Packages may not be able to speak yet. But if they were, they would tell the consumer when their contents have reached their sell-by date, where and at what temperature the packaged product has to be stored and the applications it is intended for. All the same, modern packages already come with all this information. Intelligent packages that satisfy many criteria in addition to supplying the necessary consumer information are on the advance – and not only where foods are concerned. The plastic film industry has therefore been hit much less hard by the 2009 economic crisis than other branches of the plastics industry.

The triennial international trade fair for plastics and rubber, K 2010, will open its doors from 27 October – 3 November 2010 in Düsseldorf, Germany. Despite the difficult economic times for the industry, some 3,000 exhibitors have registered and all 19 of the available halls will be occupied.

Celanese and its Ticona engineering polymers business announced a price increase of 10 % in North America and South America for POM products (Hostaform and Celcon) and PBT products (Celanex PBT, Vandar PBT, Impet PET and Riteflex TPC-ET) effective with all shipments beginning on 15 April 2010, or as contracts allow.

Styrolux, a styrene-butadiene (SB) block copolymer, was produced on an industrial scale for the first time about 30 years ago in Ludwigshafen, Germany.

Green Rubber Inc., a subsidiary of the Petra Group, has extended its deal with US-based footwear company Timberland to make athletic shoes, boat shoes, and boot soles from recycled latex.

Evonik Industries has acquired the business of methacrylate speciality esters from Arkema as of the end of 2009.

Solutia Inc. is acquiring the German company Etimex Solar GmbH, a subsidiary of Etimex Holding GmbH, for a price of EUR 240 million in cash and additional debt.

Bayer MaterialScience recently introduced Baymedix CL 100, a lubricious surface treatment for medical devices which gives a durable coating with an especially low coefficient of wet friction. The exceptional lubricity of this new product complements Bayer MaterialScience LLC's existing portfolio of hemocompatible polyurethane-based hydrophilic coatings.

Kraton has announced that its MD6705 Stretch Technology has been named one of three finalists for the IDEA10 Achievement Awards in the nonwovens Raw Material category.

On 1 April Kraton Polymer announced a couple of price increases for its SBS and HSBC products.