he greater part of the rubber processing industry produces products which are required for automotive vehicles and is therefore essentially part of the Automotive Industry. The developers and manufacturers of non-tyre rubber products, like many other suppliers, have experienced extreme hardship during the last decade. During the last decade the OEMs have transferred increasing responsibility for design, development and the quality of the required products. The rubber processor progressed from the manufacturer of relatively simple moulded or extruded parts to a designer and producer of multifunctional components and systems. On the other hand many OEMs have increasingly regarded these products as commodities and have made considerable moves to lower the price of many products through direct pressure on the suppliers as well as through global auctions. Some of the methods used are ethically questionable. In the

In this paper, you will be given a brief overview of the major requirements of the REACH regulation and how these provisions will affect (downstream) industries. Bearing in mind the potential consequences for our sector, BLIC has been following and contributing to the legal and political process very closely from the start. We have made a detailed analysis of the current proposal and developed proposals for amendments on a number of key points that need to be incorporated in order to make the system more workable for our industry. We have mainly been paying attention to reduce the administrative and financial burdens created by the system without, affecting the aim of the regulation, while seeking to ensure a level playing field between EU and Non-EU manufacturers.

Engineers and designers are searching in their quest to reduce costs, for reliable alternatives to be used in their current metal-to-rubber product ranges. Where as in the past metal did the job, they have chosen engineering plastics to be suitable candidates. Function integration, weight, interaction with the rubber and cost reductions are only a few of many criteria, which make the choice for plastics an obvious one. DSM

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There is pressure on the rubber industry to reduce the zinc content of rubber compounds, because of concerns that zinc chemicals have adverse effects on the aquatic environment. An EU-supported project, entitled

The environmental impact of chemical products is an increasing concern among both authorities and chemical industries. In February 2004, the EU adopted a proposal of legislation to ban the use of distillate aromatic extracts in tires. Although the industrial rubber segment is not directly concerned by this directive yet, it is likely to experience its effects due to the lower demand on aromatic extracts and the consequent changes in the oil industry. Naphthenic plasticisers are one of the environmentally conscious alternatives to aromatic extracts. Their chemical nature gives them a good solvent power and good compatibility with most elastomers. Their performance in industrial rubber compounds will be compared with that of aromatic extracts and other possible alternative plasticisers.