K - The World’s No. I Trade Fair for Plastics and Rubber, Stockumer KirchStr. 61, Düsseldorf (2026)

15/06/2026

⚽🏆 The World Cup is on — and our industry is right there on the pitch!

The 2026 FIFA World Cup just kicked off, being the biggest edition in history.
48 teams. 104 matches. June 11 to July 19. Billions of fans watching.

Modern football runs on advanced plastics and polymers. Here's the proof:

⚽ The Ball: Today's match balls use precisely engineered polymer surfaces and synthetic materials that deliver consistent weight, stable shape, reliable rebound and predictable flight — even in challenging weather. A far cry from the inflated pig bladders used in the 1800s, before vulcanized rubber changed everything.

👟 The Boots: Lightweight uppers, flexible structures and high-performance sole plates help players achieve better grip, acceleration, agility and ball control. The interface between player, pitch and ball? A highly engineered polymer system.

👕 The Kit: Lightweight, breathable, durable textiles help regulate moisture and improve comfort under intense physical load. Waterborne polyurethane technologies make this possible, combining softness, water resistance and long-lasting performance.

🏟️ The Stadiums: Lightweight, durable polycarbonate solutions are used in large-scale roof applications, helping create weather-resistant structures that protect fans while reducing weight and maintenance.

📡 The Broadcast: Every goal you watch on a screen depends on advanced polymer materials protecting cables, connectors and electronic components. The more connected the sport becomes, the more critical the materials behind it.
And it doesn't stop there.

From training facilities to data centres and streaming infrastructure — every match that reaches fans worldwide is powered, in part, by our industry.

As Monique Buch, Chief Commercial Officer at Covestro, put it: "Innovation must be fast, focused and collaborative — co-creation with customers works much like teamwork in football: different strengths coming together for a shared goal."

We couldn't agree more. 🏆

09/06/2026

Solar energy is scaling fast - and the materials behind it need to keep pace. ☀️

SABIC has developed NORYL™ V0 resins - the first laser-weldable thermoplastics specifically designed for photovoltaic applications. Three developments make this particularly relevant for the plastics industry:

Material substitution at scale. Compared to metal enclosures, the new resins reduce part size by up to 40%, weight by up to 35% and material usage by up to 30% - a compelling case for thermoplastics in a sector that has traditionally relied on metal housing.

A shift in manufacturing process. By enabling laser welding instead of ultrasonic welding, the material eliminates curing-dependent bonding steps, reduces cycle times and supports higher production throughput - directly addressing the scalability demands of a rapidly growing solar market.

Performance where it matters most. The resins deliver flame retardancy, up to 15 years of outdoor weatherability and mechanical integrity at temperatures up to 150°C - meeting the rigorous requirements of exterior PV components without compromise.

The development recently received a Silver 2026 Edison Award. A strong signal that material innovation is playing a central role in accelerating the global energy transition. 🌍

08/06/2026

World Environment Day, Saturday on 5 June 2026 - and the plastics and rubber industry has a clear answer to the moment. 🌱

New recycling technologies are turning waste into raw material. Bio-based polymers are reducing dependence on fossil resources. Circular design principles are reshaping how products are conceived from the very first sketch. And across the entire value chain, manufacturers, researchers and brand owners are working together toward a shared goal: a more responsible use of materials.

The progress is real. Recycling capacities are expanding. Investments in sustainable technologies are growing. And the industry's roadmaps are translating ambition into concrete industrial targets - from circular economy commitments to new material standards that put sustainability at the centre of production.

There is still significant work ahead. But the direction is clear, and the momentum is building. ♻️

On World Environment Day, we celebrate the innovators, engineers and collaborators across the global plastics and rubber community who are making this transformation happen - one material decision at a time. 🌍

What development in sustainable plastics gives you the most reason for optimism today? 💬

03/06/2026

Today, the global exhibition industry celebrates what it does best: creating opportunities. 🌍

Today marks the 11th edition of Global Exhibitions Day - celebrated worldwide under the theme "Exhibitions drive opportunities: People, Planet, Performance." A theme that resonates deeply with everything K stands for.

Exhibitions drive opportunities for people by fostering collective effort, expanding skills and creating meaningful connections that support careers, communities and global collaboration. At K, we see this every three years - when engineers, researchers, brand owners and young talents from across the world meet in Düsseldorf and leave with new partnerships, new perspectives and new directions.

In a world reshaped by geopolitical uncertainty, shifting trade patterns and rapid technological change, exhibitions remain indispensable - the environments where industries reinvent themselves and where human connection delivers a level of trust that no digital interaction can replace.

For the plastics and rubber industry, K is exactly that space: where sustainability strategies become tangible solutions, where material innovations find their first industrial audience, and where the conversations that shape the next three years begin. ⚙️

Today, we celebrate everyone who makes these moments possible - exhibitors, visitors, partners and the teams behind the scenes. 🤝

27/05/2026

The next generation of aircraft interiors and drone components has a new material foundation. ✈️

Envalior has introduced two significant additions to its Tepex® dynalite composite portfolio - each targeting some of the most demanding application environments in aviation and unmanned aerial systems.

The first builds on polyphenylene sulphide and polyetherimide matrices, delivering high temperature and chemical resistance alongside intrinsic flame retardancy - properties that are essential for aircraft interior components such as seat shells, panels, partitions and flaps, where safety standards leave no room for compromise.

