According to the 2022 Specialty Chemicals Industry Census+, SOCMA members and industry colleagues are placing particular emphasis on supporting their current customers while simultaneously dealing with supply chain disruption and logistics challenges.

The global supply chain is out of alignment with no simple or quick fix to re-balance and right size it. However, successful inventory management can help companies grow and thrive during these challenging times.

After two years of postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 437 people gathered May 2-5, 2022, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., for the Pressure Sensitive Tape Council’s (PSTC) inaugural Tape Week.

Homeowners, DIYers, renovators, house flippers, contractors, and all building and construction pros alike can benefit from the properties of pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) tape. Tape is effective for a broad range of applications.

The European Commission’s Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS) could fundamentally change the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Regulation by extending the application of the generic approach to risk management to professional uses and new hazard classes. This extension of the generic approach to cover not only consumers but also professional workers, including those in the construction sector, will have a significant impact.

With the host of diverse biomaterials produced by an estimated 6.5 million species on land and 2.2 million species in the oceans, the biomimicry toolkit that man has to play with is, for all practical purposes, limitless. The superior designs discovered in nature have inspired many research programs from around the world, both at the university and commercial levels. The gecko, sandcastle worm, caddisfly, mussel, and sea cucumber are all species that have inspired new chemical approaches to creating adhesives with unique performance features.

For both specialty chemicals and adhesives and sealants, quality training is paramount. Ensuring the safety of employees and their ability to successfully operate equipment is the number-one priority. In these unprecedented times, workforce development issues seem to compound each other, making onboarding new operators and training long-term employees a necessary and integral part of a chemical plant’s success—in safety and in business.

It is with great pleasure, excitement, and anticipation that we officially host our first Tape Week event this May 2-5 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., with 500+ attendees from 100 companies and 10 countries expected. Representing both a reinvigoration of our historically successful Tape Summit and a refocus and expansion of PSTC’s reach, Tape Week is the only knowledge-building and networking event for pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) tape professionals.

During COVID, clients and colleagues realized there was far too much risk in their supply chain. For the most part, they realized the stark difference in requesting help from in-demand suppliers vs. collaborating jointly with supply chain partners. Given the robust demand for raw materials to successfully support key customer needs, suppliers have no choice but to prioritize. There is little doubt they are prioritizing strategic and profitable customers, as well as those with long-term agreements.

At present, polymers do not have to be registered under Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and the Council on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH).  Nevertheless, a possible change in the treatment of polymers is envisioned in Article 138(2) of REACH, which may result in polymers being included in the registration requirements.