Huntsman announced the opening of its new polyurethanes systems house in Dubai. Situated within the Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone (JAFZA), the purpose-built facility strengthens the company's downstream capabilities in the Middle East and North Africa – increasing its capacity to produce polyurethane systems and polyester polyols for customers across the region.

Rampf Group, Inc. has developed a fully automated production cell with Cure-on-Demand (CoD) technology for the bonding of car parts. According to the company, the integration of CoD technology into joining tools facilitates the fast and reliable bonding of plastic components. Automotive adhesives are designed for high final strength and elasticity. For an effective application process, they must be flowable and precisely metered. To achieve the required adhesion and internal strength, the adhesives require relatively long curing times, said Rampf.

The Adhesive and Sealant Council (ASC) announced that it has partnered with Ducker Frontier to provide ASC members visibility into market opportunities and growth potential in the building and construction market in North America.

Saudi Aramco and Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) have signed a non-binding Letter of Intent (LOI) regarding a proposed investment in the Oil to Chemicals (O2C) division comprising the refining, petrochemicals and fuels marketing businesses of RIL. Saudi Aramco’s potential 20 % stake is based upon an enterprise value of USD 75 billion for the O2C division. According to RIL, this would be one of the largest foreign investments ever made in India.

JGC Corp., Ebara Environmental Plant Co., Ube Industries and Showa Denko KK (SDK) have begun a study of collaboration for an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) business for plastic waste gasification facilities using the Ebara Ube Process (EUP).

Effective from 1 October 2019, Jacob Duer has been appointed as the inaugural President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the newly formed not-for-profit organisation Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW). Duer was previously Director of the Chemicals and Health Branch of the UN Environment Programme. He also led the work of the secretariat of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) and the secretariat for a new financing programme on institutional strengthening at the national level to support the implementation of the chemicals and waste related conventions and SAICM. Duer has more than twenty years of experience with the United Nations with focus on the environment and sustainable development.

Songwon Industrial Co., Ltd. announced that it will showcase its portfolio of solutions for the plastics industry at K 2019. The company said it will feature an array of products and application-tailored solutions that enable applications across sectors such as automotive, electronics, packaging and films, healthcare, and agriculture. Another feature will be the company's increased focus on sustainability, underscoring its commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and to addressing pressing issues – including energy and greenhouse gas reduction, water conservation and material efficiency.

The K 2019 trade fair for plastics and rubber will take place from 16 – 23 October 2019 in Düsseldorf, Germany, where the VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery Association will shine the spotlight on the recycling sector and show how closed loops can work effectively. A series of interviews is shedding light on why it is doing this and the significance of the "Circular Economy" for member companies of the association. In this interview, Alfred Stern, CEO of Borealis AG, will talk about his views on the subject.

Europur, the European association of flexible polyurethane foam blocks manufacturers, announced that it will participate at Foam Expo Europe 2019, taking place from 10 – 12 September 2019 in Stuttgart, Germany.

The Swiss company FoamPartner Fritz Nauer AG has developed a foam product family, which is characterised by very low emission levels for use in automotive headliners with high demands on processability and design. The new ether-based foam technology is said to combine high surface quality with lowest volatile organic compounds (VOC) and fogging (FOG) values. The company will present the new products at Foam Expo Europe 2019 from 10 – 12 September 2019 in Stuttgart, Germany.