The second takes a different direction entirely: a high-performance composite based on Envalior's bio-based EcoPaXX® polyamide 4.10, derived from castor oil. The exceptional adhesion between the continuous glass or carbon fibre reinforcements and the PA 4.10 matrix results in the highest strength and stiffness in Envalior's composite portfolio - at low density. This makes it particularly well-suited for lightweight structural components in drones, including struts and rotors, where every gram matters. 🌱

Two materials, two application worlds - both pointing in the same direction: high performance and responsible material choices are increasingly designed together, not traded off against each other. 🌍

22/05/2026

Your running shoe knows where your foot lands - and responds accordingly. 👟

The heel absorbs impact. The midfoot supports your roll. The forefoot provides just the right amount of firmness for push-off. Most high-performance sports shoes achieve this by combining multiple different materials - which makes them perform well, but nearly impossible to recycle.

Researchers at Fraunhofer ICT and their partners have found a different approach: a single material that does all of this at once. By engineering the internal structure of a co-polyester elastomer sole - using precisely arranged ridges and fins - the material behaves differently under pressure depending on where and how it is loaded. Soft where you need cushioning. Firm where you need stability. All from one material, in one shoe.

The collaboration with Puma has already demonstrated that the concept works in a real product. And because both the sole and the upper can be made from polyester-based materials, the entire shoe becomes far easier to recycle - closing a loop that has long been one of the industry's most stubborn challenges. 🌱

One material. Multiple functions. A full circular loop. That is what smart material design looks like in practice. 🌍

21/05/2026

The outsole of a running shoe is one of the most performance-critical components in footwear - and one of the least visible. 👟

It needs to grip on wet surfaces, resist heat abrasion and maintain mechanical strength over thousands of steps. Rubber has long been the default material of choice. But the trade-offs - in production complexity, recyclability and carbon footprint - are becoming harder to ignore.

BASF's Elastollan® GripTec is a TPU developed specifically for outsole applications, combining slip resistance comparable to rubber with excellent heat abrasion performance and full recyclability. A life cycle assessment by Intertek adds a concrete number to the sustainability case: switching from rubber to an Elastollan® GripTec outsole enables a 41% reduction in product carbon footprint in outsole manufacturing.

Material substitution in everyday products delivering measurable performance and sustainability gains - exactly the kind of development that moves the industry forward. 🌍

20/05/2026

The smartphone in your pocket is getting more powerful. The material science behind it is keeping pace. 🔬

As premium smartphones push toward higher energy densities and operating voltages, the demands on battery materials are increasing significantly. Syensqo has announced the growing commercial adoption of its Energain® SA076 solution - a material now deployed in next-generation lithium-ion batteries operating above 4.53V in flagship mobile devices across Asia, with broader rollout expected in 2026.

The material addresses one of the key challenges in transitioning to silicon-carbon anode battery systems: swelling. By mitigating this issue, Energain® SA076 enables higher voltage operation while maintaining safety and performance stability - a combination that has historically been difficult to achieve at scale.

What makes this development particularly notable is its industrial maturity. This is not a laboratory result - it is a validated solution already deployed across multiple leading smartphone manufacturers, with further adoption across the 4.55V platform generation on the horizon.
As Dr. Ludovic Odoni, Head of Technology, Battery and Green Hydrogen Materials Platform at Syensqo, notes: as manufacturers push toward higher energy densities, material innovation is what makes safer and more reliable battery systems possible.

Advanced materials are enabling the technologies that define everyday life - from mobility to consumer electronics. ⚙️

15/05/2026

The coffee machine on your kitchen counter might be doing more for the circular economy than you think. ☕

The new De' Longhi Eletta Ultra is a fully automatic espresso machine - but what sets it apart is not just the brewing technology. Up to 70% of the visible housing components are made from recycled plastic, sourced from end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment.

The material behind it is Green Isoter, a compound developed by Sirmax Group consisting of 70% recycled ABS recovered from discarded household appliances. The challenge was not just recycling - it was doing so without compromising the surface quality, dimensional stability or aesthetic finish that a premium consumer product demands. Matte and gloss surfaces, consistent colouring, long-term dimensional accuracy: all achieved with closed-loop post-consumer material.

Structural and technical components throughout the machine also incorporate recycled materials - from industrial waste, production residuals and post-consumer sources - at varying ratios depending on mechanical and thermal requirements.

As Massimo Pavin, President and CEO of Sirmax Group, puts it: this project demonstrates that high proportions of closed-loop post-consumer plastics from the WEEE stream can be used for premium aesthetic applications without compromising technical performance. That is no small achievement.

It is exactly the kind of collaboration - between material innovators and global consumer brands - that moves the circular economy from concept to kitchen counter. 🌍

13/05/2026

That resistance band in your gym bag has more engineering behind it than you might think. 💪

Exercise and resistance bands are one of the most widely used fitness tools in the world - lightweight, portable and effective for strength training, physiotherapy and rehabilitation alike. But the material they are made from determines everything: how far they stretch, how long they last and whether they hold up after hundreds of repeated movements.

Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are increasingly the material of choice for high-performance exercise bands - and for good reason. They combine high tensile strength with excellent tear resistance, maintaining consistent elasticity under repeated load without degrading over time. Their compatibility with extrusion processing also allows manufacturers to produce multiple band formats, resistance levels and thicknesses efficiently from a single material platform.

KRAIBURG TPE's compounds for fitness applications add another dimension: translucency for product differentiation, recyclability for more sustainable manufacturing, and a material profile that holds up whether the band is used in a home gym, a physiotherapy clinic or a professional training environment.

It is a small but telling example of how material innovation shapes the products we use every day - often without noticing. 🌍

What role do you see advanced materials playing in the future of sports and rehabilitation equipment? 💬

K - The World’s No. I Trade Fair for Plastics and Rubber

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