Page 43 - Plastics News December 2022

Solvay Partners With French Start-Up Ostium In Dow launches V PLUS
Single-Use Surgical Instruments Material Recycling Perform™ next to
address the construction
insulation industry's
sustainability transition

ow (NYSE: DOW) announced
Dthe launch of V PLUS Per-
form™ next, an evolution of its
legacy V PLUS Perform™ polyu-
rethane technology for insulated
Solvay, a leading supplier of challenges, which prompted us to metal panels. The offering brings
advanced materials, has teamed forge this unique collaboration for together the high-performance en-
up with French start-up Ostium developing a breakthrough recycling ergy efficiency and fire safety fea-
in a joint project designed to process for used surgical instruments tures of V PLUS Perform™, with
enable the mechanical recycling that are commonly disposed of by low carbon and circular ingredi-
of end-of-life single-use surgical incineration rather than reclaiming ents designed to customer specifi-
instruments molded in glass-fiber their high material value. By cations.
reinforced Ixef polyarylamide controlling every step in the loop
(PARA) from Solvay’s portfolio of from the original Ixef PARA to the “The new energy performance of
specialty polymers. upcycled PARA compound, we will be buildings directive1 adds urgency

The initiative is the first for valuable able to ensure its high quality, purity, for buildings that require energy
polymers to be recycled and upcycled and performance for demanding efficient insulation with decreased
from used healthcare devices, proving downstream applications and can embodied carbon,” said Alberto
that the medical safety provided by make a significant contribution to a Mercati, Marketing Fellow at Dow.
high-performance polymers such more sustainable polymer economy.” “For the last five years, V PLUS
as Solvay’s Ixef PARA in single- Ostium Group, a French start- Perform™ has enabled insulated
use surgical instruments, can be up specializing in the design and metal panel manufacturers to de-
reconciled with the need for greater manufacture of instruments for hip, liver building envelopes that couple
sustainability and resource efficiency. knee, shoulder, and trauma orthopedic energy efficiency and fire safety. V
“Our customers in the healthcare surgery, will supply hospitals with new PLUS Perform™ next supports
industry must meet strict regulatory custom surgical kits made with Ixef insulated panel manufacturers to
demands, while at the same time PARA and collect the contaminated select lower carbon and circular
striving to minimize the carbon instruments after use. This will also construction ingredients from the
footprint of their products and promote the replacement of metal design phase to the delivery of a
support the reduction of hospitals surgical instruments with lightweight novel class of products for more
and clinics’ end-of-life waste,” says polymer designs and help medical sustainable buildings.”
Claire Guerrero, Global Marketing facilities reduce their time and cost
Manager Sustainability at Solvay. for sterilization, and disposal as well
“We identified a gap between these as lower their carbon footprint.

December 2022 PLASTICS NEWS 43