Plastics News Europe - October 2019 - 44

K2019 - MATERIALS

➡ Continued from page 43

lightweight metal replacement solutions for the automotive industry
and new materials to drive resource
efficiency in buildings. These range
from new polymers to manufacture
more robust heating and pipe systems to glass-fibre reinforced compounds for very lightweight, recyclable scaffolding and construction
panels.
ASCEND PERFORMANCE MATERIALS (Hall 6, A07), the world's largest fully-integrated producer of P66,
announced it will introduce a series of
new speciality polymers at K 2019 to
meet the growing needs of its customers. Among the company's new
products are Vydyne XHT, long-chain
polyamides and high-temperature
polyamides and an anti-microbial polymer for fibre production. Ascend will
also unveil an expanded range of recycled-content offerings, plus flameretardant grades of its Vydyne P66.
Ascend has 'a fundamental belief
in the growth of the automotive market'. Vydyne XHT, a new portfolio of
heat-stabilised polyamide 66 and copolymers, is capable of withstanding
prolonged exposure to temperatures
up to 230C. Created for under-the-

Brand-new PHA
organisation
GO!PHA at K 2019
PHA is a versatile class of natural materials, which are
renewable, biodegradable in soil, fresh water & marine
environment, and home compostable. Their properties
can be tailored to numerous target applications and offer sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics with
respect to biodegradability, compostability and in GHG
reduction.
PHA's are being
commercialised in markets and applications
where the natural, bio-based or biodegradable/compostable properties play a key role, such as for medical
implants, fertiliser coatings, agricultural mulch films and
packaging. PHA's are also durable and are being developed for electronics, tire and other applications.
The Global Organization for PHA, GO!PHA, an Amsterdam based, member driven non-profit was founded
in June 2019 to accelerate the adoption of PHA's globally, by engaging with policy and legislative bodies; initiating and highlighting technical and scientific knowledge
advancement programs; and facilitating market development and proliferation activities, all on a pre-competitive basis. It is backed by over 25 leading industrial and
academic members to date.
GO!PHA is organising a PHA breakfast seminar on
the fourth day of the Bioplastics Business Breakfast
event organised by bioplastics Magazine during K 2019.
Register at: www.gopha.org or send an email to info@
gopha.org to become a member.

Integrated air intake manifold from Ascend's Vydyne XHT

hood applications, the portfolio includes four glass-filled grades ideal
for use in demanding automotive applications, such as charge air coolers,
integrated air intake manifolds, exhaust gas recirculators and resonators. All XHT grades exhibit excellent
flow and are regrindable, allowing
excess material to be reprocessed,
thus improving production efficiency.
The company is also expanding
into high-temperature polyamides.
Ascend's new HTPA grades offer
higher strength, stiffness, chemicaland temperature-resistance for metal
replacement and high-heat automotive applications.
Although DSM (Hall 6, booth 11)
will be introducing no new materials
at this year's show, the company is
using the opportunity to showcase a
string of new applications that illustrate its response to today's issues
and megatrends. Megatrends mean
new applications and a need for innovative materials, including 'green materials'. DSM is positioned to benefit
from this. "For example, the batteries
in electric cars weigh between 700
and 900 kg - weight that needs to be
taken out elsewhere," said Tamim
Sidiki, global marketing director Automotive and Consumer Electronics.
"Simply for driver convenience." Plus,
electromagnetic interference (EMI)
shielding and thermal management
are increasingly important in delivering high-quality automotive electronic systems. DSM will show its portfolio of conductive plastics that enable
the replacement of full-metal enclosures, with shielding efficiencies of
around 40-60dB of plastic thickness,
protecting from EMI, and leading to
weight reductions of up to 50% for
these enclosures. "While we may not
be showing any 'new' materials, this
is a new hot topic in automotive and
a dramatic change in metal replacement. Metal replacement used to be

about dimensional stability and mechanics. It's now about function - EMI
shielding - which is making this an
advanced high-tech application," explained Sidiki.
The company will also be displaying the surfboard developed with
Starboard and made from DSM's
Akulon RePurposed, where the resin
used is fully recycled from discarded
nylon-based fishing nets. The company is organising seminars at the booth
to provide more information about
these and other developments.
At K, EVONIK (Hall 6, B28) is
marking the 40th anniversary of its
polyamide 12 elastomer (PEBA), with
the introduction of a new member of
the product line. The company is also
showcasing new Vestamid developments focused on conductive products and applications for electric and
hybrid vehicles. Next to its chemical-resistant, transparent polyamides
Trogamid and Vestakeep PEEK for sophisticated tribological and high-temperature applications, the company is
also exhibiting its polymer powders
for 3D printing and its thermoplastic
processing additive for waste rubber,
Vestenamer.
The speciality additives for masterbatch manufacturers, compounders,
and processors include crosslinkers,
comonomers, and dispersing agents
for pigments and fillers, as well as additives for process and performance
improvement. The resulting modified
surface characteristics improve mechanical properties such as scratch
resistance, flow, block resistance, and
anticaking effects, and also help optimise fire protection properties.
LANXESS (Hall 06, C76) will be
presenting a broad portfolio focused
primarily on addressing the topics of
new mobility, urbanisation and digitalisation. New High-Performance
Materials include orange, heat-stabilised compounds for high-voltage

OCTOBER 2019

http://www.gopha.org

Plastics News Europe - October 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Plastics News Europe - October 2019