LANXESS has extended Frederique van Baarle’s contract as a member of the Board of Management, effective April 1, 2026, through 2031; van Baarle is based in Pittsburgh and holds regional and global functional responsibilities. Her portfolio includes oversight of Lubricant Additives, Polymer Additives and the Rhein Chemie business, and may be relevant to corporate governance, regulatory compliance, supply chain and IP considerations for chemistry and Polymers businesses active in the Americas and globally.
polymers
20 posts
Amerigo Scientific announced availability of a portfolio of hydrophilic polymers covering sodium polymethacrylate, multiple sodium polyacrylate grades, potassium polyvinyl sulfate solution, PVA blend filament, and linear polyethylenimine. The product set and its stated specifications may be relevant to manufacturing, regulatory compliance, and intellectual property assessment in chemistry and materials sectors.
The Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates (SOCMA) reported 13 new members in Q1 2026, comprising six manufacturers and seven service providers spanning polymer production, spray drying tolling, contract R&D and logistics. The membership additions include firms with capabilities in silicone polymers, powder processing, and supply-chain analytics that may be relevant to regulatory, IP, and compliance practitioners.
Arkema announced a 20% expansion of Kynar® polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) production capacity at its Changshu, China, manufacturing platform, with the new unit expected to start up in 2028. The project is positioned within Arkema’s global PVDF network, alongside recent capacity additions in the United States and existing European production.
Orion S.A. reported a Platinum sustainability rating from EcoVadis for its 2025 performance, placing the company in the top 1% of assessed firms. The company also referenced product and operational initiatives including bio‑circular carbon black grades, energy efficiency measures across plants, and an improved CDP supplier engagement score.
Lubrizol has implemented an LED-driven photochemical chlorination reactor at its Louisville, Kentucky CPVC resin facility, with the company reporting gains in thermal stability, processing cycle times and energy efficiency. The installation is described as a first step toward wider deployment across the company’s CPVC manufacturing network and may have operational, regulatory and intellectual property implications for downstream users and competitors.
Inhance Technologies has begun domestic production of packaged fluorine and custom fluorine-inert gas mixtures at its Catoosa, Oklahoma plant following recent capacity investments. The offering is intended to serve semiconductor, pharmaceutical, industrial, and specialty chemical customers with U.S.-based supply and tailored purity options.
NOVA Chemicals has announced commercial-scale production of two recycled polyethylene (rPE) grades intended for conversion into packaging and non-food consumer products. The announcement may raise technical, regulatory and intellectual property considerations for manufacturers, buyers and counsel engaged with polymer supply chains and sustainability claims.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued Patent No. 12,467,573 to United Felts for its EnviroCure-Felt technology. The invention utilizes a specialized polymer barrier to reduce styrene emissions during trenchless pipe rehabilitation.
The collaboration between Fertiglobe, Covestro, and TA’ZIZ establishes a vertically integrated supply chain for low-emission ammonia across the Middle East, United States, and China. This strategic alignment focuses on securing ammonia as a primary feedstock for the production of isocyanates and advanced polyurethane polymers.
Lummus Technology and Sumitomo Chemical have announced the commercial availability of their PMMA chemical recycling technology, enabling the conversion of end-of-life PMMA polymers into high-purity MMA monomer suitable for re-polymerization. The licensed process supports closed-loop recycling of acrylic polymers and is positioned to reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions relative to conventional fossil-based PMMA production.
Discover how the Penetron System waterproofed a massive concrete water tank at Braskem’s thermoplastic resin plant in Brazil, to protect production of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
Nanoscience Instruments expands its polymer expertise through a partnership with Xplore Instruments, delivering advanced polymer processing and materials solutions across North America.
NxLite opens its $9M AIM Center in Michigan to scale cutting-edge coatings and polymer materials for energy-efficient windows, refrigeration, and transportation.
Starfire Systems®, a producer of Polymer Derived Ceramic (PDC) technology, announced the award of U.S. Patent for its ultra-high-temperature ceramic forming precursor.
Ecogensus has obtained a foundational patent for “Compositions Containing Solid Waste Materials” to improve waste-derived building materials for sustainable building.
Kraton Corporation announced in a press release that it has agreed to sell its Cariflex isoprene rubber business for $530 million.
Researchers have discovered a polymer with characteristics of plastics that can be converted back to its original state for recyclability.
MIT chemical engineers have designed a material that uses carbon dioxide from the air and sunlight to grow, strengthen, and repair itself.
Sustainable biomedical and environmental sensing instruments may be made possible using protein nanowires, a product of a microorganism found in mud.