In a further effort to support its customers’ ongoing sustainability ambitions, Trinseo has today launched a new drop-in alternative for its Magnum ABS resins for automotive applications. The bio-ABS resins are chemically identical to their fossil-based counterparts and offer equivalent performance properties and processability, according to the company.
During polymerization, fossil-based polymers are combined with renewable raw materials according to a mass balance process. As a result, Magnum Bio ABS can claim up to 80% bio-attributed content, based on the ISCC mass balance approach.
The feedstock used by Trinseo is based on second generation waste such as used kitchen oil and residues from the pulp industry that do not compete with the food chain and are consistent with a sustainable food future. This feedstock is added to the cracker and further refined and processed into a material that is structurally and functionally the same as its fossil-based counterpart. Bio-ABS can be used with existing tooling and equipment under the same processing conditions as conventional ABS, meaning there is no need for prequalification. At the same time it offers a significantly lower CO2 footprint.
“The launch of Magnum Bio ABS further extends our portfolio of sustainably-advantaged materials dedicated to the automotive industry,” said Frank Schumann, Global Marketing Manager, Automotive, Trinseo. The launch follows the earlier, successful introduction of the company’s Pulse GX Eco Series, PC/ABS with recycled content. The new biobased ABS is available with up to 80 % bio content and can be tailored to meet a desired CO2 profile. The first grades will be made available in natural colour to the European market during the first half of this year.
Recently, Trinseo launched the Sustainability Business & Services (SBS) unit led by Francesca Reverberi, SVP & Chief Sustainability Officer. The new unit is focused on collaborating with all other business units, leveraging technologies, supporting sustainability-related initiatives, and ensuring Trinseo will achieve its 2030 sustainability goals