Page 36 - Plastics News September 2021

PRoDUCT NEwS

BASF’s Sustainable Footwear Solutions Braskem Launches

New PE Resin

raskem has launched a new
Bpolyethylene resin in the rigid
packaging segment with it making
available to the market a new product
option that integrates the Rigeo
family portfolio: the HD1954M ,
high density polyethylene (HDPE)
that provides a combination of high
rigidity, excellent impact resistance
and Environmental Stress Cracking
(ESCR), providing optimization to
ASFhas developed sustainable PU the biobased or recycled raw materials packaging and productivity gains.
Bsystems, TPU, and E-TPU, and are fed into the production network at "This launch meets the demands of
3D printed moulds, functional coatings the beginning and then further processed the chemical and agrochemical market,
for the footwear industry and is set to in many steps, for example, into plastics. which traditionally are very demanding
display at Simac 2021, from September The principle offers the advantage that in relation to quality. In this market,
22-24, 2021in Milan. Visitors will be greenhouse gas emissions are reduced, properties such as rigidity, impact
given insights into sustainable footwear and fossil raw materials are saved, resistance and Environmental Stress
Cracking , are key characteristics that
solutions, high performance materials while product quality and properties bring greater safety to the products of
and coating solutions for shoe soles. remain the same. For customers in the the segment", explains Leandro Fiorin,
Future-oriented footwear materials are footwear industry, this also means that Application Engineering Leader at
inconceivable without sustainability. the product design and the processing Braskem. With the HD1954M grade,
Sustainability is a main pillar of BASF’s for shoes do not have to be adapted. Braskem expands the portfolio of
strategy and an integral part of all The concept can be applied to BASF’s
business decisions. The main goal of complete range of PU systems, TPU
BASF is to reduce the consumption and E-TPU for footwear, according to
of fossil resources and CO2 emissions. BASF. BASF invests around two billion
Elastopan N (PU systems) and Elastollan a year in research and development and
N (TPU) contribute to this, as they are drives the development of new products
partly based on renewable raw materials that make a significant contribution
such as sugar, corn or castor oil. These to sustainability. BASF’s approach to a
bio-based plastic solutions are available in circular economy in footwear consists of
various densities and degrees of hardness three fields of action; Reduce, Recycle,
and are suitable for all applications in the Rethink. At the show, BASF experts will
footwear sector. In addition, BASF’s give a deep insight into this approach and the Braskem Rigeo family, launched
integrated production system enables present sustainable material solutions for in 2017, and until then composed of
the substitution of fossil by renewable polyurethane systems and thermoplastic grades, 4950HSM and HD1053M, all
feedstock derived from bio-waste. This polyurethanes. To achieve the ultimate of which are recyclable. While the Rigeo
concept, called the BASF biomass goal of a circular economy, it is important 4950HSM grade has adequate fluidity
balance approach, can be compared to to rethink the production and use of for the production of small volume
green electricity: When alternative energy footwear in general. Italian designer packages, the Rigeo HD1954M can be
sources (for example, wind and solar Linda Lipari, together with designer used for the production of packages up
energy) are fed into the power grid, the Pierpaolo Righetto and students from to 20L. The Rigeo HD1053M is a great
output of the end product, electricity, Calzaturiero Politecnico the School option for packaging volumes up to 60
remains unchanged. Similarly, at BASF, of Footwear Design and Technology liters. "Meeting the requirements of the
dedicated themselves. industry is essential, but it is not unique.

36 PLASTICS NEWS SEPTEMBER 2021 37 PLASTICS NEWS SEPTEMBER 2021