With the triennial K Show in Düsseldorf, Germany, due to open its doors this Oct. 19-26 to some 3,000 exhibitors from 61 nations, many companies are scrambling to make key product introductions. At the same time, they also are looking forward to re-establishing face-to-face contact with many customers and suppliers.
This year’s K 2022 (www.k-online.com) will focus on three main themes — climate protection, the circular economy and digitalization –– and also will mark the 70th anniversary of this trade fair. The event’s organizers, Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, are touting it as the first international plastics trade show since 2019.
The exhibit space on the massive fairground, which at K 2019 covered 177,000 square meters of net exhibition space, is entirely sold out. The last show attracted more than 224,000 visitors from 165 countries over its eight days, but cautious organizers aren’t offering any attendance estimates this time. There are just too many unknowns with both COVID and the economy.
To help alleviate participant concerns, Messe Düsseldorf has installed high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters throughout the fairground’s conference center and 17 show halls. Calling it “the most effective air cleaning technology currently available,” they say the HEPA filters remove 99.9% of viruses, bacteria and other particulates from the air and release the cleaned air back into the space. Germany’s federal government paid for 80% of the 1.4 million euro project.
With the K show being arguably the largest platform for showcasing new plastics technology in the world, here’s a small glimpse at what a few companies will be highlighting at the fair.
Avient Corp.
Ohio-based Avient Corp. has introduced its PCR Color Prediction Service for polyolefins and PET resins, as well as new polyolefin antioxidants, dubbed Cesa™ Nox A4R Additives for Recycling. It says these sustainability solutions are specifically designed to improve the customer experience of working with post-consumer recycled (PCR) content for materials used in packaging.
The PCR Color Prediction Service helps brand owners understand what colors are achievable based on the amount of PCR used. It uses sophisticated technology to determine –– through prior color matching –– if colors are feasible in a new application that incorporates PCR content. Calling it “a first of its kind for the plastics industry,” Avient says this internally developed solution also calculates how much PCR content can be added to an existing application without affecting its signature color.
The firm’s new Cesa Nox A4R Additives for Recycling, meanwhile, are based on a special formulation that protects post-consumer polyolefins against oxidation, which can lead to defects like black spots, gels and discoloration. The antioxidant can be added to PCR content early in the recycling process or incorporated in virgin resin to prepare it for future recycling. It uses a let-down ratio that is half of what is required for standard antioxidants.
Additionally, Avient (Hall 8A/G10) has rolled out new engineered polymer materials that can improve the sustainability of automotive applications. First, it has added two more grades to its reSound™ REC thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) portfolio. Both grades are formulated with polyvinyl butyral (PVB) recycled from automotive glass by Shark Solutions. Applications include automotive exterior and under-hood components.
The firm also has introduced two new grades of Edgetek PKE polyketone (PK) resin with non-halogen flame retardants (NHFRs), specifically designed for electric vehicle components, including connectors. These formulations are said to overcome the drawbacks of PA6 by delivering low moisture uptake, as well as excellent chemical and wear resistance and high impact resistance.
Palsgaard A/S
Denmark-based Palsgaard A/S, a leader in plant-based emulsifiers and polymer additives for the food, packaging and plastics industries, at K will introduce a new plant-based, food-grade, anti-fouling additive for the polypropylene and polyethylene polymerization process. It has developed the product, Einar® 981, to remove severe concerns about the ethoxylated amine chemistry currently used.
Palsgaard (Hall 7, Level 1, Booth D20) says its Einar® series of additives for masterbatches and polymer applications is based on food-grade vegetable oils such as sunflower oil, rapeseed oil and RSPO-certified palm oils and is produced in CO2-neutral factories. It proclaims that its additives are “safe enough to eat.”
It supplies Einar® 981 as a clear, easily pumpable liquid for use in existing dosing systems. It eliminates static build-up during polymerization and prevents fouling of the reactor wall, thus helping PP and PE producers maintain the cooling efficiency of the reactor. It is said to provide high anti-fouling efficiency at low concentration (100-300 ppm) without any negative effects on catalyst mileage, productivity or final polymer performance.
https://www.palsgaard.com/polymers
SABIC
Saudi Arabia-based chemicals maker SABIC says production at its Genk, Belgium, plant of a new range of SABIC® polypropylene (PP) compounds and STAMAX™ PP resins based on bio-renewable and advanced recycled feedstock has received TÜV Nord accreditation under the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS scheme. This certified product offering aligns with SABIC’s extensive TruCircle™ initiative for accelerating the transition of the plastics industry to a circular economy and meets a globally growing customer demand for more sustainable material solutions.
