15 Companies, 30 Material Technologies: 2026 Rubber & Plastics Exhibition Visitor Guide (I)

Against the backdrop of global "dual carbon" goals and the accelerated implementation of the circular economy, CHINAPLAS 2026 has become a pivotal platform for understanding the future direction of the plastics and rubber industry. This article, “Expo Guide to CHINAPLAS 2026 (Part I): 15 Companies, 20 Material Technologies,” focuses on the most representative enterprises and cutting-edge material pathways, helping you quickly identify key exhibitors among the vast array of participants, grasp technological trends and business opportunities, and gain clear insights for efficient exhibition visits and industry decision-making.

Arkema

High-performance bio-based renewable and recyclable Pebax® Rnew® product series

Derived from castor, it has the same performance as Pebax® elastomers. Pebax® nylon elastomers, a star product of Arkema, are highly competitive in high-performance sports equipment, medical, and electronic consumer products due to their unique combination of "soft" and "hard" segments. The Pebax® Rnew® series is partially bio-based, renewable, and uses the same bio-based raw material as Rilsan® PA11. Pebax® Rnew® is a polyamide polyether block copolymer, with the polyamide block being PA11, while the standard Pebax® specification uses PA12 as the polyamide block.

Castor oil, derived from castor seeds, is the raw material for synthesizing PA11 blocks. Castor is an inedible plant that grows on poor soil.

Rilsan® polyamide 11

The unique "11-carbon chain" structure endows it with a unique crystalline form and high hydrogen bond density. Compared to petroleum-based PA12, PA11 has a higher melting point, better barrier properties, and superior impact resistance. Compared to ordinary short-chain nylons, PA11 offers better flexibility, lower water absorption, superior dimensional stability, and impact resistance.

Rilsan® PA11 is easy to process and suitable for most processing techniques (extrusion, blow molding, injection molding, rotational molding, etc.). PA11 exhibits excellent compatibility with various additives and fillers, such as plasticizers, stabilizers, colorants, lubricants, impact modifiers, glass fibers, carbon fibers, and more. PA11 has a wide operating temperature range (from -40°C to +130°C).

Source: Arkema

Virtucycle® Recycling Project

Virtucycle® is Arkema’s global circular recycling program for high-performance polymers—including PA11, PA12, PEBA elastomers, and PVDF fluoropolymers. At its core, the program addresses waste issues associated with costly, specialty engineering plastics at both the industrial production stage and end-of-life, via “closed-loop” or “controlled recycling” models. While traditional material usage follows a “take-make-dispose” pattern, Virtucycle® establishes a collaborative network linking material suppliers, processors (OEMs), and end-of-life recycling operations.

Booth No.: 7.2B67

BASF

Freeflex®E 130 —— Electrospun nanofilm material based on thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)

Freeflex® TPU can be processed via electrospinning to produce nanofibers with diameters ranging from 100 to 600 nm, resulting in a morphology characterized by high specific surface area and high porosity, thereby delivering superior water resistance and breathability. In addition to this electrospinning innovation, BASF will showcase at CHINAPLAS 2026—a leading international plastics and rubber exhibition—a sportswear fabric composed of polypropylene/low-melting-point polyester blended with 15% Freeflex® melt-spun spandex. This fabric offers exceptional wearing comfort, rapid moisture wicking, enhanced elasticity, and improved durability for sportswear applications. Freeflex® melt-spun spandex complies with REACH regulations and has been certified under the Oeko-Tex® Eco Passport, meeting the textile industry’s stringent requirements for safety and chemical transparency.

Niber Technologies uses BASF’s newly developed Freeflex® E130 TPU electrospun nanofiber membrane to produce outdoor jackets. Image source: BASF

Freeflex® electrospun nanofiber technology and the versatility of melt-spun fibers continuously help manufacturers design and develop next-generation high-performance apparel. Additionally, BASF is advancing the Bluesign® certification process for Freeflex®, which is expected to be completed by 2026 to meet the increasingly stringent regulatory and sustainability requirements of the global apparel and textile industry.

Elastollan® GripTec Sole Solution

Elastollan® GripTec offers outstanding grip, excellent durability, design flexibility, and sustainability, meeting the core needs of runners and hikers, while also suitable for casual fashion and children's footwear. The Elastollan® GripTec TPU product line is designed to handle diverse environments, combining excellent grip, outstanding durability, and superior wear resistance. At the same time, the series is easily colorable, offering a wide range of visual options from transparent to black, and is easy to process, helping brands create TPU sole designs with more creativity and detailed expression.

