Rubber division's mini expo yields new products.

This Winter 2004 edition of Rubber World's Product News features a case study on page 4 describing a system that applies an anti-adhesive coating to rubber components to prevent them from sticking to each other. The Lipocer coating occupies the elastomer's surface with an extremely thin, very flexible coating, avoiding the molecular sticking. Lipocer is deposited in a Plasma-CVD-Process, developed by Plasma Electronic, out of the gas phase under vacuum conditions.

News on the Indonesian government's aspirations to make the country the world's largest rubber producer by 2020 is reported on page 5, along with predictions that the price of synthetic resin in China is likely to remain at a high level in 2005. In other news, crude oil prices will most likely be the determinant of direction in the natural rubber market yet again in 2005, according to the Dow Jones Newswire. And manufacturing activity is reported to have expanded for the 19th consecutive month in December, suggesting that the industrial sector entered the new year with solid strength behind it.

Recent introductions in the rubber industry, highlighted on page 6, include the triple shaft VersaMix process mixer from Charles Ross & Son, and a hydraulic system for calender roll nip adjustment from Comerio Ercole SpA. Rubber coatings from Lord and special effect pigments from Engelhard are also highlighted.

In every issue of the Rubber World Product News, readers will find the latest information on a wide variety of products and services for the rubber industry, including machinery and equipment, chemicals and materials, instrumentation, hardware and software, and custom services. The final pages of the Product News are dedicated to brochures, available from companies by simply noting the circle number on cards located next to the back cover.

As always, we welcome information from your company to be published in upcoming issues of the Product News. Press releases, artwork and brochures may be sent to Rubber World's offices or emailed to [e-mail]. Thank you for your loyal readership, and we hope you enjoy this latest edition.