Bayer MaterialScience (Leverkusen, Germany) will be showcasing innovative and sustainable developments for plastics processors under the motto "From Megatrends to Business" at this year's Fakuma trade fair in Friedrichshafen, Germany, scheduled for October 18-22. The Bayer stand (B4-2406) is focused on global megatrends such as climate protection, mobility, technology and also health care.

One example is development of a green high-tech material blend of polycarbonate and polyethylene terephthalate (PC+PET) for both large-area vertical and horizontal automobile bodywork parts. The Makroblend GR 235M material is made from the highest-quality recyclates. Possible applications are bodywork parts, such as spoilers, trunk lids and skirts, covers for antennas and convertible top compartments.

Bayer MaterialScience is also debuting two technologies enabling automotive interior and bodywork applications to be efficiently manufactured from high-grade materials in a single process step. Direct-Skinning is a cost-effective process for the finishing of parts with colored decorative polyurethane surfaces, including surfaces with light shades and tactile textures. Further, DirectCoating technology enables the efficient application of colored coatings, soft-touch coatings or clearcoats, including the high-gloss surfaces currently in vogue. With both technologies the coating is applied while the part is still on the injection molding machine. The surfaces are UV and light-stable as well as abrasion-resistant.

Bayer MaterialScience's most recent developments in the medical technology segment are the PC+ABS (polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) blends Bayblend M850XF and M750. They are recommended for such components as surgical instruments, diagnostic equipment and drug delivery systems. The company is also introducing the new product Makrolon 2258, which is a free-flowing grade that is particularly well suited for the injection molding of thin-walled components.-[email protected]