Huntsman (The Woodlands, Texas / USA; www.huntsman.com) intends to divest its titanium dioxide slate by the end of this year, or at the latest by Q1 2017, company CEO Peter Huntsman said in presenting the group’s Q2 2016 results. The recent steep rise in TiO₂ prices could prove to be a boon to the company. It remains unclear whether the divestiture will come in the shape of a spin-off or a sale to a strategic investor (for previous coverage, see Plasteurope.com of 11.07.2016).

When presenting its Q2 results, Huntsman emphasised the recent rise in MDI margins. While overall segment sales fell, even though volume sales actually rose, net results improved.