html

July 11, 2022

BASF to Expand Specialty Amines

BASF expands capacity for key specialty amines in North America

  • Focus on polyetheramines and tertiary amines
  • Increase of production capacities at Geismar site on-stream in mid-2023
  • BASF aims to reliably support customers in North America

FLORHAM PARK, NJ, June 28, 2022 – BASF will increase the production capacity for key specialty amines manufactured at its Geismar, Louisiana site. After the completed production capacity expansion of a flexible world-scale production asset by mid-2023, BASF will be able to produce more of its key polyetheramines and tertiary amines marketed under the Baxxodur® and LupragenTM brands. These assets in North America will complement a global network of specialty amines production plants including those at Verbund sites in Ludwigshafen, Germany, and in Nanjing, China.

“This investment underlines our commitment to continuously support the growth of our customers with high-quality specialty amines,” said Kevin Anderson, Vice President, Business Management Amines, Acetylenics and Carbonyl Derivatives, Chemical Intermediates, North America for BASF. “The additional capacity in Geismar will allow us to respond quickly and reliably to increasing market demand.”

BASF’s Baxxodur portfolio is utilized by customers as highly efficient curing agents and chain extenders in epoxy and polyurea applications for the wind, electrical, composites, adhesives and flooring industries. The usage of Baxxodur products allows customers to achieve a wide range of benefits in their formulation, including curing time, hardness, flexibility, peel strength, chemical and temperature resistance.

BASF’s Lupragen products are highly efficient amine catalysts for Polyurethanes (PU). Those catalysts are typically tertiary amines, which are required to facilitate the reaction of the main components – isocyanate and polyol. Depending on the choice of catalyst, the polyurethane forming process can be controlled to enhance the gelling or blowing reaction. BASF’s Lupragen portfolio includes several low-VOC catalysts which offer support to address the increasing target of sustainable emission reductions.

With about 300 different amines, BASF has one of the world’s most diverse portfolio of chemical intermediates. Along with alkyl-, alkanol- and alkoxyalkylamines, BASF offers heterocyclic and aromatic as well as specialty amines. The range is completed by an expanding portfolio of chiral amines of high optical and chemical purity. The versatile products prove themselves mainly to manufacture process chemicals, pharmaceuticals and crop protection products, as well as cosmetic products and detergents. They also serve to produce coatings, special plastics, composites and special fibers.

Baxxodur® andLupragenTM are trademarks of BASF SE.

https://www.basf.com/us/en/media/news-releases/2022/06/basf-expands-capacity-for-key-specialty-amines-in-north-america.html

June 30, 2022

Another Attempt to eChange the Chemical Biz

ChemDirect Closes Series A Funding Round Led by Schneider

Specialty chemical marketplace will use funds to expand team and scale platform June 30, 2022 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

GREEN BAY, Wis.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ChemDirect, the leading B2B online marketplace for specialty chemicals shipped directly from vetted suppliers, today announced the closing of a Series A funding round led by Schneider (NYSE: SNDR). The financing will enable ChemDirect to grow its chemical marketplace, build out new logistics and payment technologies, and scale its go-to-market efforts.

“Today’s supply chain chaos has created a unique opportunity for ChemDirect to disrupt traditional processes, increasing efficiencies like never before and creating a better overall experience for chemical buyers and sellers.”Tweet this

Launched in 2020, ChemDirect was created to deliver significant time and cost savings for chemical buyers and sellers. With integrated logistics planning, credit terms and real-time inventory, ChemDirect makes chemical buying drastically easier than existing channels.

The Series A round follows the recent launch of ChemDirect’s new payment platform, ChemPay, which offers negotiation-free payment terms, real-time logistics and flexible payment methods to simplify the buying process — so suppliers receive payments in days instead of many weeks.

