Joe Harris has been appointed as new Senior Account Manager at Everchem Specialty Chemicals. Harris has been a territory manager for over twenty years, and has deep industry knowledge related to selling speciality additives into the tyre and rubber, rigid polyurethane and isocyanurate foam, lubricant and catalyst markets.

Huntsman announced that since the Covid-19 pandemic began, the company has been producing thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers for manufacturers of essential medical personal protective equipment (PPE) around the world. The TPUs are being used to produce hospital gowns, face masks, mattress covers, tubes, valves, cable jackets and, notably, powered air purifying respirators (PAPR).

According to Rampf Group, vehicles must be reliably sealed to keep moisture outside of the car. When driving in wet conditions, the water should always run off the car and not finds its way through the car door into the interior. Sealing foams based on polyurethane and silicone from Rampf Polymer Solutions play a central role in keeping cars dry.

Systems supplier ProTec Polymer Processing GmbH announced that it is enjoying great success in Asia with its pultrusion lines for producing long fiber reinforced thermoplastic (LFT) compounds. Suzhou Sunway Polymer Co. Ltd. from the city of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province is one of the satisfied Chinese customers and is now producing pellets using its two ProTec LFT pultrusion lines.

On 14 May 2020, the JEC Group announced that it will offer an exclusive online experience by organizing the JEC Composites Technical Conferences, initially planned during JEC World 2020, via webinars. According to the organizer, high-profile experts and speakers will share their expertise, vision, and perspective on the composites industry, starting from 20 May 2020 until 24 June 2020.

Dr. Tammo Boinowitz (53) will become managing director of BYK-Chemie GmbH based in Wesel as of 1 January 2021. After a two-month training and transitional phase, he will also become the President of BYK, the largest division of the specialty chemicals group Altana. He succeeds Dr. Christoph Schlünken, who has headed the division on an interim basis since October of last year in parallel with his responsibilities on Altana’s Management Board.

Foams produced by moulding are used for example in packaging for electrical appliances, bicycle and motorcycle helmets, armrests in cars and many other applications. In the production process, foamed plastic beads are sintered using steam in order to form components. The choice of materials is therefore limited to those that can be joined within the temperature and pressure range of classic steam molding processes (between 1-8 bar), for example polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP) or thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).

Since 1 March 2020, Hendrik Fleßner has taken over the global sales and marketing management role for the Velvetol business at the WeylChem Group. This was announced by the company in a press release issued on 11 May 2020.

Kristel Ons has been appointed as the incoming Secretary General of Feica, the Association of the European Adhesive & Sealant Industry, with effect from 15 June 2020. She succeeds Philip Bruce, Director of PJB Chemical Consulting Ltd, as Secretary General. Bruce took charge of Feica four and a half years ago, after which the association went from strength to strength, with a healthy strategy and increased membership.