News

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation has decided to expand its production capacity for flame-retardant compounds based on polyolefins and thermoplastic elastomers, used for cable sheathing and other purposes, at Mitsubishi Chemical Performance Polymers (China) Co., Ltd. and MCPP France SAS.

This decision is driven by the significant increase in demand for flame-retardant compounds as cable sheathing materials across a wide range of industries, including mobility, telecommunications, construction, and gas.

Evonik has developed a breakthrough “Debonding on Demand” concept to meet the growing requirements of today’s manufacturing industry to increase circularity by improving the sustainability of adhesives. Developed in collaboration between Evonik’s strategic innovation unit and business incubator, Creavis, and advanced polyurethane experts from the Comfort & Insulation business line, this innovative technology aims to address the pressing need for adhesives that can be easily removed for recycling and repair.

Sterilizable, weldable, sealable Liveo™ Pharma TPE Ultra-Low Temp Tubing is an ISO Class 7 cleanroom-manufactured tubing that offers improved elastomer toughness and ductility down to -86 °C; resistance to bend, crush and impact at -80 °C; good pumpability and low spallation; and excellent burst pressure resistance and chemical resistance. The phthalate-free tubing’s purity and regulatory data include USP Class VI standards, extractables USP <665>, elemental impurities USP <232> and Biocompatibility ISO 10993 (part 5, 6, 11, 23), among others. A comprehensive data package is available to facilitate qualification and validation.

While carnauba wax remains a valuable renewable resource, its supply chain faces multiple challenges including seasonal harvesting limitations, climate dependencies, and labor-intensive collection processes in northeastern Brazil. These factors, combined with growing global demand across various industries, create significant supply and price volatility for formulators.

In a significant move, Continental AG has announced that its ContiTech group sector will become an independent entity. This decision marks a pivotal step in Continental’s strategic realignment, aimed at creating three strong, independent companies focused on their respective industries.

ContiTech will operate independently as a material solutions specialist with a strong industrial focus. The exact form of the transaction and the timetable for independence will be determined in the next phase. Continental AG will shift its focus to becoming a global leader in the tire industry. This follows the planned spin-off of its Automotive group sector and the sale of the Original Equipment Solutions (OESL) business area.

Effective May 1, 2025, or as customer contracts allow, the WACKER Group is to raise its prices for dispersions and dispersible polymer powders sourced from its production sites in Europe and USA. Prices for these products will be increased by up to 5 percent. This measure has been necessitated by rising costs for raw materials and logistics. The price adjustments will enable the Polymers division to continue providing customers with high product quality, technological innovations, best-in-class customer service and technical support, along with supporting investment to secure the capability for future growth across focus markets.

Michelin has completely redesigned its offer for road bicycle tires, turning to advanced technologies. The result is the MICHELIN PRO5, a tire designed for both endurance and competition alike. Significantly more efficient than its predecessor, the MICHELIN PRO4 Endurance, the MICHELIN PRO5 boasts a 35% improvement in rolling resistance. This improvement is achieved thanks to the tire’s new Tubeless Ready design, as well as its mix of MICHELIN Gum-X tread rubber.