“The chemical industry is a $6 trillion market that largely operates in a pre-digital fashion,” said Tyler Ellison, ChemDirect’s founder and CEO. “Today’s supply chain chaos has created a unique opportunity for ChemDirect to disrupt traditional processes, increasing efficiencies like never before and creating a better overall experience for chemical buyers and sellers.”

By bringing the chemical buying process online, ChemDirect helps buyers save money and avoid long, complex sales cycles and delivery times typically experienced with conventional sourcing. Purchases on ChemDirect have an average fulfillment time of three and a half days and up to 80% in cost savings over other purchasing channels.

“We are encouraged by the efficiency ChemDirect brings chemical shippers and the industry,” said Shaleen Devgun, Schneider Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation and Technology Officer. “With over 500,000 products readily available online and real-time credit terms, ChemDirect is the competitive differentiator today’s chemical buyers need to navigate supply chain challenges successfully.”

To learn how to become a ChemDirect supplier, contact ChemDirect at +1 310-928-1129 or support@chemdirect.com. To learn more about ChemDirect or to request a demo, visit chemdirect.com.

About ChemDirect

ChemDirect is a B2B online marketplace for specialty chemicals designed to deliver significant time and cost savings for chemical buyers and sellers. With integrated logistics planning, credit terms, and real-time inventory shipped directly from vetted suppliers, ChemDirect makes buying chemicals drastically easier than existing channels.

The ChemDirect platform provides an easy-to-use marketplace that creates connections between customers and suppliers across a wide variety of industries, including agriculture, automobile, beauty and personal care, building and construction, cleaning and sanitation, consumer products, electronics, food and nutrition, healthcare, manufacturing, paints and coatings, and printing and packaging.

ChemDirect is backed by leading investors, such as TitletownTech, a venture partnership between Microsoft and the Green Bay Packers. For more information on ChemDirect, visit chemdirect.com, connect with us on LinkedIn and follow us on Twitter.

About Schneider

Schneider is a premier multimodal provider of transportation, intermodal and logistics services. Offering one of the broadest portfolios in the industry, Schneider’s solutions include Regional and Long-Haul, Truckload, Expedited, Dedicated Bulk, Intermodal, Brokerage, Warehousing, Supply Chain Management, Port Logistics, and Logistics Consulting.

With $5.6 billion in annual revenue, Schneider has been safely delivering superior customer experiences and investing in innovation for over 85 years. The company’s digital marketplace, Schneider FreightPower®, is revolutionizing the industry, giving shippers access to an expanded, highly flexible capacity network and provides carriers with unmatched access to quality drop-and-hook freight – Always Delivering, Always Ahead.

For more information about Schneider, visit or follow the company socially on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter: @WeAreSchneider.

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220630005639/en/ChemDirect-Closes-Series-A-Funding-Round-Led-by-Schneider

June 30, 2022

Another Attempt to eChange the Chemical Biz

ChemDirect Closes Series A Funding Round Led by Schneider

Specialty chemical marketplace will use funds to expand team and scale platform June 30, 2022 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

GREEN BAY, Wis.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ChemDirect, the leading B2B online marketplace for specialty chemicals shipped directly from vetted suppliers, today announced the closing of a Series A funding round led by Schneider (NYSE: SNDR). The financing will enable ChemDirect to grow its chemical marketplace, build out new logistics and payment technologies, and scale its go-to-market efforts.

“Today’s supply chain chaos has created a unique opportunity for ChemDirect to disrupt traditional processes, increasing efficiencies like never before and creating a better overall experience for chemical buyers and sellers.”Tweet this

Launched in 2020, ChemDirect was created to deliver significant time and cost savings for chemical buyers and sellers. With integrated logistics planning, credit terms and real-time inventory, ChemDirect makes chemical buying drastically easier than existing channels.

The Series A round follows the recent launch of ChemDirect’s new payment platform, ChemPay, which offers negotiation-free payment terms, real-time logistics and flexible payment methods to simplify the buying process — so suppliers receive payments in days instead of many weeks.

