Naphtha prices, which serve as a basis for the likes of the synthetic rubber market, are showing a significant drop amid tough market conditions. As of March 24, prices in Tokyo’s open-spec naphtha market are sitting at a median of $195 per ton when looking at product set to be delivered in late May. This is roughly a third of...
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Lanxess AG announced on Dec. 31 that that it has sold off its stake in synthetic rubber joint venture Arlanxeo AG to 50–50 JV partner Saudi Arabian Oil Co., commonly known as Saudi Aramco. But despite the divestment, the German-based company has declared that its Japanese arm, Lanxess KK, will continue to carry out marketing and sales activities for synthetic...
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Demand for synthetic rubber is projected to keep up a strong performance for the second half of fiscal 2018, spanning October–March. While the first half of the fiscal year saw raw material cost trends drive falling profits in some areas, demand itself has been stable on the whole, with some product types continuing to see tightness in the supply–demand balance....
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Synthetic rubber, carbon black and a range of other raw materials have entered into a major period of price rises. This comes as price spikes for crude oil and naphtha – as well as the rising costs of distribution – place increasing pressure on companies in the industry. In synthetic rubber, industry leader JSR Corp. (TYO:4185) has announced that it...
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Zeon Corp. (TYO:4205) has worked with the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (Riken) and Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) to co-develop a new technology for producing isoprene – a raw material used in synthetic rubber – from biomass in a stable and efficient manner. By constructing a world-first artificial pathway and creating highly active enzymes, the research project has...
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Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) recently announced that it has developed a new polymer, the first of its kind, using advanced synthetic technology for macromolecular conjugates. By combining rubber and resin at a molecular level, Bridgestone has become the first in the world to develop what it calls High Strength Rubber (HSR), a hybrid material able to freely exhibit the superior capabilities...
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