The Rubber News office will be closed July 3-4 for Independence Day so our staff members can spend the holiday with family and friends.
We will resume regular operations on July 5, but until then, here's a look at some of our top stories you might have missed.
As Europe evaluates how it will regulate the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS—or "forever chemicals"—the U.S. continues its efforts to manage the substances itself.
In June, five separate companies reached agreements with public water services and state departments, agreeing to pay more than $11.5 billion to help with removing the chemicals from drinking water systems.
Chemours Co., DuPont de Nemours Inc. and Corteva Inc. collectively reached an agreement June 2 with public water services across the U.S. And at the end of the month, Solvay reached a settlement with the state of New Jersey and agreed to help pay for remediation efforts in and around its plant in West Deptford.
But it was 3M's settlement agreement June 22 that caught attention of many. The company agreed to pay $10.3 billion to support PFAS clean-up efforts. The company has plans to exit PFAS manufacturing by 2025.
Even still, not all PFAS is bad. The American Chemistry Council, after all, defines PFAS as a "diverse group of chemistries characterized by the strong bond between fluorine and carbon." And it's because of the this strong bond PFAS are sought after for "strength, durability, stability and resilience."
Perhaps of the best ways to handle the issue, expert say, is focusing on elimination of those truly toxic chemicals, while working to redefine what PFAS is. Currently, the definition covers more than 10,000 chemicals, many of which are used in the rubber industry and are perfectly safe.
While top sales leaders held steady in this year's rubber ranking—Bridgestone Americas Inc. retained its spot as the No. 1 rubber sales leader with $13.2 billion in sales for 2022— acquisitions throughout the industry and new players are shaking things up a bit.
Notable movers and shakers include Goodyear's acquisition of Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. being fully realized in 2022, Danfoss A.S.'s purchase of Eaton P.L.C.'s hydraulic hose business, and Holcim Building Envelope's own acquisition spree that started with Firestone Building Products in 2021.
Their stories, among others', play out in the sales figures and ranking—available in the data store.
The Environmental Protection Agency and Denka Performance Elastomers L.L.C. have been going back and forth on just how to measure and mitigate chloroprene emissions at the company's La Place, La., facility.
But Denka, late in June, breathed a sigh of relief on at least one front. The U.S. EPA opted not pursue civil rights investigations into the company and two Louisiana governmental departments for their issuance of permits for chemical plants.
Citizens living near St. John the Baptist and St. James parishes, predominantly Black areas, claim the company has downplayed the toxicity of the emissions. And for the civil rights groups who filed the lawsuits, the EPA's move came as a shock.
California is focused on ensuring that vehicles on its roadways get the best possible range and mileage, while reducing CO2 emissions in the process. For that, the state is turning its attention to the tire industry with a proposal that would set minimum rolling resistance standards for tires sold in the state.
Experts say that the proposed phased-in minimum standards are a little too aggressive. But how many of today's tires would the standard eliminate from sale?
Well, nearly all of them.
Two of the world's leading tire companies took some of their most anticipated innovations farther.
Hankook Tire America Corp. introduced two new tires to its EV-specific line of iON line. Both summer tires, the iON evo and iON evo SUV, are designed to provide premium performance in summer months and balance a portfolio that includes iON all-season options.
Michelin's Uptis, meanwhile, continues to deliver—this time in France. The tire maker reached an agreement to fit a last-mile delivery fleet in Northern France with the airless tires.
At 13 years old, William Spencer left his home in 1904 in search of his own "manifest destiny" with just $25 in his pocket. He would take on 100 different jobs and travel by rail until he founded Alliance Rubber Co. in his garage in 1923—while moonlighting for the Pennsylvania Railroad until 1937.
Today, Alliance is still holding strong—"holding your world together for 100 years," as the rubber band manufacturer's slogan says.
Bonnie Spencer Swayze, one of four of Spencer's children, now is president of the company, which is reaching into its fourth generation.
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