(openPR) - Singapore, 23 March 2009 - LANXESS is taking the legacy of the inventor of synthetic rubber into the future

German specialty chemicals company LANXESS AG today presents a keynote at the World Rubber Summit on 23 March 2009 held in Singapore. The event is organized by Singapore-based International Rubber Study Group, and intergovernmental organization which aims to bring the world’s rubber producing and consuming stakeholders together.

The presentation by Dr. Guenther Weymans, Head of LANXESS Business Unit Technical Rubber Products, is titled “Innovative Specialty Performance Rubbers for Global Challenges in the Future.”

Synthetic rubber has become an indispensable part of the modern world. In 2007, more than 3 million metric tons of synthetic rubber were used worldwide, compared to around 9.7 million metric tons of natural rubber.

Innovations in synthetic rubber have led to its use in a wide range of fields to help solve critical challenges. These fields include mobility, construction, healthcare, crude oil drilling and environmental sustainability.

For example, when it comes to transporting, people and goods, almost nothing can be achieved without rubber. Specialists in dentistry are experimenting with the use of rubber as an additive in fillings. The material is also used in preventive measures to protect against earthquakes, with structures such as bridges being built on rubber.

At the summit, Weymans says, “In future, synthetic rubber will become even more important than it is now. The reason is that the world is facing an energy crisis. Fossil fuels are becoming increasingly difficult to exploit. Global warming is shouting out for alternative energy sources. Wind power, solar energy and new methods for tapping conventional energy sources are opening up fresh opportunities for synthetic rubber and its users, well beyond the traditional fields of application for rubber.”

LANXESS’s research centers in Germany, North and South America as well as China work tirelessly to continue developing a whole range of high-tech rubbers and secure the future of this versatile material. In addition, as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of synthetic rubber, LANXESS continues to expand its global rubber research network. Most recently, it established a new research center in the Chinese city of Qingdao and initiated a collaboration with Chinese research institutes in Beijing and Shanghai.

LANXESS is a leader in specialty chemicals with sales in 2008 of EUR 6.58 billion and currently around 14,800 employees in 21 countries. The company has operations at 44 sites worldwide. LANXESS’s core business comprises the development, manufacture and marketing of plastics, rubber, intermediates and specialty chemicals. More information at www.lanxessgoesasia.com

LANXESS is a leader in specialty chemicals with sales in 2008 of EUR 6.58 billion and currently around 14,800 employees in 21 countries. The company has operations at 44 sites worldwide. LANXESS’s core business comprises the development, manufacture and marketing of plastics, rubber, intermediates and specialty chemicals. More information at www.lanxessgoesasia.com

Maggie Tan
Corporate Communications
LANXESS Pte Ltd
9 Benoi Sector, Singapore 629844
Tel       (65) 6725 5888
Direct   (65) 6725 5821
Fax      (65) 6264 5329
Email   maggie.tan@lanxess.com
Web: www.lanxess.com/ , www.lanxessgoesasia.com/