Material Insights: April 16, 2012

A potential shortage of nylon 12 resin is featured in this week's Material Insights video. The shortage is being caused by a fatal fire and explosion at a nylon 12 feedstock plant operated by Evonik Industries in Marl, Germany. The accident left two workers dead. The feedstock loss could affect not only Evonik but fellow nylon 12 makers Arkema, Ube and Ems- Grivory Four automotive suppliers - including TI Automotive - will meet April 17 to figure out how to handle the situation. Two recent acquisitions also are covered in this week's video. American plastics and chemicals firm Cytec Industries has paid $439 million in cash for Umeco, a British maker of composite materials for the aerospace and industrial markets. Also in the U.S., Bayer MaterialScience has paid an undisclosed price for the Tuffak-brand U.S. polycarbonate sheet assets of Arkema. The deal includes production equipment in Connecticut that will be moved to a Bayer site in Ohio or Massachusetts. The video wraps up with news that BASF will spend $194 million to build a plant making polyurethane and related products in Dahej, India. The plant is exected top open in 2014 and will supply local markets for appliance, auto and other end uses.