Materials firm Zeon Corporation and Yokohama Rubber Co have agreed to establish a pilot facility to demonstrate technology for producing butadiene from ethanol derived from plant-based and other sustainable materials. The facility will be based at Zeon’s Tokuyama Plant (Shunan…
Category: Pan-Asia
South and East Asia rubber news
Mesnac to invest in plant in Mexico
Chinese rubber machinery maker Mesnac has announced an initial investment of US$20 million to establish a new production plant in León, Guanajuato, Mexico. This strategic move seeks to consolidate its presence in North America, a key market for the rubber…
Evonik merges silica and silanes businesses
German chemical firm Evonik has launched Smart Effects, a new entity counting 3,500 employees worldwide, as a result of the merger of its silica and silanes business lines that will be part of “Advanced Technologies” within the new company organisation. Effective as at 1 January,…
Cabot back on track with Indonesian carbon black expansion
US carbon black maker Cabot says it has restarted its previously suspended carbon black plant expansion in Cilegon, Indonesia, targeting completion by mid-2025 as the company seeks to capitalise on Southeast Asia’s growing market demand. The company will add 80…
Solvay and Hankook tie-up for circular silica
Belgian chemical firm Solvay and South Korean tyre maker Hankook announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on the development of circular silica coming from biosourced and waste sourcing for tire production. This partnership combines Solvay’s silica expertise and…
Schwalbe provides positive update on fair rubber supplier partnership in Indonesia
Bicycle tyre maker Schwalbe has provided an update from its project in Lebak Bante, Indonesia, which highlights the positive impact of agroforestry and sustainable practices in the rubber sector, eight months after it partnered with a fair rubber supplier to plant 7,500 rubber…
Yokohama Rubber breaks ground on US$500 mn tyre plant in China
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…
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,…
Bridgestone to invest US$85 mn in Indian car tyre plants
Bridgestone India Private Ltd. (BSID), a subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation (Bridgestone), recently announced a strategic growth investment to expand capacity and capability in India. The investment will be directed to the Bridgestone Pune Plant and the Indore Plant to reinforce the…
DL Chemical opens polyisoprene facility in Singapore to cater to surgical gloves
South Korea’s DL Chemical, a unit of the petrochemical-to-construction conglomerate DL Group, has announced the completion and commencement of commercial operations at what it says is the world’s largest polyisoprene latex plant on Jurong Island, Singapore. It is also Singapore’s first polyisoprene latex plant, and…