WOMEN OF OUR INDUSTRY: Join the Rubber Division for their WORD Conversations event on March 29th 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. ET with featured guest Krista Toutant. This WORD Conversation begins with open networking for approximately 10 minutes followed by a conversation between our featured guest, Krista Toutant, the current Chair-elect, and Terry DeLapa, the Rubber Division’s 1st ever woman Chair.

Elkem has decided to invest around NOK 200 million to increase its production capacity in Brazil for pitch, a raw material for electrode paste to industrial smelters.

A newly approved standard from ASTM International’s recovered carbon black committee (D36) provides a test that will help to differentiate products and provide a quality control tool for producers and users. Recovered carbon black (rCB) is a recycled product made from end-of-life tires

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Regulation No. 117 (R11) provides requirements for maximum tire rolling sound emissions, minimum wet grip performance, maximum rolling resistance, and conformity of production (CoP) for tires imported into the European Union. UNECE R117 testing is appropriate for C1 (passenger car) and C2 (light truck) tires.

Milestar® Tires announces a partnership with Hammerking Productions® to be the Official UTV Tire of King of the Hammers® (KOH) in 2023.

– Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. (Toyo Tires®) introduces the Toyo® Celsius® II all-weather touring tire. From summer to winter, this versatile tire provides driving comfort, wet weather grip, and traction in light snow

R.E. Carroll Inc., announced the acquisition of RHD Polymer and Chemical LLC, effective February 1, 2023.

Teknor Apex announced their new Monprene® S3 CP-15170 BLK, an eco-conscious thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) made with 35% sustainable content that includes UBQ™ and post-consumer recycled material. UBQ™ is a sustainable plastic substitute converted entirely from organic and unrecyclable waste. Biobased and highly recyclable, UBQ™ offers a climate-positive solution towards a circular economy. By replacing oil-based raw materials with UBQ™ in TPE formulations, Teknor Apex is helping to address the global waste crisis, preserving finite natural resources, and reducing the carbon footprint of end products which utilize its TPE.

Greenerd Press & Machine Company has announced its latest 2500 Ton Compression Molding Press, with 10-foot square heated platens maintaining 500-degree (Fahrenheit) surfaces to +/- 5 degrees. This 2500 Ton Press is part of a seven-press order which is currently being built in their main facility. The press also features an innovative mold transfer system which significantly improves the ergonomic and safety dynamics for operators, and reduces the press idle time between cycles.

London, England – England’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced an inquiry into to Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd / Trelleborg

Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) introduced the M863 all-position radial tire designed to help deliver outstanding performance and increased durability for on- and off-highway fleets. The new Bridgestone M863 provides a simple solution to equip tough trucks, concrete mixers, dump trucks, construction fleets, logging trucks and more with a product proven to deliver more miles per tire.

The automotive tire market size is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.6% from 2023 to 2033. The market is valued at US$ 503.9 Billion as of 2023, and by 2033, the market is expected to hit a valuation of US$ 958.8 Billion according to Future Market Insights.

Synthos will restart production of butadiene rubber at its plant in Schkopau, Germany, in March 2023. Recommissioning activities started in the first half of 2022 in direct response to challenging market conditions for butadiene rubber and to meet unmet demand, particularly in the tire industry.

The $60 million project also involved upgrading the site’s cogeneration system, which takes heat created by the carbon black production process and converts it to electricity that can be used by the plant. The electricity is also sold back to the power grid. Such energy conservation equipment is used by many Orion plants worldwide.

BMP Medical said this comes as part of its long-term strategic plan to address future growth. It brings its Sterling facility to 80,000 square feet. The facility includes Class 7 assembly and Class 8 clean room manufacturing, packaging and assembly. It also features custom assembly and packaging, custom injection blow molding, custom injection molding and DNase- and RNase-free manufacturing. BMP Medical’s facility is FDA-registered with product design and development services, R&D tooling and sterilization services.

Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (Bridgestone) has named Wade Munday as its new Director, Corporate Philanthropy and Social Impact. In this newly created position, he will be responsible for advancing and directing the strategy and execution of philanthropic and social programs at Bridgestone that align with the company’s mission and values, including sustainability, DE&I and stakeholder engagement. Munday will manage the operations of the Bridgestone Americas Trust Fund, corporate philanthropy, and workplace giving.

