Today’s News

The Rubber Division adds another WORD Conversation featuring Dr. Tamsin Astor
The Rubber Division, ACS has added another WORD Conversations event to the schedule, and it will be featuring special guest Dr. Tamsin Astor – Chief Habitat Scientist, International Speaker & Author on July 21st! Women of our industry, join us for these upcoming WORD Conversations – learn from others, have some conversations, share experiences, give/get advice and network. Each hour-long online event includes a conversation with an inspirational woman followed by a breakout room session for attendees to participate in networking and Q&A. The events are held via Zoom and registration is free for all who wish to join

MonTech offers free e-guide to laboratory press design
MonTech Rubber Testing Solutions offers its free e-guide: The Official Lab Manager’s Guide to Lab Press Design. When designing a new rubber or silicone laboratory press, one needs to ask the right questions. This downloadable guide teaches readers how to build a laboratory press with their application, production and safety requirements in mind. The e-guide outlines key points to consider, including footprint design; specific application options; increasing production capacity; and user ergonomics and safety

Book of the Day: Engineered Rubber Products – Introduction to Design, Manufacture and Testing
The successful manufacture of engineered rubber products is complicated. It involves different disciplines, materials, and types and designs of equipment. Problems sometimes occur because of less-than-desirable communication among personnel involved in the development and manufacture of rubber products. This book’s intent is to improve communication among different disciplines. Using a systems approach, it is further intended to introduce chemists and engineers to the unique capabilities of rubber in a wide range of tire and non-tire products

RDAbbott to attend Rubber Division, ACS Spring Technical Meeting
R.D. Abbott Co., Inc. (RDAbbott) will reconnect with customers and colleagues at the Spring Technical Meeting for Rubber Division, ACS on Tuesday, April 27, and Wednesday, April 28. RDAbbott will attend technical meetings and share tabletop exhibits at this hybrid event, which will be held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton, Cleveland Rockside, in Independence, Ohio. Last year’s in-person spring meeting was cancelled because of the coronavirus.

Biesterfeld takes over European distribution rights of ExxonMobil‘s Oppera Modifiers
Biesterfeld Performance Rubber is strengthening its long-standing collaboration with industry-leading polymer supplier ExxonMobil Chemical by taking on the distribution of Oppera™ in the European market

HEXPOL offering on-site COVID-19 vaccines to employees
HEXPOL takes the health and safety of its employees, customers, stake holders and communities very seriously. As HEXPOL NA continues to fight against COVID-19, it is proud to announce that it has partnered with local pharmacies to create on-site COVID-19 vaccine clinics in certain geographic regions. These clinics will span over the upcoming months and will provide easy access to the vaccine for its employees and qualifying family members

Specialty Silicone Products explains EMI shielding for electric vehicles
In a new white paper, Specialty Silicone Products (SSP) explains what engineers need to know about protecting EVs from EMI. SSP, a global provider of conductive elastomers for EMI gaskets, examines the sources of EMI for all types of electric vehicles and explains how, when, where and why to use particle-filled silicones. Moreover, SSP describes cost-effective but high-performing alternatives to silver filled materials
Featured Articles

Ultra high Mooney branched EPDM: Easy to process high filler loading compounds
many EPDM grades are still produced using conventional Ziegler-Natta catalysts, molecular catalysts for EPDM production have been adopted readily and have grown rapidly. Dow has introduced its Advanced Molecular Catalyst (AMC) technology as a new benchmark in the EPDM industry by enabling even higher process sustainability and catalyst efficiency
Mixing

Keltan 2470E EPDM Grade for Excellent Electrical Performance in Wire and Cable
Ethylene propylene diene polymers (EPDM) are the most widely used rubbers in the range of available synthetic rubbers for non-tire applications. Due to the unsaturated backbone, EPDM can be employed in various applications in which characteristics such as resistance to ozone, heat and moisture, flexibility at low temperatures, a wide range of tensile strength and hardness levels, and excellent electrical insulating properties are important
Extrusion

Dimensional Change Resulting From Swell And Drawdown Of Extruded Polymers
Understanding and predicting how extruded profile dimensions change along an extrusion line contribute significantly to the design of shaping dies and the effectiveness of dimensional control. Upon exiting the extrusion die, the dimensions of nonsymmetric profiles change non-uniformly along the line due to swell and drawdown.
Silicone

Silicone surfactants market is poised to grow by $80.8 million through 2025
The report on silicone surfactants market provides a holistic analysis, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis covering around 25 vendors. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current global market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. The market is driven by the increasing demand for polyurethane foam and rising demand from personal care industry. In addition, increasing demand for polyurethane foam is anticipated to boost the growth of the market as well.
The silicone surfactants market analysis include end-user segment and geographic landscape
Oil, Gas & Energy

Sealing solutions offered for air and sea
In aerospace, demand has increased for actuator designs that meet and exceed more rigorous performance standards, while providing unprecedented safety and reliability. Some of these requirements, such as the fire and flammability resistance defined in ISO 2685 and RTCA DO-160, go beyond the use of standard hydraulic seal designs. These high temperature, challenging requirements significantly impact commercial aircraft engine safety, and often force the use of heavy, bulky, easily damaged and costly external fire shielding. As a result, Greene Tweed developed the Fireproof Hydraulic Seal (FPH Seal), which has been specifically engineered to meet this need and establish a shielding alternative.
Testing & Instruments

Polymer quality control: Real-time near infrared testing cuts cost up to 90%
While traditional testing is critical in determining polymerization factors, from simple moisture content to complete chemical analysis, it is time consuming, labor intensive, and has substantial ongoing costs in terms of the purchase and disposal of consumables such as reagents and chemicals. Conventionally, it requires sample preparation, and can take five to 15 minutes for moisture testing, and 24 to 48 hours for more complex chemical testing. Fortunately, an approach using near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy can now provide immediate, real time laboratory quality readings via a non-contact, secondary measurement method that can deliver moisture, composition analysis and even full spectrum readings for a fraction of the running cost of conventional methods.
Latex and Natural Rubber

Almond Production Residues As Natural Rubber Fillers
Carbon black is commonly used as a filler in rubber and plastic compounds. It is composed of over 90% carbon, with low oxygen and hydrogen content, mainly forming surface functional groups which may participate in polymer reinforcement. Raw almond shells are composed of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, representing less than 50% carbon, over 40% oxygen, and at times significant amounts of moisture. The relatively polar nature of almond shells, and their tendency to degrade at processing temperatures, presents a less than ideal alternative when considering fillers for hydrocarbon polymers.
Site of the Week

ITW Pro Brands
ITW Pro Brands Diamondkote Mold Release agents are designed to provide the molding industry incredible value and are used worldwide for some of the most demanding molding applications. Our releases promote clean tooling, reduced applications, and lower scrap rates in molding operations and allow for higher levels of productivity versus competitive products. We are known world-wide for application ease, minimal build-up, higher productivity, and lower scrap rates
The April Issue of Rubber World
Sponsored by:
This issue focuses on Automotive Elastomers & Parts
The issue is available online to our subscribers via our digital edition.
To subscribe, click here. For advertising information click here.