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.

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.

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.

On 3 September 2019, Charlie Rogers assumed the new position as President of KraussMaffei Corporation in Florence, KY, USA. He succeeds Paul Caprio, who left the company at the beginning of June 2019. Rogers reports to Michael Ruf, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the KraussMaffei Group.

The worst for the rubber glove sector is over and growth is likely to resume in the coming quarters as glove manufacturers indicated that they have started to increase selling prices to pass on the incremental costs, according to Affin Hwang Capital. “Malaysia manufacturers are acting more rationally to prevent an all-out price war, as they are willing to delay or cut capacity to maintain selling prices,” it said in a research note.

Some five major projects in Ankara, Istanbul, Bursa and Adana will be receiving government support, according to a presidential decree published on Thursday (5 September 2019) in the Official Gazette.