Today's News
Michelin announces closure of two tire plants in France
Michelin announced to the 1,254 employees of the CHOLET and VANNES plants its intention to close down production by early 2026 at the latest. Both plants have been facing severe economic difficulties for several years.
Despite the teams’ remarkable engagement and the Group’s efforts, the viability of the two plants could not be preserved. The two sites have been severely impacted by the structural transformation of the Passenger car & Light truck and Truck tire markets and worsening competitiveness of Europe, notably due to inflation and rising energy prices. This decision has been made as a last resort, once all alternative solutions and scenarios have been analyzed and evaluated.
Goodyear announces Q3 2024 results with a net loss of $34 million
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company reported third quarter 2024 results today and the company will host an investor call tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m. eastern time led by Mark Stewart, Goodyear’s chief executive officer and president, and Christina Zamarro, the company’s executive vice president and chief financial officer. The management team will share insights on third quarter performance and progress on the Goodyear Forward transformation plan.
“As a result of the consistent and strong execution of our Goodyear Forward transformation plan, we successfully achieved four consecutive quarters of segment operating margin expansion. These tangible results are not only a testament to the talent of our team, but also to the strong foundation of Goodyear,” said Chief Executive Officer and President Mark Stewart. “Throughout the company, we are delivering solid results. Due to the strong momentum underway, we are increasing our target for gross run-rate gains from Goodyear Forward to $1.5 billion by the end of 2025.”
Milliken launches North America’s first non-PFAS flame resistant moisture barrier for firefighters
Milliken & Company announced the launch of Milliken Assure™, North America’s first non-PFAS, non-halogenated, flame-resistant moisture barrier for firefighter turnout gear. The new fabric is UL certified and exceeds NFPA 1971-2018 requirements.
Kahei to use Mitsubishi Chemical Group’s plant-derived polyol in synthetic leather production
The Mitsubishi Chemical Group (the MCG Group) announced that its plant-derived polyol “BioPTMG” has been adopted by Kahei Co., Ltd. as a synthetic leather (bio-synthetic leather) material. In addition, small items (shoulder bags, wet tissue cases, etc.) made with this bio-synthetic leather will be available for purchase at “tonto,” run by Triple A Co., Ltd., a planner and marketer of sustainable products.
Bio-synthetic leather is made from plant-derived raw materials, among synthetic leathers that use materials other than synthetic leather materials made from non-animal-derived materials.
Mickey Thompson expands Baja Boss X “Sticky Mickey” line
Following the recent success of new 42-inch sizes in its Baja Boss® M/T line, Mickey Thompson is introducing two 42″ sizes in its Baja Boss® X extreme terrain tire line. Built with Mickey Thompson’s “Sticky Mickey” compound and PowerPly Pro construction, these new sizes will provide the undisputed off-road traction that competitive off-road racers have come to expect from Mickey Thompson.
Bridgestone partners with Astrobotic to develop lunar rover tire
The Bridgestone lunar rover tire will be developed for the Astrobotic 24U CubeRover. Astrobotic has a legacy of developing lunar rovers for over 17 years, which includes 37 rover technology contracts from NASA and 6 distinct lunar rovers to date. Astrobotic’s 24U CubeRover is built to provide mobility, power, and communication support for scientific instruments and payloads on the lunar surface. This 24U rover is about the size of a standard kitchen stove and boasts robust capabilities such as explicit steering, dynamic suspension, and long-distance communications to excel in harsh lunar terrain.
Featured Articles
Post IEC Daily
This follow-up to the 2024 International Elastomer Conference and Expo, held last month in Pittsburgh, PA, and published for the Rubber Division, ACS by Lippincott & Peto, Inc., includes photographs and summaries of IEC events, including the Rubber Division, ACS Service Award recipients, 2024 scholarship winners, the Experience Elastomers Student Outreach Program, nomination information for the Rubber Division, ACS 2026 Science & Technology Awards, 2024 exhibitors, and details on the Rubber Division, ACS Spring Technical Meeting.
Industry Spotlight
Jing Day Machinery Industrial Co., Ltd.