In addition to performance innovation, Elastollan GripTec also emphasizes optimization of processing workflows during development; its efficient TPU outsole manufacturing process helps enhance production efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and minimize waste emissions.

An Intertek LCA study for Elastollan GripTec shows that the product carbon footprint (PCF) of Elastollan GripTec is 41% lower than that of traditional rubber soles during the production phase.

Booth Number: 7.2C41

Covestro

In-mold coating process

Direct coating process is an improved two-shot molding process that combines injection molding with reaction injection molding in a single mold. This innovative technology involves two key steps: injecting polycarbonate or its blend into the mold; and overmolding the thermoplastic part with a reactive polyurethane coating system (based on polyol and isocyanate) into a second cavity.

Polyurethane can cure instantly, forming a finished coating component with a smooth surface and no "orange peel" defects.

Makrolon® Dx

Modclone® Dx Series is a high-performance polycarbonate diffuser sheet specifically designed for LED lighting applications. Its core advantage lies in balancing high light transmittance with excellent light diffusion, effectively resolving common LED light source issues such as “hot spots” or shadows. Certain models (e.g., Dx Sky) feature a special micro-surface structure, achieving a Unified Glare Rating (UGR) as low as 19, thereby meeting workplace lighting standards.

Makrolon® GF9024

A fiberglass-reinforced, light-transmitting polycarbonate. It addresses the issue of insufficient rigidity in ordinary transparent PC, providing both good light transmission to complement RGB lighting effects and high rigidity along with flame retardant safety. It is commonly used in the semi-transparent C surface or decorative panels of gaming laptops.

Makrolon® GF Reinforced Series

By incorporating glass fibers in varying proportions, it provides an extremely high flexural modulus, enabling the production of lightweight yet robust enclosures.

Bayblend® Series

PC+ABS alloy material offers excellent impact strength and processability, commonly used for laptop bases or side frames.

Carbon fiber reinforced polycarbonate

Covestro’s continuous carbon fiber composites can be used for the A-surface of gaming laptops, delivering metal-like strength and premium aesthetics at an extremely light weight.

High proportion of PCR (post-consumer recycled) materials

Makrolon® CQ series materials exhibit mechanical strength, flame retardancy, and surface aesthetics nearly identical to those of virgin materials.

Biobased Materials (Mass Balance)

The Moklon® RE series, made from waste biomass (e.g., waste oil), has been introduced. This material exhibits physical properties equivalent to standard polycarbonate (PC), yet with a significantly reduced carbon footprint.

Shisuo Ke

SABIC’s ECHO Circular product portfolio is the company’s sustainable materials range launched to advance the circular economy. It primarily utilizes bio-based raw materials, recycled materials (including post-consumer and post-industrial recycled content), and mass balance-certified feedstocks to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of products while maintaining high mechanical performance.

Major Product Series

Omnix® ECHO

A high-performance polyamide offering an excellent balance in molding processability, dimensional stability, rigidity, and surface quality. Certain grades contain up to 83% recycled content via mass balance allocation, reducing the product carbon footprint (PCF) by up to 45%. Specifically designed for the home appliance market, including coffee makers, food processors, air fryers, ovens, kitchen robot bases, and razor holders.

Duradex™ PPSU ECHO：

Source: syensqo

High-performance polysulfone material has been applied to baby bottles from the Korean brand Moyuum, making it the country's first baby bottle made with certified recycled materials.

Circular Elastomers and Lubricants: Produced at the Spinetta Marengo plant in Italy, including Tecnoflon® FKM, claimed to be the industry's first certified circular high-performance elastomer portfolio.

Tecnoflon® FFKM NFS: A perfluoroelastomer using Non-Fluorinated Surfactant (NFS) technology, focused on sustainability in semiconductor manufacturing.

Diofan® PVDC Pharmaceutical Blister Packaging Solution

Diofan® Ultra736: An ultra-high barrier coating specifically designed to reduce carbon footprint.

