Malmo, Sweden-based Perstorp Oxo AB announced yesterday it will increase its selling prices for 2-ethylhexanoic acid, used in esters for synthetic lubricants, by €200 (U.S. $232) per metric ton in Europe effective immediately and, effective Nov. 1, by 10 cents per pound in the United States and $240/t in the rest of the word. The company cited supply and demand as well as rapidly increasing raw material prices, particularly for natural gas, as the reasons for the increase.