Business Roundup

Quaker Chemical has acquired the 40% equity interest of its Chinese joint venture partner. At the same time, the firm says it will expand its manufacturing and R&D presence in China and consolidate its regional headquarters in Qingpu, Shanghai.

Sartomer, a unit of Total, says President Nicholas Trainer is retiring after 37 years with the company. He will be succeeded by Luigi Colantuoni, vice president of Total's Atotech Far East unit.

BASF will pay $62 million to midwestern farmers to settle a case in which it was accused of fraudulently marketing the same herbicide as two different products. Last week, the Supreme Court refused to hear BASF's appeal in the matter.

Kemira will build a chlorine dioxide unit in Capit??n Berm??dez, Santa Fe, Argentina, for Cellulosa Argentina's pulp mill at the site, northwest of Buenos Aires. The unit, scheduled to go onstream in early 2008, will cost roughly $13 million.

GE Plastics has launched Extem thermoplastic polyimide, which it is calling "the first truly new polymer technology in two decades." GE says Extem resins deliver exceptional performance while eliminating the drawbacks of semicrystalline materials, imidized thermosets, and other amorphous thermoplastics.

Synthetech says it has hired additional chemists at its chemical facility in Albany, Ore. The fine chemicals maker attributes the move to improved market conditions and the termination of an R&D agreement with an Indian firm.

Nordic Biotech Advisors has made a $26 million investment in Australian bionanotech company pSivida. Nordic will buy $4 million in pSivida shares and invest the remainder over time to help pSivida develop Medidur for the treatment of diabetic macular edema, a chronic eye disease.