AKRON, OHIO — Recent North American price declines for polypropylene and suspension PVC resins are featured in this week's Material Insights video. Also this week we report on big moves by DuPont Co. and Mexichem SAB de CV, as well as news that investor Sunil Kumar and his daughter Monica have bought nylon resin maker and compounder Nylon Corp. of America.

AKRON, OHIO — Recent North American price declines for polypropylene and suspension PVC resins are featured in this week's Material Insights video.

Regional PP prices fell 2 cents per pound in October, while PVC price trickled downward by 1 cent. PP prices in the region now are down a net of 5 cents per pound so far in 2013, while PVC prices remain up a net of 5 cents.

Big moves by DuPont Co. and Mexichem SAB de CV also are featured in this week's video. DuPont plans to spin off its struggling Performance Chemicals unit into a separate public company by mid-2015. Mexichem has formed a joint venture with Occidental Chemical Corp. to build a 1.2 billion pound capacity ethylene feedstock plant in Mexico. The plant would supply a Mexichem PVC plant in Mexico. Construction is set to begin in mid-2014 with commercial production expected to begin in early 2017.

The video wraps up with news that investor Sunil Kumar and his daughter Monica have bought nylon resin maker and compounder Nylon Corp. of America (Nycoa). Nycoa is based in Manchester, N.H., and has annual sales of about $40 million. Existing Nycoa management is expected to remain in place.