Pick the right combination of ions to make your solvent and it is possible to dissolve coal, a wide range of plastics, many metals and even some rocks.

ECONOMIST: Ionic solvent

Tests completed in the last week have shown that the researchers have been able to literally shovel in to such a reactor a wide range of mixed plastics which can then be reduced down to useful products many of which can then be retrieved by simple distillation.

FORBES: Written by Matt Hickman

Exxon Mobil is a major manufacturer and marketer of basic petrochemicals, including olefins, aromatics, polyethylene and polypropylene plastics and a wide variety of specialty products.

FORBES: Dow Ideas: Dupont, Boeing, Exxon And Chevron

There is no shortage of issues swirling around the food industry, and one of the most debated topics involves the compound bisphenol A. Known by its acronym BPA, it has been used for many decades in a wide array of industrial and consumer applications, ranging from hardened plastics to the epoxy safety lining of many food and beverage cans.

FORBES: Using Science As the Guiding Hand of Food Policy

Haldia is already a licensee of Basell's technology in commodity plastics, and might fancy direct access to Basell's wide expertise in more upmarket stuff.

ECONOMIST: Plastics and petrochemicals