Extrusion International 4-2024-USA

32 Extrusion International 4/2024 32 INDUSTRY NEWS Innovations in Conductive Additives Showcased at 2024 IWCS Cable & Connectivity Industry Forum  At the IWCS 2024 Cable & Connectivity Industry Forum, global specialty chemicals company Orion will showcase its high-performance conductive additive portfolio, designed for wire and cable and other con- ductive applications at Booth #206. Orion will highlight developments underway, includ- ing its latest innovation PRINTEX® kappa 60 conductive additive, designed for conductive polymer compounds and a strong choice for wire-and-cable applications. The IWCS 2024 Cable & Connectivity Industry Forum will take place October 14–17, 2024, in New Providence, Rhode Island. Orion conductive additives increase cable service life by delivering high product purity, desired conductivi - ties, superior surface smoothness and UV protection to medium-voltage (MV) distribution and high-voltage (HV) transmission cables. “Over time, we’ve optimized the colloidal properties of legacy conductive additives to ensure excellent dispers - ibility and product cleanliness in our newest grades plus those in development,” said Kevin Milks, Orion market- ing manager for polymers and special applications. PRINTEX kappa 60 conductive additive meets the dis- persion and cleanliness requirements for wire and cable applications. In separate product developments, two new circular additives produced from end-of-life tire pyrolysis oil match the performance of regular, fossil- based specialty carbon black used in cable jacketing. Plus, Orion’s premium, acetylene-based PRINTEX kap- pa 100 BEADS, launched at the IWCS 2023 Cable & Con- nectivity Industry Forum, offer excellent dispersibility, exceptionally high cleanliness, purity and conductivity, making them ideal for use in high-voltage (HV) electric transmission cables. To increase acetylene black availability, Orion on April 9 broke ground on a plant in La Porte, Texas, that will be the only facility in the U.S. producing acetylene-based conductive additives for wire and cable, lithium-ion bat- tery and other applications vital for the global shift to electrification. The facility is expected to begin opera- tion in the second quarter of 2025. “We look forward to providing the North American wire-and-cable industry a consistent supply of domesti- cally produced acetylene-based conductive additives,” said Jennifer S. Stroh, Ph.D., Orion vice president of sales and marketing Americas. “We also look forward to cus- tomizing solutions for all wire-and-cable applications as we continue to develop new conductive products and travel the arc of innovation.” At the 2024 IWCS Industry Forum, Scott Brewer, senior technical market manager, will present “Carbon black and conductivity in medium and high voltage cables” as part of the Materials technical track. He will present Oc- tober 15 at 3:15 p.m. Orion S.A. orioncarbons.com IWCS 2024 Cable & Connectivity Industry Forum: Booth #206 Orion conductive additives extend service life in wire-and-cable applications New Plastics Demand Estimate Report Launched  PLASTICS has released the in - augural Plastics Demand Estimate Report. The report estimates the plastic demand estimate for May 2024 in the U.S. The monthly esti- mate for plastics products demand, serves as a valuable indicator for plastics processors and the entire plastics industry supply chain. The report will now be released month- ly by PLASTICS, which is the only trade association providing this type of report and analysis. “The Plastics Demand Estimate is a great new set of data that pro- vides helpful market intelligence to our members and the industry at large. This is the only plastics de- mand estimate available monthly and I’m proud of our Chief Econo - mist Perc Pineda’s work on putting this together,” said Matt Seaholm, President and CEO of PLASTICS. “While demand will continue to vary monthly, the year-over-year change in plastics demand at cur - rent prices and real demand, ad - justed for inflation, has been more aligned in recent periods compared to 2021 and 2022,” said Perc Pine- da, PhD, PLASTICS’ Chief Econo - mist. The Plastics Demand Estimate Re - port is available to PLASTICS’ mem - bers and non-members: https://www.plasticsindustry.org/ resource/plastics-demand-estimate/