A COUNTY Durham chemical manufacturing company is celebrating a strategic partnership in North America, where it will distribute within the industrial rubber goods market.

Swan Chemical, a subsidiary of Consett-based Thomas Swan & Co, which was founded in 1926, is now the North American Distribution Partner for Molecular Rebar in Oil (MRO) products.

This ranges from Molecular Rebar Design (MRD), a technology powerhouse devoted to the scale-up and commercialisation of fuctionalised and discrete carbon nanotubes, which are used for antennas for radios and other electromagnetic devices.

MRO products are intended for use in the industrial rubber goods and tire markets, providing toughness and performance improvements without trade-offs in performance elsewhere.

Swan Chemical is known for selling speciality chemicals that helps firm reinforce nanotubes, for example in wear-resistant rubber parts, seals, gaskets, custom rubber goods, and sacrificial rubber liners.

Ray Fahmy, president of Swan Chemical North America, said: “We could not be more excited to partner with a company that shares our passion for sustainability, is a technology leader and places value in strong customer support like Molecular Rebar.

“As both a manufacturer and a distributor of speciality chemicals for the tire and rubber industry, we are uniquely positioned and experienced at identifying opportunities and delivering value to our end customers as a result of our existing expertise and strong partnerships throughout the entire supply chain."