Following on from the previous question, what has the recent cooperation between Polykemi and Hexpol TPE looked like and what has it consisted of, focusing on topics such as reducing a product's carbon footprint or increasing recyclability? What lessons have you learnt so far from this venture?
We have been cooperating with Hexpol TPE for many years. We complement each other, one could say, because we produce hard thermoplastic materials and they produce thermoplastic elastomers. We often draw from each other's experiences and help each other. This time was no different. Polykemi’s Materialsmart met Hexpol TPE’s Sustainable Materials Lab to create tested solutions.
Both companies have done substantial work in the field of sustainability, allowing us to provide cradle-to-gate Product Carbon Footprints (PCF) and calculate the Global Warming Potential (GWP) per kg of material. Now we have selected one specific project, similar to those that both our companies encounter very often, i.e. the 2K process. We did this to demonstrate the possibilities in reducing the product carbon footprint, increasing recyclability and optimizing adhesion.
To bring real change and deliver the needed transition to the plastics industry, we must collaborate. This project is about taking our collective know-how to enable combinations with the lowest carbon footprint and highest recyclability possible without worrying the customer about adhesion properties. In this very case the PCF data shows that switching from a combination using fossil-based ABS from Polykemi, overmoulded with a fossil-based TPE from Hexpol TPE, to a recycled PP and TPE with bio-circular attributed content, can give a 77% reduction in CO2-e.
As a company with many years of experience, you have surely already set your most important objectives for the coming months. Do you plan to expand your product portfolio in the near future? If so, by what type of materials (with what characteristics)?
Our specialty is to offer our clients the best material solutions tailored to the requirements of each individual project. Of course, we try to replicate our successes wherever possible, but the basis of our success is the production of tailor-made materials. So, when it comes to material innovations, they are being created all the time, we already have over 15,000 recipes, ready to be adapted to new projects. Our R&D department, our laboratory, technologists and chemists are constantly working to improve our products and find new solutions.
What we do, from time to time, is to develop our material family, introducing new additives, fillers or even completely new polymers into production. This will be the case now when we present our bio-circular PP solutions to the market. This is how a new product family of Polykemi - NATUCOMP - will be born. This move, together with our recently completed ISCC Plus certification will give our customers traceability of our bio-circular materials.
Interviewed by Agata Mojcner
