French tyre maker Michelin, which previously held 49% shares, has bought a further 51% of the capital of Royal Lestari Utama (RLU), a joint venture with Indonesian energy company Barito Pacific Group, thus becoming the sole owner of RLU. The project, which was…
Category: Industry News
BASF extends SSBR binder to use in EV batteries
German chemical firm BASF has extended its series of Licity anode binders for Li-ion battery manufacturing. The second-generation styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) binder Licity 2698 X F facilitates the use of silicon contents exceeding 20%. In addition to the established properties of the…
Semperit opens new production site and hq in US
Vienna-based polymer products firm Semperit Group two years ago made the decision two years ago to invest around US$10 million into the installation of two new production lines for rubber gaskets as well as the relocation of the existing headquarters…
Michelin pumps EUR37 mn to revitalise former German tyre facility
French tyre maker Michelin’s Bamberg tyre-manufacturing facility in the city of Hallstadt (Bamberg District), inaugurated almost 50 years ago and which closed down in 2019, will be transformed into a facility dedicated to innovation, to be known as the Cleantech Innovation Park.…
Malaysian council launches fund for diversification into non-medical sectors
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Malaysia emerged as a top global exporter of medical rubber gloves due to the country’s ability to meet growing demand. But now there is an oversupply situation emerging and rubber players need to diversify their product…
India’s e-trading platform for NR goes live
India’s Rubber Board says that the electronic platform it developed for natural rubber (NR) trading, known as mRube, will go live on 8 June 2022. The e-trading platform has been launched to improve the marketing effectiveness in the NR supply chain, according to the…
Recycled tyres use in bitumen helps lifespan of roads
In new research conducted by RMIT University in Australia it was found that rubber from used tyres in the composition of asphalt, halves the rate of sun damage. Researchers say that this mix acts like sunscreen for roads and reduces the…
Goodyear aims for airless tyres by 2030; launches soybean oil-commercial tyres
US tyre maker Goodyear has been working on its airless tyres for a while, and has finally been put them to the test on an electric vehicle. The company recently announced that prototype tyres have completed 75,000 miles of testing at…
Birla to expand carbon black capacity by 200 kt
Indian carbon black supplier Birla Carbon has announced an additional 200 kilotonnes/year capacity expansion across key markets. Based on customer demand and feedback, the expansion will cover strategic markets in Europe, India, and China in support of both rubber and specialty applications. The expansions…
Orion to increase gas black capacity in Germany by 2023
US-based carbon black supplier Orion Engineered Carbons says that it will complete its gas black expansion in Germany at plants in Dortmund and Cologne by early 2023. Orion is the only carbon black producer in the industry with gas black…