DuPont Mobility & Materials has further extended its TPC-ET elastomer product family Hytrel with additional sustainable grades, the company said. Called Hytrel ECO B, the new grades are partially based on sustainable raw materials; more specifically, the polyether glycols in the soft segments have been replaced with polyether glycols made from renewable, plant-based raw materials that do not compete with the food supply.
Long-standing distribution partner Biesterfeld Plastic will distribute the new elastomers in large areas of the EMEA region as well as in Brazil.
The proportion of renewable raw materials varies with the Shore D hardness, which ranges from D 30 to D 63 in the standard types, with renewable materials accounting for a proportion of up to 72% by weight. In terms of performance and processability, the products offer the same qualities as established materials but with a significantly smaller carbon footprint. The new materials also bring advantages over existing sustainable Hytrel RS products, as they no longer need to be physically separated in the recycling process.
The materials are produced at a factory that operates on electricity generated from 100% renewable sources.
The Hytrel products are TEEEs - thermoplastic elastomer ether esters - that combine the flexibility of an elastomer with the strength and processability of a thermoplastic. Areas of application include the automotive industry and the wire and cable sector, as well as conveyor belts, bedsprings, gears, membranes and films – and Hytrel is also used as an applicator in the cosmetics industry, e.g. for the application of mascara.
“Hytrel ECO B is produced in accordance with the mass balance approach set out in the ISCC PLUS standard,’ said Niklas Bornhöft, Product Manager Performance Elastomers at Biesterfeld. “As we’re also an ISCC PLUS-certified distributor, our customers benefit from the utmost value chain transparency as they seek to meet their sustainability targets.”