By Bill Bregar
SENIOR STAFF REPORTER
Published: July 28, 2014 1:19 pm ET
Updated: July 28, 2014 1:29 pm ET
The Society of Plastics Engineers’ Thermoplastic Elastomers TopCon returns to the Akron, Ohio, area Sept. 16-18, with speakers addressing global market trends and economics, new developments in materials and applications, innovations in design and development and advances in processing and fabrication.
Tabletop displays will be open during the entire conference.
Freedonia Group predicts the global demand for TPEs should grow about 5.5 percent a year by 2017, reaching about 13 billion pounds and valued at more than $20 million. Automotive account for one-third of the total, but the fastest growth is expected in smaller-volume TPE markets such as medical and the emerging packaging industry.
The 11th annual TPE TopCon — Building New Bonds: Expanding Markets, Materials and Applications--is sponsored by the Akron Section of SPE and the society’s TPE Special Interest Group.
Registration costs $375 in advance or $425 on-site for SPE members. Nonmembers pay $425 or $475. The charge for students is $65 or $70. | 
