Let $(M,Γ)$ be a Hopf--von Neumann algebra, so that $M_\ast$ is a completely contractive Banach algebra. We investigate whether the product of two elements of $M$ that are both weakly almost periodic functionals on $M_\ast$ is again weakly almost periodic. For that purpose, we establish the following factorization result: If $M$ and $N$ are injective von Neumann algebras, and if $x, y \in M \bar{\otimes} N$ correspond to weakly compact operators from $M_\ast$ to $N$ factoring through reflexive operator spaces $X$ and $Y$, respectively, then the operator corresponding to $xy$ factors through the Haagerup tensor product $X \otimes^h Y$ provided that $X \otimes^h Y$ is reflexive. As a consequence, for instance, for any Hopf--von Neumann algebra $(M,Γ)$ with $M$ injective, the product of a weakly almost periodic element of $M$ with a completely almost periodic one is again weakly almost periodic.

14 pages; minor corrections