Representatives of the Consortium of Rubber Sector Actors of Liberia (CORSAL) and various progressive forces have expressed their dissatisfaction with the Liberian government’s ban on the exportation of unprocessed rubber. The ban, enforced by Executive Order #124 issued in December 2023, has left the rubber sector in disarray, causing significant financial losses and threatening the livelihoods of many Liberians.

The Latin American Association of Rubber Technology (SLTC) and the Querétaro Automotive Cluster announce the 3rd Rubber Technology Symposium, to be held from August 7 to 8 at the Convention Center of the Hacienda Jurica Hotel in Querétaro, Mexico. This technical symposium, addressing the latest trends and advancements in the rubber industry, promises to be an unforgettable event for professionals and academics in the sector.

Beth Sepulveda, RDAbbott’s Credit Manager, celebrated her 20-year work anniversary on March 1, 2024. When she joined RDAbbott in 2004, the company was fairly small. It has since grown over ten-fold. Beth has been an important pillar of this tremendous growth and combines diligence with creative problem-solving and empathetic listening. By embodying RDAbbott’s values, she has also earned the respect of her peers.

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., announces the addition of two products to its lineup of solid fenders for installation at harbor mooring facilities. The new additions are cell-type and cone-type solid fenders that the company introduces to the market this April. These new high-performance solid fenders supplement Yokohama Rubber’s basic model V-type fender, which was launched in July 2023, giving the company a solid fender lineup that meets the diverse needs of a wide-variety of users.

Apollo Tyres has announced a significant partnership with NATRAX, a leading provider of testing and validation services, to establish the first of its kind test track in India, specifically designed to validate tires for Electric Vehicles (EVs) and low rolling resistance tires. This collaboration aims to provide a dedicated testing facility for EV manufacturers, enabling them to test and validate cut and chip resistance of tires.

Cooper Standard announced that it has been recognized as a General Motors 2023 Supplier of the Year. GM celebrated honorees at its 32nd annual Supplier of the Year event in Aventura, Florida earlier this month.

GM’s Supplier of the Year award recognizes global suppliers that distinguish themselves by exceeding GM’s requirements, in turn providing customers with innovative technologies and the highest quality in the automotive industry.

This is the seventh consecutive time Cooper Standard has received the award.

The Company will publish its results on May 6, in the form of an Earnings Release and an additional presentation on its investor relations website: http://investor.goodyear.com. The following morning, the Company will host an investor call.
The investor call can be accessed on the website or via telephone by calling either (800) 343-4136 or (203) 518-9843 before 7:55 a.m.

Wacker Chemical Corporation’s pioneering site in the United States announces its 60th anniversary celebration for Saturday, April 27. Originating from Munich, Germany, WACKER began silicone manufacturing in Adrian, Michigan, in 1969. The facility was initially built and owned by Stauffer Chemicals in 1964. WACKER assumed full ownership in 1987.

Milacron is set to showcase its latest advancements and innovative solutions, including the North American debut of its new M-Series IMM platform that features the largest clamp stroke available as standard in the mid-tonnage hybrid range within a compact footprint. Powered by industry-leading Fanuc motors and drives, the M-Series machines’ versatility and performance are designed to meet the demanding needs of global industries, from automotive and consumer goods to packaging and custom molders.

Booth W1601, the largest exhibit space at NPE 2024, is designed to offer attendees an array of plastics processing technologies. In addition to its M-Series machine line, Milacron’s showcase includes several work cells and industry-leading exhibits, alongside innovations from fellow Hillenbrand Operating Companies Coperion, DME, Herbold, Mold-Masters, and Rotex.

This book covers the basic properties of BDPs according to their classifications, the rheology of BDPs and their blends, and their numerous applications, with an emphasis on processing: As BDPs possess attractive attributes compared to FDPs (which is discussed in the book), their processing has been investigated using conventional processing technologies.

Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) will debut the Bandag Virtual Plant Tour at WasteExpo 2024, taking place May 7-9 in Las Vegas, that will give attendees a behind-the-scenes look at the tire retreading process. The virtual experience will transport viewers inside a Bandag manufacturing plant to demonstrate the safety, reliability, and positive environmental characteristics of retreaded tires.

Onkar Kanwar, Chairman, Apollo Tyres Ltd has been conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the All India Management Association (AIMA)’s Managing India Awards ceremony. Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, Honorable Vice President of India, presented the award to Mr. Kanwar in the presence of other dignitaries from various sectors.

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., announced that it is supplying its YOKOHAMA RY53 tires as original equipment (OE) to Toyota Motor Corporation for use on the automaker’s new pickup truck, the Hilux Champ, sales of which were launched in Asia in November 2023. The OE tire size is the 195R14C 106/104S.

ACI to host The North American Biopolymer Summit in Cleveland, Ohio. Taking place on the 2nd & 3rd October 2024, this summit is your go-to for the latest in sustainable materials. This summit will keep you up to date on biopolymer trends, regulatory insights, and strategies to tackle industry challenges. Get ready for engaging sessions exploring cutting-edge technologies, discovering new opportunities, and addressing key issues in North American biopolymers. The summit brings together executives from biopolymer manufacturing, research pioneers, regulatory experts, sustainability leaders, supply chain managers, and academic innovators.

Versalis, Eni’s chemical company, announces the closing completion of the acquisition of 100% of Tecnofilm S.p.A., a specialist company operating in the compounding sector following the approval of the competent authorities.

Orion S.A. announced its 2024 sustainability rating from EcoVadis has been raised from Gold to Platinum, the highest possible distinction.