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., announced that it is supplying its ADVAN APEX V601 tires as original equipment for Toyota Motor Corporation’s new GR Corolla, which was launched in Japan in early 2023 and has been gradually introduced to the overseas markets. The GR Corolla is being fitted with 235/40R18 91W size tires.

The global LIM and LSR Injection Machines market size was valued at USD 138.1 million in 2022 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.47% during the forecast period, reaching USD 212.77 million by 2028 according to 360 Market Updates.

For the first time ever, ARPM is offering a two-facility plant tour at Chem-Trend and Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies on February 28, 2023. Both member organizations are headquartered in the greater-Detroit area and are going to open their doors so attendees can learn about their operations and sustainability practices

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. announced that it is supplying its BluEarth-GT AE51 and BluEarth-FE AE30 tires as original equipment (OE) for Toyota Motor Corporation’s new Prius, which went on sale in Japan and globally in January, 2023, and the new Prius PHEV, to be launched from this spring. The tire sizes are 195/50R19 88H for the BluEarth-GT AE51 and 195/60R17 90H for the BluEarth-FE AE30.

Processes for the cost-effective production of micro- and nanostructured surfaces from polymer material are in great demand for the industrial mass production of functional films and molded components. Existing injection molding and roll-to-roll processes often cannot yet achieve the required throughput and sufficiently high reproducibility for many promising product ideas. The ninth international conference “Polymer Replication on Nanoscale” (PRN), which will take place in Aachen on June 1 and 2, 2023, will therefore focus on processes for more efficient production of functional nanostructured surfaces and present possible solutions.

The International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers (IISRP) has launched a website for registration for its 63rd Annual General Meeting (AGM). The event will take place in Boston, MA., from 16 to 19 May 2023

The Interprofessional Fund for Research and Extension services in Agriculture (FIRCA), was created by Decree No. 2002-520 of December 11, 2002. It is an instrument inspired by the provisions of Law No. 2001-635 of October 9, 2001 establishing the Agricultural Development Fund (FDA).

The global carbon black market size grew from $16.5 billion in 2022 to $17.91 billion in 2023 at a CAGR of 8.5%. The Russia-Ukraine war disrupted the chances of global economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, at least in the short term, but carbon black market size is expected to grow to $23.39 billion in 2027 at a CAGR of 6.9%.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company announced layoffs for 5 percent global staff or about 500 positions citing cost savings in response to a challenging industry environment and cost pressure driven by inflation.
Global replacement tire industry demand remained weak in the fourth quarter, led by a 12% decline in EMEA. When coupled with the impacts of inflation — including significant increases in energy costs — the Company expects its EMEA business unit to report a fourth quarter segment operating loss of approximately $80 million. EMEA had reported positive segment operating income since the second quarter of 2020.

Rubber Division, ACS offers a Rubber Technology Training Award for an individual already in the rubber industry seeking additional education and opportunities for advancement. The organization also has three $5,000 undergraduate scholarships available for students who wish to pursue a degree in rubber technology, polymer science or the chemical profession. In addition, local Rubber Groups and industry companies recognize and support the need for financial assistance in obtaining a college degree

Dow Inc. outlined a series of targeted actions aligned to its previously stated plan to achieve $1 billion in cost savings in 2023. The proactive actions will further optimize the Company’s cost structure in response to near-term macroeconomic uncertainty, while maintaining its long-term competitiveness across the economic cycle.

Ford has approved premium winter tires from Continental for its latest Explorer, Fiesta, Focus, Mustang and Puma models. For these five models, the WinterContact TS 870 and WinterContact TS 870 P can be ordered directly from dealers. Both winter tire models offer exceptionally safe handling on dry roads and on snow, as well as short braking distances on ice. In addition, they impress in all weather conditions with precise steering behavior and good safety reserves. A series of independent winter tire tests have given the Continental WinterContact TS 870 and WinterContact TS 870 P top marks in 2022.

Continental launches the next generation of windshield wipers, featuring improved technology, a new design and better handling – AQUACTRL2. The new product series offers a choice between pre-assembled set solutions designed to fit individual vehicles (DirectFit) or single wipers with adapters for flexible mounting to fit a wide range of different vehicle models (MultiClip)

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company will report fourth quarter and full-year 2022 financial results after market close on Wednesday, Feb. 8, followed by an investor conference call at 8:30 a.m. EST on Thursday, Feb. 9.