Jing Day Machinery Industrial Co., Ltd. is a supplier of total rubber and silicon molding machine and related solutions for our global clients. We are committed to design, fabrication (manufacturing), marketing and all services related to rubber and silicon molding machine, our most popular models being the auto-production of rubber molding machines. Our most specialty expertise is in vertical injection molding machines and hydraulic molding machines
Mixing
Utilization of AI driven solutions for rubber compound formulation: A practical approach
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into various industrial sectors has spurred remarkable progress in the field of manufacturing process development. This concept has been extended to polymer compound formulations, where AI techniques have been used to optimize rubber formulations as well. Furthermore, it is conceivable that mixtures of other polymers, such as TPEs, thermoplastic materials or polyurethane compounds, could be similarly treated. Advantages of employing AI driven tools include reduced development time, enhanced efficiency and increased accuracy.
Chemicals and Materials
Mitsui Chemicals brings methylene diphenyl diisocyanate facility online
MDI is a key raw material for polyurethane, a signature material used in numerous fields such as auto parts, bedding and furniture, insulation for homes and fridges, elastic fibers, and various adhesives. Demand for MDI is projected to grow at an annual rate of 6 percent going forward on account of policy measures around the globe to improve residential insulation as a means of global warming suppression, as well as due to the heightened demand accompanying economic growth.
Extrusion
Enhancing extruded automotive door seals
Friction induced noise in automotive door seals is mitigated with highly durable water-based coatings having a low coefficient of friction.
Silicone & Medical
Datwyler expands its range of NeoFlex coated plungers
Datwyler announces the expansion of its NeoFlex™ range of coated plungers with new sizes for containers aimed at large-volume auto-injectors and wearable devices. At CPHI Worldwide in Milan, Italy (Booth 20B48), the company unveiled its NeoFlex Prefilled Syringe 10ml and its NeoFlex Cartridge Wearable 10ml plungers. Designed to meet the highest quality and safety standards, the new plungers stand up to the unique challenges of delivering large volume injectables through these devices.
Oil, Gas & Energy
Advanced perfluoroelastomers: The preferred sealing solution for oil and gas
The technology for sealing has considerably advanced since it was first developed in the late 1800s. It is crucial to
Testing & Instruments
Evaluation of material wear properties with the Ueshima FPS wear testing system
A lesser known form of wear testing is evaluated to demonstrate the data that can be gathered from the Ueshima FPS wear testing system.
Molding
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies advances the development of in-wheel motors with patented seal design
For Freudenberg Sealing Technologies the advantages of in-wheel motors (IWM) extend beyond the passenger car segment. The company offers a patented sealing geometry to support original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and manufacturers of electric motors ranging from electric cars to commercial vehicles right at the development stage.
In-wheel motors for electric vehicles offer numerous benefits: Components such as transmissions, brakes, and suspensions can either move much closer to the point of power transmission or be completely eliminated. The decisive advantages of vehicles equipped with IWM include wheel-specific torque control, enhanced comfort and more design space within the vehicle. This results in a better driving experience, greater range and more flexibility for developers.
In-wheel motors are also interesting for buses due to their lower center of gravity, tighter turning radius and higher load capacity. They can also offer added value as a combined trailer drive for e-trucks or as a generator for refrigerated trailers with independent power supply.
Thermoplastic Elastomers & Urethanes
Unique features of plasticizer-free soft TPU made with bio-based polyol from 3-methyl-1,5-pentanediol and sebacic acid
by Shun Okura, Kunio Mayahara and Hoan Tran, Kuraray Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is a multiblock copolymer that consists of a
Latex and Natural Rubber
Researchers develop molecular markers for breeding of the rubber tree
A research team from Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences has developed and validated a liquid single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip named “HbGBTS80K,” which includes 80,080 SNPs evenly distributed across 18 chromosomes. This SNP chip effectively distinguished 404 rubber accessions into four groups in population genetic diversity analysis and detected the major gene HbPSK5 in GWAS for the number of laticifer rings. The HbGBTS80K chip is a valuable tool for accelerating functional studies and molecular breeding in rubber trees, addressing the inefficiencies of traditional breeding methods.
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