Rubber Division, ACS has appointed Rubber Heart, a newly formed marketing, communications, PR and events start up, as its first ever European representatives to expand its presence in the region.

Both companies signed a MoU recently to spread awareness of the benefits and opportunities offered by Rubber Division, ACS to professionals working in the global rubber industry.

David Cawthra and Gail Reader, the two Directors, will act as European Representatives whose role will be to increase awareness and expand the Rubber Division, ACS community through membership opportunities that enable engagement with nearly 3,000 other rubber and affiliated industry professionals from over 1,200 organisations worldwide.

This new initiative is the vision of Executive Director and CEO of Rubber Division, ACS, Lakisha Miller-Barclay, the first woman appointed to be at the helm of the organisation in its over 100-year history. As Executive Director, Lakisha works closely with her team of Directors and Executive Committee to enhance science, technology and business across the elastomeric community.

Lakisha Miller-Barclay’s appointment at the beginning of 2020 has meant she has had to react quickly to the challenging environment caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and difficult decisions were faced as to how to adapt. All training courses were moved to online and Rubber Division, ACS aired one of the first impact of Covid-19 webinars which welcomed a large European audience. A series of webinars covering topics such as failure analysis of rubber and polymer testing and processing are being offered free to Rubber Division, ACS members throughout the spring and summer.

Lakisha is very much aware how business disruption worldwide has escalated the significant pressure on global market relationships and exposed the fragility of the complex, multiple tier manufacturing supply chains within the rubber industry.

“Those involved in the rubber industry will be considering ways to broaden and create more flexible supply chains in the future and I believe that the Rubber Division, ACS community can play a significant role in connecting and driving business, particularly between the US and Europe,” says Lakisha. She continues, “We are still actively planning for our International Elastomer Conference October 20-22 this year in Knoxville, Tennessee to proceed as scheduled as we believe it would provide the global rubber industry with a meeting hub to reassess and create new business models for the future. However, our overwhelming priority is to ensure the safety, health and well-being of all involved with our event so we will be closely monitoring the evolving situation and any potential impact new developments may have on it.”

On the new partnership between Rubber Division, ACS and Rubber Heart, Lakisha comments, “I feel that this initiative to expand the Rubber Division, ACS team will help to grow our community and spread awareness of our unrivalled business networking, training and marketing opportunities through our membership and education programs, conferences and expositions. I am delighted to be working with two highly experienced and professional colleagues at Rubber Heart who have many decades of experience, great contacts and extensive knowledge of the rubber industry and its complexities.”

Rubber Heart is well placed to understand the benefits of involvement with Rubber Division, Gail Reader explains, “We have seen first-hand the benefits of Rubber Division, ACS Corporate Membership scheme during our previous employment and how it can have such an impact on making new connections, driving business forward and keeping abreast of new research and innovations. We look forward to working with the dedicated and passionate Rubber Division, ACS team to strengthen its position internationally, particularly in Europe.”

David Cawthra added, “We have always admired the professionalism and ambition of Rubber Division, ACS and its commitment to the international rubber industry. We are honoured, as our new company Rubber Heart, to represent this historic and world-renowned organisation and its interests in Europe.”

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Zeon Corporation has announced the development of Nipol BR1300, a novel hydrophilic styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) for winter tyres. Synthesised with a polybutadiene rubber base, the material delivers unprecedented hydrophilicity for tyre applications. Commercial production began in May 2025 at Zeon’s Tokuyama plant in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

As part of its strategic portfolio optimization, Zeon plans to phase out low-profitability products like ESBR-1 and NBR latex by 2026. However, it will continue manufacturing high-margin products, including ESBR-2, nitrile butadiene rubber and solution SBR. This shift underscores Zeon’s focus on advanced, value-driven rubber solutions.

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Covestro India has entered into a strategic collaboration with CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) through an innovative CSR initiative focused on developing sustainable upcycling technologies for polyurethane waste. This partnership aims to overcome existing recycling limitations by transforming discarded polyurethane materials into valuable chemical feedstocks, potentially revolutionising the material's circular economy.

This collaboration underscores both organisations' commitment to environmental innovation, leveraging NCL's advanced research infrastructure and Covestro's market leadership to address critical gaps in plastic circularity. Current polyurethane recycling methods, predominantly mechanical with some emerging chemical processes, face substantial challenges including material degradation, high energy consumption and hazardous byproduct generation. The project seeks to develop commercially viable chemical recycling solutions that maintain material integrity while minimising environmental impact.

