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Sustainable PBT Compounds Based on Bio-circular BDO Unveiled at Fakuma

Used cooking oil is used by Envalior as a base material in the Pocan X-MB series of mass balance–certified compounds.

Stephen Moore

October 21, 2024

3 Min Read
used cooking oil as feedstock
Sumeth Charee/iStock via Getty Images

A new series of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) compounds based on bio-circular 1,4-butanediol (BDO) was unveiled by Envalior at Fakuma last week in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Pocan X-MB grades are certified and classified in accordance with the ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) Plus standard for their sustainable content. The precursor for bio-circular BDO is used cooking oil, which does not compete with food production, as it is a second-generation feedstock. 

“With these compounds, we are enabling our customers to lower the carbon footprint of their products, reduce their dependency on raw materials from fossil sources, and conserve resources as a result. At the same time, the new compounds are an important milestone on our pathway of being able to offer alternatives based on biological and recycled materials to the entire Envalior product portfolio,” explained Marc Marbach, global business director for PBT.

In addition to used cooking oil, other sustainable raw material sources are currently being explored, including post-consumer recycled material (PCR). The material innovations have extensive potential in typical PBT applications, such as connectors and housings, as well as structural and functional components.

Related:RadiciGroup Launches Bio-based PA Line at Fakuma

Up to 71% sustainable raw material content

Three product variants of Pocan X-MB with 20% and 30% glass-fiber content are currently certified in line with ISCC Plus guidelines. In principle, the entire Pocan range can be produced on the basis of bio-circular BDO, including hydrolysis-stabilized, flame-retardant, and laser-transparent product variants. “We will rapidly expand the new product range in close collaboration with our customers,” Marbach added.

The PBT base resin of Pocan X-MB has 26% sustainable material content. This proportion can be significantly increased in the compounds if PET from post-consumer recyclates and recycled glass fibers, for example, are used in addition to sustainable BDO. This is the case for Pocan T3230 RC X-MB, which contains a total sustainable share of around 71%. The carbon footprints of the new products are more than 30% smaller than equivalent standard compounds.

Ready replacement for fossil-based compounds

BDO produced from used cooking oil is chemically and physically identical to BDO of fossil origin. Therefore, the PBT compounds produced from it have the same chemical, physical, and processing properties and the same quality as their fossil-based counterparts. They meet the same technical specifications and certification standards.

“This enables our customers to use the X-MB compounds simply as ‘drop-in’ solutions to substitute equivalent PBT products that are fossil-based, and to employ ongoing production processes for this. There are no substantial costs for conversion, such as tool construction,” explained Marbach.

Mechanically recycled materials in demand

For some time now, Envalior has been marketing ISCC Plus–certified PBT compounds under the Pocan Eco brand, which contain recycled glass fibers from industrial glass waste and, in some cases, additional mechanically recycled post-consumer PET. Grades include:

  • Pocan ECOB3235 with 30% recycled glass-fiber content by weight;

  • Pocan ECOT3230 with 30% recycled PET (PCR) by weight and 30% recycled glass-fiber content by weight;

  • halogen-free, flame-retardant PBT Pocan ECOBFN4231, containing 25% recycled glass-fiber by weight.

“Demand for these types of recycled materials has soared recently, particularly in the automotive industry, not least because of the upcoming new EU directive on the environmentally sound disposal of end-of-life vehicles,” explained Marbach.

About the Author

Stephen Moore

Stephen has been with PlasticsToday and its preceding publications Modern Plastics and Injection Molding since 1992, throughout this time based in the Asia Pacific region, including stints in Japan, Australia, and his current location Singapore. His current beat focuses on automotive. Stephen is an avid folding bicycle rider, often taking his bike on overseas business trips, and a proud dachshund owner.

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