News | HEXPOL TPE

HEXPOL TPE awarded ISCC PLUS certification in Germany

jillbradford — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 14:20:22 +0000

HEXPOL TPE awarded ISCC PLUS certification in Germany

The compounding group HEXPOL TPE has added to its credentials: The International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS) was awarded to their site in Lichtenfels, Germany, in October.

ISCC PLUS is a global certification scheme providing traceability along the supply chain and guarantees correct and transparent use of the mass balance approach. All companies along the supply chain undergo the ISCC PLUS audit process, meaning when HEXPOL TPE purchases ISCC PLUS-certified raw materials, all upstream entities will have been verified. Sustainability declarations create a chain of custody from origin through to the brand owner.

Mass balance allows for a gradual increase of the non-virgin fossil share of polymer compounds with the target to reduce the use of fossil raw materials step by step. The certification allows HEXPOL TPE to produce ISCC PLUS certified bio, circular and/or bio circular attributed TPE materials via the mass balance approach.

We are pleased to add ISCC PLUS certified TPEs to our growing portfolio of biobased, biocomposite and soft polymer compounds with recycled content. This achievement further underscores HEXPOL TPE’s commitment to sustainability and enabling the defossiliation of the polymer industry.

– Jochen Schneider, Managing Director HEXPOL TPE GmbH

Mass balance versions of the Dryflex portfolio of TPE (TPS, TPO and TPU) materials will be available. Also in scope are the Epseal TPEs designed for food and beverage sealing applications. The mass balance TPEs offer a drop-in material alternative for customers. The technical properties, chemical composition and regulatory status will be the same as the corresponding fossil grade.

For our customers working in highly regulated markets such as care, food contact, toys and baby products, ISCC PLUS certification is an important step. It means we can replace the fossil polymers in our compounds with the mass-balanced version to create a one-to-one replacement. This is because the mass balance versions use raw materials with bio, circular or bio-circular characteristics, but which have the same quality, processability and purity as those of fossil origin.

– Dr. Kevin Ament, product safety and ISCC coordination at HEXPOL TPE GmbH

This expands the mass balance offering from the HEXPOL TPE group following the ISCC PLUS certification awarded to their Swedish site in 2021.

About HEXPOL TPE

HEXPOL TPE is an international polymer compounding group specialising in Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE) for key industries such as consumer, medical, packaging, automotive and construction. We were among the 1st companies to produce TPEs in Europe, and more than 50 years later, the possibilities continue to inspire us – yes, we're self-confessed TPE freaks! Our international teams work with customers around the world, developing new polymer combinations and creating customised materials that are safer, more durable, more sustainable. As part of the HEXPOL Group of companies, we share an extensive global footprint. Covering Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America, enabling us to support our customers worldwide.

HEXPOL acquires the American TPE Compounder Star Thermoplastic Alloys and Rubbers, Inc.

jillbradford — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 14:11:04 +0000

HEXPOL acquires the American TPE Compounder Star Thermoplastic Alloys and Rubbers, Inc.

HEXPOL has acquired 100% of the shares in the American TPE Compounder Star Thermoplastic Alloys and Rubbers, Inc. (“Star Thermoplastics”) from Thomas A. Dieschbourg. Through the acquisition, HEXPOL establishes presence on the growing American TPE market. Thomas A. Dieschbourg founded the company in 1993 and has developed the company into a technically advanced TPE company. Thomas A. Dieschbourg will remain as the President of the company.

“The acquisition of Star Thermoplastics is in line with our growth strategy and will enable HEXPOL to enter the American TPE market through a well-established company with a strong product portfolio.”

Peter Rosén, Acting CEO and CFO

“HEXPOL’s addition of Star Thermoplastics to HEXPOL TPE portfolio is a perfect fit. HEXPOL will provide enhanced capabilities and a better geographic reach. The transaction will be beneficial both to the Star Thermoplastics employees and to HEXPOL.”

Thomas A. Dieschbourg

“Star Thermoplastics will enable us to replicate our successful European TPE growth journey on the larger American TPE market. Both our existing TPE companies in Europe and China and Star Thermoplastics will be stronger through this expanded footprint.”

