ENGINEERING THERMOPLASTICS | MATERIALS
Cutting the carbs in ETPs
Producers of engineering thermoplastics and compounds have embarked on a journey of reducing the carbon footprint of their operations and products. Peter Mapleston reports
As attention all around the world becomes increas- ingly focused on global heating and the determin- ing role played by fossil fuels, suppliers of engi- neering thermoplastics are upping their game to reduce carbon footprints. ETPs have for a long time played an important role in automobile lightweight- ing, which leads to fuel savings – and they continue to do so. Another tendency is for polymer makers to look at how they can reduce their own carbon footprints through greater use of renewables, both in the polymers they make and in the energy they consume while producing those polymers. Take DSM Engineering Materials for example. At the end of September, it announced an acceleration in its carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emission reduction journey. It said it was committing to: reduce its total greenhouse gas emissions, including Scope 1 (direct emissions from owned or controlled resources), Scope 2 (indirect emissions from genera- tion of electricity and other utilities), and Scope 3 (other indirect emissions along the value chain) and also reduce the carbon footprint of its products by 50% by 2030 (from a 2016 baseline); use 100% renewable electricity in all production plants by 2025 (it reached 70% in 2020 and its plants in Europe and China are already fully powered by renewable electricity); and achieving Net Zero Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 on the way to Net Zero across all value chains by 2050.
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DSM announced in June that it had halved the carbon footprint of its Akulon polyamide 6 and was also developing greenhouse gas reduction roadmaps for Stanyl PA 46 and Arnitel thermoplas- tic elastomer. In addition, DSM Engineering Materials has committed to developing and rolling out bio- and/or recycled-based alternatives for its entire portfolio by 2030; specific grades are already available for all major product lines. Sustainability is also reflected in various DuPont developments. At Chinaplas earlier this year, the company introduced its Delrin Renewable Attrib- uted acetal resin (POM), which is made with 100% bio-feedstock sourced from waste. It is the first renewable POM acetal polymer to be certified through the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) system. The material is a drop-in alternative to other
grades of POM. DuPont says it has quickly found interest among brand names in the consumer goods and consumer electronics industries. One commercial customer that the company has named is Regina, a global manufacturer of industrial handling equipment headquartered in Italy, which has begun moulding conveying components from a custom-coloured grade that also was formulated for increased slip performance, to reduce friction on handling lines. DuPont announced in November it will divest its
November/December 2021 | INJECTION WORLD 13 A M I
Main image: Materials suppliers are upping their game in regard to carbon emissions
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