Exel Composites Unveils Bio-based Unsaturated Polyester Resin

Exel Composites has finalized a purchasing agreement with resin supplier Ineos for more than 100 tonnes of its Envirez bio-based unsaturated polyester (UP) thermoset resin system. This deal will serve as a springboard for the company to phase out its use of hydrocarbon-derived resins. Exel hopes to lead the composites industry toward a more sustainable future with zero change in material performance.

Exel Composites is a Finnish technology company that designs, manufactures, and markets composite profiles and tubes for industrial applications. The converter is also involved with mechanical recycling of carbon-fiber composite scrap together with Fairmat, a tech firm that has developed a “reconstitution process.” It employs proprietary cutting technologies using robotic tools equipped with machine learning to disassemble carbon-fiber components and convert the pieces into carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) building blocks

Reduction of 79 tonnes of CO₂

The specific Ineos Envirez resin’s chemical composition features 23% bio-based glycol. As a result, the carbon equivalent emissions in the manufacture of the resin are 2.89 CO­₂e kg including biogenic carbon, as opposed to fossil-based equivalent resin’s 3.68 CO_­2e kg*. This represents a 21% drop in associated manufacturing emissions and, in the context of the agreed 100 tones of resin, a reduction of 79 tonnes of CO₂ released.

“The manufacturing industry simply won’t reach its sustainability targets through isolated initiatives,” said Kim Sjödahl, SVP of technology and sustainability at Exel Composites. “We know that genuinely making a difference means adapting our central processes and incorporating more eco-friendly materials into our high-volume manufacturing.

Drop-in performance

“All our evaluation and testing confirms Ineos’ information: Its drop-in bio-based solution yields the same technical performance as fossil-based resins. Customers won’t notice any difference between the two,” continued Sjödahl.

Exel’s customers will have the choice of switching to this resin or keeping the original composition in the products that they purchase, but Sjödahl is confident that the composites community shares the company’s appetite for Scope Three emissions reduction. “Whether from partnerships with Ineos or our other suppliers, Exel is proud to help lead the community in the journey toward sustainability,” explained Sjödahl. 

“Together with our long-standing customer Exel Composites, we are committed to addressing more than just our own Scope 1 and 2 emissions by implementing sustainable product solutions throughout the value chain,” said Daniel Blanco, product manager for UPR & VER at Ineos Composites EMEA. “Our Envirez technology platform spans resin solutions based on bio-based and circular feedstocks, helping reduce the product’s carbon footprint compared to conventional fossil-based raw materials,” explained Blanco.

Bulk delivery further lightens environmental load

The two partners further limit emissions and waste involved with resin delivery. The Envirez resin is manufactured in the Ineos’ production site in Kilpilahti, Finland, from where a tanker truck transports full tanks locally to Exel Composites’ factories in Joensuu and Mäntyharju, Finland.

“Utilizing bulk deliveries means no separate packaging is used for the deliveries, reducing the need for virgin materials, recycling, and logistics. It further reduces the resin waste internally, and internal handling. All this helps in offsetting the higher cost of the resin itself,” said Sjödahl. The factory crew pumps up to 25 tonnes of Envirez resin directly into the bulk storage tanks, from where it is ready to use for daily production.

*Using Ecoinvent 3.9.1 database combined with primary data from suppliers.