The developer of injection moulded structural electronics (IMSE) solutions TactoTek has opened sales and business development operations in Mexico with representatives in Monterrey and San Luis Potosí. The Finnish company is partnering with the Prolamsa Group to develop the Mexico IMSE market. Taktotek sees the trend that for many global OEMs, operations in Mexico are evolving from being primarily a manufacturing destination, to including product design and engineering.

There are various beneficial applications of carbon blacks in thermoplastics - they can contribute colour, opacity, electrical conductivity and protection from ultra-violet degradation to the thermoplastic materials. Thermax medium thermal carbon black (N990), supplied by Cancarb, are proven fillers for thermoplastics and provide low viscosity concentrates and compounds with high volume resistivity which makes then useful in many applications including low voltage cables and films.

Teknor Apex offers new Sarlink TPV grades specifically for the production of low-density foams. These TPVs are said to exhibit the high resilience required for door and window seals and provide alternatives to widely used polyurethane foams. Available from 40 to 70 Shore A, the Sarlink 8100 series can be foamed to a density of 0.20 g/cm3 range, which is comparable to those of PU foam used in door seals but is difficult to achieve with standard TPEs.

Kuraray Co., Ltd., PTT Global Chemical Public Company Ltd., and Sumitomo Corporation have announced their decision to establish a JV in Thailand for the production of butadiene derivatives. With Hemaraj Eastern Industrial Estate (Map Ta Phut Complex), Rayong in Thailand, as the candidate of the production site, the JV is scheduled to manufacture and sell high heat resistant polyamide-9T (PA9T) and hydrogenated styrenic block copolymers (HSBC). The name of the JV will be Kuraray GC Advanced Materials Co., Ltd. Kuraray holds a majority share of 53.3 %, while PTT and Sumitomo hold minority shares of 33.4 % and 13.3 % respectively.

Lubrizol, a Berkshire Hathaway company, celebrated its 90th anniversary on 28 July 2018. The company was founded in Cleveland in 1928, moving to Lake County in 1931. The original Wickliffe location remains the site of Lubrizol's world headquarters. Lake County is also home to Lubrizol's Painesville facility. Lubrizol owns and operates 60 manufacturing facilities in 17 countries, as well as sales and technical offices around the world. The company has approximately 8,700 employees worldwide. Revenues for 2017 were USD 6.3 billion.

Lanxess announced that it plans to sell its remaining 50 % stake in Arlanxeo to its joint venture partner Saudi Aramco. The two companies, that founded Arlanxeo in 2016 as a 50:50 joint venture for synthetic rubber, signed a respective agreement on 8 August 2018.

On 6 August 2018, Covestro announced the launch of the brand name Maezio for its continuous fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composites (CFRTP). According to the manufacturer, these products are set to tap into the growing demand worldwide for strong and light materials that contribute to resource conservation and energy efficiency. From mobility and electronics industries to consumer goods and medical products, OEMs and part suppliers can benefit from the performance capabilities of CFRTP composites while enjoying cost-effective and scalable manufacturing solutions, said Covestro.

LyondellBasell announced that Hyosung Vietnam Corp. Ltd. has selected Spheripol polypropylene process technology for a 300 kt/y PP plant in Vietnam. According to LyondellBasell, Spheripol is one of the leading PP process technologies with more than 24 million t of licensed capacity.

Orthodontic braces not only contribute to creating an attractive smile but also improve the dental health of those who undergo treatment. Occasionally, patients can feel discomfort caused by friction from the wires or brackets against the mouth. To avoid discomfort during treatment, manufacturers in the medical/dental field have created dental bracket covers using a Thermolast M compound from Kraiburg TPE.

Huntsman announced that its Polyurethanes division is expanding its footprint in South America with the commercial registration of its business in Chile. The new legal entity Huntsman (Chile) SpA, based in Santiago de Chile, will supply materials and service Chilean customers from a local warehouse and customer service centre.