Polyurethanes, widely used in furniture, automotive parts and insulation, present unique recycling difficulties due to their complex molecular structure. Most end up in landfills after use, creating significant sustainability challenges. By combining Covestro's industrial expertise with NCL's seven decades of chemical research excellence, the partnership aims to create breakthrough upcycling technologies.

Avinash Bagdi, Director & Head of Sales & MD Solutions India & Projects – Tailored Urethanes, said, "This partnership strengthens our commitment to finding innovative solutions for polyurethane waste and directly supports Covestro's vision of becoming fully circular. By developing effective methods to upcycle polyurethanes, we're taking concrete steps towards creating a more sustainable future in line with our corporate vision of driving the transition to a circular economy."

Dr Ashish Lele, Director of NCL, said, "CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory is excited to partner with Covestro (India) in this groundbreaking initiative to develop novel chemical upcycling methods for polyurethane waste. The conventional and electrochemical strategies we're developing address the critical limitations of current recycling technologies and align perfectly with our shared vision of a circular economy. This collaboration represents a significant step towards sustainable plastic management in India and globally, with potential to transform polyurethane waste into valuable chemical resources."

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Zeon Corporation has begun building a pilot facility at its Tokuyama Plant in Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, to test a new method for efficiently producing butadiene from plant-derived ethanol. The demonstration plant, expected to start operations in 2026, will supply butadiene for manufacturing trial batches of polybutadiene rubber, bringing the company closer to commercialising this sustainable production process.

This project is a key part of a joint initiative between Zeon and The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. to develop eco-friendly methods for producing butadiene and isoprene from renewable sources, with full-scale adoption targeted for the 2030s. Under the collaboration, Zeon will produce butadiene rubber at the new facility, while Yokohama Rubber will use the material to create experimental tyres and conduct performance testing. The data collected will help refine the technology ahead of larger-scale trials. The companies aim to finalise the production process by 2030 using an expanded pilot plant, with plans for industrial-scale commercialisation by 2034.

A ceremonial groundbreaking event took place on 10 July 2025, with 33 attendees, including local government officials from Yamaguchi Prefecture and Shunan City, construction partners and Zeon executives such as Chairman Kimiaki Tanaka and Tokuyama Plant Manager Akira Honma. The gathering included traditional safety prayers for the construction phase, marking the official start of this sustainability-focused industrial project.

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Continental is increasing its use of renewable and recycled materials in tyre production, aiming to exceed 40 percent by 2030 while maintaining high safety and performance standards. In 2024, these materials accounted for 26 percent of tyre composition, with a projected 2-3 percent increase in 2025. Key to this shift are carbon black and silica – essential fillers that enhance durability, grip and braking performance.

Silica, a critical component for optimising grip and minimising rolling resistance, is traditionally derived from quartz sand. However, Continental now obtains silica from rice husks, an agricultural by-product of risotto rice production. This innovative approach not only repurposes waste but also requires less energy than conventional methods. Partnering with manufacturers like Solvay in Italy, Continental integrates rice husk-derived silica across its entire tyre portfolio. Silica has been a game-changer in tyre technology for decades, significantly improving safety and energy efficiency. Its use in tread compounds has contributed to a nearly 50 percent reduction in braking distances while also lowering rolling resistance, thereby reducing fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions.

Carbon black, another vital material making up to 20 percent of a passenger car tyre's weight, is being sourced through sustainable alternatives. Continental employs three innovative methods: bio-based carbon black from tall oil (a paper industry by-product), recycled carbon black from pyrolysis oil derived from end-of-life tyres and a direct recovery process that extracts carbon black from used tyres via pyrolysis. The company collaborates with suppliers like Orion Engineered Carbons and Tokai Carbon, utilising different carbon black variants tailored to specific tyre components, such as sidewalls and treads. Through the mass balance approach, Continental substitutes fossil-based raw materials with bio-based or recycled alternatives without altering existing production processes.

Additionally, Continental has partnered with Pyrum Innovations to advance tyre recycling through pyrolysis, a process that recovers carbon black from end-of-life tyres for reuse. While currently applied in forklift tyres, efforts are underway to adapt this recycled carbon black for broader tyre applications, ensuring compliance with performance and safety standards. These initiatives underscore Continental’s dedication to sustainable innovation, demonstrating how eco-friendly materials can enhance both tyre performance and environmental responsibility across the value chain.

Jorge Almeida, head of Sustainability at Continental Tire, said, “Innovation and sustainability go hand in hand at Continental. Using silica from the ashes of rice husks in our tyres shows that we are breaking completely new ground – without compromising on safety, quality or performance.”

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