K 2019, the World’s No. 1 Trade Fair for Plastics and Rubber, held in Düsseldorf, Germany, 16-23 October, has drawn to a close. It was an impressive event with approximately 225,000 visitors and more than 3,000 exhibitors, including Envalior. At our booth, we featured innovative materials solutions and announced some very important additions to our material portfolio. By 2030, sustainable alternatives made with 25 percent recycled or bio-based material will be available for every Envalior grade.

By offering such a portfolio, Envalior is taking the next big step in our sustainability journey, which is aligned with Envalior’s purpose-led performance-driven strategy, enabling a circular and bio-based economy.

“Developing this portfolio of alternatives will involve a significant resource investment by Envalior over the coming years,” noted Jan-Pedro Vis, director of Global Procurement & Sustainability, in the blog K Fair 2019: Announcing bio- and recycled-based alternatives for our complete portfolio. “But it is a challenge we must and will undertake: together with our customers and partners, we can drive our industry to a more sustainable future, without compromising on the functional performance of our products and materials.”

You can read more about the development of this alternative portfolio in our press release. Also, you can watch the press conference by clicking here.

We also unveiled an important milestone for Stanyl—the launch of key bio-based Stanyl grades, which are available now. In addition, as part of our ambitious Sustainability Roadmap, by 2030 all Stanyl grades will be available in a format with at least 25% bio-based raw material.

Materials and applications

Here are some of our most innovative materials solutions and applications we featured at K 2019:

Kitchen utensils: Cookware applications, such as spatulas made from Stanyl TE200F6-FC, were displayed. These applications require a stiffness at high temperature and long-term heat resistance, plus they need to be dishwasher proof, thermal shock resistance, and water-cooled tooling capable. Plus, the material solutions used for these cooking applications need to pass food contact regulations and high temperature mechanical food contact requirements. Click here to view our video on food contact & water applications or read more on our website. 

Structural automotive parts: A demo of a structural part made of ForTii Ace MX53T was showcased at our booth. The ForTii Ace MX53T grade is a PPA material based on our patented PA4T technology. It has a high glass transition temperature of 150°C and excellent chemical resistance, making it an ideal material for use in structural automotive parts and thermal management in under-the-hood applications.

High voltage connectors: Made out of Akulon SG-KG6/HV, a high voltage connector with superior electrical performance, high safety and reliability, and a high mechanical strength was showcased. We developed dedicated Akulon and ForTii compounds with extreme CTI values to meet the upcoming needs for higher safety and reliability. As of today, Envalior ForTii and Akulon are the only materials passing CTI >> 600V.

Lead-free faucet components:  Plumbing applications made of EcoPaXX Q-DWX, a lead-free material solution, were showcased. Based on different water regulations in different countries, manufacturers in the building and construction industries need to offer an alternative material to metal in parts they produce. Besides being lead-free, EcoPaXX Q-DWX10 (GF50%) in faucet components results in a lower risk of part failure and water leakage because of its outstanding performance. This material also reduces scrap rates compared to other polyamide-based materials on the market. Read more about this lead-free material solution in the blog Specialty polymers meet the need for lead-free water contact solutions.

Water sports equipment: We also showcased a sharkfin of a starboard surfboard made of our Akulon Repurposed material solution. We work with local suppliers in India to recover discarded fishing nets from the Ocean and transform them in special grades used in technical parts like water sports equipment. This development supports litter-free beaches, a healthier marine environment and creates a positive social impact for local communities in India. Read more about this sustainable material solution in the blog K Fair 2019: A step further along the road towards a circular economy.

Tech seminars on industry trends

At the Envalior booth, we offered tech seminars about some of the hottest plastics industry trends in the automotive, electronics, and smart home appliances markets. If you did not have the opportunity to attend one of these tech seminars, you are in luck. Click here to watch the tech seminar about: EMI Shielding with Plastics: The Future of Metal Replacement in Electrical Cars.