Today's News
Dunlop conducts smallholder support program toward sustainable natural rubber
The initiative, called the Traceability and Transparency Pilot Project, has been carried out since 2022 in South Sumatra, Indonesia, through Dunlop’s procurement subsidiary Sumitomo Rubber Singapore Pte. Ltd. and supply chain partner Halcyon Agri Corporation Ltd. and its Indonesian subsidiary PT Hok Tong.
The program focused on supporting smallholder rubber farmers by improving cultivation practices, providing agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, and strengthening traceability and transparency in the natural rubber supply chain.
Lanxess maintains full-year outlook despite lower first quarter
Lanxess AG announced it is maintaining its full-year 2026 earnings outlook despite a weak start to the year marked by lower sales, continued pricing pressure and geopolitical disruptions that are reshaping supply chains in the chemicals industry.
The specialty chemicals company reported first-quarter sales of 1.378 billion euros, down 13.9% from the same period a year earlier. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, adjusted for exceptional items, fell 29.3% to 94 million euros.
Aumovio Q1 EBIT rises despite sales decline
AUMOVIO concluded the first quarter of 2026 amid a persistently challenging market environment and delivered clear improvements in adjusted EBIT as well as adjusted and normalized free cash flow.
Adjusted consolidated sales came in at €4.4 billion, representing a decline of 7.8 percent year-on-year (Q1 2025: €4.8 billion). In addition to the realignment of the product and technology portfolio as part of the company’s comprehensive transformation, adverse foreign exchange effects weighed on sales. Adjusted EBIT climbed by 14.3 percent to €106 million (Q1 2025: €93 million), and the adjusted EBIT margin rose to 2.4 percent (Q1 2025: 1.9 percent).
Albemarle reports strong earnings
Albemarle Corp., reported sharply higher first-quarter earnings driven by stronger pricing and demand in its energy storage and specialty materials businesses. Revenue rose 33% to $1.43 billion, fueled by higher volumes and prices in its energy storage and specialty segments. Energy storage sales increased 70% to $891.2 million, with pricing up 51% and volumes up 14%. Specialty sales also increased during the quarter.
The company posted net income of $319.1 million, or $2.34 per diluted share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, compared with $41.3 million, or breakeven on a per-share basis, a year earlier.
Thermal management technologies market to reach $30 billion by 2030
The thermal management market is entering a phase of strong growth, driven by rising performance demands in digital and industrial systems. These solutions are becoming critical across a wide range of applications, creating new opportunities for innovation and scale. Faster is among the companies shaping this evolution. “Rising energy density and the spread of high-performance systems are making thermal management increasingly central,” said Matteo Arduini, CEO of Faster. “It is becoming a strategic enabler of the digital economy.”
Nexen Tire reports strong first quarter with 8.7 percent growth
Sales growth in the first quarter was driven by strong performance in major markets such as Europe and North America. In addition, the recent plant expansion in Europe improved production stability, leading to increased sales from existing customers and more new clients. The company also maintained stable growth in original equipment (OE) sales thanks to its diversified product portfolio, even with the downturn in global automotive demand.
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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