Course: Rubber Manufacturing Economics – How to Rationalize Raw Materials, Minimize Costs & Optimize Final Properties
July 15, 2025 @ 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Location: This course is available virtually only. It can be taken from the comfort of your home or office – remotely from any tablet, laptop or computer.
Course Description: The objective of this course is to provide understanding of a typical cost structure in the rubber industry and to promote awareness of different cost components, their correlations and cost impact. You will learn about some effects of ingredient and process characteristics on rubber properties and costs of the final products.
Based on her personal experience as a chemist, plant process engineer, scientist and manager, working for the rubber industry and in academia in the USA, Europe and Asia, the instructor will review the below indicated areas, focus on the current and upcoming industry trends and suggest the pathways to expect and mitigate negative cost and quality effects. Special attention will be given to rubber industry raw materials, and particularly carbon black and anti-ageing chemicals.
– Overview of rubber industry
– Rubber industry cost structure and resources for cost improvement
– Raw materials characteristics, specifications and cost reduction factors
– Formulation adjustments
– Process cost reduction factors
– Quality considerations
– Expected trends and possible mitigations
Who should attend: Purchasing, product and process engineers, chemists, quality professionals and managers will find this course useful. Participation from individuals involved in purchasing, engineering, chemical, processing, quality and marketing/sales functions is encouraged.
Please send questions to the instructor ahead of time at [email protected] for a Q&A session to follow.
Price: $350 Member / $450 Non-members / Free for Undergraduate Student Members / $50 for Other Student Members
Instructor: Dr. Irene Yurovska
Bio: Irene Yurovska was born and raised in Moscow, Russia. After completing her BS in Chemistry, MS in Chemical Engineering (Rubber Technology) and PhD in Physical Chemistry of Polymers, she worked as a scientist for the Rubber Industry Institute and for the Institute of Aircraft Technology in Moscow.
Irene moved with her family to the US in 1991. For ten years, she lived in Rhode Island, working as a plant rubber chemist for Teknor Apex and completing her MBA in Bryant University. Irene moved to Massachusetts to be employed for 14 years as a scientist, technical service and applications specialist by Cabot Corporation in Billerica, MA. In 2016-2017, Dr. Yurovska worked as a Global Innovation Market Development Manager for Addivant Corporation (now SI Group) in CT.
Currently, after completing the long and successful career as a global rubber industry professional; having hands-on experience with rubber compounding, processing and technical service, and with carbon black and antioxidants manufacturing and properties, Dr. Irene Yurovska lives in TX, being employed in India as VP of Himadri Specialty Chemicals (technical service in carbon black for rubbers) and developing a private consulting business for the global rubber industry.
Her scientific interests include relationships between individual characteristics of ingredients and application properties of rubber products. Dr. Yurovska is the author and co-author of several patents and numerous articles in peer-reviewed and industrial publications.
Dr. Yurovska is an active member of the US rubber industry community, being on several Rubber Division, ACS committees, she served as a Chair of the New England Rubber and Plastics Group and she is on the Board of NERPG and is also a member of the Energy Polymer Group.
Irene has two children and one grandchild. She enjoys spending time with her family, world travel, swimming and classic opera.