Can ocean plastic find application in new electronic products? Two companies, Clariant and Lavergne, a Canadian producer of sustainable engineering resin from recycled plastic, are demonstrating that it can.
The two have partnered on the development of halogen-free flame-retardant polyester compounds made from ocean-bound plastics that are targeted for use in electrical and electronic applications.
Previously, Lavergne had developed a family of recycled PET grades based on ocean-bound waste streams. Ocean-Bound-Plastic (OBP), said the company, refers to plastic waste that is recovered from the over 8 million metric tons of plastic currently entering the oceans each year. Seeking to create new uses for this plastic, Lavergne collaborated with Clariant to develop the right flame retardant for this resin as well as to optimise the processing conditions of the compound.
As polymers tend to degrade when exposed to repeated thermal treatment, the mechanical properties of OBP posed a challenge.
The flame retardant selected was Clariant's halogen-free Exolit OP line, which are part of the company's Ecotain label - Clariant's label assigned to products that offer 'outstanding sustainability advantages'. In addition, Clariant announced in October 2019 that selected Exolit OP grades will also become available as ‘Terra’ types, based on renewable carbon sources.
These additives have also been shown not to lose their flame retardant properties after recycling.
The first new compound, Lavergne VYPET OBP-FR, has 30% glass fibre reinforcement and UL 94 V-0 flame rating at 0.8 mm thickness, which makes it suitable for many electric and electronic (E&E) plastic applications, including aesthetic and structural parts. The compound is fully recyclable, has successfully passed moulding trials at part manufacturers and is commercially available.
The success of the original compound has led the solution to be expanded to more than a dozen product lines, with each program undergoing additional testing prior to commercialisation.
“Lavergne is the right place for plastics, not the oceans. We clean the oceans of plastics and turn the plastic wastes into high-end products,' said Davood Bagheri, Polymer Scientist at Lavergne.
This project to develop the new flame-retardant recyclate grades ties up with the support of major electronics brand owners (OEMs) and their demand for post-consumer recyclates. The use of recyclates is part of sustainability claims by OEMs and is rewarded in ecolabel schemes like the American EPEAT and German Blue Angel. OEMs are also supporting the sourcing of OBP by sponsoring collection and clean-up of waste.