LANXESS again with leading positions in Dow Jones Sustainability Indices

• First rank in Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) Europe; second rank in DJSI World
• Outstanding results in the areas of product stewardship, management of water related risks, and human rights

Mumbai, November 17, 2021 – LANXESS once again convinces in terms of sustainability: The specialty chemicals company placed first in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) Europe in the “Chemicals” category, scoring 87 out of 100 points. In the DJSI World, LANXESS came in second place. The Group achieved particularly good results in the areas of product stewardship, management of water-related risks, and human rights.

“We want to play an active role in the transformation of the economy and global value chains towards a more sustainable world,” said Hubert Fink, member of the Board of management of LANXESS AG. “We consider the renewed very good ranking in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index as proof of the success of our efforts.”

The Dow Jones Sustainability Indices evaluate economically relevant ESG factors once a year. ESG stands for the sustainability dimensions Environment, Social and Governance. The DJSI World lists the best 10 percent of the global companies evaluated per sector, while the DJSI Europe lists the best 20 percent of companies headquartered in Europe.

Sustainable use of water and chemicals

Two years ago, LANXESS published its plan on how to become climate-neutral by 2040. In 2020, the specialty chemicals company also committed to reducing water withdrawals at sites in areas with particularly high water stress by 15 percent by 2023.

In addition, LANXESS has pledged to further improve the sustainability performance of its product portfolio, eliminate critical substances in products, and to develop safe alternatives. The company has also committed not to market any new chemical end products that contain critical substances in a concentration of more than 0.1 percent.

Board remuneration linked to sustainability targets

In addition to voluntary commitments, the specialty chemicals company is focusing on incentive systems for greater sustainability: a new compensation system for the Board of Management has been in place since the beginning of the year. Roughly one-third of the variable compensation is linked to the company’s sustainability performance. Specifically, the company's performance in climate protection and occupational safety will be actored into the system for 2021.

TPEs gain ground in coffee-making equipment

KRAIBURG TPE, a global TPE manufacturer of a diverse range of thermoplastic elastomer products and custom solutions for a variety of industries, brews a perfect blend of design and functionality for coffee makers with its THERMOLAST® K FC/AD/PA and FC/CS series of compounds.

For many societies, drinking coffee has become a way of life. Coffee completes a morning ritual and caps an after-dinner habit as part of a daily routine.

Having become a generational obsession that shows no signs of waning, the coffee drinking culture is, thus, here to stay. As tastes have changed, so have coffee brewing methods, which have progressed from the simple boiling of ground coffee in pots and drip or filtered brewing to more mechanical methods such as espresso machines, siphons, French resses, and more
current methods.

Today’s coffee making equipment comes in a range of sizes, colors, and mechanisms to suit both personal and commercial needs, with preferences influenced by design and unctionality.

To meet these preferences, advanced materials such as thermoplastic elastomers are commonly used in coffee-making equipment.

Full-bodied material advantages
KRAIBURG TPE, a global TPE manufacturer of a wide range of thermoplastic elastomer products and custom solutions for multiple industries, offers the THERMOLAST® K FC/AD/PA nd FC/CS series of compounds for applications in coffee making equipment.

To ensure safety of use, the TPE compounds adhere to international food laws such as the EU No. 10/2011 and US FDA CFR Title 21. Plus, all the TPE series compounds can be colored in a variety of ways to achieve different color effects to allow for versatility in coffee making equipment.

KRAIBURG TPE’s compounds also contribute to the design and functionality of coffee brewing equipment in a number of ways, including simplifying product design via component eduction and combining their part functionalities.

Furthermore, the TPE compound’s soft-touch feature gives a distinctive soft and dry surface with great haptic and anti-slip properties, making it appropriate for use on handles, push buttons, and coffee cup banderoles, to improve hand grips.

KRAIBURG TPE’s compounds can also be used to produce the base of a coffee machine, to help reduce noise and squeaking during the brewing process.

