Engineering or specialty elastomers are the stalwart materials of the rubber industry. They are high volume and medium priced elastomers, often employed in demanding applications, such as the automotive, industrial, medical and electrical industries. The Engineering Elastomers 2003 conference had an exciting series of papers from authors in both Europe and the USA, addressing the opportunities for growth in engineering elastomers, as well as the challenges to producers and users operating in a rapidly changing competitive environment.

List of Papers

Session 1 Market Review
Paper 1 - Elastomers and Feedstocks: A Market Outlook
Paper 2 - An Overview of the Engineering Elastomer Industry in 2003

Session 2 Advances in Compounding and Production
Paper 3 - Functionalisation of Polymers & Compatibilisation of Polymer Blends by a Novel Reactive Processing Approach
Paper 4 - Precrosslinked Engineering Elastomers - What Are the Benefits +++ PAPER UNAVAILABLE AT TIME OF PRINT +++
Paper 5 - High-Hardness Compounds in Papermill Roll Covers and the Role of Fillers Networking in their Dynamic Performance +++ PAPER UNAVAILABLE AT TIME OF PRINT +++
Paper 6 - Use of the NFM Iddon Cold Feed Extruder and Novel Low Temperature Curing EPDM to Reduce Processing and Curing Energy Consumption

Session 3 Advances in Elastomers
Paper 7 - Silicone Rubber - Looking Forward to the Next 60 Years
Paper 8 - Vistamaxx - Novel Polyolefin Speciality Elastomers
Paper 9 - HNBR - A Very Versatile Engineering Elastomer
Paper 10 - Recent Progress in the Processing Performance of Compounds made with Viton Fluoroelastomers +++ PAPER UNAVAILABLE AT TIME OF PRINT +++

Session 4 Additives and Vulcanising Agents
Paper 11 - Lead-free Curing Systems for ECO - Comparison of Different Solutions
Paper 12 - New High Purity Vulcanization Accelerator

Session 5: Technologies and Materials Analysis
Paper 13 - Analyses of Two-component Injected Parts
Paper 14 - Rubber Fails in Tension - Mechanical Strength of Elastomeric Materials at Ambient and Elevated Temperatures

Session 6: Developments In Production And Processing Technologies And Equipment
Paper 15 - MIPs (Multi-Ingredient-Preweighs) unique improvements of process variation and dispersion by preblending chemicals
Paper 16 - Latest Developments in Production Equipment, Moulds and Automation for Processing of Engineering Elastomers
Paper 17 - New Developments for the Optimisation of High Injection Moulded Elastomers Using 3D Simulation
Paper 18 - Latest Developments in Thermal Balance Control in the Moulds

Session 7 Inter-materials Competition
Paper 19 - Weathersealing Sytems using Thermoplastic Vulcanizates and Thermoplastic Olefins
Paper 20 - A unique closed cell sponge rubber material offering self-extinguishing and low smoke emission properties
Paper 21 - Fluoroprene ; A High Performance Fluorocarbon TPV

Session 8 Developments In End Use Applications
Paper 22 - Nordel&174 MG - "The Game Changer" - ... For TPV
Paper 23 - Computer Aided Engineering of Elastomeric Components for Automobile Applications +++ PAPER UNAVAILABLE AT TIME OF PRINT +++
Paper 24 eBusiness as Supporting Tool for Operation Excellence +++ PAPER UNAVAILABLE AT TIME OF PRINT +++
Paper 25 - Elastomers in the Gas Industry in the Light of User Safety Requirements
Paper 26 - Expanding the Applications of EPDM/EPM Elastomers in the Pharmaceutical and Food Industries