Trinseo, a global materials solutions provider and a manufacturer of plastics, latex binders, and synthetic rubber, has debuted its 85 per cent long glass fibre (LGF) polypropylene (PP) concentrate product family for automotive semi-structural applications.

These breakthrough products were introduced at the ongoing Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Automotive TPO Conference in Detroit, Michigan, US.

Enlite PP LGF 1851 and 1852 are latest innovation in Trinseo's Enlite structural polymers portfolio, which is built on the company's in-depth market knowledge and polymer expertise, said a statement from the company.

The new Enlite products have the highest glass fibre concentration (85 per cent) of any PP LGF concentrate available commercially for automotive semi-structural applications, which enables lighter weight interior parts at lower total cost compared to steel and aluminium, it said.

Dagmar van Heur, vice president, Performance Plastics, said: “We know that lightweight is more than a trend in the automotive industry; it’s a necessity.”

“We’ve also seen an increasing need for cost-effective semi-structural parts, and our new technology is a direct response to these demands. It is the first structural polymer with an 85 per cent concentration on the market, offering manufacturers a more advanced, robust, and affordable solution for today’s lightweight needs,” he added.

Enlite products are developed for instrument panels, door modules, front-end modules, tailgates, and other interior and semi-structural applications that require a balance of dimensional stability, heat resistance and weight optimisation.

Enlite PP-LGF 1851 and 1852 are a step-change improvement over the previous industry benchmark of 60 per cent LGF concentration.

Unique to the industry, the 85 per cent glass concentration allows customers to achieve cost savings of up to 10 per cent through significantly reduced compounding costs, which we pass on our to our customers, and other efficiencies such as the outstanding pellet robustness combined with good dispersion properties of the HiCon Enlite products.  

The dispersability of the 85 per cent concentrate is as good as traditional 60 per cent concentrates, while delivering good impact resistance and durability in the final part. In addition, the outstanding pellet robustness of Enlite 1851 and 1852 products minimises generation of loose fibres during air conveying, which ultimately reduces production costs at the customer.

Enlite LGF 1851 and 1852 are now available globally and supported by a new, state-of-the-art production facility in Midland, Michigan, US.  As part of the service offered with this innovative product family, Trinseo’s Application Engineering Development Center (AEDC) is available to support customers with material characterisation for their end-products’ design engineering, and with support and optimisation to help manufacturers realize their lightweight objectives and ensure the desired benefits in the physical products.

Trinseo’s extended polypropylene offering includes a range of high-flow resins, providing excellent material performance related to low VOC and high flow, and enabling optimised interior parts related to air quality and weight reduction through thin-wall technology.

With the addition of the new 85 per cent concentrate, Trinseo’s Enlite family of structural polymers is advancing lightweight technology in a diverse range of interior semi-structural applications, where customers value a balance of dimensional stability, heat resistance and weight optimisation, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service