Introductory Rubber Course
2025-09-23 10:00 - 15:00 UTC | Hilton Garden Inn Twinsburg, OH, 8971 Wilcox Dr., Twinsburg, Ohio, 44078
Course: Introductory Rubber Composition & Testing
Presented by Brad Sellers
September 23: Includes the Introductory Rubber course, a lunch, and a tour of Smithers in Ravenna.

On Tuesday, Sept. 23, the Course will be from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm at the Hilton Garden Inn, Twinsburg. Lunch will follow. From 1:00 – 3:00 pm, attendees will carpool and tour Smithers in Ravenna. We encourage you to return and stay for the ORG Technical Meeting.

Course Overview: Gain a foundational understanding of how rubber products are formulated, tested and evaluated in this engaging introductory course. Led by Brad Sellers of Smithers, a global leader in rubber and tire testing, this session will walk you through the key ingredients in rubber compounds, how they are combined and why each component matters for performance.
Drawing on his expertise in product evaluation, data analysis and failure investigation, Brad will connect composition theory with real-world testing practices. You’ll learn about common laboratory test methods, how to interpret results and how testing supports product development, quality assurance and problem-solving. Whether you’re new to the industry or looking to strengthen your technical foundation, this course will equip you with practical insights you can apply immediately in your work.

Price: $495 Member / $595 Non-member / Free for Undergraduate Student Members / $100 for Other Student Members
*Ohio Rubber Group members receive this course for FREE. Enter code: ORG2025
Register through the Rubber Division website: Click Here
*Please note that all memberships will be verified. If you are unsure if your ORG membership is current, please contact Denise Kotz.
Hotel address for Course: Hilton Garden Inn, 8971 Wilcox Dr., Twinsburg, Ohio 44078
Smithers address for Tour: 1150 N. Freedom St., Ravenna, OH 44266

Fall Technical Meeting - 2025
2025-09-23 16:00 - 21:00 | Hilton Garden Inn Twinsburg, OH, 8971 Wilcox Dr., Twinsburg, Ohio, 44078
Interested in Additional Education? New to the Rubber Industry? Check out the “Introductory Rubber Composition & Testing” Course offered earlier in the day. This course is FREE to Ohio Rubber Group Members. Click here for more information.
Agenda:
4:00 – Dinner Ticket / Membership Sales
4:30 – Technical Presentations
6:00 – Social Hour
7:00 – Dinner
Advanced Reservations: $35 each ***Without prior reservation: $40 each (limited number available)
Email reservations to Denise Kotz at denisekotz@strategicrealm.consulting OR mail to Ohio Rubber Group, PO Box 553, Hudson, OH 44236.
Fall Technical Meeting Reservation Form
Pay in Advance for this meeting!
Note: This is now the Preferred Method of Payment!
Please note that although we are using PayPal to make the transaction, you do not need to have a PayPal account. Simply just enter your Credit Card information.
Click here to pay in advance with PayPal
**Please note that your PayPal receipt will be from ACESS (Akron Council of Engineering and Scientific Societies). This is correct.

Technical Presentations:
“Troubleshooting Rubber to Substrate Bond Failures”
Justin Pflug, Application Specialist for Rubber and Urethane to Substrate Bonding, H.M. Royal
This presentation will elaborate on the many ways that bonded components fail, how to prevent those failures, and how to troubleshoot the failures that aren’t prevented.

“Conductive Silicone Technology”
Steve Griffin, Director of Business Development, RDAbbott
Silicone rubber is widely recognized for its exceptional insulating properties—but with the right material technologies, it can also become an excellent conductor. This presentation will explore how the electrical characteristics of silicone elastomers can be fundamentally altered using conductive fillers, enabling new solutions for industries requiring conductivity ranges from static-dissipative up to and including electrostatic dissipation (ESD), and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. This session will provide practical knowledge for engineers and designers looking to leverage conductive silicone technologies for enhanced product performance and market differentiation.

“The Polymer Industry Cluster: Building the Future Through Collaborative Action”
Hans Dorfi, Executive Director and Chief Innovation Officer, Polymer Industry Cluster
The Polymer Industry Cluster’s mission is to address shared polymer industry challenges that require collaborative action and open innovation, while bringing mutual benefit and investment that leads to talent attraction, jobs, and economic growth. The presentation will cover its goals and objectives, the progress to date and the future outlook.

