Today's News
Hexpol presents new developments in automotive thermoplastics and TPE with PCR recyclate
HEXPOL has expanded its automotive materials portfolio with thermoplastics and thermoplastic elastomers containing post-consumer recyclate, including grades with more than 80% recycled content.
The company presented the new materials at Fakuma 2026 in Germany, according to a press release dated Oct. 12. The portfolio includes PC/ABS, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), reinforced polypropylene (PP) and thermoplastic elastomers (TPE).
RDAbbot and Dow to host HCR formulations webinar
Join RDAbbott and Dow on Thursday, November 5, 2026, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM (ET) for a free webinar exploring how High Consistency Silicone Rubber (HCR) materials can help manufacturers address demanding requirements for durability, safety, and performance.
Plast 2029 international exhibition for plastics and rubber will be held in Milan
Plast, Europe’s leading trade fair of the year for the plastics and rubber industries. The 21st edition will take place from 15 to 18 May 2029 at the Fiera Milano exhibition center in Rho.
Its return to a spring slot in the international exhibition calendar will give exhibitors and visitors an ideal moment to plan investments and showcase the sector’s latest technological innovations, from processing machinery to next-generation raw materials.
Arburg celebrates 25 years in Columbia
On 22 September 2026, Maqtec had a major cause for celebration: 25 years as an Arburg trading partner in Colombia and also in other Latin American countries. Christoph Kiefer, Director of Central Sales, and Kadir Cengiz, Manager of Direct & Partner Markets, had travelled from Arburg’s German headquarters in Lossburg to Bogotá to celebrate the silver anniversary in the run-up to the Colombiaplast 2026 trade fair. They presented a certificate to Octavio Guzmán Stokoff, General Manager of Maqtec, and his team of 15 in recognition of their long-standing and reliable trading partnership.
High-styrene rubber market forecast at $544 million by 2032
The global high-styrene rubber market is projected to reach $306.29 million in 2026 and grow to $544.40 million by 2032, representing a compound annual growth rate of 10.11%, according to a market forecast published by Research and Markets.
VMI opens new service facility in León, Mexico
Epe, the Netherlands – On October 8th 2026, VMI officially opened its new facility in León, Mexico, further expanding the
Featured
Mixing
Understanding the difference between high and low shear
Industrial mixing is a crucial process in various industries, including production of rubber formulations, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, personal care products and many others. It is also integral to continuous process industries including waste water treatment, fuel and energy production, and mining of metals and minerals.
Chemicals and Materials
Flexsys narrows 6PPD replacement to two final molecules
Flexsys has developed the world’s first viable alternative to 6PPD, the Company has now completed screening efforts and is focusing on two final candidate molecules for expanded testing and ultimately final selection as a replacement for 6PPD in tires.
Flexsys has also entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to independently and thoroughly evaluate the two molecules’ potential effects on aquatic life
Extrusion
Extruding full rubber bales without a granulator
Walk into most rubber compounding operations today and somewhere upstream of the mixer one will find a granulator. It sits
Silicone & Medical
Bluestar Silicones launches the first mechanically recycled silicone
Bluestar Silicones announces the launch of the first mechanically recycled silicone masterbatch in its portfolio to meet technical performance and product quality comparable to conventional materials.
Incorporating 33% mechanically recycled content, this new product, now available for pre-commercial sales, expands Bluestar Silicones’ Sircle™ circular technologies portfolio while supporting the company’s broader sustainability strategy.
Oil, Gas & Energy
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies develops new sealing system for CO2 compressors
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies has developed a new sealing system for busbar sealing in vehicle air-conditioning compressors. This elastomer-based solution withstands test pressures of over 100 bar in leak tests and offers a cost-efficient alternative to conventional glass seals. Designed for CO₂ compressors (R744), it also works well with other refrigerants.
Testing & Instruments
Direct measurement of steady state shear viscosity
by Michele Scacchi and Denis Venturoli, Evercompounds S.p.A., and Mauro Belloni, Gibitre Instruments S.r.l. The Mooney viscometer (MV) was invented
Molding
Compression molding simulation: Capabilities, features and industrial case studies
by Harshal Bhogesra, MoldEx3D. The MoldEx3D compression molding module provides a fully coupled simulation environment that replicates the filling, packing,
Thermoplastic Elastomers & Urethanes
Polycarbonate polyols for high-performance PU dispersions
by Yoichi Hirose, Asahe Kasei. Newly developed DK031E and PCDX-249 are designed to address the issues associated with aqueous dispersions of polyurethane (PUDs) offering the potential to reduce solvent usage.
Latex and Natural Rubber
Olam Agri acquisition nearly doubles rubber processing capacity in Ivory Coast
Olam Agri has completed its acquisition of Asia Africa Rubber Industry S.A., adding 176,000 metric tons of annual rubber processing capacity in Ivory Coast as the company moves to expand its natural rubber business and meet growing demand for traceable supplies.
The acquisition nearly doubles Olam Agri’s rubber processing capacity in the West African country and is expected to improve operational efficiency, supply reliability and access to international customers, the company said.
The September Issue of Rubber World
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Thermoplastic Elastomers, Urethanes
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