Raw Materials
According to a statement issued on 7 September, Pirelli has disposed of its car tyre factory in Guacara, Venezuela and all other activities within the country. As Pirelli’s Venezuelan subsidiary was deconsolidated as far back as 31 December 2015, the tyre maker says the operation’s divestment “has no financial effects on the group.”
Polymer producer DuPont has announce that it will increase its Zytel prices globally. Effective from 1 October, or as soon as contracts allow, DuPont Transportation & Advanced Polymers is increasing the price of Zytel products by the equivalent of $550 per metric tonne.
After a stoppage of two days, Pirelli’s tyre factory in Guacara, Venezuela is said to be operating again. Venezuelan daily El Universal reports that the country’s Ministry of Labour has intervened in the matter, and this led to production recommencing on 29 August.
Three Eastman scientists will discuss using insoluble sulphur to improve manufacturing productivity, the relationship between resin chemistry and tyre performance, and innovative solutions to maintain steel cord adhesion at the International Tire Exhibition and Conference (ITEC) in Akron, Ohio, 11-13 September 2018.
In Anklam, near Germany’s Baltic coast, Continental is setting up a centre to oversee its efforts to industrialise rubber sourced from Russian dandelions for use in tyre production. Groundbreaking on the Taraxagum Lab Anklam facility took place last November, and Continental reports that the first machine for extracting rubber from the roots of the Russian dandelion plant was installed several days ago.
The Pirelli factory in Guacara, Venezuela hasn’t escaped the economic turmoil the country is currently experiencing, and plant workers received a nasty surprise upon arriving for yesterday’s shift. Local news sources report that the factory has been shuttered as it lacks the raw materials needed to maintain production. Pirelli is also allegedly unable to pay the wages of its 704 unionised workers and approximately 175 other employees in Guacara following the introduction of currency reforms on 20 August.
On 10 August 2018 China’s Ministry of Commerce announced plans to implement anti-dumping duties ranging from 23.1 per cent to 75.5 per cent on synthetic halogenated butyl rubber from the United States, the European Union and Singapore starting 20 August 2018.
Kordsa has spent roughly US$100 million buying Fabric Development Inc (FDI) and Textile Products Inc. (TPI), which provide advanced composite materials to the commercial aviation industry. With these acquisitions Kordsa aims to follow the same path that led to leadership in tyre reinforcement technologies.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company plans to test tyre components in space as part of a project in the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory, through an experiment expected to launch later this year. Specifically, it will study the formation of silica particles in the satellite’s microgravity environment. By gathering knowledge from this evaluation, Goodyear engineers and scientists can determine if further investigation of unique forms of precipitated silica should be considered in tyres.
While natural rubber production may have risen 0.2 per cent in May 2018 to 35,789 tonnes compared with 35,726 tonnes in April 2018, year-on-year production decreased 18.6 per cent.
Cambodian rubber exports rose 21 per cent during the first half of 2018, according to the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture.
The data shows that local producers exported 84,419 tonnes of rubber during the first six months of this year, an increase of 14,376 tonnes compared to a year earlier. Total rubber cultivation was also up, at 436,299 hectares.
Close customer proximity can provide measurable and also intangible benefits. Japanese chemical company Asahi Kasei aims to achieve both with its newly-established research and development presence in Europe. Tyres & Accessories recently visited the facility to find out more.
Birla Carbon has announced a series of expansion plans designed to raise its carbon black capacity in a number of regions.
Production has commenced at Lehigh Technologies’ micronised rubber powder (MRP) plant in Spain. The Murillo el Fruto MRP facility in Navarra was built in partnership with recycling and sustainability specialist Hera Holding and is the first plant for Lehigh Technologies outside the USA.
On 3 July 2018 Birla Carbon, an Aditya Birla Group company, renamed all of its entities worldwide as “Birla Carbon.” As a result former Columbian Carbon and Thai Carbon Black business will now be known as Birla Carbon.
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