NEWS


Avient acquires Dyneema; plans to exit distribution


Avient is to buy the DSM Protective Materials business, which includes the Dyneema performance fibre brand, for $1.49bn and plans the sale of its own $1.63bn distribution operation. The Dyneema deal, which is subject to customary closing adjustments, is expected to close before the end of 2022. The business’s projected 2022 sales and EBITDA are around $415m and $130m. It includes six production facilities, four R&D centres and some 1,000 employees. Dyneema is an ultra-light- weight high molecular weight polyethylene (HMWPE) fibre used in demanding applications such as ballistic personal protection, as well as composites for marine and sustainable infrastructure, renewable energy, industrial


Above: Avient Chairman, President and CEO Robert M Patterson


protection and sporting goods. The acquisition will mean


Avient’s composites product lines will represent more than 50% of its Speciality Engineered Materials segment sales, which last year amounted to $918m. Avient’s total sales for 2021 were $4.8bn. “For 10 years, we have been building our advanced composites platform by


focusing on high-perfor- mance materials for applica- tions where failure is not an option,” said Chairman, President and CEO Robert M Patterson. “The addition of the Dyneema portfolio will raise Avient’s material offerings to the highest levels on the performance spectrum of composites and engineered fibres.“


Alongside the Dyneema


purchase, Avient said it will explore the sale of its distribution operation, which is focused on North Ameri- ca, Central America and Asia and generated sales of $1.63bn in 2021. Patterson said a sale “would allow Avient to remain modestly levered at 2.9 times adjusted EBITDA while also expand- ing adjusted EBITDA margins from 12% to 18%, the highest amongst our formulator peers.” �www.avient.com


Medical recycling for PSU


Solvay and Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials (MCAM) have announced a new collabo- ration aimed at end-of-life recycling of medical equipment parts made from Solvay’s Udel polysulphone. The two firms said they


are currently investigating the logistics for imple- menting recovery, recy- cling and reprocessing of such parts. They aim to combine MCAM’s tech- nologies for washing and mechanically purifying the material with Solvay’s ability to develop a robust recycling strategy that will provide customers with materials that meet all specifications. MCAM has previously


partnered with Solvay in polymer recycling. �www.mcam.com/en �www.solvay.com


USP takes a sustainable approach to TPEs


US-based United Soft Plastics has launched a series of TPEs produced from renewable, post-consumer, post-industrial, and bio-based sources. The first commercially available


grades are SEBS-based and include recycled post-consumer and post- industrial content up to 100%. The injection moulding grades provide typical soft touch, anti-slip properties and are available in 45-65 Shore A hardness for a range of consumer


Left: Wood-flour filled SEBS TPEs are under development at USP


www.compoundingworld.com


applications including personal care. Three further series are under


commercial development. These will include cost-effective SEBS grades containing up to 70% wood flour, rice hull, and/or hemp. USP said they will offer a limited performance threshold, so will not be suitable for highly engineered applications, but will be available at volume. The company said it is also devel- oping fully bio-based and bio-hybrid TPEs, the latter combining renewable, post-consumer, post-industrial, and bio-based content. �www.unitedsoftplastics.com


May 2022 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 5


IMAGE: UNITED SOFT PLASTICS


IMAGE: AVIENT


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