“The chemical industry is a $6 trillion market that largely operates in a pre-digital fashion,” said Tyler Ellison, ChemDirect’s founder and CEO. “Today’s supply chain chaos has created a unique opportunity for ChemDirect to disrupt traditional processes, increasing efficiencies like never before and creating a better overall experience for chemical buyers and sellers.”

By bringing the chemical buying process online, ChemDirect helps buyers save money and avoid long, complex sales cycles and delivery times typically experienced with conventional sourcing. Purchases on ChemDirect have an average fulfillment time of three and a half days and up to 80% in cost savings over other purchasing channels.

“We are encouraged by the efficiency ChemDirect brings chemical shippers and the industry,” said Shaleen Devgun, Schneider Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation and Technology Officer. “With over 500,000 products readily available online and real-time credit terms, ChemDirect is the competitive differentiator today’s chemical buyers need to navigate supply chain challenges successfully.”

To learn how to become a ChemDirect supplier, contact ChemDirect at +1 310-928-1129 or support@chemdirect.com. To learn more about ChemDirect or to request a demo, visit chemdirect.com.

About ChemDirect

ChemDirect is a B2B online marketplace for specialty chemicals designed to deliver significant time and cost savings for chemical buyers and sellers. With integrated logistics planning, credit terms, and real-time inventory shipped directly from vetted suppliers, ChemDirect makes buying chemicals drastically easier than existing channels.

The ChemDirect platform provides an easy-to-use marketplace that creates connections between customers and suppliers across a wide variety of industries, including agriculture, automobile, beauty and personal care, building and construction, cleaning and sanitation, consumer products, electronics, food and nutrition, healthcare, manufacturing, paints and coatings, and printing and packaging.

ChemDirect is backed by leading investors, such as TitletownTech, a venture partnership between Microsoft and the Green Bay Packers. For more information on ChemDirect, visit chemdirect.com, connect with us on LinkedIn and follow us on Twitter.

About Schneider

Schneider is a premier multimodal provider of transportation, intermodal and logistics services. Offering one of the broadest portfolios in the industry, Schneider’s solutions include Regional and Long-Haul, Truckload, Expedited, Dedicated Bulk, Intermodal, Brokerage, Warehousing, Supply Chain Management, Port Logistics, and Logistics Consulting.

With $5.6 billion in annual revenue, Schneider has been safely delivering superior customer experiences and investing in innovation for over 85 years. The company’s digital marketplace, Schneider FreightPower®, is revolutionizing the industry, giving shippers access to an expanded, highly flexible capacity network and provides carriers with unmatched access to quality drop-and-hook freight – Always Delivering, Always Ahead.

For more information about Schneider, visit or follow the company socially on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter: @WeAreSchneider.

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220630005639/en/ChemDirect-Closes-Series-A-Funding-Round-Led-by-Schneider

June 27, 2022

Durable Goods Jump

US Durable Goods Orders Unexpectedly Jumped In May

by Tyler DurdenMonday, Jun 27, 2022 – 08:35 AM

With PMIs sinking rapidly and macro surprise indices crashing, analysts remained optimistic of a continued rise (albeit a small 0.1% MoM) in US durable goods orders in preliminary May data. It turns out they were ‘under’-optimistic as durable goods orders surged 0.7% MoM (with a small downward revision from +0.5% to +0.4% MoM in April).

Source: Bloomberg

That is the 3rd straight monthly increase in orders and pushes them up 12.0% YoY.

Ex Transports, orders rose 0.7% MoM – beating expectations of +0.3%.

The value of core capital goods orders, a proxy for investment in equipment that excludes aircraft and military hardware, rose 0.5% after a 0.3% gain a month earlier.

Finally, Shipments soared by 0.8% MoM – 4 times the 0.2% MoM expected.

None of this data helps the current ‘growth scare dominates inflation fears’ narrative… as ‘good news’ is now ‘bad news’.

https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/us-durable-goods-orders-unexpectedly-jumped-may