Page 47 - Plastics News April 2017

PRODUCT NEWS

Axion Polymers launches Lubrizol and Compounding

100% recycled ABS grades for Solutions join for thermoplastic

injection moulding applications PU compounding

xion Polymers has launched a new range of strong and ubrizol Corp.'s LifeSciences unit has added
Adurable 100% recycled ABS grades suitable for a range Lthermoplastic polyurethane compounding abilities
of injection moulding applications - particularly in the through a partnership with medical compounder-
construction and automotive sectors, offering both cost Compounding Solutions. The medical compounder
and carbon savings. Recovered from the non-metallic waste operates 13 compounding lines, will provide
fraction from end-of-life vehicles, the Axpoly® recycled compounding for Lubrizol's Pellethane and Isoplast
ABS resins deliver a carbon footprint saving of two-thirds branded products for the medical device industry. The
when compared new service will allow Lubrizol to provide custom color
wit h virgin matching, safe identification and aesthetics in medical
ABS made from device applications. The firm also offers radiopaque
petrochemical materials for X-ray identification. "It provides supply
feedstocks. A chain simplification," Apur Lathiya, senior business
full LCA study development manager, medical devices, said at the
of Axion ’ s recent MDM West show in Anaheim.
mechanical "Customers can now come to us and we can do the whole
recycling process thing. They're working with one supplier now. "OEMs want
shows a saving of to do less of the manufacturing. They want to do more
2.1 ton CO2 eq. for every ton of ABS we produce. That is design, development, and sales and marketing. That
equal to the CO2 impact of driving a 44 ton articulated bodes well for Lubrizol LifeSciences because we should
road haulage vehicle 1,800 miles. Axion Polymers high- be benefiting from that trend. We also see the trend of
quality 100% recycled Axpoly® plastics are mechanically working with less contract manufacturers. The more you
separated at its Shredder Waste Advanced Processing Plant can offer your customer, the more valuable you are to that
(SWAPP) in Manchester and then further refined at the customer. That's what's driving a lot of our investments
Salford polymer compounding site. All production batches both on the thermoplastics side and the silicone side."
are traceable back to the origin of the raw material as Pellethane is a thermoplastic polyurethane available as
part of an integrated, closed-loop, automotive materials aromatic polyethers, known for its flexibility and range of
resource recovery system.
hardness. Lubrizol said the compound works for medical
“Their traceability enables manufacturers to enhance applications like tubing, catheters and other short-term
the green credentials of products, such as building uses. Isoplast, another TPU, is designed for rigid polymer
products or automotive components, and produce requirements because of their high tensile strength and
them at a lower cost than using virgin polymers,” says impact resistance. The firm said the compound can be
Product Development Technologist Mark Keenan. “Our used to replace polycarbonate when stress cracking is
new r-ABS polymers are ideal for compression load an issue or coloring is difficult. Lubrizol also introduced
applications and have recently been used to mould a new non-softening thermoplastic elastomer. Branded
load plates for reinforced steel beams as well as Tecobax, the compound allows Lubrizol to go into
strengtheners in the corners of windows.”Chemical markets or applications where historically TPEs couldn't
Engineer Dr Pasika Chongcharoentaweesuk adds: “We be used because of their softening nature. Lathiya said
carried out a ‘bench-marking’ exercise to compare the the material is very resilient with a strong coefficient
physical properties of Axpoly r-ABS with competitive
products and also with hand-sorted ABS pieces recycled of friction.
from flat-panel TV displays.

47 April 2017 | Plastics News