Business Roundup

BASF has agreed to sell its Wibarco subsidiary to Zurich-based Hansa Chemie International for an undisclosed price. Hansa will take over Wibarco's Ibbenbüren, Germany, site, where 80 employees are involved in production of the detergent intermediate linear alkylbenzene.

Honeywell has developed a blowing agent that it says can replace hydrofluorocarbon-134a in insulating foam sealant applications. The company says the agent meets European Union requirements for reducing the use of substances with high global warming potential.

Celanese has formed a joint venture with China's Tianjin Shield Fine Chemical to make the vinyl ester of neodecanoic acid, a monomer used to enhance vinyl-based emulsion systems. The partners will build a 5,000-metric-ton-per-year plant in Bazhou City, Hebei province, China by early 2008.

Affymetrix has formed an alliance with European cancer researchers in which it will partially fund projects that incorporate microarray-based methodologies. Affymetrix, a microarray supplier, says it will also provide a collaborative forum for as many as 30 research groups.

pSivida , a nanotech biopharma firm, is selling its diagnostics division, AION Diagnostics, to Gem Global for $3 million. As part of the deal, pSivida has licensed its BioSilicon nonelectronic imaging diagnostic application, for which it will receive undisclosed royalties.

Siegfried has sold its Sidroga medicinal teas and herbal medicines business to Santo Holding for an undisclosed sum. The Swiss firm says it will focus now on the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Honeywell has increased its nylon resin capacity by 10% through improvements at its Chesterfield, Va., plant. The company also says it now has a greater supply of high-viscosity nylon resins following the termination of a supply agreement with BASF, which bought Honeywell's engineering plastics business in 2003.