Page 52 - Plastics News September 2023

BUSINESS NEWS

Neste, LyondellBasell develop bio-based polymers for construction sector
Wesseling plant in Germany. Despite
going through a cracker which pro-
cesses feedstocks other than Neste
RE, LyondellBasell claims the poly-
mers have a measurable renewable-
based content which can be deter-
mined by carbon-14 (C14) analysis.
C14 testing determines the per-
centage of renewable products in a
product by detecting the number of
carbon-14 isotopes in products. This
radioactive isotope naturally occurs
in organic materials but not in fossil
fuels. “The renewable content of Cir-
culenRenew C14 is measured by an
accredited third-party laboratory and
stated as a parameter on the Certifi-
cate of Analysis,” LyondellBasell states
on its website. “It is extremely im-
portant that the construction sector
continues to develop innovative ways
to combat climate change,” said Mar-
tin Bussmann, brand owner manager
at Neste Renewable Polymers and
ogether with Biofibre and propylene (PP), marketed by the Chemicals. “Renewable solutions such
TNaftex, the companies have company as part of its CirculenRenew as renewable Neste RE feedstock for
combined polymers based on bio- portfolio. The PP is then used by Bi- polymers can play a major role in that.
derived feedstocks with natural ofibre to produce plastics granules re- The long use-phase of construction
fibre to create polypropylene with inforced with natural fibre, which the products results in the creation of a
measurable bio-based content. company said it sources from near its carbon storage: materials can store
Neste, LyondellBasell, Biofibre, and production site and does not compete carbon taken from the atmosphere,
Naftex have joined forces to create with food or feed production. In the serving as temporary buffers in com-
bio-based polymers reinforced with final step of the new value chain, Naf- bating climate change,” he added.
natural fibre for use in the construc- tex extrudes these granules into con- A lifetime cycle analysis (LCA) created
tion sector. struction elements such as posts for by GreenSurvey for Biofibre report-
The cooperation sees Neste pro- fences or profiles for terrace deck- edly confirms that the amount of car-
vide LyondellBasell with feedstock ings. bon removed from the atmosphere
for polymer production made from Back in 2021, Neste and Lyondell- by the biomass exceeds supply chain
100% bio-based waste and residues, Basell announced a long-term com- emissions from logistics and manufac-
including cooking oil, called renew- mercial agreement under which Ly- turing of the reinforced plastics gran-
able Neste RE. LyondellBasell then ondellBasell processes the Neste RE ules.
processes the feedstock into a poly- feedstock through the cracker at its

52 PLASTICS NEWSASTICS NEWS September 2023
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