Industry Trends
June 2024
See what has been happening in Asia’s plastics & rubber industries over the last weeks. What are experts and industry magazines talking about?
What has been happening?
Cool paint made sustainable using recycled plastics, Materials companies show off sustainability at NPE2024, and more. Find out what plastic & rubber journals and industry experts have been discussing in the last four weeks.
Latest Plastics & Rubber Articles
Cool paint made sustainable using recycled plastics
An NTU research team has successfully developed new methods to create a type of “cool paint” using recycled plastics—namely acrylic, old PVC pipes and polystyrene foam—and barium sulfate, offering a sustainable and efficient alternative to new plastics.
Top 5 all-electric injection moulding myths: Reliability and repairs
Ashlee Gough, area sales manager at Sumitomo (SHI) Demag UK delves into and discredits the top five myths regularly encountered.
Material Insights: Materials companies show off sustainability at NPE2024
At NPE2024, materials companies showcased their newest grades of material, including those with a sustainability edge. Heartland Polymers debuted a new grade of polypropylene aimed at injection molding; Alpek Polyesters unveiled a new PET for bottle caps that offer more recyclability; and Avient brought its new sustainable lines of nylon 6 and nylon 6/6.
Bic reports on 2023 recycled content use
French manufacturer Bic used 62% recycled content in its plastic packaging last year, moving it closer to a 2025 goal. But the company has a ways to go to meet its goal for recycled content in its actual products, which include lighters, pens, razors and other consumer goods.
Vinyl industry fights EPA plan to access unpublished VCM studies
The EPA wants to require companies to submit unpublished safety studies they have for vinyl chloride monomer, as part of a new EPA health review of the PVC feedstock.
Prices Drop for PP, Largely Flat for PE, PS, PVC, and PET
Barring any major production or logistical disruptions, prices of PE, PS and PVC were largely expected to be stable through the second quarter, with those of PET likely to move up a bit this month driven by raw material formulation cost increases. The key outlier was PP with the months’ long anticipated major price correction taking place in the April-May time frame.
Michelin launches X Works D retread for improved traction and durability
Michelin has introduced the X Works D pre-mold drive position retread, the latest addition to its Retread Technologies on-road/off-road line. The new retread has been designed to provide enhanced wear performance, toughness and traction for mixed and aggressive applications. The Michelin X Works D pre-mold retread complements the Michelin X Works D new tire and “features exceptional traction in both new and worn condition”, the tire maker said.
The Skinny on the Skin Packaging Market
The market for skin packaging, which uses vacuum sealing to create a thin film over a product, is growing nearly 5% yearly.
Billion makes space for ‘multi-innovations' with recycled, bio-based materials
Rochester Hills, Mich.-based Billion Plastics Machinery Inc. is focused on multi-injection molding for “multi-innovations,” especially related to using recycling materials.
Polymer Points Live May 2024: Engineering resin prices heading higher
Prices for engineering resins are heading higher, a result of improved demand in some markets and production problems, including at a polymer production facility in Mexico. In the May Polymer Points editorial livestream, senior reporter Frank Esposito also explained the latest changes in the volatile polypropylene and polyethylene markets. He recapped the latest PE increase — up 3 cents per pound in April, which was the second surprisingly successful price hike this year.
20% surge in R&D investment for US Plastics and Rubber sector
Data reveals that the plastics and rubber sector has invested a total of $3.1 billion on R&D, up from $2.6 billion in the previous year. The level of increased investment is double that of the US average over the same period.
ExxonMobil Sold on Sustainable Solutions at Chinaplas
Monomaterial packaging structures, chemical recycling, recyclate-incorporating grades, and lightweighting for automotive applications took center stage at the mega-show.
Orion SA invests in Alpha Carbone facility for carbon black production
Orion SA, a specialty chemicals company, has announced an investment in Alpha Carbone, a French tire recycling specialist. The partnership aims to scale up the production of commercial volumes of tire pyrolysis oil and recovered carbon black. Orion has secured a long-term supply agreement to be the exclusive customer for the tire pyrolysis oil produced by Alpha Carbone. This oil will be used by Orion to manufacture circular carbon black for tire and rubber goods customers.
Orion showcases circular carbon black made from end-of-life tires
Luxembourg-based specialty chemicals manufacturer Orion SA is showcasing specialty new carbon black grades produces from end-of-life tire pyrolysis oil.
