New breakthroughs and the main challenges in the field of nanopolymers were among the key topics of discussion at the 2019 Nanoaugmented Materials Industry Summit (NAUM’19) in Kyoto, Japan, from 5 – 6 November 2019. According to the event organiser OCSiAl Group, the number of graphene nanotube-enhanced polymer applications is growing fast, building an ecosystem of greater efficiency and durability around us – e.g. in wind turbines, tyres, anti-static packaging and clothes, home and industrial electronics, as well as car parts.

JEC Asia 2019 welcomed more than 200 exhibitors showcasing the latest innovations to more than 6,600 attendees from 49 countries in Seoul, Korea. According to the organiser JEC Group, from global brands to visionary startups, these companies set the composite world abuzz with the promise of innovation, knowledge, and networking. Once again, JEC Asia gathered a significant number of academic researchers and institutions, industrials in a spirit of innovation, to prove that the sector is rapidly growing. But this year, the Korean composites “Golden Triangle” has shown even more dynamism and a very strong ambition to become a leading country in composites, said the organiser.

STX Corp., a South Korean general trading firm, said Monday (9 December 2019) that it has signed a deal with U.S.-based Pi ECO to set up a joint venture (JV) on recycling waste plastic. The JV will build a facility that converts plastic waste into diesel oil to produce 250 megawatts of electricity, STX said, without elaborating on a time frame or location for the facility.

On 23 November 2019, BASF officially launched its smart Verbund project in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, China, and commenced building its first plants. According to the company, this marks a milestone of BASF’s USD 10 billion investment project announced in July 2018. The first plants will produce engineering plastics and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) to serve the increasing needs of various growth industries in the southern China market and throughout Asia.

Texon announced that it has joined the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) – the leading alliance for sustainable production in the apparel, footwear and textile industry. As a member of SAC, Texon joins more than 240 global brands, retailers, and manufacturers as well as government, non-profit environmental organisations, and academic institutions, which are collectively committed to improving supply chain sustainability.

Modifications to the polymer chains by curatives, formed by sulfur and fragments of accelerators lead to polymer chain modifications in the elastomers. Emulsion styrene-butadiene rubber (E-SBR) samples, cured with tetramethylthiuram disulfide and sulfur (TMTD/S8), and zinc dialkyldithiophosphate with sulfur (ZDT/S8), were studied. They were characterized in detail in terms of crosslink density and crosslink structures.

On 15 November 2019, US Representatives Tony Cárdenas and Larry Bucshon introduced the Realizing the Economic Opportunities and Value of Expanding Recycling (RECOVER) Act. Through a coalition of partners, led by the Plastics Industry Association (Plastics), the bill H.R. 5115, would allocate federal grants to states and municipalities to invest in improving their recycling programs and infrastructure, including upgrading plants that receive and process recyclables and enhance the recovery and collection of materials.

Effective from 16 November 2019, Brad Thompson has been appointed as General Manager, Global Sales & Marketing, at Cancarb Limited, a Tokai Carbon Group company. Thompson replaces Peter Donnelly, who was appointed President of Cancarb as of 1 October 2019.

Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. announced that it will transfer its entire ownership stake in Toyoda Gosei Meteor GmbH (TGM), its production subsidiary in Bockenem, Germany, to SCUR-Alpha 1123 GmbH (now: AEQPH GmbH), an affiliate of a German business fund.

Michelin and Faurecia announced that they have formalised the creation of Symbio, A Faurecia Michelin Hydrogen Company, a joint venture combining all their hydrogen fuel cell dedicated activities, with the aim of becoming a world leader in hydrogen mobility.