Separately, the firm said it has joined forces with food giant Kraft Heinz, retailer Tesco and packaging maker Berry Global in an innovative recycling trial in the UK designed to close the loop on soft-plastic food packaging. Flexible plastic packaging collected from Tesco stores is being used to produce certified circular polypropylene (PP) from SABIC’s TruCircle™ portfolio for microwavable Heinz Beanz Snap Pots, made from 39% recycled soft plastic.
It also has joined a project with value chain partners to help UPM Raflatac launch the world’s first packaging label materials made from SABIC® certified circular PP based on advanced recycled ocean-bound plastic. The label materials are marketed under the UPM Raflatac Ocean Action trademark.
At the K show (Hall 6, Booth D42), SABIC plans to highlight its commitment to circular, sustainable solutions designed to eliminate plastic waste and support the shift to product electrification under its theme of “Making the change real.”
Additionally, SABIC is introducing an electrification initiative it is calling BlueHero™. The company says this move underscores its commitment to support the shift to electric power, with the delivery of automotive polymer materials, solutions and capabilities for the enhancement of electric vehicle (EV) battery systems as its first area of focus.
As an example, SABIC cites results from a stringent test based on the new UL standard 2596, which is even more demanding and difficult for plastic battery pack materials to pass. It combines pressure, ablative force, heat, and fire into one repeated test, in which 25 battery cells (type 18650) are packed into a steel box and then two cells are heated to the point of thermal runaway. The pressure from the explosion can be higher than the requirements of several automotive OEMs. A 4 mm sheet of SABIC’s Stamax™ flame-retardant resin, a long-glass-fiber polypropylene (PP) material, passed this test six times without any perforation.
Solvay
Belgium-based Solvay SA intends at K 2022 to introduce a new portfolio of its high-performance Tecnoflon®-brand peroxide curable fluoroelastomers (FKM) produced without the use of fluorosurfactants (a type of PFAS used as process aids). It says the proprietary new technology, called NFS (non-fluorosurfactant), marks a breakthrough in FKM polymerization and aligns with its sustainability road map called “Solvay One Planet.”
The company (Hall 6, Booth C61) this summer began mass sampling of the new Tecnoflon® Peroxide curable grades to allow the market to test and adopt the NFS technology before the global rollout of the new portfolio. It aims to transition Tecnoflon® FKM to NFS by the first quarter of 2024.
Peroxide curable FKM rubbers are key to many critical performance applications in industries from automotive and aerospace, oil and gas, chemical processing to electronics and healthcare. Typical components include seals, gaskets, O-rings and hoses.
UniteChem
China-based additives group UniteChem Group says it is eyeing both U.S. and European expansion after setting up a subsidiary in Düsseldorf in 2020. The maker of light stabilizers and UV absorbers for plastics says it also plans to move into new chemistries.
Looking ahead to next year, UniteChem (Hall 8A, Booth E33) said it plans to introduce LS-4050, a light stabilizer for thick-wall items, as well as several halogen-free bisphenol A bis(diphenyl phosphate) BDP and piperazine pyrophosphate (PAPP) flame retardants for demanding components such as multi-fiber, push-on connectors, and a pair of high-heat polyamide stabilizers for automotive parts and fibers.
Further pilot stage research includes various nucleating agents mainly for use in polyolefins (both PP and PE) as well as in PET, engineering polyesters (PBT) and polylactic acid (PLA).
The firm’s European director Jan Kreibaum says that “The scale that we bring to the market, the scale that comes from being backward-integrated, is what sets us apart.”
Note
All of the above companies, and several more, presented their latest products and plans at a pre-K media event organized and hosted in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, in mid-June by European Marketing Group (www.emg-marcom.com).
Visit UL at the K-Show! Prospector and other UL Solutions groups will be in Hall 7, Booth B22.
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