Matthias Zachert, currently Chief Financial Officer of Merck KGaA in Darmstadt, Germany, will take over as Chairman of the Board of Management of LANXESS AG.

Ming-Zu Chemical Ind. Ltd., Taipei, Taiwan, and United Mineral & Chemical Corp., Lyndhurst, NJ, have signed an agreement whereby United Mineral & Chemical will act as the exclusive North American distributor for Ming-Zu’s Mecofast™ solvent-soluble dyes and MecoSperse™ water-soluble dye preparations for aqueous wood stains.

A British scientist whose work helped form the basis for flat-screen TVs, computers and mobile phone displays has won AkzoNobel's UK Science Award for 2014.

Specialty chemical supplier Vertellus, Indianapolis, has opened a second facility in India.

The Wercs Ltd., a leader in hazard communication software, has released its WERCSmart™ (supply-chain management and reporting technology) software to the broader industrial marketplace, with a specific focus on manufacturers in aerospace, electronics, and paints and coatings.

British coatings manufacturer Dacrylate, Nottinghamshire, UK, has promoted four employees at the company’s head office.

The E.W. Kaufmann Co., a member of the KODA Distribution Group, has named Edmund F. (Ted) Burke the company’s new Vice President of Sales.

Bayer MaterialScience LLC has acquired DuPont’s Baytown, TX, aniline production facility.

Bio-based additive manufacturer Reactive Surfaces has filed a lawsuit in the Federal District Court for the Western District of Texas.

Researchers have created magnetic replicas of sunflower pollen grains using a wet-chemical, layer-by-layer process that applies highly conformal iron oxide coatings. The replicas possess natural adhesion properties inherited from the spiky pollen particles while gaining magnetic behavior, allowing for tailored adhesion to surfaces.