***Please turn off cell phones during the presentations****

Winter Technical Meeting - 2026
2026-01-27 16:00 - 21:00 | Hilton Garden Inn Twinsburg, OH, 8971 Wilcox Dr., Twinsburg, Ohio, 44078
Agenda:
4:00 – Dinner Ticket / Membership Sales
4:30 – Technical Presentations
6:00 – Social Hour
7:00 – Dinner
Advanced Reservations: $35 each ***Without prior reservation: $40 each (limited number available)
Email reservations to Denise Kotz at denisekotz@strategicrealm.consulting OR mail to Ohio Rubber Group, PO Box 553, Hudson, OH 44236.
Winter Technical Meeting Reservation Form
Need to Renew your Membership?? Complete the Membership Form and pay for both at same time!
Pay in Advance is the Preferred Method for payment. Avoid lines at the meeting! Click here to pay in advance for both dinner tickets and Membership.

Technical Presentations:
“Advanced Rheological Characterization of SBR with Recovered and Carbon Black Fillers Using Rubber Process Analyzer (RPA)”
Unal Yilmazoglu, Applications Engineering Manager, Alpha Technologies
With rising interest in sustainable fillers for rubber compounds, there is a growing need for detailed rheological characterization. Using RPA with Sub-Zero technology, this study provides a comparative rheological analysis of SBR compounds filled with recovered carbon and conventional carbon black at various filler loadings. Additionally, Fourier Transform (FT) rheology provides distinct viscoelastic fingerprints that differentiate recovered carbon from carbon black-filled formulations.

“Stiffness-Hysteresis Tradeoff in the Dynamic Mechanical Behavior of Rubber Compounds Reinforced with Precipitated Silica, Carbon Black, and Other Nanofillers”
Christopher G. Robertson, Principal Consultant, Polymer Technology Services LLC
A review of numerous data sets for temperature-dependent dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) of various nanofiller-reinforced rubber compounds reveals that the peak height for loss tangent (tand) in the glass transition region is inversely related to the dynamic storage modulus in the rubbery state, the latter influenced strongly by the type and concentration of filler. The results that illustrate this stiffness-hysteresis tradeoff include recent DMA data for a model passenger tire tread compound, based on styrene-butadiene rubber reinforced with different loadings of precipitated silica and silane coupling agent. This general trend is also noted for published data for various rubber compounds filled with precipitated silica or carbon black and with data for various elastomer nanocomposites from scientific literature. Viscoelastic models show the same inverse relationship, independent of any material-related interpretation. This viscoelastic tradeoff will be discussed along with implications for the performance of tire treads and other rubber applications.

“Synthesis of Carboxyl Terminated Polymyrcene by Anionic Polymerization using CO2”
Trishna K Chengappa, PhD student and Scholarship Winner, The University of Akron
This work investigates the termination of anionically polymerized myrcene with carbon dioxide to produce carboxylic acid–terminated polymers, aiming to enable further functionalization and non-linear architectures like graft copolymers. Challenges such as maximizing carboxylation in bulk, managing side reactions with THF, and optimizing CO₂ addition are addressed through tailored reaction conditions and characterization methods.

***Please turn off cell phones during the presentations****

Spring Technical Meeting - 2026
2026-04-28 17:00 - 21:00 | Missing Falls Brewery, 540 S. Main St., Akron, OH, 44311, United States
Agenda:
5:00 – Registration, Bar Opens, Buffet Dinner Opens
5:30 – Technical Presentations
7:00 – Open Networking
This event will be held at Missing Falls Brewery, 540 S. Main St., Akron.
Advanced Reservations: $35 each
***Without prior reservation: $40 each (limited number). We highly encourage you to pay in advance for this meeting, due to the setup, which is one large room. “Pay at the Door” will only be available until 5:30 pm because the Technical Presentations start at that time.
Reduced Fee for Students! Student dinner tickets are only $5.
Email reservations to Denise Kotz at denisekotz@strategicrealm.consulting OR mail to Ohio Rubber Group, PO Box 553, Hudson, OH 44236.
Need to Renew your Membership?? Complete the Membership Form and pay for both at same time!
Pay in Advance is the Preferred Method for payment. Avoid lines at the meeting!
We are currently experiencing technical difficulties with web payments.
Please send an email to Denise Kotz, and she will send you an invoice to pay in advance for dinner tickets and/or Membership. Be sure to mention in your email if you want to add membership dues to your invoice.
Parking is available in the large lot in back.
****Please turn off cell phones during the presentations****
Technical Presentations:
“Flexoelectricity in Polyelectrolyte Elastomers as Sensors and Energy Harvesters”
Mehdi Sahami, PhD student and Scholarship Winner, The University of Akron
This work focuses on a class of elastomeric materials capable of generating electrical signals under non-uniform mechanical deformation. In other words, these materials can convert mechanical deformation into electrical output, making them promising candidates for sensing and energy harvesting applications.

