Recent developments
European capacity cuts
ARLANXEO signaled continued strain on European elastomers by initiating closure proceedings for its Port Jerome site in France, citing sustained weak demand, elevated costs, and regulatory pressure. The process includes Works Council consultation and requires DREETS approval, highlighting ongoing challenges for regional synthetic rubber assets.
Curing agent updates
During the K Show, Arkema introduced Luperox NeatCure, a dust-free organic peroxide granule for elastomer crosslinking. It targets continuous curing with shorter molding times and improved handling, reflecting stricter regulatory constraints on curing agents and a focus on safer, more efficient processing.
Circular carbon fillers
Addressing decarbonization and circularity targets, Plastic Energy commercialized TACFILLER, a low-emission alternative to carbon black with 89% lower CO2 versus conventional grades, REACH registration, and relevance to the EU End-of-Life Vehicles Directive. It is produced from post-consumer waste via the TAC process, which also generates TACOIL feedstock.
Conductive medical LSR
In healthcare elastomers, Elkem launched SILBIONE LSR Select EC 70, a biocompatible, electrically conductive LSR (resistivity below 10 ohm-centimeters) for wearable sensors, prosthetics, and flexible circuits. Designed for liquid injection molding, it enables tunable cure kinetics via LSR Select to support cycle-time control and waste reduction.