The Wacker Group is showcasing two new silicone-based impact modifiers, GENIOPERL W37 and GENIOPERL W38, at the JEC World composites exhibition. These additives are engineered to enhance the mechanical properties of thermosetting resins such as epoxies and vinyl esters. Their specialised molecular structure, built on functional silicone, facilitates a distinct phase separation within the resin matrix. This process creates tiny elastomeric domains that increase toughness and help prevent composite materials from fracturing under stress. Sustainability was a key consideration in their design, leading to a notably reduced cyclics content. Both modifiers disperse readily with simple mixing equipment, maintain their effectiveness even at low concentrations and do not compromise the material’s inherent strength, viscosity or thermal resistance. The company is located at booth 5N142 at JEC World, taking place in Paris from 10 to 12 March 2026.

GENIOPERL W37 is specifically formulated to boost impact resistance in low-temperature environments. It is recommended for use at concentrations between two and eight percent by weight, a level at which it has minimal impact on the resin’s viscosity or the cured product’s glass transition temperature. Achieving optimal dispersion requires processing temperatures of at least 50 degrees Celsius. Similarly, GENIOPERL W38 also improves impact strength at very low temperatures when used within the same dosage range. It offers the added benefit of containing anti-foaming agents, making it particularly suitable for casting processes conducted under reduced pressure.

A third major highlight at the Wacker booth will be POWERSIL Resin 710, a silicone compound developed for components that must endure extreme heat. This material can be processed using compression moulding, pressure gelation or injection moulding. Parts manufactured from it meet the criteria for thermal class R, signifying their ability to withstand prolonged exposure to temperatures reaching 220 degrees Celsius. As an alternative to high-performance polymers like PTFE and PEEK, POWERSIL Resin 710 provides excellent electrical insulation, mechanical strength and UV stability. It is solvent-free, has a low viscosity for easier processing and is available in both peroxide-curing and catalyst-curing versions.

Wacker’s exhibition will also feature a range of other specialised products for the composites industry. These include SILRES silicone resins for enhancing electrical insulation and flame retardancy, HDK pyrogenic silica for precise rheology control, VINNAPAS low-profile additives to reduce shrinkage and GENIOSIL organofunctional silanes for promoting adhesion and treating fillers and fibres.

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Kumho Petrochemical Group is steering its business towards research-driven, higher-value outputs as oversupply and soft demand continue to weigh on the worldwide petrochemical sector. The Seoul-based group outlined plans to boost spending on speciality chemicals, sustainable materials and novel production methods, a push intended to lift profits while building a foundation for future expansion.

Underlying the move is a deliberate evolution in the group's identity, from a bulk materials vendor to a provider of technology-backed solutions that address shifting customer requirements and stricter environmental rules. A central element of that effort involves widening the speciality lineup, exemplified by added capacity for solution styrene butadiene rubber, a synthetic rubber that enhances durability, rolling resistance and tread wear in high-performance electric vehicle tyres.

Environmental initiatives form another pillar. Facilities built by the company can trap approximately 76,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, while separately developed technology turns recycled acrylonitrile butadiene styrene sourced from scrapped household appliances into automotive-grade interior components that satisfy performance standards and generate fewer emissions than conventional methods. The group has also joined forces with POSCO Future M and BEI on anode-free lithium-metal battery development.

Parallel technology-focused programmes are underway at affiliated units. Kumho P&B Chemicals is formulating water-based epoxy resins that curb volatile organic compound releases while incorporating more bio-based inputs to reduce carbon intensity. Kumho Mitsui Chemicals is advancing bio-based polyurethane systems and electric vehicle materials, alongside debottlenecking work to add 100,000 tonnes of annual methylene diphenyl diisocyanate capacity. Kumho Polychem, meanwhile, is targeting ethylene propylene diene monomer through low-temperature polymerisation paired with energy-efficiency improvements.

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Birla Carbon has confirmed a price increase of up to 15 percent for its Speciality Materials products across Asia, scheduled to take effect on 1 October 2026. The company pointed to significant and sustained rises in feedstock costs, driven partly by ongoing geopolitical instability and disruptions in global feedstock markets, as the reason behind the adjustment.

Although Birla Carbon pursued operational efficiencies, supply chain optimisation and disciplined cost management to soften the impact, the scale and persistence of the cost escalation left a price adjustment unavoidable. The company's sales teams will engage customers directly to explain the details and help them navigate the transition.

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ACE Laboratories, an independent ISO/IEC 17025-accredited polymer testing laboratory, has partnered with Abdallah Consulting, LLC, a prominent tyre pyrolysis advisory firm, to introduce VericarbSM. This independent certification programme verifies that materials marketed as recovered carbon black (rCB) meet established criteria for rCB.

Recovered carbon black, derived from end-of-life tyres via pyrolysis, serves as a sustainable substitute for virgin carbon black in rubber and polymer applications. However, the emerging market has lacked the standardisation and independent verification that established supply chains provide. VericarbSM addresses this gap through independent material characterisation and rubber performance data, offering stakeholders a consistent basis for evaluating rCB products.

For producers, certification accelerates market entry and improves buyer approval rates. Consumers gain more capable suppliers and reduced evaluation time, while investors benefit from clearer volume sizing and fewer costly test failures. The programme is jointly administered by both organisations.

Erick Sharp, CEO, ACE Laboratories, said, “The rCB market has enormous potential, but growth has been held back by uncertainty about material quality and consistency. VericarbSM gives producers a way to prove their product and gives buyers the independent data they need to say yes.”

Dave Abdallah, Founder, Abdallah Consulting, said, “One key reason for the delayed growth of recovered carbon black is lack of product performance information in the customer’s language. ASTM standards are critical; in fact, most testing done in the process follows ASTM methods. But customers relate to a product better when its performance is shown in applications relevant to them. VericarbSM solves the language issue by showing verified rCB in terms of rubber performance while simultaneously adding credibility via third-party analysis and reporting.”

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Zeon Corporation established Zeon Chemicals Kurashiki Co., Ltd. on 23 July 2026 to take over the acrylic rubber operations of fellow group firm Tohpe Corporation. The new entity, headquartered in Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, is wholly owned by Zeon with paid-in capital of JPY 10 million and is led by representative Koji Minami.

On 21 August, Tohpe and the new subsidiary signed an absorption-type company split agreement, prompting Zeon to begin the procedures required under the Companies Act. Operations at the new company, focused on manufacturing and selling acrylic rubber and related activities, are scheduled to commence on 30 October 2026.

Acrylic rubber, known for its heat resistance, is used in automotive components including oil seals and hoses. The Zeon Group already maintains four production sites across Japan, United States and Thailand, forming a global supply network for the material.

The restructuring follows Zeon’s 11 May 2026 announcement that it would transfer Tohpe shares to NATOCO Co., Ltd. of Miyoshi City, Aichi Prefecture, as part of Tohpe’s paints business divestiture. Tohpe’s acrylic rubber operations, which complement Zeon’s Elastomers Business, will now be positioned as a key specialty rubber manufacturing site, with closer operational coordination intended to strengthen Group competitiveness and corporate value.

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