Page 52 - Plastics News May 2018

produCt news

New portfolio of PP compounds for soft feel in automotive interior

components

ABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, glove boxes, door panels and other similar interior
Sunveiled at NPE 2018, a new and growing portfolio components. SABIC® PP compounds allow these types of
of SABIC® polypropylene (PP) compounds that deliver a parts to be efficiently manufactured using only one high-
soft feel combined with excellent scratch performance volume injection molding step.
in unpainted, low gloss automotive interior components. Leading Indian automaker, Tata Motors, is the first
The new SABIC® PP compounds offer the luxurious haptics automotive manufacturer to use one of the SABIC® PP
and finishes that today’s consumers demand – even in compounds in vehicle interior applications. Tata Motors
lower-priced vehicles. At the same time, these injection selected a SABIC® PP compound to mold parts with a soft
molding materials can help automotive OEMs and tiers feel and high-end appearance in the steering column cover
reduce costs by as much as 50 percent by avoiding and speedometer cluster top for its 2017 Tiago hatchback.
secondary operations such as applying soft paint, fabric, The company eliminated the need for expensive paint
foam or other surface covering.“Elegance, comfort and systems, saving about 30 percent, while achieving the
quiet in automotive interiors are becoming increasingly
same level of performance and aesthetics.

Austrian-American link-up for

polymer recycling project

S firm Green Line Polymers (GLP) has installed
Uwhat it claims to be the largest recycling line that
Austrian company NGR Plastics Recycling Technologies
has ever built. The new equipment is capable of
handling more than
important to buyers of vehicles at all price points,” said 4000 lb (1800 kg)
Scott Fallon, global leader of SABIC’s Automotive business. per hour of virtually
“SABIC engineered these new PP compounds to address any kind of plastic
this demand by helping manufacturers deliver an interior scrap. The new
environment that connotes luxury while controlling costs. recycling line has
Our customers can benefit from the outstanding aesthetics been installed at
and value this innovative material technology provides.” a site in Pandora,
Ohio, and will treat
In addition to a soft tactile feel, SABIC® PP compounds high volumes of
provide an attractive matte surface with excellent scratch post-industrial PE scrap materials, according to polymer
resistance, good impact performance and low shrinkage. products recycler GLP. This recycled product will then
These SABIC materials also deliver good sound damping be a ‘raw material building block’ for the corrugated
capability to help create a quiet cabin environment. The piping products and water management solutions
portfolio, which is available globally, includes several manufactured by its parent company ADS. According
grades of short glass fiber-reinforced PP to give customers to NGR, the key benefit of its latest plastics recycling
a choice of stiffness level and material density. The line is the ‘One-Step Technology’ utilising a shredder-
materials are also UV stabilized to prevent fading and feeder-extruder combination which is said to enable
color shift. maximum energy efficiency while minimising material
Possible applications where this material can be used handling steps.NGR has also announced the recent
include interior trims, seat and console side cladding, delivery of its 1000th plastics recycling line.

Plastics News May 2018 52