Japan’s Bridgestone Corporation (Bridgestone) will soon launch its revolutionary airless tyre for semi-trucks and bicycles/electric bicycles. Still under development, Bridgestone’s airless tyre technology so far features a unique spoke structure of recycled thermoplastic to support weight, instead of using pneumatic…
Synthomer receives EC clearance for Omnova acquisition
UK polymer company Synthomer plc says it has received conditional clearance from the European Commission regarding its proposed acquisition of Omnova Solutions Inc. Synthomer had made an offer to buy Omnova for an enterprise value of US$824 million in a…
Hankook adds two wide-base TBR tyres for regional/long-haul applications
There are two new additions to the truck/bus radial (TBR) tyre segment as Hankook Tire America (Hankook) has launched the AH32 all-position and e3 WiDE DL12 drive-axle radials. Both tyres are produced through Hankook’s new “Smart + Technology” manufacturing process…
Pyrolyx America secures US$70m for second rCB plant in Indiana
The Terre Haute Economic Development has approved almost US$70 million revenue bonds to finance the construction of a recycled carbon black (rCB) plant in Terre Haute, Indiana, by rCB manufacturer Pyrolyx; however, the company estimates the construction of the second…
RSDC starts mobile training of tyre mechanics in Kerala with state-of-the-art skill vans
India’s Rubber Skill Development Council (RSDC) has launched a training campaign to “upskill and certify” tyre mechanics in Kerala, a state on the country’s southwestern coast. The project by RSDC and the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) will see specially-developed…
New Singapore NR procurement subsidiary by Sumitomo Rubber to safeguard supply
Japan-based Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) has decided to set up a natural rubber (NR) procurement subsidiary in Singapore to ensure a stable supply of the high-quality raw material after suspected declines in production by major Asian producers. A recent statement…
Cambodian government to study family-oriented rubber farmers to expand rubber revenue
To better understand rubber farmers’ challenges and how they have responded to the rubber price slump in the past decade, the General Directorate of Rubber (GDR) has initiated a joint study with Belgium’s University of Liege agro researchers; the two…
GDT signs agreement for first US plant, secures US$100m for other possible plants
Green Distillation Technologies (GDT), a renowned Australian tyre recycler, will soon be building their first plant on US soil, in addition to securing funding of up to US$100 million for other plants in the US, should the first one prove…
US offers olive branch to China in trade deal truce
In what can be considered as a sweetener to the long running duel between the US and China, US President Donald Trump recently signed the first stage of a US-China agreement said to be a truce. The preliminary deal, which…
India to assess batch pyrolysis processes upon suspicion of dire environmental impact
A National Green Tribunal (NGT) bench headed by Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel has requested that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) find out if advance batch automated plants can “address pollution” caused by burning of waste tyres in India’s…