Ralph Wolkener and Carsten Rüter, Presidents HEXPOL TPE Compounding

Star Thermoplastics currently has a turnover of approximately 20 MUSD with a profitability level below that of the HEXPOL Group. Star Thermoplastics has its operations near Chicago, Illinois, USA at one well-invested location with plenty of growth capacity and has some 30 employees. The main end customer segments are automotive, building & construction, medical, industrial, electronics and consumer.

The acquisition price amounts to 26.5 MUSD on a cash and debt free basis and is funded by a combination of cash on hand and existing bank facilities. Star Thermoplastics will be consolidated by HEXPOL from 1 November 2023.

HEXPOL TPE + almaak collaboration

nahim — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 09:30:05 +0000

almaak and HEXPOL TPE Collaborate on 2K Adhesion-Synchronised Materials

As the plastics industry meets at Fakuma 2023, the polymer compounders almaak international and HEXPOL TPE announced a partnership optimising 2K material combinations tailored for automotive.

TPE materials are used for two-shot or overmoulding soft-touch overlays onto rigid substrates to meet functional, ergonomic or aesthetic requirements. The adhesion of standard TPE is limited to olefin-based substrates like polypropylene, which have limitations regarding heat and rigidity performance. However, chemically modified TPEs allow adhesion to a much wider range of engineering thermoplastics. Enhancing property characteristics to meet more demanding component requirements.

Volker Krebs (almaak international) and Thomas Köppl (HEXPOL TPE) at Fakuma 2023.

almaak’s products include PC/ABS, ABS, PC, ASA, PBT, PA6, PA6.6 and their blends, including materials with up to 100% recycled content. These have been adhesion tested with HEXPOL TPE’s portfolio of thermoplastic elastomer materials.

Automotive applications include interior, exterior and technical parts such as seals, grips, trim, console and interior carrier, grommets, electronic housing, and noise and vibration dampening.

“TPE materials for multi-component processes need to be adhesion synchronised with substrates, especially polar technical thermoplastics, For example, PBT is increasingly used for electromobility applications and has difficulty adhering to TPE. Glass fibre reinforcement and flame-retardant additives make it even more challenging. The collaboration between almaak and HEXPOL TPE delivers tested material combinations that ensure chemical compatibility and adhesion performance”

–Thomas Köppl, group product manager, HEXPOL TPE

The engineering thermoplastics and TPE combinations have been tested according to the VDI 2019 standard, which measures the adhesion between materials. TPE is moulded onto the thermoplastic and peeled off at a 90° angle. The required adhesion peel force is measured and describes the adhesion quality. Even for substrates which make bonding difficult, such as PBT, it is possible to get a good adhesion if the substrate and TPE are compatible. For example, Dryflex UV 65.01B220 TPE achieves an adhesion peel force of 3.3 N/mm on Anjacom PBT 455-GF30.

The support package offered by almaak and HEXPOL TPE includes tooling and processing advice. This is because processing conditions (2K or insert moulding, temperature, injection speed) as well as tool design (geometry, adhesion area, flow length) can also impact adhesion performance.

“Through this collaboration, we offer the best solutions for combining hard plastics and soft TPE. It gives our automotive customers a great competitive advantage. Our material testing and development means customers will know from the start that our materials function perfectly together”

–Volker Krebs, application technology almaak international

About HEXPOL TPE

Our international teams work with customers around the world, developing new polymer combinations and creating customised materials that are safer, more durable, more sustainable. As part of the HEXPOL Group of companies, we share an extensive global footprint. Covering Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America, enabling us to support our customers worldwide. www.hexpolTPE.com

HEXPOL TPE Contact for Press Enquiries

Jill Bradford
Group Marketing & PR Manager, HEXPOL TPE
jill.bradford@hexpolTPE.com

About almaak

The plants in Krefeld and Doberlug-Kirchhain can produce around 60,000 metric tons of engineering thermoplastics (PC/ABS, PC, ABS, PA, PA/ABS, PBT/ASA, PBT, PP etc.) per year on 18 production lines with a flexible hourly output of 25 kg to 1,500 kg.

These products are mainly used in the automotive industry, in the electrical and household goods sector and in the construction industry.

almaak has many years of experience in dealing with secondary raw materials and is one of the leading suppliers of sustainable product solutions in Europe. In addition to top-quality products – from medical applications to highly technical innovations of virgin material – the company has for years focused on the development of compounds from sustainable raw materials, for which there is extensive series experience in almost all relevant applications. www.almaak.de

almaak contact for press enquiries

Sabine Mindermann
Executive Assistant to CEO, almaak international
s.mindermann@almaak.de

HEXPOL TPE x Polykemi

nahim — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 13:14:34 +0000

HEXPOL TPE x Polykemi

The Swedish compounders, HEXPOL TPE AB and Polykemi AB, have collaborated on a 2K sustainable development project that reduced the product carbon footprint for consumer products.

