Lanxess holds SR party at US Warhol museum

ERJ staff report (R&PN)

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-Lanxess AG marked the 100th anniversary of the patenting of the first synthetic rubber with a contest-derived event at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh on Oct. 14.

Werner Breuers, a member of the Lanxess board of management, addressed the audience at an event at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh celebrating the 100th anniversary of the development of synthetic rubber.

Lanxess celebrated the success of chemist Fritz Hofmann's research at the laboratories of Bayer & Co.-which yielded the first SR patented on Sept. 12, 1909-with a contest. Fifteen global artists were asked to submit works that interpret the anniversary while using Lanxess SR as a medium. The winning entry by Ryan Alexiev, Loren Madsen and Hank Willis Thomas is titled “Wheel of Fortune,” and was displayed at the Andy Warhol Museum event.

Each artist received $1000 for their efforts from the company, which has its US headquarters in Pittsburgh.

“Is synthetic rubber worthy of this attention,” said Werner Breuers, a member of Lanxess' board of management, who addressed the audience. “We certainly think so. After all, no one could have predicted that a product invented 100 years ago would continue to be so relevant today.”

Lanxess timed the event to coincide with the ACS Rubber Division fall meeting in Pittsburgh.

From Rubber & Plastics News (A Crain publication)