Friedrichshafen, Germany — Wanhua Chemical Group Co. Ltd. is helping customers meet sustainability goals with recycled-content polycarbonate and similar materials.
"Our customers want material with a higher percentage of post-consumer resin," Performance Polymers Global Business Head Bruce Wen said Oct. 15 at Fakuma 2024. "More PCR can affect characteristics of the material, so we have to find the balance that users need."
Yantai, China-based Wanhua markets recycled PC under the Waneco trade name. The materials are available with recycled content ranging from 20 percent to 80 percent. Applications for the firm's recycled PC include automotive lighting and consumer electronics.
In 2024, Wanhua has seen growth in demand for its materials in home appliances.
"When consumers get more conservative, they might not make a big investment like buying a car or real estate, but they'll make a smaller investment in an appliance," Wen said.
Demand for Wanhua's materials has increased in electric vehicles, especially as that market continues to grow in China, Wen added. The firm also has seen "more progress" in nylon 12, which it began making in 2022 at a 45 million-pound-per-year unit in Yantai.
Wanhua also showcased Wanafone, a new sulfone polymer, at Fakuma. The material can be used in baby bottles, medical devices and food-contact items.
The firm also recently launched a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) paint protection film that officials said offers exceptional clarity and protection against UV aging in vehicle surfaces.
Wanhua operates five production sites in China as well as one in Hungary. The Hungarian site makes isocyanates and thermoplastic polyurethanes. The firm also operates three R&D centers: two in China and one in The Woodlands, Texas.
Wanhua was founded in 1978 as a state-owned producer of synthetic leather. The firm later added chemical products and became a private company in late 1998.