Today's News
EU launches anti-dumping investigation into Chinese tire imports
The European Commission has officially launched an anti-dumping investigation into imports of tires for passenger cars and light lorries from China, following a formal complaint by the EU tire industry. The probe aims to determine whether Chinese manufacturers are selling tires in the European market at unfairly low prices, potentially harming domestic producers.
Smithers joins Circular Rubber Platform
Founded in 2023, the Circular Rubber Platform strives to make connections between member companies, provide education on rubber circularity, and increase the use of biobased and recovered raw materials. The ultimate goal is continuous progress toward a circular rubber economy, which minimizes waste and extends the lifecycle of rubber materials, without compromising performance or reliability.
Comerio Ercole celebrates 140 years of innovation and industrial excellence
Comerio Ercole SpA is marking a major milestone this year as it celebrates its 140th anniversary. Founded in 1885 by Ercole Comerio, the company has grown from a local entrepreneurial venture into a global leader in machinery for rubber and plastic processing, exporting 94% of its production worldwide.
To commemorate this historic achievement, Comerio Ercole has published a 272-page book chronicling its journey through time. The volume captures the company’s evolution through historical anecdotes, technological milestones, and personal stories, all underscoring a legacy built on tradition and a relentless drive for innovation.
ARPM honors 2025 Safety Award Winners at annual EHS Summit
The Association for Rubber Products Manufacturers (ARPM) announced the recipients of the 2025 Safety Awards during the annual Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Summit, held May 13–15 in Indianapolis, IN. These awards recognize outstanding achievements in workplace safety and celebrate companies going above and beyond to protect their employees.
May 2025
Simulation of rubber formulation development using AIGraf Compounderby Hans-Joachim Graf and Christoph Hartwich, H-JG Consulting. Integration of artificial intelligence (AI)
Housing is now open for the Global Polymer Summit
The Rubber Division, ACS announces that housing is now open for the Global Polymer Summit being held this September in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland has proven itself an amazing host for this conference and several other prestigious events for many years. The Global Polymer Summit is making its premiere in this exciting city and we hope to see you there.
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
Reduction of zinc oxide in 10 compounds of a model passenger car radial tire
Excess zinc in the body of living organisms is problematic in nature, and zinc primarily enters the environment through rubber articles, including disposed tires. Work done to minimize the amount of zinc oxide consumption in 10 compounds of a typical passenger car tire is explained by the author.
Extrusion
Continuous extrusion to cut energy costs and improve quality
By using high precision continuous extrusion with an integral, built-in gear pump, it is possible to move away from old style mills, which have a huge footprint, and generally include plenty of safety hazards. Continuous extrusion removes the need for ramping up production in batches, which simplifies and accelerates preparation; and also separates materials input from production output. Current users report that this improves both control of production and quality.
Silicone & Medical
CNRS researchers develop new method for silicone recycling
A study conducted by the Centre de RMN à très haut champs at Lyon (CNRS) researchers describes a new method of recycling silicone waste (caulk, sealants, gels, adhesives, cosmetics, etc.). It has the potential to significantly reduce the sector’s environmental impacts. This is the first universal recycling process that brings any type of used silicone material back to an earlier state in its life cycle where each molecule has only one silicon atom. And there is no need for the raw materials currently used to design new silicones. Moreover, since it is chemical and not mechanical recycling, the reuse of the material can be carried out infinitely.
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
Researchers develop soft sensor system to study rubber components
A research team from the University of Akron, supported by funding from Hyundai NGV, has developed a soft sensor system designed to study the behavior of rubber components in automotive pneumatic systems. This academic effort, published in Smart Materials and Structures on February 27, 2025, represents a step towards advancing knowledge, as no prior research has specifically explored the use of soft sensors to examine rubber performance in this context.
Molding
SimForm expands capabilities to include compression molding tool design
SimForm has been a game-changer in injection molding, offering users the ability to quickly & easily predict temperatures, optimize cooling channel placement, and improve the quality of molded parts in an entirely new way. With the extension to compression molding, SimForm continues to lead the way in mold design innovation. This new feature allows users to leverage the same intuitive, fast, affordable, cloud-based platform to design tools for compression molding.
Thermoplastic Elastomers & Urethanes
Surface modified polyester polyurethane foams with varying pore sizes for decanted water treatment in oil spill response
Testing of two polyurethane foams as absorbants for oil spill remediation is examined, and a surface treatment to enhance oil removal efficiency is explored by the authors. This work is said to be crucial in determining the optimal foam formulation for oil spill cleanup.
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
The May Issue of Rubber World
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Extrusion
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