Significantly improve moisture protection without sacrificing oxygen barrier and transparency. A thinner coating structure can be adopted. In a dual-layer structure, the number of coatings on the base layer can be halved while maintaining the same barrier effect, helping to reduce carbon emissions of packaging products by 13%.

Diofan® Super B: Next-generation high-performance barrier coating, commonly used as a replacement for traditional high-barrier materials such as PCTFE.

Compared to many polymers that are only good at blocking one type (water vapor or oxygen), it can provide top-notch bidirectional protection.

Features excellent thermoforming performance, enabling higher tablet density and smaller packaging dimensions.

Booth No.: Hall 7.2, C37

SABIC

Innovation of Polycarbonate Materials and IMC Process

LEXAN™ PU2030R is a high-performance polycarbonate (PC) resin designed specifically for the automotive industry, with its core advantage being excellent compatibility with in-mold painting processes.

PU2030R is part of the LEXAN™ polycarbonate series, with main technical characteristics including:

High flowability: Melt flow rate of 17, exhibiting low viscosity, suitable for injection molding complex shapes.

Excellent adhesion: specifically optimized for polyurethane coatings, forming a strong chemical or mechanical bond with the paint to prevent delamination.

Weather resistance: With UV stabilization, it is suitable for applications such as automotive interior and exterior parts that require light resistance.

Application Fields: Widely used in automotive trim parts, such as pillar trims, grilles, and various functional exterior components.

IMC is an integrated process that completes surface coating directly within the mold cavity during the plastic part molding process. Since the coatings used in IMC are mostly polyurethane systems, the "enhanced PUR coating adhesion" characteristic of PU2030R makes it the preferred substrate for this process, ensuring that the finished product does not experience coating detachment under the harsh automotive usage environment.

HuaFeng Ruixun

Non-food biomass-based sustainable raw materials

Huafeng Ruixun is a Huafeng Group platform dedicated to bio-based materials. Its non-food bio-based sustainable raw materials primarily originate from the acquisition of DuPont’s former bio-based business and subsequent technological innovation. This product series is committed to utilizing agricultural residues (e.g., corn cobs) to replace traditional fossil fuels, thereby achieving carbon reduction at the source.

Core Product Series

CovationBio® BioPTMEG

100% derived from non-food biomass sources - furfural extracted from corn cobs. A bio-based alternative to petrochemical PTMEG, maintaining excellent mechanical properties, can be directly applied in the production of spandex, polyurethane (PU) and thermoplastic elastomers. Compared with traditional petrochemical products, it can reduce approximately 3.8 tons of carbon emissions per ton.

Susterra® Propanediol 

1,3-Propanediol is an important intermediate for the production of polyether polyols and polyesters.

Used for the preparation of high-performance polyether polyols (such as PO3G), with high biobased content, low volatility and excellent thermal stability.

Sorona® polymer

Widely used in carpets, apparel fibers (e.g., PTT fibers), and automotive interior materials. This product utilizes bio-based PDO to replace petroleum-derived raw materials, significantly reducing energy consumption.

Spherilex® Series

Spherical synthetic amorphous silica produced via a patented continuous precipitation process. Unlike conventional silica with irregular particle morphology, SPHERILEX® features unique high sphericity, narrow particle size distribution, and extremely low specific surface area.

Coatings and Paints Application (SPHERILEX® DP Series)

Mainly used to improve the mechanical durability and appearance of the coating.

Plastics and Film Applications (SPHERILEX® AB Series)

Serving as a new generation antiblocking agent for polymer film production.

For cosmetics (SPHERILEX® 10 PC)

As a sensory enhancer, it provides a silky, non-drying, skin-friendly feel and has oil-control and matte effects. It is commonly used in sunscreens (to reduce stickiness), loose powders, and lipsticks, serving as an eco-friendly alternative to microplastic particles.

Dow Inc.

3D Air Fiber Solution

Source: DOW

INFINAIR™ POE

It is a polyolefin elastomer (POE) material specifically designed for 3D structural applications. It is mainly used to replace traditional polyurethane foam, and is widely applied in mattresses, pillows, automotive seats, and furniture cushions. It not only provides ultra breathability and ultimate comfort, but also supports washing and quick drying, combining hygiene and convenience. Meanwhile, it ensures comprehensive safety with FDA compliance and low VOC properties.

