SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, introduced the company’s first automotive grades containing mechanically recycled content within the company’s TRUCIRCLE™ portfolio of circular solutions and services. The new resins are SABIC® T2E-3320EH PP compound, a high-flow, low-emission, talc-filled polypropylene (PP); XENOY™ T2NX2500UV resin, an unfilled, UV-stabilized blend of polycarbonate (PC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET); and XENOY T2NX5230 resin, a mineral-filled PC/PET blend. All three materials contain up to 29 % recycled content and offer excellent performance similar to that of the incumbent virgin resins, giving automotive customers new options that can help them address their sustainability goals.
“The new TRUCIRCLE materials support the automotive industry’s sustainability initiatives by providing an opportunity to extend the life of plastic waste and helping to increase value from post-consumer products,” said Abdullah Al-Otaibi, general manager, ETP & Market Solutions, SABIC. “These new products are the first of many SABIC resins to be introduced with mechanically recycled content for potential use in interior and exterior automotive applications. They also may complement other types of sustainable materials, such as certified renewable products from bio-based content, which we are also developing. It’s all part of SABIC’s strategy to accelerate towards a true circular economy.”
Lowering Carbon Footprint
SABIC is launching these three grades to support various new automotive applications. SABIC T2E-3320EH PP compound features stiffness, low emissions and high heat resistance for non-visible heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) components within the instrument panel and interior and under-the-hood parts. An internal life cycle assessment (LCA) showed SABIC T2E-3320EH PP compound offers a reduced product carbon footprint of up to 24 % compared to the corresponding virgin PP compound because it incorporates 25 % recycled PP.
SABIC’s XENOY T2NX2500UV resin contains 21 % recycled PET. It provides excellent heat and impact performance, dimensional stability and low shrinkage for painted exterior body panels, spoilers, fuel filler doors and trim. It is also UV stabilised for potential use in unpainted applications. SABIC’s LCA data indicates this grade lowers global warming potential (GWP) by 11 % and cumulative energy demand (CED) by 12 % vs. virgin material.
SABIC’s XENOY T2NX5230 resin contains 16 % mineral reinforcement and 29 % recycled PET. Similar to XENOY T2NX2500UV resin, it delivers properties that make it a potential solution for painted body panels, trim and other components. The product’s reinforcement delivers higher stiffness and a lower coefficient of linear thermal expansion (CLTE) compared to XENOY T2NX2500UV resin, making XENOY T2NX5230 resin a good candidate for roof spoilers and exterior trim. Both XENOY grades offer high flow for improved throughput.
SABIC’s complete TRUCIRCLE offering comprises design for recyclability services, mechanically recycled materials, certified circular products from chemical recycling of used plastics and certified renewable polymers from bio-based feedstock. Read more here.
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SABIC is a global diversified chemicals company, headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It manufactures on a global scale in the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific, making distinctly different kinds of products: chemicals, commodity and high performance plastics, agri-nutrients and metals.
SABIC supports its customers by identifying and developing opportunities in key end-use applications such as construction, medical devices, packaging, agri-nutrients, electrical and electronics, transportation and clean energy. Production in 2020 was 60.8 million metric tons.
The company has more than 32000 employees worldwide and operates in around 50 countries. Fostering innovation and a spirit of ingenuity, SABIC has 9946 global patent filings, and has significant research resources with innovation hubs in five key geographies – USA, Europe, Middle East, South Asia and North Asia.