Today’s News

Yokohama Tire’s new consumer e-Store is open for business
Yokohama Tire has partnered with Tangerine Promotions on a new, consumer e-store filled with fresh Yokohama-branded gear. The e-store, located at https://merchandise.yokohamatire.com/ is now open for business. Products on the new site include Yokohama merchandise and apparel for men, women and children

Erik Olsen to step down as president of TBC Corporation
After a strong 17-year career at TBC Corporation, seven and a half as the President & CEO, Erik R. Olsen will step down effective June 30, 2021. Erik joined TBC in 2004 as Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer. After just one year with the organization his responsibilities were expanded to include oversight of TBC’s distribution arm at the time Carroll Tire as President. In 2008, he was named President & CEO of TBC Wholesale Group. He was appointed COO of TBC Corporation in 2013, and in January 2014, he took office as TBC Corporation’s President & Chief Executive Officer

Goodyear bicycle tires chosen by Team Qhubeka ASSOS for World Tour racing
Goodyear announced a new multiyear agreement to serve as the exclusive bicycle tire partner with Team Qhubeka ASSOS, one of the teams competing in professional cycling’s World Tour, the highest level of men’s road cycling in the world. The agreement is in effect from the start of the 2021 pro cycling schedule, which began on Feb. 3

Ecore and USRPA are “Going for Green” for Earth Day 2021
Chicago, IL – Ecore and the USA Women’s 7s Players of the United States Rugby Players Association (USRPA) have teamed

Arburg announces successful debut with CDP initiative
Arburg scores “B” on its CDP confirming that the company performs better than average in the areas of climate protection, ecology and CO2 emissions compared to other industry players. The classification as part of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) was based on the company’s answers to a detailed list of quantitative and qualitative questions on minimizing emissions. The CDP score, like the recently published sustainability report, is an important component of the “arburgGREENworld” program, in which Arburg has pooled its activities in relation to resource conservation and the circular economy.

Bridgestone to invest ¥10.2 billion in cutting-edge equipment at Shimonoseki plant
The equipment will be installed together with new infrastructure that will further contribute to the Group’s implementation of its Sustainability Business Framework roadmap, which entails linking its initiatives for recycling resources and contributing to the realization of a carbon neutral society with its business model. Specifically, solar power generation equipment will be installed to increase the portion of the Shimonoseki Plant’s electricity generated from renewable energy, reducing CO2 emissions and environmental impacts.

Milliken & Company appoints Cindy Boiter as executive vice president and chemical division president
Boiter joined Milliken’s Chemical Division in 2012 as marketing, strategy and business development director and progressed to become the division’s CFO, where she played an integral role in its rapid growth. In 2018, she transitioned to Milliken’s chief strategy officer, where she led the company’s 2025 strategic planning initiatives and oversaw two significant acquisitions. Boiter is a recipient of the Milliken Honors Award for Diversity and Inclusion and is an active ally for associates worldwide
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
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