are competitive and has joined upwith Genencor to develop a bio-basedroute.

Chemical Week, 9 Apr 2003, 165 (13), 16

Diversa signs biocatalysis deal withDuPont

A 6-year alliance has been agreedbetween Diversa and DuPontcovering the development ofbiocatalysts for the production of fuelethanol, 1,3-propanediol and otherchemicals from renewable resources.Research funding, milestonepayments, and royalties on any newproducts are to be received byDiversa from DuPont. A consortiumthat includes both DuPont andDiversa has received $19 M inmatching funds from the Departmentof Energy to develop a refinery formaking chemicals from biomass.

Chemical Week, 7 May 2003, 165 (17), 7

Dow and Symyx develop new LDPEcatalyst

Dow Chemical Co and SymyxTechnologies Inc have come up with anew class of single-site catalysts forolefins polymerization by applyingfully-integrated high-throughputscreening methodology. The newamide-ether based hafnium catalystspeeds up the discovery andcommercialization of next generationcatalysts for olefins polymerization.Symyx has also agreed a multiyearstrategic R&D deal with UnivationTechnologies LLC to discover newand better polymer catalysts forUnivation’s PE licensing business.

Chemical Market Reporter, 7 Apr 2003 (Website:http://www.chemicalmarketreporter.com) & Chemistryand Industry (London), 7 Apr 2003, (7), 6 & Chemicaland Engineering News, 7 Apr 2003, 81 (14), 10

Dowpharma offers chiralhydroformylation catalysts

Dowpharma has used technologyderived from Union Carbide in 2001 toproduce rhodium-based catalysts forchiral hydroformylation. The processis useful for making chiral aldehydesused as intermediates in drugmanufacture.

Dow pharma has also extended itslicensing agreement with theJapanese Science and Technology

Corporation for high pressurehydrogenation and transferhydrogenation catalysts for makingchiral drug intermediates.

Chemical Week, 30 Apr 2003, 165 (16), 22

Eastman: seeking steady growth

Eastman Chemical is to develop itscustom chemical business, includingpharmaceutical intermediates. Thecompany is committed to custom finechemicals for the long-term. Thecustom unit supplies markets rangingfrom drug intermediates andagrochemicals to imaging chemicalsand other custom materials. Equalemphasis is being placed on all finechemicals segments. There is cGMPpilot and commercial production atLlangefni, UK, and commercial cGMPproduction at Batesville, AR. Thecompany has developed a range ofchiral ligands to boost its portfolio forasymmetric catalysis. The latestproducts are its BoPhoz ligands,which give access to the nextgeneration of catalysts withenantioselectivity for amino acidderivatives by asymmetrichydrogenation. Eastman has alsodeveloped new compounds based onepoxybutene. This can be used tomake dozens of chiral and achiralproducts for the drug sector.

Chemical Week, 9 Apr 2003, 165 (13), 41

Engelhard’s new FCC catalyst boostsgasoline yields

Engelhard Corp has reported thecommercialization of its new catalystFlex-Tec intended for fluid catalyticcracking. This product is claimed toboost gasoline output from residfeedstocks while cutting theproduction of unwanted heavy fueloils produced by almost 2000barrels/day. This new catalystcontains 75 micrometer-dia spheroidalparticles with a base-cracking partfabricated of silica alumina. Flex-Teclikewise offers synergistic combinationof distributed matrix-structuresplatform and metals passivation.

Chemical Engineering Progress, Mar 2003, 99 (3), 15

ExxonMobil and Shaw in jv

ExxonMobil and Stone & Webster(Shaw group) have set up Badger

Licensing LLC, a 50:50 jv which willlicense petrochemical technologyincluding ethylbenzene, cumene,styrene, and their derivatives. Thefirm will also supply catalysts. Stone &Badger acquired Badger Technologiesfrom Washington Group Internationalin Apr 2003 for $17.7 M. Badger’sethylbenzene and cumene technologyis licensed to over 40 sites.ExxonMobil Chemical will alsocontribute intellectual property andcatalyst expertise to the venture.

Chemical Market Reporter, 28 Apr 2003 (Website:http://www.chemicalmarketreporter.com) & ChemicalWeek, 30 Apr 2003, 165 (16), 13

Headwaters Inc announces itssubsidiary NanoKinetix Inc has signedan agreement with a major globalmanufacturer

Headwaters Inc announced that itswholly-owned subsidiary, HeadwatersNanoKinetix Inc (NanoKinetix) hasbeen engaged by a major globalmanufacturer to develop engineerednanocatalysts for selective destructionof volatile organic compounds. Inaddition, NanoKinetix is teaming withits sister business, Covol Fuels, in arelated programme supported by aDOE research grant, to developnanocatalysts to control NOx and SOxgenerated from coal burning powerplants. NanoKinetix has developed apatented nanocatalyst technology, tobe marketed under the name NxCat.NxCat technology uses a proprietaryprocess to align, space, and anchorcatalytic nanoparticles to commonlyused support materials. NanoKinetixexpects its novel nanocatalysttechnology to provide a strongplatform for multiple applications.There are more than $5 trillion worthof products that use catalysts at somepoint in their manufacture, and manyof these products can benefit fromNxCat nanocatalyst technology.Headwaters Inc is a world leader inproviding technology and servicesthat maximize the value of fossil fuels.

Press release from: Headwaters Inc, 11778, S ElectionRoad, Suite 210, Draper, UT 84020, USA. Tel: +1 801984 9400. Fax: +1 801 984 9410. Website:http://www.hdwtrs.com (17 Apr 2003)

Rentech in another GTL licensing move

Rentech of Denver, CO, has forged alicensing deal with Jacobs and

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