rss1

The Rubber Division has the following virtual and in-person training opportunities available for August and September.
August 4 – Course: Interactive Compound Development & Problem Solving
August 5 – Course: Elastomers for Selective Gas Separation, including Carbon Capture
August 9 – Course: Natural Fillers for Rubber Compounds
August 10 – Course: Rubber Extrusion Technology
August 30 – Course: Hazardous Communication
September 21 – Course: Sustainability in the Rubber Industry

The boards of directors of Elkem ASA (“Elkem”) and its wholly owned subsidiary Salten Energigjenvinning AS have entered into a merger plan for the merger of Salten Energigjenvinning AS into Elkem. By the merger, Elkem will acquire all assets and rights and assume all obligations of Salten Energigjenvinning AS, and at the same time Salten Energigjenvinning AS will be dissolved as a legal entity.

Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. Group company Hubei Toyoda Gosei Zheng Ao Rubber and Plastic Sealing Technology Co., Ltd. (TG Zheng Ao) held an opening ceremony on July 13 to celebrate its move to new and larger plant.

– Members of the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR), who represent 55% of the rubber value chain, convened their annual General Assembly, where they defined and charted out a path for a concept they call shared responsibility. This concept acknowledges the lack of equity in the natural rubber supply chain and charts out a mechanism where the costs and benefits of the platform’s sustainability initiatives will be equitably distributed across all actors within the supply chain.

Birch Chemicals has opened its first international arm – which includes a new base in India, designed to service the Asian market. The recent launch of Birch Chemicals India is a typically bold move for the Lincolnshire-based chemical products specialist, and it includes a facility in Maharashtra (a state in the western peninsular region and the second-most populous in India).

The International Elastomer Conference is the one place, one time a year, where you find the best of our industry all under one roof. It is an event where connections are made, knowledge is shared, new products, new technology and new ideas are introduced, business is conducted, developed and gained, fun is had, encouragement and empowerment happen, and the future is embraced.

Researchers led by Hongyang Liu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Metal Research, has developed a method of ethylbenzene dehydrogenation under oxygen-free conditions with fully exposed platinum (Pt) cluster catalysts that result in the positive traits of high activity, selectivity and stability, as well as lower energy and financial costs. The results will be published July 10 in Nano Research.

Continental acquires family-owned belting manufacturer WCCO Belting headquartered in Wahpeton, North Dakota, USA. With this acquisition, the technology company complements its conveyor belting customer portfolio and strengthens its Conveying Solutions business in the agricultural industry. Additionally, equipment manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and farmers will benefit from a combined product and service portfolio generating a full multi-tier offering that will enable better support and service. “This strategic acquisition is a threefold perfect fit: portfolio, sales market and people. Moreover, we continue our transformation towards a holistic solutions provider in one of the growing industries, namely the off-highway industry”, says Philip Nelles, member of Continental’s Executive Board and head of the ContiTech Group Sector. Both parties have agreed not to disclose the terms of the transaction.

Continental will expand its hydraulics business in North America. A new, state-of-the-art hydraulic hose production facility will be built in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, to increase and complement manufacturing capabilities in the region and beyond. The planned investment is worth more than $40 million. The new facility will provide additional wire braid and wire spiral capacity to support growing needs across North America.