Hexpol AB has appointed ­Peter Rosén as new CFO. He succeeds Karin Gunnarsson, who has decided to leave the company. Peter Rosén is currently CFO of Resurs Holding AB. His previous roles include, among others, CFO of the Flügger group in Denmark and CFO of Leaf (today Cloetta) Scandinavia. Peter Rosén will take on his position no later than 1 December 2019.

Wabash MPI and Carver, Inc., manufacturers of moulding presses, announced that they are exhibiting at the 2019 International Elastomer Conference (stand 624) from 8 – 10 October 2019 in Cleveland, OH, USA. A new PNP series pneumatic press will be on display along with another press moulding rubber parts in conjunction with Desenco (mould provider) and Hexpol (material provider).

LyondellBasell has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Liaoning Bora Enterprise Group (Bora) to form a 50-50 joint venture in China, which will operate an ethylene cracker currently being built by Bora. Under the MoU, the parties will establish the joint venture in Panjin.

In July 2019, the network ThiM (Technologieplattform hybride innovative Material-Schaumsysteme – technology platform hybrid innovative material foam systems) was founded by five industrial partners from the fields of tool-making, plant engineering and material production as well as two research institutes. These include: KraussMaffei Technology GmbH, Kurtz GmbH, Kaneka Belgium NV, T. Michel Formen GmbH & Co. KG, Werkzeugbau Siegfried Hofmann GmbH, Neue Materialien Bayreuth GmbH as well as the Institute of Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology (ILK) of the Technical University of Dresden.

The injection moulding machines manufacturer Dr. Boy GmbH & Co. KG will showcase eleven exhibits at the trade show. Six Boy injection moulding machines will also be presented at the stands of its partner companies. Amongst others, Boy will highlight its plastification technology Servo-Plast for the first time at K 2019 as well as a new alternative positioning option for its linear handling LR 5 on an injection moulding machine.

DSM has announced to present new applications for Arnitel TPC (co-polyester TPE) in sustainable athletic footwear. In recent years, the athletic sportswear industry has increasingly integrated high-performance materials to deliver higher durability, stability and functional performance without compromising on weight. DSM will present expanded Arnitel that can be used in mid-soles of athletic footwear to deliver a range of performance advantages:

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Evonik’s polyamide 12 elastomer (PEBA), a popular, trusted material—especially in the athletic equipment industry—owing to its very good performance and design freedom*. To celebrate this anniversary, Evonik announced that it will be introducing a new member of the PEBA product family, whose transparency and gloss give designers far more freedom than they have ever had with PEBA.

At K 2019, the Zahoransky business unit Oral Care presents an innovative application for the production of toothbrushes: A laser unit makes it possible to add custom inscriptions to the soft and hard components of toothbrushes immediately before packaging. Kraiburg TPE supplied the thermoplastic elastomers, and Merck the additives for this project. A second demonstration at the stand at K 2019 is the new multicomponent mould which is used to produce a PBT/LSR part.

Sustainability and environmental protection are key topics for the plastics and rubber industries. Modern materials have to be produced sustainably and be biodegradable or recyclable. At the same time, they have to meet the high demands made by industry, for example, on mechanical strength. At K 2019 the Japanese speciality chemicals producer Kuraray is presenting its extensive range of brands - Eval, Septon Bio-series TPE raw materials, Plantic, Clarino, MonoSol, Mowital, Septon, Hybrar, Kurarity, Kuraray Poval, Mowiflex and Genestar. Materials like the new EVOH copolymer Eval, which is readily recyclable, and the bio-based TPE Septon Bio-series are unique materials that combine performance with sustainability.

The European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) has received commitments from 102 chemical manufacturers to reevaluate the safety data in previously submitted REACH registration dossiers.