Continental tire plant in Hefei receives ISCC Plus sustainability certification
Continental’s tire plant in Hefei, China, has been awarded ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) Plus certification in recognition of its compliance with specific sustainability standards and the transparency and traceability of raw materials used in production. The plant, located in the Nangang Tech Park of Hefei’s High-Tech Zone, was inaugurated in September 2009 and today covers a total area of 667,000m2.
Myanmar ships 19,000+ tonnes of rubber to foreign markets in May
Myanmar shipped over 19,400 tonnes of rubber worth US$26.8 million to foreign trade partners in May through maritime and border trade channels, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Myanmar exported 8,270 tonnes of rubber to China, over 6,670 to Malaysia, 2,190 to Vietnam, 500 to Indonesia, 360 to Japan, 315 to India, 200 to rubber, over 100 to South Korea and small volumes to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh last month, totalling over 17,300 tonnes worth $23.88 million.
Philippines deploys river rangers in battle against plastic
Using a long-handled net, Ronnel Narvas scoops up discarded plastic soft drink bottles, shopping bags and palm-sized sachets as he wades through a foul-smelling tributary in the Philippine capital Manila.
Israel Helps Thailand Innovate Plastic Waste Conversion to Naphtha Oil
The Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) in collaboration with The National Innovation Agency (NIA), under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation, showcased an innovative process for recycling PVC-contaminated plastic waste using superoxide processes to produce naphtha oil for the chemical industry. This is the first use case of this technology in Thailand, a result of the cooperation between SCG Chemicals from Thailand and Plastic Back from Israel.
Siliconware Precision Industries breaks ground on RM6b semiconductor packaging and testing facility in Penang
Semiconductor packaging and testing company Siliconware Precision Industries Co Ltd (SPIL) on Friday broke ground on its RM6 billion P1 plant to be built on eight hectares in Bandar Cassia Technology Park, Penang.
Ordering just enough and choosing reusables: Simple ways to reduce plastic and food waste
Embracing lifestyle changes like bringing your cup and finding alternative ways to dispose of rubbish at home can go a long way to tackling Singapore’s waste challenge.
Investors bullish on Malaysian glove makers following US tariff hikes on China?
Last week, US president Joe Biden announced a significant increase in tariffs on Chinese products, including rubber medical and surgical gloves.
Stats Dept: Malaysia’s March 2024 natural rubber output down 9.2pc
Malaysia’s natural rubber (NR) production fell by 9.2 per cent to 26,966 tonnes in March 2024 against 29,691 tonnes in February, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM). Chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said production decreased by 0.8 per cent year-on-year from 27,188 tonnes in March 2023. “NR’s production in March 2024 was mainly contributed by the smallholders sector (88.5 per cent) as compared to the estates sector (11.
Targeting 350,000 tonnes of rubber exports this financial year
According to the Myanmar Rubber Growers Association, 350,000 tonnes of rubber are expected to be exported to foreign countries this financial year. Nearly 200,000 tonnes of rubber were exported in the 2023-2024 financial year. A total of 200,000 tons of rubber is produced in the country each year, more than 90 per cent of which is exported, and the remaining eight per cent is used domestically.
Neste and Lotte Chemical team up on renewable chemicals and plastics
Neste
Neste and South Korean chemical company Lotte Chemical are teaming up to make chemicals and plastics more sustainable. The companies embark on a strategic collaboration to replace fossil resources with renewable raw materials in the manufacturing of chemicals and plastics. This will enable products and applications with a lower carbon footprint compared to those produced from fossil resources.
Related Articles & Trends
Plastics & Rubber Trends – August 2024
Aug 9, 2024
Top tools for injection molding, Additives boast sustainability without sacrificing performance, Why did this ice cream brand pick plastic pints over paperboard, and more. Find out what plastic & rubber journals and industry experts have been discussing in the last four weeks.
Plastics & Rubber Trends – July 2024
Jul 8, 2024
Top five all-electric injection moulding myths, Recycled PE grades with up to 100% PCR for shrink films, Concept tire using lignin-based material, and more. Find out what plastic & rubber journals and industry experts have been discussing in the last four weeks.
Plastics & Rubber Trends – May 2024
May 12, 2024
Sustainability in molding, Rubber production and the path to sustainability, Sustainable seating from packaging waste at the Olympics, and more. Find out what plastic & rubber journals and industry experts have been discussing in the last four weeks.