Moreover, traditional mattresses are typically made by bonding multiple materials together, making them extremely difficult to recycle. In contrast, products made with INFINAIR™—including both the surface layer and core—can be fully recycled and reprocessed into pellets for reuse.

LG Chem

PuroTec™

Inorganic antibacterial glass powder additive. It is a functional material based on a glass matrix, designed to impart excellent antibacterial and antifungal properties to plastics, coatings, rubber, and other materials at extremely low addition levels.

PuroTec™ can effectively inhibit the growth and reproduction of harmful microorganisms such as bacteria and mold, preventing odors, pollution, and discoloration caused by microorganisms. Compared to traditional antimicrobial agents, PuroTec™ can significantly reduce the "yellowing" phenomenon commonly found in plastics, maintaining the product's appearance value. It possesses excellent chemical and thermal stability, and only a small amount is needed to achieve clean and antimicrobial effects, and it is easy to blend with various substrates such as PC, PVC, and rubber.

PuroTec™, originally developed by LG Electronics based on its experience in major home appliances, has now become a key pillar for LG's expansion into the B2B materials market.

Booth Number: Hall 6.2 / No. C41

Zhongke Guosheng

FURIX™

Introduce the full chain of bio-based furan polyesters (PEF) centered around HMF (5-hydroxymethylfurfural), this material has high barrier properties, high transparency, and low carbon footprint.

Zhongke Guosheng has developed the high-performance furan polymer core brand FURIX™, focusing on the downstream application development of PEF.

PEF Packaging Material: Compared to conventional PET, PEF offers superior barrier properties (10 times higher oxygen barrier and 4 times higher carbon dioxide barrier), thermal stability, and mechanical strength, making it highly suitable for carbonated beverage and food packaging.

FURIX™ PEF Fiber: A high-performance, bio-based fiber to be officially released in 2026, featuring excellent moisture wicking, antibacterial properties, and a low carbon footprint, widely applied in the textile and apparel industry.

Micro Construction Field

PHA

PHA, a biomaterial produced via biological methods, offers a fundamental solution to plastic pollution through its low-carbon footprint, safety, and natural biodegradability, thereby driving the supply chain toward a circular economy.

PHA is a type of natural polymer that microorganisms store inside their cells when there is an imbalance in carbon source metabolism. It is 100% bio-based and fully degradable in the environment. It is one of the few materials that can pass marine degradability tests, completely degrading into carbon dioxide and water in nature, including in soil and freshwater/marine environments. Compared to traditional plastics, the carbon emissions during the production of PHA are significantly lower (about one-third of those of traditional plastics), and it has good biocompatibility and processability.

Weifangongchang has achieved the synthesis of more than 30 different types of PHA materials (such as PHB, PHBV, P34HB, etc.), covering a wide range of properties from high hardness to high elasticity.

Aventer

Source: avient

Booth No.: 2.2J68

Phomerax

Amberomer®

Amber effect pigments, based on novel photonic crystal technology, present high transparency, high chroma, and an elegant texture without the need for traditional colorants or metallic substances. They are highly weather-resistant, environmentally friendly, and non-toxic, offering a revolutionary and sustainable solution for plastic color aesthetics.

It can be directly added to PP, ABS, TPU and other plastic substrates for injection molding or extrusion, without the need for post-treatment painting, reducing flow marks, and in line with the green environmental protection trend.

Providing a deep, elegant visual effect similar to "amber," capable of displaying different color rhythms as the viewing angle changes.

Kai Defu

Sulapac material

Sulapac is a bio-based, biodegradable material designed to replace conventional plastic, often described as "combining the practicality of plastic with the sustainability of wood."

Primarily composed of wood chips/wood flour from sustainably managed forests and natural bio-based binders such as polylactic acid (PLA). It degrades in the natural environment without leaving toxic residues or permanent microplastics. It can be directly produced on existing injection molding, extrusion, thermoforming, or 3D printing machinery without incurring high equipment modification costs.

KraussMaffei

ColorForm technology is an innovative in-mold painting integrated molding process. It combines traditional injection molding with polyurethane or polyurea surface coating perfectly, directly producing finished products with high-quality coatings in the same production cycle.

ColorForm is based on the principle of multi-component injection molding and consists of two core steps:

Injection molding: First, thermoplastic plastic (such as PC, ABS, etc.) is injected into the mold to form the supporting base of the product.