Waiting is over. The much-awaited new book on thermoplastic elastomers, Thermoplastic Elastomers at a Glance, authored by Guenter Scholz (former BASF) and Manuela Gehringer (Allod Werkstoff) is out now.

Mocom, the former business unit of Albis, will exhibit at Fakuma 2021 for the first time. As a producer of thermoplastic compounds, the company is active in automotive, healthcare, sports & leisure, building & construction and electrics & electronics markets. Among many other products the portfolio includes Alfater TPV materials. A highlight is the Alfater XL ECO portfolio with TPVs based entirely on PP recyclate and renewable raw materials (Bio EPDM). CO2 savings are calculated using the widely used GaBi software.

Albis announced that its Fakuma trade fair appearance this year will be all about sustainable solutions with materials on the basis of recycled or renewable raw materials that are suitable for use in many industries. In this context, the company presents its comprehensive portfolio with products from the partners BASF, Covestro, Ineos Styrolution, Lanxess, LyondellBasell, Mocom, SK Chemicals, Solvay, Wipag, MBA Polymers, MGG Polymers, Sipol and Tecnaro.

Dryflex Circular TPEs were developed by Hexpol TPE to support the shift from finite fossil-based virgin materials. They were launched in 2019 and contain recycled polymers from various sources, including Post-Consumer (PCR) and Post-Industrial (PIR). They can also be recycled in closed-loop systems at the end of life. The Dryflex Circular TPE grades have now been tested for odour and emissions performance in automotive interiors.

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has announced that it has succeeded in developing a material that significantly reduces the weight of automotive air-conditioning hoses. The company said that it is now accelerating the development of a commercial product and aims for a full market launch in 2024.

Because CAD computers in design are often not connected with the internet for security reasons, the internationally operating producer of standard mould units, Hasco, has come up with its newly developed offline software programme Hasco SET - Standard Engineering Tool geared specifically to the needs of mouldmaking designers.

The KraussMaffei Group announced that it will transfer all activities of the former KraussMaffei High Performance AG into an independent unit effective from 1 October 2021. This will operate under the traditional name Netstal.

Plastics and additives distributor Biesterfeld Plastic has appointed Steen Jensen as the new General Manager of Scandinavian subsidiary Biesterfeld Nordic AB. In September 2021 Jensen will succeed Eric Lundén, who is moving on from the company after six successful years.

Hexpol TPE recently collaborated with Icho Systems GmbH, a company bringing a modern approach to interactive therapy and systems for people with cognitive diseases. The therapy ball ichó was developed to promote cognitive and motor skills in a playful way. Depending on the application, ichó can react with coloured lights, vibrations, sound or music. The reactions are individually adaptable to the needs of the user. Current application areas include people with dementia and children, with a special focus on learning for people with autism.

Elastron has developed new TPVs for automotive corner moulding applications. The products of the V216 series have low coefficient of friction and EPDM bonding properties. V216 products offer good compression set performance along with excellent scratch & abrasion resistance.