Tyre additive firm Flexsys has announced two milestones in the effort to develop a 6PPD replacement for use in tyres. Following the November 2025 announcement that Flexsys has developed the world’s first viable alternative to 6PPD, the company has now completed screening…
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Bridgestone/Kyushu University advance on guayule rubber productivity
As part of the Fukuoka Bio Community Project, National University Corporation, Japan’s Kyushu University has started a joint research project with Bridgestone Corporation to contribute to the improvement of guayule-derived natural rubber productivity. Unlike the paragum tree, which grows unevenly…
Epsilon ups carbon capacity; doubles total capacity
India’s Epsilon Carbon has commissioned a 300,000 tonnes/year specialty carbon facility at Vijayanagar, Karnataka, taking its total specialty carbon production capacity to 600,000 tonnes/year. The expansion strengthens Epsilon Carbon’s position as one of India’s largest specialty carbon producers while supporting the…
Aether/Dow to research silicone tech in India
Aether Industries Ltd. and Dow Chemical International Pvt. Ltd. (Dow India) have launched an exclusive, multi-year research program to advance silicone manufacturing technology development in India. The program will leverage Aether’s R&D and pilot facilities in Surat, Gujarat, to develop next-generation…
Zeon completes bio-based butadiene demo facility
Japan’s Zeon Corp. has completed construction of a bench-scale facility at its Tokuyama Plant (Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture) to demonstrate technology for production of butadiene from ethanol derived from plant-based and other sustainable materials. Construction of the facility began in July 2025. The…
Eneos to acquire TPC; strengthen C4 chemical business
Japan’s Eneos Holdings says it has decided to acquire US-based butadiene producer TPC Holdings through its wholly owned US subsidiary, to make TPC a wholly owned subsidiary of Eneos under its High Performance Materials Segment. The deal is expected to close in October 2026, pending regulatory approvals. The deal…
Liberty Recycling expands US ops with three acquisitions
Liberty Tire Recycling, a portfolio company of I Squared Capital, an independent global infrastructure investor, has announced a major expansion of its Gulf Coast operations through the acquisition of All American Tire, Colt Tire Recycling, and Genan, Inc (US subsidiary…
Pirelli ties up with Pyrum, Synthos and BASF to recycle ELTs to feedstock
Italian tyre maker Pirelli, tyre recycler Pyrum Innovations, Polish producer of synthetic rubber Synthos and German chemical firm BASF are jointly advancing a tyre-to-tyre circular economy initiative in Europe, driving the development of an industrial ecosystem designed to increase the use…
Hainan Rubber fertiliser tech improves rubber latex yields
China’s Hainan Rubber, in collaboration with leading agricultural research institutions, has developed an advanced fertiliser management technology that significantly improves natural rubber latex yields while reducing fertiliser consumption and labour costs. The innovation has been recognised with a Second Prize…
Michelin ResiCare appoints IMCD to distribute 5 HMF in Europe
Tyre maker Michelin’s subsidiary Michelin ResiCare has announced the signature of a distribution partnership with IMCD Europe, a distributor of specialty chemicals, for its 5- hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), a bio-sourced molecule produced at Michelin’s industrial site in Péage-de-Roussillon. Start-up of the…