Rapra Technology Ltd is proud to announce the release of the European Plastics and Rubber Directory 2004/5. The European Plastics and Rubber Directory, now in its 15th year, is a unique directory that will keep your company in touch with the European plastics and rubber industry across the whole of Europe. It is the only Pan European Guide to the Plastics and Rubber Industry. The directory contains approximately 5,000 European companies, all individually contacted annually for up-to-date information about their business. As a result of this Rapra has collated the most up-to-date and comprehensive guide to the European plastics and rubber market yet. The European Plastics and Rubber Directory places the information you need where you want it… at your fingertips. For more information go to the "continued" link below. Learn more here.;

T-CLIC Accreditiation Course - STS and CQM Staff Accredited to Perform Liner Electrical Integrity Surveys, written by Ian Peggs of I-CORP INTERNATIONAL.

On Jan. 18, 2005, ASTM International will hold an organizational meeting to discuss the development of consensus standards for Nanotechnology. The meeting will take place at ASTM International Headquarters in West Conshohocken, Pa. At a planning meeting held on Oct. 1, 2004, at NIST Headquarters, key representatives from the many stakeholders affected by the nanotech space, including the government (NIST, U.S. FDA), academic (CBEN/Rice University), legal, and industrial sectors unanimously agreed to hold an organizational meeting for the development of this new activity within ASTM International. Various disciplines, including consumers, manufacturers, suppliers, trade and professional societies, and federal agencies are being invited to participate. The attendees at the planning meeting recognized that while research into properties, synthesis, and applications of nanostructures is growing at an exponential rate, there does not exist (at present) a common language to describe the chemical compositions and physical forms of these new materials. This absence hampers technical communication within the myriad fields involved in this space, and prevents outreach to the public at large as products containing nanomaterials enter the marketplace. ASTM International stands ready to accommodate this new standardization initiative. Stakeholder involvement at this meeting is critical to guide the direction for this new activity. The time is now for participation in a neutral forum whereby the private and public sectors can work together to develop a consensus standards program. ASTM International provides a management system for the development of standards and related information for materials, products, systems, and services used globally. All segments of an industry (producers, users, consumers, government, and academia) participate in the development of this information to ensure that all technical points of view are represented - it is extremely important that all parties are confident they will have fair and equal representation in the development of the final consensus standards. Finally, ASTM International provides leadership and management support for 136 standards developing committees. These committees have produced over 11,000 standards for an extremely diverse collection of industries. For questions concerning the above, please feel free to contact Pat A. Picariello, director, Developmental Operations, ASTM International (phone: 610/832-9720; ppicarie@astm.org). Established in 1898, ASTM International is one of the largest standards development and delivery systems in the world. ASTM standards are accepted and used in R&D, product testing, quality systems, and commercial transactions around the globe.

Andy Fourie, formerly of the Department of Civil Engineering at University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa has new contact information. From 10th January 2005 his contact details will change to: Australian Centre for Geomechanics, P O Box 3296 - Broadway, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia. PHONE: 61-8-6488 1864, FAX: 61-8-6488 1130, EMAIL: andyf@acg.uwa.edu.au, WEB: www.acg.uwa.edu.au

In view of its increasing number of international activities, the NAUE Fasertechnik group of companies will be simplifying not only the company logo but also the company name. From the first of January the company will be doing business under the name of NAUE GmbH & Co. KG.

Linear Composites has just opened an office in the USA. Operating out of offices in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Linear Composites Incorporated will be represented in the USA by Robert Lozano, Vice-President for engineering and sales.

The Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) is seeking proposals to enlist a consultant to aid in the implementation of strategic initiatives as determined by the GMA Executive Council.

The Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) with cooperation from the Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) is pleased to introduce the GMA Techline, a free resource for technical questions about geosynthetics. "Don't second guess, get expert advice."

Gathering in Austin during Geofrontiers ’05, the meeting is on Jan 24th, from 7-11 pm. For the tentative agenda, please go to the "continued" link below.

The Board of Directors of the North American Geosynthetics Society announces the establishment of the position of Executive Director of the Society. This is a part time position amenable to the President of NAGS. This is anticipated to be a two-day a week position, with the Executive Director working out of their home. The compensation for this position will be a negotiated incentive based agreement, with the possibility of an additional flat figure stipend. The anticipated starting date for this position is April 1, 2005.