Better characteristics with THERMOLAST® K series
For coffee makers that require PA adhesion, the THERMOLAST® K FC/AD/PA series is the answer. The compounds have excellent adhesion to PA6, PA6.6 (up to 50% glass fiber ontent), and PA12.

Other features of the THERMOLAST® K FC/AD/PA series are the hardness range from 40 to 80 Shore A and excellent abrasion resistance. The series is appropriate for use on handles and grips, as well as flexible connectors for coffee makers.

Meanwhile, KRAIBURG TPE’s THERMOLAST® K FC/CS series provides outstanding PP adhesion and short-term steam resistance.

The FC/CS series is designed to meet the material requirements of higher compression sets. It can be used as seals on coffee cups and tumblers, flexible connections, closures, and lids.

“Theoretically, we could do without fossil fuels altogether if the cycle was fully closed”

Interview with Peter von Hoffmann, General Manager Business Unit Engineering Plastics Applications at Coperion

Mr. von Hoffmann, the circular economy for plastics is a declared goal of the EU, so, from an economic point of view, is it more of an opportunity or a challenge for a machine manufacturer such as Coperion?
It is clearly an opportunity for us. With circular economy, the importance of recycling is increasing. As a manufacturer of extruders, we see many new business opportunities in that regard. We have invested enormously in the recycling business in recent years, which has already paid off, and we are witnessing a steady increase in incoming orders in this area. For five years now, we have had our own team and our own product management focusing on this topic. We always learn something new, because not all recycling is the same. You have to differentiate. There is now a whole range of different and also new processes. 

Could you give us an example?
Let’s look at mechanical film recycling. This is challenging because films, especially those used in the packaging industry, consist of several layers of different plastics. These different layers can be used to improve barrier properties and extend the shelf life of food. From a recycling point of view, however, films are problematic, partly because the plastics have different melting points. There is a process whereby the edge trim of the films is collected and processed and then reintroduced into one of the layers when new films are produced. That’s a mechanical way to recycle even at least partially a high-tech product like film. And with regard to post-industrial waste, this is a concept that produces no waste and is therefore a zero-waste solution, so to speak. We have already supplied our extruders to the first reference installations in Germany. The process is on the rise, also due to its energy advantage.

Will chemical recycling also pick up pace?
Absolutely. The idea is to break down any plastic into its original components by pyrolytically cracking the hydrocarbons. From this original form, you can then go back to the plastic via the refinery process. This is a trend that major plastics manufacturers in particular are pursuing. The process is also interesting if you don’t want to or can’t recycle a single-variety product. If you managed to close this loop one hundred percent, then you could theoretically do without fossil base materials altogether.

All this is already technically possible?
Yes, it is possible. There are already reference plants in place, as well as various institutes that optimize this technology. We have already sold facilities for this purpose. A large-scale production plant with twin-screw extruders, which are more efficient in this field of application at higher throughputs than other machines on the market, is already underway.

Mechanical recycling is complex and expensive. Chemical recycling is even more expensive. The whole operation is only worthwhile when oil prices are high. Who will invest in such plants, if it isn’t clear whether they can be operated economically? 
Plastics manufacturers want to show that they are leading the way and increasing their share in the cycle. That’s why they invest in chemical recycling; even if it may not make sense from a purely economic point of view today, it certainly conserves resources and reduces the carbon footprint. However, they also want to be prepared in case there are future political requirements for a higher recycled content in plastic products, and there is a lot to be said for that at present.   

At the moment, it is still Europe that is driving the circular economy forward. Will the spark eventually catch on in the rest of the world?
If it’s only the EU focusing on circular economy, it is unlikely to be pushed through at a major pace. I am encouraged by the fact that the US has recently taken up the issue. The Biden administration has clearly set a focus here, and we can see that recycling is becoming increasingly important in the US, which wasn’t the case there a few years ago. In addition, many of the reactor manufacturers for chemical recycling are located in the US, as are many of the pilot plants. American companies together with European companies provide a much bigger momentum. Environmental protection measures are also growing strongly in China. We are absolutely confident that the issues that are currently being prioritised in Europe will very soon arrive in North America and then increasingly in Asia as well.

