Sabic IP accelerates sustainability efforts

In a briefing yesterday with Modern Plastics Worldwide's K Show Daily, it was clear that Sabic IP’s sustainability materials’ emphasis is squarely on use of post-consumer resins as opposed to development of renewably resourced resins partly because of the difficulty of developing plant-based precursors for aromatic polymers. Another factor has been Sabic IP’s ability to find sources of post-consumer plastics. “The sources vary around the world,” says Thomas J. Stanley, VP of technology at Sabic IP. Waste appliance components and polycarbonate water bottles are a good source in some parts of the world, while there are ample supplies of discarded CDs and DVDs in others.

The newest grades are Noryl (modified polyphenylene ether) Classico PCR resin, which contains 20% post-consumer recyclate; Cycoloy PCR resins, based on 30 to 50% polycarbonate from water bottles, CDs, and other sources; and Lexan EXL PCR resins, which have polycarbonate post-consumer content of up to 80%. Earlier announcements covered increased use of polystyrene and polyester in the Valox and Noryl resin families.

“Overcoming the historical performance disadvantages of recycled raw materials has required new innovative approaches,” says Robert McKay, the newly appointed sustainability manager at the company.

Successful commercialization of post-consumer compounds can also be a long road as Sabic IP has already learned. For example, the Chevy Volt concept car unveiled in January, 2007, featured doors and hood made with Xenoy iQ high-performance thermoplastic composites, which include post-consumer recyclate content of 60%. The Chevy Volt production car being introduced this month uses more conventional materials, such as stamped steel, because of the development costs and time required for compounds such as Xenoy iQ.

CEO Mohamed H. Al-Mady said that use of bioplastics will be one of the strategies used to boost sustainability efforts at Sabic IP, but he offered virtually no details in a press conference that opened K 2010. He said the company is exploring research projects at universities. It’s believed that one of those efforts will be exploration of algae as a feedstock at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) a new technical university in Saudi Arabia.

Company officers said several applications at the Sabic stand also demonstrate sustainability efforts through weight and carbon dioxide reduction.

One is the first-ever all-plastic steering wheel that cuts carbon dioxide emissions by 80% compared to a steering wheel made from die cast magnesium. V. Umamaheswaran, automotive director at Sabic IP, said that the 80 per cent number will be reviewed by Green Order, as part of a stepped-up effort to audit environmental claims. Green Order was also used to validate claims made in the Chevy Volt concept car.

In another part of the stand, Sabic IP showed Chery Automotive’s soon-to-be launched A3CC sports coupe that uses parts molded from Noryl GTX, Xenoy resin and Stamax long glass fiber reinforced polypropylene. Use of Noryl GTX in the front fender reduces fender weight 50% compared to steel. The car will be introduced first in Europe and needed an innovative front-end system to meet new pedestrian protection requirements.