Orion now ranks among the top 1% of the companies assessed by EcoVadis, one of the world’s largest providers of business sustainability ratings. The organization revised Orion’s score from 78% to 82% after reassessing the company’s 2023 performance.

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. announced that it is supplying its “ADVAN Sport V107” tires to the BMW Group as an original equipment (OE) on the BMW X7 Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) and the BMW XM Plug-in-Hybrid SAV currently available from the German automaker. Three types of size combinations are supplied: HL275/35R23 108Y (front) and HL315/30R23 111Y (rear) common to the BMW X7 and BMW XM, as well as 275/45R21 110Y (front) and 315/40R21 115Y (rear), and 275/40R22 107Y (front) and 315/35R22 111Y (rear) for the BMW XM. The 22-inch size tires for the BMW XM are supplied with performance specifications and high-performance specifications.

The Association of Modified Asphalt Producers (AMAP) would like to remind you that there is still time to submit Abstracts for their 2024 Annual Conference & Workshop. Abstract deadline is April 30th. Submission on topics related to quality, performance, innovation, and implementation in modified asphalt paving and roofing applications are welcome. The abstract must not exceed 500 words and must provide a description of the presentation. If there is specific data that the submitter wishes to include, please use no more than one page for figures and tables. In addition, a resume (maximum of 2 pages) may be submitted along with the abstract to support expertise, if desired. The presentation time slot is scheduled for 40 minutes, with 30-35 minutes allocated for the presentation and an additional 5-10 minutes for Q&A.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (Goodyear) is recalling certain G622 RSD, size 225/70R19.5 tires. The tires contain a tire identification number (TIN) that is missing the 4-digit week and year code mark. As such, these tires fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 574, “Tire Identification & Recordkeeping.”

Continental is celebrating 15 years since establishing its tire business in Thailand and five years of tire production in its tire plant in Rayong this month. The tire manufacturer had invested a total of €250 million in the plant located in the eastern part of the country. With around 900 local manufacturing employees, Continental’s Rayong tire plant has an annual production capacity of 4.8 million passenger and light truck tires (PLT) as well as motorcycle tires, serving both the original equipment and replacement sector.

Univar Solutions, LLC announced that it is expanding its partnership with Dow to distribute construction silicone products in various regions of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The partnership will give customers in the region access to a broader range of essential construction silicone products, which offer exceptional performance and durability in harsh weather conditions and other environmental elements. These products offer enhanced protection to different substrates and building materials, helping maximize substrate life, minimize costly and time-consuming maintenance and repairs, and improve aesthetic appeal overall.

The performance elastomer market is estimated to be worth US$ 19.8 billion in 2024 and is projected to be valued at US$ 41 billion in 2034. Between 2024 and 2034, the industry is expected to register a CAGR of 7.6% according to Future Market Insights.

West Warwick, RI – Guill Tool recently announced EuroDev as their new European sales representative company. They will offer the

Versa Machinery will feature servo powered High Speed Cutter/Puller Systems capable of feeding, measuring, and then cutting extruded materials to exact lengths at up to 3000 cuts/minute (up to 6000 cuts/minute with two knife option) in NPE booth #W6489. With exclusive Adaptive Cutting Technology software, these robust machines provide a broad range of cutting capabilities. The systems software makes the necessary calculations to determine the best cutting mode for each application. An operator simply enters the line speed and cut length through an easy-to-use panel view interface and the ACT software does the rest. Complete systems include a servo-controlled cutter, a servo controlled pinch roller or caterpillar feeder, with integral cut length and batch controls. Length counter adjustable from .001” to 999.999”. Versa high speed cutter/puller systems accurately cut plastic and rubber tubing, shapes, and profiles to 3-inches in diameter (OD).

ARLANXEO held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Therban® hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) plant in Changzhou, China. With a nameplate annual production capacity of 5,000 tons, the first phase of construction will allow for the production of 2,500 tons of high-quality rubber per year. The plant is expected to begin operations in the third quarter of 2025.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company announced that Ryan Waldron has been named president of the company’s Americas business unit, reporting to Chief Executive Officer and President Mark Stewart. He succeeds Steven R. McClellan, who retired on April 1.

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., announced that it is supplying its GEOLANDAR X-CV (pattern number: G057) and GEOLANDAR A/T G31 tires as original equipment (OE) to Toyota Motor Corporation for use on the automaker’s new SUVs , the 250 series Land Cruiser, which launched worldwide in April 2024. The new SUVs are being fitted with two sizes of GEOLANDAR X-CV–245/70R18 110H and 265/60R20 112H–and two sizes of GEOLANDAR A/T G31–245/70R18 110H and 265/65R18 114V.

EPFL researchers are targeting the next generation of soft actuators and robots with an elastomer-based ink for 3D printing objects with locally changing mechanical properties, eliminating the need for cumbersome mechanical joints.

EIBINGER announces the developed a special ink for cable marking and meter marking of extruded goods, one that adheres reliably to PVC materials. This ink is resistant to plasticizers which means it can prevent the effect described above of accidental transfer prints. With a Blue Wool Scale (BWS) ranking of 8, it also possesses exceptional UV stability.

Lianda Corporation recently added rubber cure accelerator DOTG (Di-ortho-tolyl guanidine) to its specialty chemical lineup.

A Lianda customer reached out for help due to unavailability of DOTG. The Lianda source team was able to utilize its sourcing network and quickly identified a reliable source for DOTG. Emergency shipments are being arranged to help the customer maintain production.