Video statement by Peter von Hoffmann: https://vimeo.com/639874437

Successful realization of CMF concepts in product design and production

Covestro receives the German Design Award for its CMF Aesthetics Toolkit

The goal is to inspire designers through the aesthetics and functionality of polycarbonate

Covestro will be honored with the German Design Award for its "CMF Aesthetics Toolkit". Developed in collaboration with designer Chris Lefteri, its purpose is to inspire designers to explore the aesthetic and functional possibilities of using polycarbonate. © Covestro

As announced by the German Design Council, Covestro’s CMF Aesthetics Toolkit will receive the German Design Award 2022 in the category “Excellent Product Design – Material and Surfaces.” The toolkit is designed to inspire designers to explore the many aesthetic and functional possibilities of polycarbonate in the field of color, material and finish (CMF). Developed in collaboration with renowned designer Chris Lefteri and Chris Lefteri Design Ltd, it is designed to pave the way for inspiring dialogue and creative collaboration between Covestro and its Color & Design (CMF) team with designers and CMF experts.

“For designers, samples are key to understanding a material’s potential, but they are products that rarely get the attention they deserve from material suppliers,” says Chris Lefteri. “Polycarbonate has some outstanding aesthetic properties that are showcased in the aesthetic toolkit we designed for Covestro. The shape, form and outline draw attention to its inherent transparency, color and surface effects that highlight its glass-like qualities. Through the interplay of the two parts, which can be overlaid in color, it is intended to inspire new applications and facilitate dialogue between designers and Covestro.”

The Aesthetics Toolkit shows CMF trends on different polycarbonate substrates – depending on the industry, application, color, texture and functionality. 24 trending colors and textures help designers understand the properties of polycarbonates while capturing the visual effects of different combinations in novel 3D form factors.

“We are very honored and excited to receive this prestigious award. It is a confirmation of Covestro’s expertise and activities in CMF. We are a leading materials supplier, and our ambition goes well beyond just providing materials,” says Dr. Christopher Stillings, Vice President, Global Head of Color & Design (CMF) in Covestro’s Engineering Plastics segment. “By working with Chris Lefteri, we look forward to inspiring more designers and CMF experts to create and realize aesthetic, efficient design and inspiring products with polycarbonate.”

He adds, “We see designers and CMF experts as key partners for innovation and want to work more closely with them by offering our capabilities from front-end trend research to back-end design applications. Covestro offers sustainable material solutions that deliver both high aesthetic value and high performance.”

The German Design Awards, which are among the most prestigious design prizes in the world, enjoy an excellent reputation far beyond specialist circles and are presented annually by the German Design Council.

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Floreon launches halogen-free flame retardant bioplastic

Floreon can confirm that its high-performance PLA is officially a halogen-free alternative to flame retardant ABS. The halogen-free bioplastic, derived from plants, is suitable for chemical and mechanical recycling and has up to seven times lower carbon footprint than oil-based plastic, making it a safe and sustainable option for electrical goods.
Flame retardant ABS is not recycled today due to concerns about halogen contamination. As the material of choice for the $29.6 billion electronics and electricals industry, this translates to a vast volume of plastic heading to landfills instead of a recycling stream. Shaun Chatterton, CEO of Floreon explains:

“Our in-house consumer study found that 92% of UK adults are concerned about how much plastic is in their home appliances, so the development of our flame retardant PLA is a pivotal point for Floreon.”
“Not many bioplastic materials can offer the same high-performance level, options to recycle and a lower carbon footprint in direct comparison to flame retardant ABS plastics, and we are incredibly proud to be one of the first.”

Floreon’s patented PLA materials are suitable for durable and disposable applications, and the flame retardant grade, to UL94V2, offers several options. The ABS-like properties of Floreon make it ideal for injection moulding, electronic toys, consumer electronics and home furnishings with the added benefit of a low carbon footprint and end of life options.
https://www.floreon.com/