Yokohama Rubber Co announced recently that it held a groundbreaking ceremony ahead of the start of construction of its new passenger car tyre plant in Hangzhou City, China. The 300,000 sq m facility, with an investment of US$500 million, will…
Continental initiates spin-off of automotive biz and sale of Contitech OESL biz
Germany-based Continental’s Executive Board has informed the Supervisory Board to spin off the Automotive group sector. Subject to the approval of the Supervisory Board in March 2025 and resolution by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of Continental AG on 25 April…
Yokohama Rubber launches sensing technology for conveyor belt ops
Japan’s Yokohama Rubber Co says it has developed a sensing technology that remotely monitors the operation of conveyor belts and detects abnormalities in real time. The company plans to launch a comprehensive solutions service using the data captured by the…
ZC Rubber starts up Indonesian plant
China’s ZC Rubber recently commemorated the start up of Phase I of its production at its Indonesian manufacturing plant, PT. Matahari Tire Indonesia (MTI), located in Kendal Industrial Park, Central Java. The US$280 million facility, ZC Rubber’s second overseas plant,…
Michelin/Brembo tie-up to boost braking safety
Italian producer of braking solutions Brembo and French tyre maker Michelin have tied up to exploit the full potential of their intelligent solutions to revolutionise vehicle performance and offer drivers safety and comfort standards, they say. For this partnership, Michelin and Brembo combined their…
Novonix receives DOE loan for graphite plant in US; start up in 2028
Australian synthetic graphite maker Novonix Ltd has received a conditional US$755 million loan from the US Department of Energy (DOE) to build a manufacturing plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, US. The plant is expected to reach full capacity by end of 2028. The…
Westlake invests in “green” graphene firm
US-based Westlake Innovations Inc, a subsidiary of Westlake Corporation, has invested in Universal Matter Inc, which has pioneered and patented Flash Joule Heating (FJH) technology that allows for industrial-scale upcycling of carbon waste streams into graphene and graphitised carbon. Terms were not…
Graphjet achieves breakthroughs with “green” graphite production
Graphite producer Graphjet Technology says that it has achieved key breakthroughs in catalysing graphitisation to produce synthetic graphite of quality with its patented green graphite production technology. Graphjet claims its “green” graphite technology is the first in the world to produce artificial graphite directly from palm kernel shells, a…
Covestro to invest in pilot recycling plant for elastomers used for forklift tyres
German materials firm Covestro says it plans to build a pilot plant for recycling of elastomers. The investment in the double-digit million euro range is used to fund the development and construction project of the pilot plant at Covestro’s site in Leverkusen, Germany.…
Eneos to take full control of SSBR jv; MOL to sell stake
Hungarian oil and gas company MOL and Japan’s Eneos Materials Corporation recently signed a sale and purchase agreement whereby Eneos will buy MOL’s 49% stake in the joint venture Eneos MOL Synthetic Rubber (EMSR). After the transaction, Eneos will be 100%…