Making a material selection can be a complicated task when designing consumer products. There are many properties to balance, and the choice is even more complex when including eco-design principles. Selecting two materials for a 2K part is not doubling the difficulty; it is squared. To help with this decision, HEXPOL TPE and Polykemi has teamed up to enable combinations based on properties and sustainability targets.

To demonstrate the possibilities in reducing the product carbon footprint, increasing recyclability and optimising adhesion, Polykemi’s Materialsmart® meets HEXPOL TPE’s Sustainable Materials Lab to create tested solutions.

Henrik Palokangas, sustainability specialist at Polykemi and Klas Dannäs, sustainability director at HEXPOL TPE.

Henrik Palokangas, sustainability specialist at Polykemi, commented, “Making an informed choice is key when decarbonising and making the consequences clear is the first step on this journey”.

HEXPOL TPE and Polykemi have done substantial work in the field of sustainability, allowing them to provide cradle-to-gate Product Carbon Footprints (PCF) and calculate the Global Warming Potential (GWP) per kg of material.

The PCF data shows that switching from a combination using fossil-based ABS from Polykemi, overmoulded with a fossil-based TPE from HEXPOL TPE, to a recycled PP and TPE with bio-circular attributed content, can give a 77% reduction in CO2e. This combination can also bring advantages when considering end-of-life and recycling compatibility.

Combinations using mechanically recycled ABS with bio-circular attributed TPE were also tested, which gave a 57% reduction in CO2e compared to the fully fossil-based equivalents. The TPE is bio-circular attributed via the mass balance approach using 2nd generation feedstocks.

“To bring real change and deliver the needed transition of the plastics industry, we must collaborate. This project is about taking our collective know-how to enable combinations with the lowest carbon footprint and highest recyclability possible. While also giving assurance on the materials adhesion performance and durability”.

– Klas Dannäs, sustainability director at HEXPOL TPE

About HEXPOL TPE

HEXPOL TPE is an international polymer compounding group specialising in Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE) for key industries such as consumer, medical, packaging, automotive and construction.

We were among the 1st companies to produce TPEs in Europe, and more than 50 years later, the possibilities continue to inspire us – yes, we’re self-confessed TPE freaks!

HEXPOL TPE Contact for Press Enquiries

Jill Bradford
Group Marketing & PR Manager, HEXPOL TPE
jill.bradford@hexpolTPE.com

About Polykemi Group

Since its beginning in 1968, Polykemi’s mission has been the same: to strive to develop and produce the best customer adapted plastic compounds in the world.

Polykemi Group consists of Polykemi AB, Rondo Plast AB, and Scanfill AB, all based in Ystad, Sweden, as well as Polykemi Compounds Kunshan and Chongqing in China, Polykemi Inc. in Gastonia, NC, USA, and a number of sales companies around the world. With multiple factories in Sweden, China and the USA, we have production on three continents and provides customers worldwide with customized plastic compounds based on both virgin and recycled raw materials of the highest quality.

Since its inception, the family-owned business has helped numerous customers in various industries to select the right materials for their specific products. www.polykemi.com

Polykemi contact for Press Enquiries
Mia Persson
Communications & Marketing
mia.persson@polykemi.se

Dryflex WS Hydrophilic TPE with Recycled Content

nahim — Thu, 04 May 2023 11:38:23 +0000

Dryflex WS Hydrophilic TPE with Recycled Content

To enable the shift away from virgin feedstocks and help keep valuable materials in circulation, we have developed variants of our Dryflex WS Hydrophilic Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE) that incorporate recycled content.

The recycled content is sourced from Post Industrial Recyclate (PIR), which is material diverted from the waste stream during the manufacturing process, as defined by ISO 14021. This excludes materials like rework, regrind, or scrap that can be reclaimed within the same process that generated them.

Dryflex WS TPEs contain hydrophilic particles that exhibit controlled swelling when immersed in water, followed by contraction when the water is removed, allowing for repeated expansion and contraction cycles.

