Sanjeev Taneja has taken over the management of Evonik’s business line Catalysts effective from 1 July 2020. On the same date, the Catalysts business line became part of the newly created Smart Materials division. He most recently headed Evonik India as President and Managing Director for more than two years. For his new role, he will return to Hanau, Germany, where he takes over the function from Steffen Hasenzahl, who has been named as the Managing Director of Evonik Creavis GmbH.

The International Sleep Products Association (ISPA) has announced that Scott Tinsley, vice president, sales of Serta Simmons Bedding LLC., has assumed the position of chair of the ISPA Board of Trustees. Tinsley replaces Eric Rhea who resigned from his role as ISPA Chair due to his retirement from Leggett & Platt Inc. at the end of July 2020. Hank Little, president of Atlanta Attachment Co., has been appointed vice chair. Bryan Smith, president and CEO of Southerland Inc., has agreed to stay on as past chair.

Stepan Company announced that, through subsidiaries in Mexico, it has entered into an agreement with Clariant (Mexico) S.A. de C.V. to acquire Clariant's anionic surfactant business and associated sulfation equipment located in Santa Clara, Mexico. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in Q3 2020, subject to regulatory approvals and satisfaction of certain other requirements.

Lubrizol Engineered Polymers announced that it has launched a plasticiser-free Pearlbond 920 TPU for hot melt adhesives that require a UV and colour-stable material in outdoor applications. The material is said to offer superior weatherability, very good hydrolysis resistance and can be applied in sportswear, edge banding in furniture, interlinings, reflective tapes, automotive interiors and awnings.

Applicazioni Plastiche Industriali S.p.A (API), the footwear arm of material solutions provider Trinseo, announced that it has recently received Global Recycled Standard (GRS) accreditation for three of its thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU). These materials – all branded Apilon 52 Eco – are part of the company’s sustainable solutions portfolio and contain varying amounts of recycled content.

According to benchmark research conducted through an independent, nationally recognised SurveyGizmo consumer panel for the CertiPUR-US programme, nine out of ten recent or upcoming mattress buyers were more likely to purchase a mattress that contains CertiPUR-US-certified flexible polyurethane foam. CertiPUR-US is a certification programme for flexible polyurethane foam used in bedding and upholstered furniture that is administered by the Alliance for Flexible Polyurethane Foam (AFPF), a not-for-profit organisation incorporated in 2008.

Megafarma, an Azelis company, announced that it has been authorised by Celanese  to distribute its emulsion polymers in Mexico. The non-exclusive distribution agreement includes the following Celanese products: Resyn, Tufcor, Vinac, Dur-O-Set, Avicor, Celvolit, EcoVAE, and Flexbond.

Nordmann announced that it is now distributing electronic materials for Momentive Performance Materials Inc. in Germany. According to Nordmann, this represents an extension its existing distribution activities with the US company, which is a leading supplier of silicones.

Under the name Aquair Trans-Textil GmbH is providing highly breathable coated textiles based on purely aqueous and solvent-free formula components from Covestro. In a joint and exclusive development, both partners have laid the foundation for this functional product line, which also focuses on ecological aspects.