OQ Chemicals on Dec. 6 said it raised prices on neopentyl glycol – a polyalcohol used in manufacturing synthetic lubricants – in Europe by €380 per metric ton for slurry and €420/t for molten or flakes. For the rest of the world – outside of Americas and Mexico – prices increased $440/t for slurry and $490/t for molten or flakes.   New passenger car vehicle registrations in the European Union dropped 30% to 665,001 units in October, compared to the same month last year, the fourth consecutive month of year over year, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association reported.