LANXESS will be showcasing its products and technologies under the slogan “Technology @ Work” at K 2013 (hall 06, booth C 76/78), the world’s largest trade show for plastics and rubber, in Düsseldorf, Germany., the world’s largest trade show for plastics and rubber, in Düsseldorf, Germany. “This slogan is the perfect expression of our innovative and entrepreneurial spirit. We will focus on the development of the next generation of innovative materials, technologies and processes with the goal of using premium products to meet the demands in future growth markets. At K, this applies particularly to our exhibits for lightweight construction and ‘Green Tires’,” explains Udo Erbstößer, head of Trade and Technical Press in Corporate Communications at LANXESS.

Eight business units are taking part
As one of the world’s leading suppliers of synthetic rubbers and high-tech plastics, the specialty chemicals company will be represented at K 2013 by eight of its 14 business units and Human Resources – , High Performance Materials, High Performance Elastomers, Keltan Elastomers, Rhein Chemie, Rubber Chemicals, Butyl Rubber, Performance Butadiene Rubbers and Inorganic Pigments. Recently acquired company Bond-Laminates GmbH, an outstanding manufacturer of TEPEX lightweight, continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic high-performance composites, will also be involved in the presentation.

Exhibit highlights
Covering an area of over 700 square meters, LANXESS’ stand will include a lightweight design example and a concept tire that was developed internally on the basis of the company’s rubber products and additives and which is the first of its kind anywhere in the world to receive an AA rating according to the EU’s compulsory tire labeling system. “These tires offer huge potential savings in terms of fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions,” says Erbstößer. The display will also feature a timing belt made of a Therban HNBR rubber for a Harley Davidson motorcycle that boasts outstanding wear resistance and requires neither lubrication nor retightening. Another exhibit to be featured on the LANXESS stand will be a window frame seal made of the first commercially available bio-based EPDM rubber, known as Keltan Eco. Pads for running shoes will demonstrate the excellent damping characteristics of the new heat- and UV-stable EPDM rubber Keltan 9565Q, whose dynamic properties also make it an attractive alternative to natural rubber in the production of engine mountings. A flame-resistant floor covering made of the EVM rubber Levapren 700 XL for aircraft galleys will also be on display. The LANXESS stand will also focus on developments in antioxidants for rubber. A lightweight motorcycle tank highlights the possibilities offered by the Addonyl additives as activators, modifiers and catalysts in the processing of cast polyamide. One highlight in the area of lightweight construction is a car seat shell made of a TEPEX composite that absorbs a great deal of energy in the event of a crash and weighs far less than similar steel solutions. In addition, the first front end carrier made entirely of plastic is a real eye-catcher. It is made of a highly reinforced Durethan polyamide and is used in the Skoda Octavia.

LANXESS once more co-initiator of the “Rubber Street”
Once again this year, LANXESS is one of the initiators of the “Rubber Street” in cooperation with the Wirtschaftsverband der deutschen Kautschukindustrie e.V. (the German Rubber Industry Trade Association, wdk) and Dr. Gupta Verlag publishers. This “window to the rubber industry” is being staged for the 11th time at K on an exhibition space far in excess of 400 square meters in close proximity to the LANXESS stand. The “Rubber Street” is the first port of call for innovations in the rubber processing industry when the focus is on traditional and thermoplastic elastomers. “As the world’s largest manufacturer of synthetic rubbers, we want to offer companies in this industry – including many SMEs – the perfect platform on which to present their ideas, innovations and services,” says Erbstößer.