Evonik is adding a new member to its eCO product line of products with a reduced environmental impact. The products in Evonik’s eCo all feature a reduced CO2 footprint through the use of renewable or circular feedstocks via a mass balance approach.
In the new polyamide 12 elastomer that is officially debuting at K 2022, 50% of the fossil-based raw materials traditionally used in its production have been replaced with an alternative material obtained from chemical recycling of used tires. The company uses only renewable energy sources for production of the material, enabling its carbon footprint to be reduced by a total of 42 percent.
A member of the polyether block amide - PEBA - family, the new moulding compound, called Vestamid eCO E40 is a drop-in replacement for its fossil-based counterparts, but with an improved eco-balance, according to the company.
These thermoplastic elastomers have long been valued by sporting goods manufacturers for applications such as, for example, sports shoe soles. Soles produced from the new eCO grade exhibit the same excellent low-temperature impact strength, chemical resistance and high elasticity and can easily be coloured, processed and overmoulded.
The mass balance approach is for companies a relatively fast way to achieve a reduction of CO2 emissions in their existing plants. The method allows for large-scale production and cost-effective solutions for meeting a company’s environmental and sustainability targets.
It involves mixing virgin fossil together with renewable or circular raw materials into existing systems and processes. The renewable amount is then allocated mathematically to specific products and certified by an independent third party such as ISCC, to verify the use of renewable or circular resources across all stages of production.
The new Vestamid eCO E40, as well as a range of other sustainable solutions will be on display at the Evonik stand K fair (hall 6, stand B28)
under the motto ‘Next generation plastic solutions’.