NEWS


Benvic ups US presence with Trinity acquisition


European compounding group Benvic has extended its North American presence with the acquisition of Ohio, US-based Trinity Specialty Compounding from Ravago Americas. Trinity is a custom


compounder specialising in flame-retardant, cross-linked and specialty additive compounds for industries including wire & cable, appliances, and construction. The purchase was made through Benvic’s US Chemres business, a medical compounds specialist it acquired last year in its first move in the US market. Luc Mertens, CEO of Benvic Group, said: “We are thrilled that Trinity is joining the Benvic Group. This acquisition is part of Benvic’s ambition to accelerate its development in the USA, initiated in 2021 with the acquisition of Chemres.” According to Benvic, the Trinity acquisition will allow


IMAGE: BENVIC GROUP


Above: The Trinity Specialty Compounding site at West Unity in Ohio in the US


Chemres to consolidate its presence in the US specialty compounds market and expand its current product portfolio. The company said it plans to grow compound- ing activities at the Trinity site at West Unity and strengthen the relationship with Ravago and its portfolio companies. “With Chemres, we were able to enter the US market and strengthen our exposure to the medical sector,” Mertens said. “With Trinity, we are adding unique assets to our


portfolio, helping us to better serve the needs of our international customers and forge new partnerships,” he added. Ravago Holdings America CEO, James Duffy said many of its portfolio companies, including Ravago Manufacturing, have long-standing relationships with Chemres. He said he expected to grow those relationships with Chemres and the Benvic Group in the future. �www.benvic.com �www.chemres.com


Graft Polymer lists on LSE


Slovenian compounding venture Graft Polymer has listed on the London Stock Exchange Main Market, raising £5m to expand and upgrade its research and production facilities, enable future IP registration, and increase inventory. Founded in 2017, the company specialises in development of polymer modification and drug delivery systems to improve performance, reduce raw materials consumption, and enhance physical values of finished products. Products include graft/ block copolymers, reactive solid super-concentrates for polyolefin rheology modification, and high- temperature nano- structured PO/PA alloy elastomers for PA modification and cable applications. �www.graftpolymer.com


Upcycled PP meets appliance demands


Below: A dishwasher base produced using upcycled PP in a Bosch/Fraunhofer project


Researchers at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability & System Reliability (LBF), working together with Bosch and Bosch-Siemens-Hausgeräte, have completed a feasibility study to upgrade recycled plastics for use in dishwasher base supports. The parts weigh around 2kg and form the basic structure of the dishwasher, holding the side walls and accom- modating ancillary compo- nents.


Within the study, Bosch optimised recycled PP from car battery 8 COMPOUNDING WORLD | January 2022


cases, using additives to enhance strength and aesthetic properties. Fraunhofer said that tests were then carried out to ensure the recycled material met the typical application requirements of large house- hold appliances. The recyclate was shown to provide similar stiffness as virgin plastic, albeit with 15% lower strength. Deformability tests simulating the loads and typical dishwasher thermal exposure of up to 50°C showed it would be feasible to use the recyclate in this application. �www.lbf.fraunhofer.de


www.compoundingworld.com


IMAGE: FRAUNHOFER LBF


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