K 2025: Showcasing the Future of Sustainable, Smart, and Responsible Plastics Production

This week, more than 3,000 exhibitors and 177,000 visitors from 167 countries will attend K 2025, the world’s largest trade fair for the plastics and rubber industry. Held every three years, the “K Show” is an important forum for researchers, manufacturers, and suppliers to congregate and discuss trends impacting the industry – and how the industry impacts the world.

This year’s show theme is “The Power of Plastics! Green – Smart – Responsible.” The plastics industry is committed to sustainable, smart, and responsible production and use of plastics, and the show will focus on three main themes: shaping the circular economy, embracing digitalization, and caring about people.

The industry is working to develop a sustainable circular economy by reusing, recycling, and reducing plastic waste, while innovating to improve resource efficiency and sustainability. Advanced digital technologies are being utilized to drive efficiency and revolutionize production processes. Additionally, the industry emphasizes social responsibility and environmental protection, promoting young talent and creating attractive future prospects for skilled workers to foster a responsible and inclusive industry.

Polymer Analysis Technology Demonstrations at the Show

We will be at the show discussing the latest technologies to support this market, including:

• Laboratory Extrusion: Lab-scale extruders can help save on material and precious lab space and still produce valuable compound sample and process insights for material development. Twin-screw extruders are compact instruments with easy handling and intuitive operation that enable efficient experimentation, so more samples can be produced per time.
• Rheological Characterization: Rheometers are utilized for polymer-specific measurements over a wide temperature range for product and process development.
• Torque Rheometry and Mixer Test: Torque Rheometers are modular measuring mixer and extruder systems for material characterization. Learn how your material behaves in response to shear energy and temperature in order to describe its melting, decomposition, plasticization, flow, and curing behavior under manufacturing conditions.
• Process Raman Spectroscopy for Polymers: All-In-One Process Raman Analyzers can streamline polymer development workflows. Scientists can gain real-time insights into critical process parameters that enhance efficiency, support sustainability goals, and improve product quality.

From the formulation of new materials to the QC testing of final products, these technologies help enable plastics and polymers industry scientists and manufacturers to innovate and drive productivity for sustainable, smart, and responsible plastic production.

Show Details

Show website: https://www.k-online.com/
K 2025
October 8-15, 2025
Düsseldorf , Germany

Thermo Fisher Scientific will be demonstrating these technologies at Hall 10 Booth A46 and discussing advanced solutions for creating and analyzing polymer and plastics.

Our partner, the Institute of Plastics and Circular Economy at the Leibniz University of Hannover (IKK), presents in Hall 7.0 Booth SC02 a recycling extrusion line for PP and PE with extruders in action. Here you can also learn about the capabilities of a Process Control Rheometer (PCR) for online process control on melt-pipelines and extruders.

Additional Resources

• Online Polymer Analysis resources: Learn about the technology and instruments that help create new polymers for everyday items and help recycle old ones. Includes application notes, videos, and more.
• White paper: Optimize polymer extrusion with real-time, nondestructive Raman spectroscopy
• Webinar: Polymer analysis with X-rays. Understand the applications for XRF and XRD in polymer analysis.