Covestro introduces a new range of products based on polycarbonate copolymers at the Chinaplas trade fair. This makes plastics available that are characterized by enhanced properties and functionalities compared to standard products and are therefore suitable for an even wider range of applications in important industrial sectors. Thanks to a new production process, plastics based on polycarbonate copolymers can be launched on the market more quickly in future and produced on an industrial scale. A new plant for the production of these copolymers was commissioned at the company's Antwerp site at the end of March 2024.

The first applications for the new grades could be in the electrical and electronics industry, as well as in healthcare. Both sectors are particularly well represented in Asia. For their use in housing parts, plastics of the new Apec® XT line must above all offer freedom of design, dimensional stability, impact as well as chemical resistance and, in some cases, good flame retardancy.

There are also promising prospects for the copolymers in telecommunications and photovoltaics, for example in antenna housings, where weather-resistant, electrically insulating, ductile and flame-retardant materials are needed.

Further product innovations based on the new copolymer technology platform could focus on the automotive industry and infrastructure, where plastics from the new series have good prospects for use in housings for residential energy storage systems, charging stations and wall boxes, for example, thanks to their good electrical insulation properties, weather resistance and flame retardancy.

Apec® XT grades will be designed to remain resilient even in the harshest conditions. The new copolymer technology enables the production of products that exhibit high impact strength even at temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius. In addition, these copolymers have improved chemical and ageing resistance, making them ideal for applications that require contact with aggressive cleaning agents and long durability in outdoor applications.

More sustainable products also available

APEC® XT will also be part of the Covestro CQ portfolio of more sustainable product solutions. In that regard, Covestro will offer copolymer-based products in a version with up to 80 percent of ISCC PLUS-certified mass-balanced raw materials attributed from biowaste and bio-residues.

In addition, the company will offer products that incorporate recycled materials in order to also further reduce its environmental footprint. Moreover, due to its superior weatherability performance, the extended service life of APEC® XT based products will improve product carbon footprint over its entire life cycle.

 

Source:covestro.com

Report Abuse