The controlled swelling and water-retention properties of Dryflex WS hydrophilic TPEs is beneficial in applications where you want to stop the ingress or exit of water.

Dryflex WS TPEs can now incorporate up to 35% recycled content, although the percentage may vary depending on the desired swell level. Generally, higher swell levels may result in lower levels of recycled content.

Annual Report with Sustainability Report 2022

jillbradford — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 16:41:06 +0000

The HEXPOL Annual Report for 2022 with Sustainability Report is now available

I am proud of how well we continued to tackle global challenges in 2022. Our strong business model has once again been excellently executed by skilled and dedicated employees worldwide.

– Georg Brunstam, President and CEO

Download the Sustainability Report for in-depth insights

HEXPOL TPE and TER HELL Plastics Join Forces for Distribution in Spain

jillbradford — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 11:03:34 +0000

HEXPOL TPE and TER HELL Plastics Join Forces for Distribution in Spain

HEXPOL TPE, a leading international TPE compounder, has announced TER HELL Plastics as their distribution partner for Spain.

TER HELL Plastics, with over 40 years of experience in the distribution of polymers and compounds in Europe, will support the market expansion of HEXPOL TPE’s full range of Dryflex Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) materials in Spain, including TPS, TPO, TPU, TPV, as well as HEXPOL TPE’s growing portfolio of TPEs with bio, recycled and mass balance content.

The business relationship between HEXPOL TPE and TER HELL Plastics began in 2022, and they officially joined forces in 2023 to provide local representation of HEXPOL TPE in the Spanish market.

We want to give our expanding customer base in Spain the best in terms of product offering and customisation with fast local support and logistics. TER HELL Plastics is a strong partner for us, with in-depth technical knowledge and a commercial understanding of their home market

– Philippe Julien-Labruyère, Sales Director Europe & Asia, HEXPOL TPE

HEXPOL TPE representatives will join TER HELL Plastics at the EXPOQUIMIA exhibition, 30 May to 2 June, in Barcelona, Spain, Hall 3 Stand D111.

About HEXPOL TPE

HEXPOL TPE Enables the Shift to Recycled Content for Household Goods

nahim — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 07:57:21 +0000

Durable TPE with Recycled Content is Key for SAUBA’s Bristle-Free Toilet Brushes

The LOOWY toilet brushes from SAUBA (https://sauba.net/ueber-loowy/) are designed to offer eye-catching style blades instead of bristles for hygiene, renewable and recycled materials and German production.

The special blades make the toilet brush easier to keep clean, but if needed, the blade heads are designed to be easy to replace. They are available in different sizes. To match brand aesthetics and all kinds of bathroom designs, the LOOWY are available in various colours.

Two critical requirements for the materials used to make LOOWY are durability and sustainability.

Kathrin Heilmann, sales at HEXPOL TPE GmbH, explained, “We’re working hard to turn waste into a resource and help keep valuable materials in circulation. We take recycled polymers (in this application, using Post Industrial Recylate) and incorporate them into the Dryflex Circular range of TPEs. This makes it an ideal fit with SAUBA`s ambition to produce more resource-efficiently and reduce the amount of waste.

Post Industrial Recyclate (PIR) is material diverted from the waste stream during a manufacturing process. Excluded is the reutilisation of materials such as rework, regrind or scrap generated in a process and capable of being reclaimed within the same process that generated it.

For the LOOWY toilet brush, the TPE also needed to be strong but with a low hardness to give the required flexibility and cleaning performance. The TPE needed to be easy to process and recyclable in closed-loop systems, with the possibility to rework any process scrap.

About HEXPOL TPE

HEXPOL TPE Launch Medical Mass Balance Thermoplastic Elastomers

nahim — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 10:49:18 +0000

HEXPOL TPE Launch Medical Mass Balance Thermoplastic Elastomers

At the COMPAMED 2022 exhibition, HEXPOL TPE officially launched their medical TPEs with bio-attributed content according to the mass balance principle. Adding to their growing portfolio of materials that enable a shift away from fossil feedstocks.

Mass balance allows for a gradual increase of the bio-circular share using existing infrastructure with the target to reduce the use of fossil resources step by step. It is an approach to account for materials entering and leaving a system. The bio-circular feedstock is added at the beginning of the process, traced through intermediate transformations, and allocated to the end product. As both bio-circular and fossil feedstocks are mixed, it is not possible to guarantee a specific concentration in the final product. This is comparable to ‘green’ electricity, where consumers cannot be sure the electricity they use has come directly from renewable sources, but the overall share of green electricity in the grid rises in step with demand.

