Today's News
Bridgestone & Penske release findings of Decarbonization Initiative
Bridgestone and Penske Transportation Solutions (Penske) announced the findings of the first phase of their shared initiative, the Decarbonization Lab (Lab). The Lab was designed to identify and validate commercially viable, near-term solutions that help reduce CO₂ emissions for commercial fleets under real-world conditions. Penske and Bridgestone plan to continue refining their approach and testing additional solutions in a second phase of the Lab in 2026.
Lone Star completes acquisition of RadiciGroup
Lone Star Funds announced that an affiliate of Lone Star Fund XII, L.P. has completed the acquisition of RadiciGroup, with its High Performance Polymers and Specialty Chemicals business areas, and have signed binding transaction agreements for the acquisition of DOMO Engineered Materials (“DOMO EM”), a business division of DOMO Group, with closing expected to occur imminently.
Goodyear launches global campaign celebrating Eagle performance tire
Goodyear launched Fast Is In Us, a global campaign celebrating the legendary Eagle performance tire family as one of the most iconic names in performance driving.
Debuting at the Kentucky Derby, the campaign marks the next chapter in Goodyear’s brand resurgence following last year’s STILL campaign, which leveraged the brand’s iconic status, reminding audiences that not all tires are born equal. Fast Is In Us builds on that momentum.
Maximilian Peter takes over Wacker’s polymer division
Munich, Germany – Maximilian Peter will take over as head of WACKER’s Polymers division. Holding a doctorate in chemical engineering,
Sabrina Soussan elected chair of the Supervisory Board for Continental
Sabrina Soussan has taken over as chair of the Supervisory Board of Continental AG. At its constituent meeting immediately following today’s Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, the Supervisory Board unanimously elected her as its chair. Shareholders had previously elected her to the Supervisory Board as a shareholder representative. Soussan succeeds Wolfgang Reitzle
Bridgestone announces executive leadership changes
Bridgestone announced the roles of West CEO and Group President, North America are being decoupled. Scott Damon will continue in his current role as West CEO. Robert Johnson has been appointed Group President, North America. In this role, he will assume leadership of North America Core Tire as well as have end-to-end ownership and accountability for the full North America profit and loss (P&L). Wade Sempkowski has been named West Chief Financial Officer, succeeding Johnson in that role.
Featured
Mixing
Understanding the difference between high and low shear
Industrial mixing is a crucial process in various industries, including production of rubber formulations, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, personal care products and many others. It is also integral to continuous process industries including waste water treatment, fuel and energy production, and mining of metals and minerals.
Chemicals and Materials
Freudenberg introduces solvent-free bonding process for elastomers to metal
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies has introduced a new adhesive bonding process that eliminates the need for wet-chemical treatments, aiming to reduce environmental impact and improve manufacturing efficiency.
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
Guill introduces reciprocating head for medical tubing
Guill Tool has released its new reciprocating head. The traditional tip and die assembly is replaced with a linear reciprocating assembly that changes the tube’s profile within a given length. This process is repeated throughout a single extrusion run without interruptions. Cutting capability, in association with the extrusion speed, cuts the finished product to length.
Oil, Gas & Energy
Penn State researchers develop high temperature polymer capacitor
In the race to lighter, safer and more efficient electronics — from electric vehicles to transcontinental energy grids — one component literally holds the power: the polymer capacitor. Seen in such applications as medical defibrillators, polymer capacitors are responsible for quick bursts of energy and stabilizing power rather than holding large amounts of energy, as opposed to the slower, steadier energy of a battery. However, current state-of-the-art polymer capacitors cannot survive beyond 212 degrees Fahrenheit (F), which the air around a typical car engine can hit during summer months and an overworked data center can surpass on any given day.
Testing & Instruments
Wire cord measurement sensor for tire calenders
Wire cord measurement sensors provide a highly reliable, high-resolution method for evaluating the geometry of steel reinforced rubber sheets in real time.
Molding
Electrically conductive silicones for enclosure-level EMI shielding
By Dominic Testo, Specialty Silicone Products – Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is a naturally occurring orhuman caused phenomenon that degrades or
Thermoplastic Elastomers & Urethanes
Fraunhofer scientists develop safer method to produce polyurethane without toxic isocyanates
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research (IAP) have developed a new method for producing polyurethane without the use of toxic isocyanates, a key ingredient traditionally required in the manufacture of the widely used polymer.
Latex and Natural Rubber
Sustainable materials for rubber and allied industries
Sustainability is no longer a new concept; it has become a global priority. While quality was the focus of the 1980s, globalization defined the 1990s, and the internet revolutionized the 2000s. The 2010s and after have been dominated by the idea of sustainability. Human survival depends on integrating sustainable practices into every aspect of life. The world is already witnessing alarming environmental changes: rising greenhouse gas emissions, depletion of non-renewable resources and widespread deforestation.
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