Author: RubberWorld

Bridgestone India Private Ltd. (BSID), a subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation (Bridgestone), announced a strategic growth investment to expand
capacity and capability in India. The investment will be directed to the Bridgestone Pune Plant and the Indore Plant to reinforce the company’s premium-mass strategy. The collective investment will be approximately US$85 million with expansion scheduled to start from the beginning of 2025.

Mediprene A2 TPEs bond to thermoplastics such as ABS, PC, PETG and SMMA in overmolding and coextrusion processing. This allows for the integration of features such as seals and grips in medical devices without the need to use adhesives or surface treatments. 

A major solar energy plant – AkzoNobel’s largest in Europe – has been installed at its Pilawa site in Poland, further powering the company’s efforts to transition all its production locations to renewable electricity.

Covering nearly three hectares (around the size of four football pitches), there are 3,551 solar panels, with an installed capacity of 1.9 MWp. They’ll provide nearly a quarter of the decorative paints facility’s electricity needs.

Kuraray Co., Ltd. announced that as of October 2024, six vinyl acetate-related products at four Group companies across four production bases in Europe and the United States have been certified under ISCC PLUS*1, an internationally recognized certification program for sustainable products. This marks the establishment of a certified supply chain in Europe and the United States starting with vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) produced at the U.S. La Porte Plant.

Celanese Corporation earned three category-winning awards at the 53rd annual Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Automotive Innovation Awards Competition and Gala in Livonia, Michigan.

Hytrel® TPC-ET, Zytel® PA66, and Celanex® PBT proved worthy of this year’s awards theme, “Power of Plastics,” and were featured in the following category-winning advanced mobility application

Bekaert has been selected for funding of up to €23.6 million from the EU Innovation Fund 2023 for its project “GRAND PIANO”, securing clean tech manufacturing in Europe. The grant selection will facilitate essential product and process innovation for electrolysis stacks, the heart of green hydrogen production systems.

Hankook Tire & Technology (Hankook Tire) returned to the annual SEMA Show, the premier annual trade show for aftermarket automotive manufacturers taking place in Nevada, U.S., to demonstrate its comprehensive range of offerings.

Hankook’s flagship products in the U.S. – Dynapro, for SUV and off-road vehicles, and iON, its full line of tires specifically designed for electric vehicles (EVs) – are again at center stage to show the diversity of the leading tiremaker’s portfolio. In addition, Hankook’s brand-new Weatherflex all-weather family will be on display for the first time, and the Laufenn brand, which offers both performance and value, will underscore the variety of options available for consumers.

Evonik is unveiling its latest innovations in PA12 polymer applications for 3D printing at Formnext 2024, the highlight exposition and convention for the world’s additive manufacturing community.

Most notably on display will be the company’s PA12 based INFINAM® 6013 P and INFINAM® 6014 P 3D-printable powders, which through a feat of engineering, possess a relatively substantial amount of carbon black in the core of each particle.

Ecore International announced it has received a minority growth investment from General Atlantic, a leading global growth investor, through the firm’s BeyondNetZero climate growth fund. Ecore will leverage this capital and strategic partnership to support continued organic and inorganic growth initiatives, strengthen core operational and technology infrastructure, and accelerate the execution of its industry-leading circularity and net-zero strategies.

Prism Worldwide announced it has raised $40 million in Series A and Series A1 funds. Prism is using the funds to consolidate operations, make capital investments in technology and equipment, and expand its team. To date, the funding has provided a foundation from which Prism has reached commercial viability, demonstrated by an initial round of sales and sales commitments for its thermoelastic polymers (TPEs). The development of these TPEs marks the first time any company has successfully created a sustainable, high-performance polymer derived from end-of-life tires. The funding rounds were co-led by return investors Columbia Pacific Advisors, a Seattle alternative investment firm, and Jim Sinegal, co-founder and former CEO of Costco. The combination Series A and Series A1 funding round also includes participation from Robert “Spike” Anderson, former CEO of Anderson Daymon Worldwide. Anderson is Chairman of Prism Worldwide’s board of directors.