“From Lab to Road: Testing Rubber for Real-World Performance”
Paul Merda, Education Coordinator/Technical Advisor, ARDL
This presentation explores how laboratory testing methods are used to evaluate and predict the real-world performance of rubber components in applications such as windshield wipers, tires, and engine mounts.

PANEL DISCUSSION: “From Passion to Profession: Paths, Pivots, and Possibilities”
Moderator: Fred Carter, Strategic-Partner, Schooley Mitchell
Panelists:
Will Mars, President, Endurica
Jason Poulton, Semi-Retired
Eric Britton, Materials Engineer, Bridgestone Americas
The goal of the panel will be to highlight some industry professionals with Engineering or PhD backgrounds and how they have progressed to their current position in the industry. We’ll aim to highlight some struggles, victories, and tips/lessons that might be helpful for the students, but also for young professionals.

****Please turn off cell phones during the presentations****

Early Summer Golf Outing - 2026
2026-06-17 07:00 - 16:00 | Brookledge Golf Club, 1621 Bailey Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, OH, 44221, United States
Registration: 7:00 – 7:45 am
Shotgun Start: 8:00 am
4 Golfer Scramble
Dinner: 2:00 pm – Brookledge Pavilion
Cost: $150.00
* Includes golf with cart, lunch, dinner, beverages, door prize, raffle ticket, skill awards and prizes.
Mulligan cards are available for an additional $5 each.
Registration Form deadline: June 5, 2026
Registration Forms and Corporate Hole Sponsor Forms
******Even if you don’t golf, join us for dinner!
DINNER ONLY: $40 (Catered by “Terrible Tom’s Barbeque”)
Pay in Advance for this golf outing!
Note: This is now the Preferred Method of Payment!
Please still fill out a Registration Form so we have all the golfer names. Email form to Denise Kotz.
Click here to pay in advance.
**Please note that your receipt will be from ACESS (Akron Council of Engineering and Scientific Societies). This is correct.

Brookledge Golf Club
1621 Bailey Road
Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221
330-971-8416

Late Summer Golf Outing - 2026
2026-08-31 07:00 - 20:00 | Silver Lake Country Club, 1325 Graham Rd, Stow, Ohio, 44224
Event Information
Call for Sponsors
Registration Form
There will be two shotgun starts: AM group – 8:00 AM (Play Your Own Ball) and PM group – 1:30 PM (Scramble)
Any morning player will have the opportunity to play an additional round in the afternoon for an additional $75.
Entry Fee of $165 includes golf, lunch and dinner.
Entry form must be received with payment by August 24, 2026.
Schedule of Activities:
7:00 AM Bag Drop – Morning Shotgun Registration Opens
7:15 AM Driving Range Opens
8:00 AM MORNING SHOTGUN
9:30 AM Bag Drop – Afternoon Shotgun
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Lunch
1:30 PM AFTERNOON SHOTGUN
6:00 PM Cocktails! (Cash Bar)
7:00 PM Dinner
8:00 PM Prize Awards

Pay in Advance for this golf outing!
Note: This is now the Preferred Method of Payment!
Click here to pay in advance.
**Please note that your receipt will be from ACESS (Akron Council of Engineering and Scientific Societies). This is correct.

Course: Processing & Testing of Rubber
2026-09-15 09:00 - 14:00 | ARDL, 75 Robinson Avenue, Barberton, OH, 44203, United States
Course: Processing & Testing of Rubber
Presented by Paul Merda
September 15: Includes the Processing & Testing of Rubber course, a lunch, and a tour of ARDL.

