AUTOMOTIVE | MATERIALS
of halide ions leading to electrolytic corrosion. Covestro says it aims to improve performance
while creating customisable, user-friendly interior designs, and hopes to combine this enhanced driving experience with functional improvements in terms of sustainability and safety. Dr Fabian Grote, Head of Global Technical Marketing Mobility, Covestro, says: “Cars not only produce emissions on the road, they also embody ‘hidden’ emissions from the production processes. To reduce these emissions, the future lies in the use of recycled plastics, bio-circular attributed plastics, and circular design solutions.” Covestro and its partners are currently develop-
ing a headlamp that can be recycled more easily within the publicly funded Nalyses project, aimed at optimising the sustainability of complex parts, while Dutch wall charging station manufacturer EVBox chose the company’s Makrolon RE as it is said to be the world’s first automotive grade PC that is carbon neutral from cradle to gate, manufac- tured with renewable energy and raw materials from mass-balanced organic waste (see Injection World May 2023 issue). Covestro also provides a number of solutions used in the Covestro Adelie, a future-oriented solar racing car, including Makrolon TC as the heatsink in the headlamps, which reduced the weight of the heatsink by 40%.
Recycled content The appeal of styrenic materials for a wide range of automotive applications is due to their aesthetic appearance, combined with performance qualities and physical durability, easy processability and low density. The range of styrenic materials provided by Ineos Styrolution for the automotive sector includes ABS materials, ABS High Heat materials, ASA/PC, ABS/PA and AMSAN materials. A typical grade for internal applications is Novodur H701, an ABS product specifically designed for heat resist- ance, low emissions, and high impact, while Luran S 788T SPF30 boasts excellent surface appearance and UV resistance. The recently introduced SPF60 elevates the UV stabilisation of Luran S to a new level and is a material of choice in demanding outdoor applications. Ineos Styrolution offers most product grades as sustainable drop-in Eco versions. These materials are either mechanically recycled or derived from renewable feedstock based on a mass balance process certified under ISCC Plus, typically contain- ing 30-70% post-consumer recyclate (PCR).
www.injectionworld.com
Mocom now offers
light diffusing com- pounds containing PCR as well as post-industrial recyclate (PIR) produced with raw materials from secondary sources. The com-
pounds represent part of the new Alcom LD
ECO (Light Diffusion) and Alcom LG ECO (Light Guiding) portfolios. During production, the material streams used are carefully screened, compounded on specially designed processing equipment, and provided with precisely selected additives. As is customary with compounds based on virgin materials, the photometric properties are individually adjusted and specified for the new Eco grades which contain up to 100% recyclate. Kurt Maschke, Senior Director Global Marketing Automotive at Mocom, says: “New regulations in the automotive sector will increasingly demand recyclate-based solutions in the future, even in applications where it would not be expected. To meet these needs at an early stage and support our customers today in applications for tomorrow’s indoor and outdoor lighting projects, we are now expanding our sustainable portfolio ahead of time.” Since April, the company has also offered a
recyclate-based and flame-retardant PC combining the properties of flame retardancy and sustainabil-
Eastman applies molecular level recycling
In collaboration with the US Automotive Partnership (USAMP), Eastman claims it has developed technology enabling some automotive materials to be recycled infinitely. Eastman first collabo- rated on a feasibility study demonstrating successful molecular recycling of leftover materials known as automotive shredder residue (ASR) or ‘auto fluff’, in 2021. Though a US study, the project is relevant in Europe due to revision of the Directive on End-of Life Vehicles 2000/53/EC, in which the European Commission plans to introduce extended producer responsibility starting in 2025. Eastman says its molecular recycling technologies can revolution-
ise recycling because they process hard-to-recycle plastics like those in ASR, breaking it down at the molecular level. One of Eastman’s two recycling processes, which it calls carbon renewal technology, can recycle almost any plastic and was used to demonstrate closed loop recycling for ASR. “Globally, I believe we’ve reached a tipping point in the automo- tive industry,” says Chris Scarazzo, Global Automotive Segment Market Manager in Eastman specialty plastics. “Manufacturers have pivoted to more sustainable content, and molecular recycling can definitely play a part in that transition.”
November/December 2023 | INJECTION WORLD 41
Left: Mocom has launched light diffusing compounds containing recyclate for automotive parts
IMAGE: MOCOM
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