HEXPOL TPE identified mass balance as a good option for their medical customers as the resulting TPE material is a drop-in solution with identical properties. This is because monomers from renewable sources, but with the same quality and purity as those of fossil origin, are used to make bio-circular polymers (through mass balance). HEXPOL TPE can replace the fossil polymers in their TPE compounds with the bio-attributed mass-balanced version to create a 1:1 replacement. The technical properties, chemical composition, and regulatory status of the mass balance TPE will be the same as the corresponding fossil-based material.

Annika Swanholm, medical development engineer at HEXPOL TPE, commented, “It’s important for us to support our medical customers as they address the sustainability of their products and help them make informed material choices. To be included as part of our Mediprene portfolio of medical TPEs, we must also ensure we uphold the highest levels of raw-material selection, regulatory compliance, traceability and change management”.

Third-party verification is required to audit the mass balance allocation and allow for correct product labelling. HEXPOL TPE’s Swedish site was among the first TPE compounders to achieve the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS) last year. ISCC PLUS is a global certification scheme providing traceability along the supply chain and guarantees correct and transparent use of the mass balance approach. Certified companies must meet specific environmental and social standards, creating a chain of custody.

The new materials will form part of the Mediprene portfolio of TPEs for medical applications. Mass balance versions of their Mediprene 500M standard series are available, as well as customised grades. Typical applications include airway management, face masks, resealable membranes, IV systems, seals and connectors.

Inger Haag Olsson, medical development engineer at HEXPOL TPE, added, “These mass-balanced TPEs allow customers to meet performance requirements while ensuring the regulatory status and, at the same time, working towards their sustainability goals”.

HEXPOL TPE can provide cradle-to-gate Product Carbon Footprints (PCF) to further inform customers. HEXPOL TPE’s PCF methodology is built upon the principles of ISO 14067:2018 for the carbon footprint of products, which is associated with the principles and requirements of ISO standards 14040:2006 and 14044:2006 for life cycle assessment. The PCF provides CO2 equivalent data per kg of TPE, calculated from raw materials and their transportation, product manufacturing and packaging.

Mediprene medical TPEs with bio-attributed content according to the mass balance principle can be used in applications such as airway management, face masks, resealable membranes, IV systems, seals and connectors.

About HEXPOL TPE

HEXPOL TPE Awarded Carbon Literate Organisation Certification

nahim — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 06:56:06 +0000

HEXPOL TPE Awarded Carbon Literate Organisation Certification

In recognition of their work to train and implement Carbon Literacy, HEXPOL TPE has been awarded bronze Carbon Literate Organisation status by the Carbon Literacy Project for their site in Manchester, UK.

Carbon Literacy is a term used to describe an awareness of the carbon costs and impacts of everyday activities and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions on an individual, community and organisational basis. The term has had occasional use in scientific literature but now is almost exclusively associated with The Carbon Literacy Project.

The UN recognised the Carbon Literacy Project at COP21 in Paris, where it was awarded a TAP100, one of 100 worldwide Transformative Action Programs. The Project is based on the aim that if we are to cut our carbon emissions by the kind of reduction targets demanded of us by science by 2050, then we will need to change the culture as well as the technology. Carbon Literacy acts to educate, provides relevance and motivation, and also supplies tangible evidence of the growth of that low-carbon culture

The award recognises HEXPOL TPE’s creation of a bespoke Carbon Literacy education programme for its employees and the participation of its leadership. This accreditation shows that HEXPOL TPE is committed to Carbon Literacy and serious about establishing a low-carbon culture.

Jill Bradford, global marketing manager at HEXPOL TPE and Kirsty Wood, sustainability lead for HEXPOL TPE’s UK site, created the bespoke course, which was accredited to the Carbon Literacy Standard and they are delivering the training.

Mark Clayton, managing director at HEXPOL TPE Ltd, commented, “Carbon Literacy and carbon management is now a critical component of our strategy. I feel it’s incumbent on us to provide all our employees with the knowledge and tools they need to take significant actions. I’m happy we’ve already achieved bronze status, and it’s our intention to continue the implementation and work towards the next levels”.