On Tuesday, Sept. 15, the Course, lunch and tour will be from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm at ARDL, Barberton.
We encourage you to attend the ORG Technical Meeting later that afternoon.
Course Overview:
This half-day course will give an in-depth look at mixing, testing and vulcanizing of rubber.
Topics Covered:

Incoming raw material inspection
Key characteristics for certain raw materials
Mixing rubber: rotor types, batch sizing, 1-pass vs. 2-pass, conventional vs. upside down mixing, raw materials that require special attention during mixing, common mixing and milling problems, and batch take-off.
Testing for quality control: rheology, Mooney, durometer, unaged physical properties, specific gravity, and dispersion testing.
Vulcanization of rubber: molding, extrusion, steam cure.

Price: $495 Member / $595 Non-member / Free for Undergraduate Student Members / $100 for Other Student Members
*Ohio Rubber Group members receive this course for FREE. Use code: ORG2026
Register through the Rubber Division website: Click Here
*Please note that all memberships will be verified. If you are unsure if your ORG membership is current, please contact Denise Kotz.
Address for Course at ARDL: 75 Robinson Avenue, Barberton, OH 44203
Address for ORG Technical Meeting: Hilton Garden Inn, 8971 Wilcox Dr., Twinsburg, OH 44087
About the Instructor: Paul Merda

Bio: Paul Merda is the Education Coordinator & Technical Advisor at ARDL. He has previous experience as a Lab Technician, Polymer Adhesives Chemist & High School Science Teacher with 18 years in industry and 13 teaching.

Fall Technical Meeting - 2026
2026-09-15 16:00 - 21:00 | Hilton Garden Inn Twinsburg, OH, 8971 Wilcox Dr., Twinsburg, Ohio, 44078
Interested in Additional Education? New to the Rubber Industry? Check out the “Processing & Testing of Rubber” Course offered earlier in the day. This course is FREE to Ohio Rubber Group Members. Click here for more information.
This meeting is a joint technical meeting with ORG, ACS, and SPE! Come ready to network with other technical societies.

Agenda:
4:00 – Dinner Ticket / Membership Sales
4:30 – Technical Presentations
6:00 – Social Hour
7:00 – Dinner
Advanced Reservations: $35 each ***Without prior reservation: $40 each (limited number available)
Student tickets: $10 each
Email reservations to Denise Kotz at denisekotz@strategicrealm.consulting OR mail to Ohio Rubber Group, PO Box 553, Hudson, OH 44236.
Pay in Advance is the Preferred Method for payment. Avoid lines at the meeting! Click here to pay in advance for dinner tickets.
**Please note that your receipt will be from ACESS (Akron Council of Engineering and Scientific Societies). This is correct.

Technical Presentations:
“Basics of Short Fiber Reinforcement”
Vishal Chaurasia, Technical Director, Finite Fiber
This presentation provides a practical introduction to short fiber reinforcement in rubber compounds, including fiber selection, property enhancement, mixing considerations, and practical approaches to optimizing compound performance.

“3D Printing of Rubbers at The University of Akron”
Jae-Won Choi, Ph.D. Professor – Mechanical Engineering, The University of Akron
This talk presents the University of Akron’s research on additive manufacturing of rubber compounds via the direct-ink-write (DIW) process, covering a systematic progression from natural rubber latex and synthetic SBR-BR blends to fluoroelastomers and networked silica-reinforced inks. In addition, on-going research on various applications and new 3D printing platform will be introduced.

Entrepreneurs and the Search for Polymer Circularity
Gordon Schorr, CTO, PolyKinetix
We can all quote statistics on the volumes of end-of-life tires and plastic waste sent to landfills, amounts washing into our rivers and oceans, environmental risks from leached chemicals and microplastics and the limitations of historical practices of recycling. Mechanical recycling techniques address only the low-hanging fruit and the economic use of these materials is largely capped out. Chemical recycling offers new avenues and products from a wide variety of processes, often bringing their own process, economic and environmental issues. Legislation around Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), tightening environmental controls and social media pressure is driving global investment to address specific sets of issues, each with a unique approach to achieving circularity. While many successful innovations are solely internal products, the important role of the individual entrepreneur and a supportive community infrastructure provides, if not the final processes, then certainly the launch platform for adoption and investment. The critical mass of the trained chemists, physicists, engineers, academicians, and other professionals in our region makes us a unique place for innovation. Let’s take a snapshot of the issues, look at several of our local polymer related startups, and explore how we can work together and benefit from the NEO innovation ecosystem.

***Please turn off cell phones during the presentations****
