Axion Polymers has launched a new range of strong and durable 100% recycled ABS grades suitable for a range of injection moulding applications - particularly in the construction and automotive sectors - offering both cost and carbon savings.Recovered from the non-metallic waste fraction from end-of-life vehicles, the Axpoly recycled ABS resins deliver a carbon footprint saving of two-thirds when compared with virgin ABS made from petrochemical feedstocks.
A full LCA study of Axion's mechanical recycling process shows a saving of 2.1 tonne CO2 eq. for every tonne of ABS we produce. That is equal to the CO2 impact of driving a 44-tonne articulated road haulage vehicle 1,800 miles.
An additional advantage of using recycled polymers from a UK-sourced closed-loop supply chain is stable and competitive pricing because the input raw material costs are not linked to the volatile oil market. Axion Director Keith Freegard observes that some of Axion's competitors are increasing prices due to post-Brexit exchange rate changes.
He states: "Anyone purchasing polymer from central Europe will be facing around a 15% price increase. Manufactured from feedstocks collected in Britain, our polymers are not affected by exchange rate changes. What better time than now to buy British!"
Axion Polymers high-quality 100% recycled Axpoly plastics are mechanically separated at its Shredder Waste Advanced Processing Plant (SWAPP) in Manchester and then further refined at the Salford polymer compounding site. All production batches are traceable back to the origin of the raw material as part of an integrated, closed-loop, automotive materials resource recovery system.
"Their traceability enables manufacturers to enhance the green credentials of products, such as building products or automotive components, and produce them at a lower cost than using virgin polymers," says Product Development Technologist Mark Keenan. "Our new r-ABS polymers are ideal for compression load applications and have recently been used to mould load plates for reinforced steel beams as well as strengtheners in the corners of windows."
Chemical Engineer Dr Pasika Chongcharoentaweesuk adds: "We carried out a 'bench-marking' exercise to compare the physical properties of Axpoly r-ABS with competitive products and also with hand-sorted ABS pieces recycled from flat-panel TV displays.
The results prove that our advanced recycling processes can deliver a finished product with properties that match the equivalent products in the market and a purity that is as good as laborious hand-sorting operations."
The properties of the standard recycled ABS grade Axpoly r-ABS52 1009 can be modified to suit a customer's individual application using the compounding capability and fully equipped materials testing laboratory at Axion's factory site.
Axion Polymers has been awarded Silver status under global supplier assessment system EcoVadis, set up to evaluate companies' corporate social responsibility (CSR) ratings with the aim of improving their environmental and social practices.
Axion was assessed on 21 criteria, covering its environmental, fair employment, ethics/fair business practice and supply chain practice performance. The silver status award shows Axion's long-term commitment to and contribution towards world class CSR performance standards.
