Report: General-Purpose and Specialty Synthetic Rubbers Remain Sluggish Dec. 6, 2023. - Synthetic rubber shipments are sluggish and many manufacturers are saying that it will be difficult to achieve a recovery at least by the end of the fiscal year. This comes as both tire and industrial goods applications, particularly automotive parts, continue to struggle. A certain degree of recovery is expected once inventory adjustments, which are said to be the main […]
Lanxess Expands Ion Exchange Resin Product Line for Effective PFAS Removal Dec. 5, 2023. - Lanxess has expanded its line of ion exchange resins for the effective removal of perfluoroalkyl compounds and polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFAS) from contaminated water by adding the anion exchange resin Lewatit Monoplus TP109 to its product lineup. In line with this announcement, Lanxess Japan held a press conference in November to explain the advantages of Lewatit ion exchange resins to the […]
Report: General-Purpose and Specialty Synthetic Rubbers Remain Sluggish Dec. 6, 2023. - Synthetic rubber shipments are sluggish and many manufacturers are saying that it will be difficult to achieve a recovery at least by the end of the fiscal year. This comes as both tire and industrial goods applications, particularly automotive parts, continue to struggle. A certain degree of recovery is expected once inventory adjustments, which are said to be the main […]
Sumitomo Rubber Updates CO2 Reduction Targets Dec. 4, 2023. - Sumitomo Rubber has set a new 2030 reduction target for Scope 3 to achieve carbon neutrality for its entire supply chain. In addition, the 2030 reduction targets for Scope 1 and 2 have been raised due to the progress made ahead of schedule as a result of proactive efforts at each of the company’s sites. Scope 3 accounts for about […]
Michelin to Raise Tire Prices in Japan by 6 to 10 Percent Dec. 4, 2023. - Michelin Tire Japan announced that it will effective February 1, 2024, raise the prices of its Michelin, BF Goodrich, and Camso brand tires for the Japanese domestic market by 6-10%, with the rate of revision varying depending on the product. The price increase applies to commercial tires (summer and winter) for passenger cars, light trucks, and motorcycles in Japan; commercial […]
Bridgestone Outlines Retreading Strategy Nov. 30, 2023. - Bridgestone aims to address the challenges facing the transportation industry by combining its products, retreading and digital technology-based services, and B-select, a solutions network, to provide four key values: safe operation, environmental impact reduction, cost reduction, and operational efficiency. “We are building a network of bases close to our customers and providing products and services that are tailored to their […]
Sumitomo Riko to Streamline Factories at Komaki Plant Dec. 1, 2023. - Sumitomo Riko has begun renovation of its Komaki Plant to achieve the 2029 Sumitomo Riko Group Management Vision (2029V). As the first phase of this project, a groundbreaking ceremony for a new chemical engineering plant was held on November 28. In 2021, the company has dismantled the former company housing and gymnasium in the northern part of the Komaki Plant […]
Fukoku’s Sales up 10% in First Half Nov. 29, 2023. - Automotive rubber parts maker Fukoku posted sales of 42.95 billion yen ($291.76 million), up 10.2% year-on-year, operating profit of 1.06 billion yen, up 29.6%, recurring profit of 1.39 billion yen, down 23.2%, and net profit of 1.047 billion yen, down 28.7% in the first half (April-September) of the fiscal year ending March 2024). Sales were affected by the economic slowdown […]
Lanxess Expands Ion Exchange Resin Product Line for Effective PFAS Removal Dec. 5, 2023. - Lanxess has expanded its line of ion exchange resins for the effective removal of perfluoroalkyl compounds and polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFAS) from contaminated water by adding the anion exchange resin Lewatit Monoplus TP109 to its product lineup. In line with this announcement, Lanxess Japan held a press conference in November to explain the advantages of Lewatit ion exchange resins to the […]
Chloroprene Rubber Volumes and Prices Likely to Bottom Out in Second Half Nov. 24, 2023. - Chloroprene rubber (CR) sales volume and prices are likely to bottom out in the second half of fiscal 2023 (October-March 2024). This comes with demand for CR currently being sluggish due to weak demand for industrial goods and adhesive applications, as well as inventory adjustment in automotive applications, where demand has been recovering. Supply chain inventories have built up significantly […]
ETIC Eyes Setting Global Standards for SSBR Nov. 14, 2023. - Solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber (SSBR) is one of the raw materials that contribute to the improvement of fuel economy in terms of electric power consumption of tires. The demand for SSBR is expected to further expand on a global scale as it becomes more important for EVs, which require longer cruising distances. ETIC, which specializes in consulting on synthetic rubber and […]
Interview With Zeon’s New President Tetsuya Toyoshima Sep. 13, 2023. - Japan Rubber Weekly sat down for an interview with Tetsuya Toyoshima, who assumed the position of president of Zeon Corporation on June 29. Toyoshima is set to focus on products with special characteristics that can only be produced by Zeon, and will also promote initiatives for carbon neutrality and work styles. In the elastomer materials business division, which focuses on […]
Sumitomo Rubber Opens New Research Base in Sendai Nov. 27, 2023. - Sumitomo Rubber will open a new research base, the Sumitomo Rubber Innovation Base Sendai, in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, as a base for utilizing Nanoterrace, a next-generation synchrotron radiation facility that will start operation in 2024. The number of researchers will be increased in the future. The company wants the center to become a hub for innovation in academia and […]Yokohama Rubber Finds Mechanism of Adhesive Aging Reaction Between Rubber and Steel Cord in Tires Nov. 20, 2023. - Yokohama Rubber has developed a chemical reaction visualization technology to elucidate the mechanism of adhesive aging reaction between rubber and steel cords in tires. The technology combines advanced measurement and computational science based on the AI utilization concept HAICoLab. The research was conducted in collaboration with Tada Laboratory at Nagoya University, Riken, DAM Laboratory at Japan Advanced Institute of Science […]
Yokohama Rubber Donates 40 Tires to Mie Prefecture for Use on Vaccine Transport Vehicles Jun. 18, 2021. - Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd.’s (TYO:5101) Mie Plant has donated 40 tires for vaccine transport vehicles to Mie Prefecture, providing these on June 1. This comes as part of the plant’s efforts to help out the local community and support medical countermeasures against COVID-19. The donated tires have been fitted to official vehicles used for transporting COVID-19 vaccines to hospitals, health […]Bando Chemical Offers Employees Paid Leave for COVID-19 Vaccination Jun. 10, 2021. - Bando Chemical Industries Ltd. (TYO:5195) is bringing in special paid leave days for its employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19. By providing this paid leave, the transportation and conveyor belts manufacturer aims to reduce health risks from COVID-19 and help prevent its spread. However, the company will only recommend vaccination rather than require it, leaving it up to each individual […]
Chloroprene Rubber Volumes and Prices Likely to Bottom Out in Second Half Nov. 24, 2023. - Chloroprene rubber (CR) sales volume and prices are likely to bottom out in the second half of fiscal 2023 (October-March 2024). This comes with demand for CR currently being sluggish due to weak demand for industrial goods and adhesive applications, as well as inventory adjustment in automotive applications, where demand has been recovering. Supply chain inventories have built up significantly […]
Sumitomo Riko Posts Firsts Half Results, Automotive Products Business up 19% Nov. 2, 2023. - Sumitomo Riko’s first half (April-September 2023) results (IFRS) showed net sales of 297.88 billion yen ($1.98 billion), up 16.5% year-on-year; operating income of 12.78 billion yen, compared with a loss of 894 million yen in the same period of the previous year; and net income of 5.83 billion yen, compared with a loss of 4.79 billion yen. By business segment, […]
