SABIC Leads the Way with New LNP™ ELCRIN™ iQ Compounds

SABIC, a leading company in the chemical industry, has launched the first two grades in its new material portfolio containing pre-consumer recycled glass fiber diverted from waste streams in industrial processes: the new LNP™ ELCRIN™ WF006XXPiQ and LNP ELCRIN WF0061XPiQ compounds. Each of these polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) compounds, reinforced with 30 percent pre-consumer recycled short glass fiber, delivers the mechanical properties and color equivalence of ELCRIN iQ grades that use virgin glass fiber reinforcement. This new technology further reduces the carbon footprint of ELCRIN iQ materials, which currently support the circular economy and help reduce plastic waste by using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycled from discarded water bottles. Luc Govaerts, Director of Formulation and Application Development at SABIC's Specialty Products Business, said: "We are continuously exploring new ways to accelerate carbon neutrality for the materials in our portfolio." "This effort involves evaluating each component of our thermoplastic compounds and collaborating with others in the value chain to identify potential modifications that could drive circularity. At the center of this process is prioritizing customer needs, so that greater sustainability goes hand in hand with exceptional performance, consistent quality and processing efficiency."

Reducing Environmental Impact

SABIC is among the first material suppliers to adopt pre-consumer recycled glass fiber for thermoplastic compounds. The short glass fiber used in these new ELCRIN iQ materials contains 100 percent recycled content according to Underwriters Laboratories' Recycled Content Verification procedure (UL 2809), following a mass balance approach. Compared to virgin PBT reinforced with virgin glass fiber, the LNP ELCRIN WF006XXPiQ compound contains 67 percent recycled content and reduces carbon footprint by 29 percent, while the LNP ELCRIN WF0061XPiQ compound contains 55 percent recycled content and reduces carbon footprint by 24 percent[1]. In addition to improved sustainability profiles, these materials offer good structural performance (stiffness and strength), chemical resistance and colorability for applications in consumer electronics, automotive and electrical and electronics industries. Additionally, the new LNP ELCRIN WF0061XPiQ compound offers halogen-free flame retardancy. As a replacement for existing unfilled PBT and ELCRIN iQ grades, the two new compounds enable customers to enhance application sustainability without requiring design or tooling changes.

SABIC Specialities Business Unit LNP Portfolio, Global Product Management Leader

Darpan Parikh said: "These two new generation materials create new opportunities for customers to advance their carbon neutral strategies while maintaining equivalent properties and processability, further increasing the amount of recycled content they use and reducing the carbon emissions of their applications." "For SABIC, the move to adopt pre-consumer recycled glass fiber reinforces our commitment to optimizing resource utilization and contributing to our customers' net zero carbon targets." SABIC plans to expand the use of pre-consumer recycled glass fiber from its specialty offerings to reinforced compounds based on other resins. These new products are available for sampling worldwide and formulations can be adapted to customers' specific needs. [1] The evaluation underwent an internal review based on SABIC protocols for LCA quality control.   Source