Rubber

Trelleborg and Freudenberg receive EU approval to form JV for antivibration solutions

As announced on 1 February 2012, Trelleborg and Freudenberg signed final agreements to form a joint venture in antivibration solutions for light and heavy vehicles. The joint venture will comprise of Trelleborg Automotive and Freudenberg's operation in antivibration solutions, Vibracoustic.

Rubber Polyurethanes

Cytec to sell PSA product line to Henkel

Cytec Industries Inc. will sell its Pressure Sensitive Adhesives (PSA) product line to Henkel for a price of USD 105 million. According to Cytec, full year 2011 sales for the PSA product line were USD 94 million.

Rubber Thermoplastic Elastomers

Kraton announces price increases

Kraton Polymers has announced the following price increases:

Rubber

ETRMA launches new website

The European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers‘ Association ETRMA has launched its new website www.etrma.org.

Rubber

DSM Engineering Plastics global HQ has moved to Asia

DSM Engineering Plastics announces that its global headquarters have moved to Singapore. The company said that this measure - which was pre-announced in 2010 - underlines its commitment to the Asian market which is expected to represent the major share of its growth in the coming years.

Rubber

Kalrez and Vespel production sites earn Nadcap accreditation

Two DuPont facilities in the US have earned Nadcap accreditation: the Newark, DE, plant, that makes Kalrez perfluoroelastomer parts, and a facility in Valley View, OH, which manufactures Vespel parts and shapes. Both facilities had previously been certified for compliance with the aerospace industry’s AS 9100 quality systems standard.

Rubber

Roquette and Rhodia Acetow to jointly develop plant-based polymers

Roquette, a processor of renewable raw materials (maize, wheat, potatoes, peas, and micro-algae), and Rhodia Acetow, a manufacturer of cellulose acetate fibre, have signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to develop new plant-based polymers.

Rubber

Organisational changes at Trelleborg

Trelleborg recently announced some organisational changes. Trelleborg Automotive will be focused on antivibration solutions, its other operations – polymer boots for drive shafts and steering applications and noise damping solutions for brake systems – will be integrated into the Engineered Systems and Sealing Solutions operations respectively.

Rubber

Interpetrol joins IISRP

The International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers, Inc. (IISRP) has elected Interpetrol S.A. as its most recent Affiliate Member.

Rubber

Dynisco buys Shanghai Hao-Ying

Dynisco, a supplier of measurement and control technology for plastics processing, has acquired Shanghai Hao-Ying Measurement & Control Technology Co., Ltd. According to Dynisco, Hao-Ying is one of the top two Chinese producers of temperature sensors, melt-pressure transducers, transmitters and gauges, and other instrumentation used in plastics extrusion and related processes.

Rubber

A. Schulman acquires Elian

A. Schulman, Inc. has announced that it will purchase Elian SAS, a producer of colour masterbatches and a portfolio company of British Vita plc. The price is ca. EUR 48 million in cash.

Rubber

Carlisle to acquire Hertalan

Carlisle announced that it will acquire Hertalan Holding B.V. for a purchase price of approximately EUR 38 million. Hertalan is a manufacturer of EPDM-based roofing membranes and industrial components serving key European markets.

Rubber Thermoplastic Elastomers

CTS inaugurates automotive specialty compounds plant in China

On 16 April 2012 French compounder Coussin has officially inaugurated its new production plant in Changsu, China. CTS Automotive Compounds (Changsu) Ltd. will produce Marvyflo PVC and Téfabloc TPE materials that have been successfully marketed in Asia for more than 10 years.

Rubber

Keyuan signs supplier agreement with Shell

Chinese Keyuan Petrochemi­cals Inc. has signed a supplier agreement with Shell Petrochemicals Company Limited (CSPC), the JV between CNOOC and Royal Dutch Shell Group, to purchase butadiene for its SBS production.

Rubber

Bridgestone to build new tyre plant in Thailand

To respond to increasing global demand Bridgestone plans to build a new plant in Amata City Industrial Estate, Rayong, Thailand for the production of off-the-road radial tires for construction and mining vehicles (ORRs).

Rubber

Rhein Chemie acquires bladder producer in the US

Rhein Chemie has acquired Tire Curing Bladders LLC (TCB), a privately-owned bladder manu­facturer based in Little Rock, AR, USA. Financial details were not disclosed.

Rubber Polyurethanes

VIETNAM: Work on southern petrochemical project to start shortly

Construction of a 4 billion US dollar petrochemical complex is set to start soon in the southern province of Ba Ria -Vung Tau, following recent guidance from Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai.

Rubber

SOUTH KOREA: GS Caltex to build new facility for paraxylene

GS Caltex, Korea’s No. 2 oil refiner, plans to build a new facility for paraxylene (PX) to make its factory the world’s biggest one for the material under business alliance with a pair of Japanese firms.

Rubber

MALAYSIA: Synthetic rubber glove price war deemed unlikely

A price war in the synthetic rubber glove market would probably not materialise as growing demand from developed nations will be more than enough to offset the need to push prices dramatically down.

Rubber

PHILIPPINES: Creation Of Chemical Zones Urged

The country’s $9-billion chemical industry has urged for the development and promotion of special chemical zones in the country that would host targeted strategic investments from global multinational chemical companies.

More news can be found in the Archive