Today's News
Arkema awards French Académie des Sciences prize
Arkema announced that for its fourth edition, the Grand Prix Arkema–Académie des Sciences has been awarded to Clémence Queffelec, Associate Professor at the University of Nantes.
This prize, awarded by the Academy of Sciences and funded by Arkema in the amount of €25,000, aims to recognize top-tier research that contributes to innovative chemistry, paving the way for solutions that support sustainable and responsible development.
Arburg awarded gold by Ecovadis for the third time
Only two to five per cent of the world’s most sustainable industrial companies receive this award. The machine manufacturer from Lossburg in the northern Black Forest has improved in all categories compared to the previous year – from a total of 78 to 83 points – and is now among the top two per cent of the more than 100,000 companies assessed.
Dow’s Freeport facility earns ISCC Plus certification
Dow announced that its isocyanates manufacturing facility in Freeport, Texas has earned International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS certification. This certification reinforces Dow’s ongoing commitment to advancing more sustainable production and product offerings to customers in the North America region with verified supply chain transparency.
DuPont delivers solid Q3 2025 results, raises outlook and announces $2 B share buyback
DuPont de Nemours, Inc. reported third-quarter 2025 net sales of $3.07 billion, up 7 % from a year earlier and 6 % organically. Operating EBITDA rose 6 % to $840 million, while adjusted EPS held steady at $1.09.
The Industrials segment posted $1.8 billion in sales, driven by healthcare and water technologies, while Electronics grew 11 % to $1.3 billion, fueled by AI-related semiconductor demand.
BASF’s €8.7 billion Zhanjiang Verbund site commences production
BASF has successfully commenced production of the first products from the core of the Verbund at its Zhanjiang Verbund site in South China, marking a significant milestone in the company’s largest single investment project to date.
ChinaPlas 2026 to be held in April at the National Exhibition Center in Shanghai
On April 21 to 24, 2026, the industry’s acclaimed trade fair – CHINAPLAS 2026 will take place at National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) in Hongqiao, Shanghai, PR China. As one of the global leading plastics and rubber exhibitions, this edition is expected to span over 390,000 square meters across 16 exhibition halls, and bring together more than 4,600 exhibitors from around the world to showcase breakthroughs in new materials, intelligent innovations and green transformations. The trade fair aims to strengthen the industries’ upgrade towards high-end, intelligent, and green development, as well as the transition from “Made in China” to “Innovated in China”.
Site of the Week
Samson Machinery
Samson Machinery Inc., one of the leading manufacturers of designing and manufacturing various tire building machines. Since 1975, Samson works in this filed for over 46 years. Samson provides full range of Tire Building machines, Band Building machines, and related parts for tire industry.
Featured
Mixing
Simulation of rubber formulation development using AI-Graf Compounder
Integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into rubber compound development is said to mark a transformative step in materials science, and the authors explore the use of AIGraf Compounder software to simulate and optimize rubber formulations. By leveraging feedforward neural networks, the system can predict material properties based on ingredient compositions.
Chemicals and Materials
Avient’s new flame retardant additives are a non-halogenated solution for stringent FR testing requirements
Avient Corporation announced the launch of a new line of polymer flame retardant (FR) additives that can improve FR performance in end-use products to help meet increasingly strict product safety regulations in polyethylene (PE) applications. Formulated with non-halogenated flame retardants, these new Cesa™ MAX Flame Retardant additives are especially useful for applications where limiting excessive smoke and fumes are primary requirements.
Extrusion
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies unveils new extrusion process using molten salt
The specific properties of vulcanized materials make them essential for many areas of application. In industries such as aerospace, food and beverages and the energy sector, components must meet the highest standards of abrasion and chemical resistance, elasticity, and durability. Delivering top-quality solutions in these areas requires excellent materials expertise, and at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies this goes hand in hand with state-of-the-art production technologies: With LCM (Liquid Curing Method), the company is now commissioning an advanced vulcanizing extrusion line. This is a process in which the fluid used for vulcanization consists of molten salt, heated to around 200 degrees Celsius and filled with vulcanizing salt. The entire line operates in a closed loop, in which the salt is continuously recycled, fed back into the process and reused.
Silicone & Medical
Elkem unlocks new mechanical recycling pathway for silicone rubber
Elkem ASA announces another silicone circularity breakthrough: the successful validation of a proof of concept for an innovative mechanical recycling process for High Consistency Rubbers (HCR).
The innovation enables the recycling of crosslinked HCR waste and the reintroduction of the recycled material into new formulations. With re-incorporation rates exceeding 50% and excellent mechanical properties of the resulting material, Elkem demonstrates how advanced material engineering can unlock scalable circular approaches for high-performance silicone elastomers that help reduce waste and carbon footprint, while meeting growing market demand for circular elastomer solutions.
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
Rubber testing equipment market forecast at $21 billion by 2035
The global Rubber Testing Equipment Market is poised for steady expansion, with its market value expected to grow from USD 15,686.3 million in 2025 to USD 21,081.0 million by 2035, marking a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 3.0% over the forecast period. As manufacturers across industries seek advanced solutions to ensure product durability, performance, and compliance, the demand for high-precision rubber testing equipment continues to rise.
Molding
Elmet SMARTshot I to use AI intelligence to control mold flow
The pioneering “I” technology is based on online rheometry for continuously optimizing the process and determining the actual material viscosity in the shear rate range of relevance to injection molding. This technology uses a mathematical relationship between the volumetric flow rate of the injection molding machine, the geometric constraints of the cold runner, and the shear force at the needle to identify and quantify batch-to-batch fluctuations. This turns the cold runner into rheological measuring instrument.
In learning mode, the system automatically detects the volume of material required to fill a cavity, so facilitating setup and optimization, especially with family molds with a number of cavities of differing sizes. Ready for integrating artificial intelligence (AI), the system is set in future to be able to support self-controlled injection molding machines if SMARTshot I control is integrated into the machine at a later date.
Thermoplastic Elastomers & Urethanes
Lignin-soy based flexible polyurethane foam for automotive applications
by Enoch Kofi Acquah, Rafael Auras, Anibal Bher, Kevin Dunne and Mojgan Nejad, Michigan State University. This study focuses on
Latex and Natural Rubber
Latex Foam and its applications
by Boontham Nithi-Uthai, consultant Latex foam was industrially created in 1929 by Dunlop Rubber. The latex was foamed with fatty
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