A newly released set of data shows that only 10% of the world's disposable plastic products are recycled every year, about 12% are burned, and more than 70% are discarded in the soil and sea. However, these discarded plastic products have great resource potential and development space. Many overseas companies under Sinochem, such as Claus Maffe, Pirelli and ELIX Polymers, are committed to achieving resource recycling and sustainable development through scientific and technological innovation, and have developed a series of new environmental protection technologies to revitalize waste plastics and recyclable materials.
Klaus Murphy
Turn marine garbage into building materials
Klaus Maffei, a subsidiary of Sinochem, cooperates closely with Oldroyd, a leading supplier of waterproof materials and solutions in northern Europe, and uses Klaus Maffei's CX series of injection molding equipment and technical processes to develop and produce waterproof membrane support structure fasteners for tunnel construction, while the raw materials are from the recycling of marine plastic wastes such as damaged fishing nets and plastic ropes.
Waterproof membrane is an indispensable structural layer in tunnel construction. In the process of construction, it is necessary to lay a grid, flexible and elastic structural fastener cushion between the tunnel rock layer and the waterproof membrane. Its traditional raw material is metal, and the longest service life is only about 50 years. Using Claus Maffe injection molding technology and CX 160-750 hydraulic injection molding machine equipment, Oldroyd has successfully developed a new structural component product, RoadStar, which is made of thermoplastic elastomer and polyethylene. It has not only high sealing performance and strong impact resistance, but also a service life of 120 years.
It is worth mentioning that the plastic raw materials of this new type of structural parts are from marine plastic waste such as damaged fishing nets and plastic ropes collected from the coast of Norway, which are made by crushing, cleaning and re-granulation, and have good economic and social benefits.
Pirelli
Use rice hull extract to create prototype fetus
Pirelli prototype tyres made of renewable and recyclable materials were recently unveiled at the 2023CES Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
In order to reduce the environmental impact and reduce the use of fossil-derived materials, Pirelli R&D personnel continue to conduct in-depth research. The prototype tire on display shows the latest research and development results of Pirelli. The tire is widely used in the manufacturing process of natural rubber and rayon certified by the Forest Management Commission (FSC), silica extracted from rice husks, biopolymers and regenerated carbon black.
The world's first FSC certified tire is from Pirelli. The whole process certification of FSC's chain of custody distinguishes the materials that have obtained forest certification from other materials, covering the entire supply chain from plantations to tire manufacturers.
ELIX Polymers
Develop 3D printing prosthetic raw materials
At the end of 2022, ELIX Polymers, a subsidiary of Sinochem, and Ay ú dame3D, a Spanish non-profit organization, jointly carried out a social care technology project, using recycled acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS) resin as the raw material for 3D printing prostheses, to design and manufacture a 3D printing arm named Tr é sdesis for the disabled.
ELIX Polymers has long adhered to the use of advanced environmental protection technology in the production and manufacturing process, launched the green environmental protection brand E-LOOP, built products with recycled waste plastics and renewable resources as raw materials, provided sustainable solutions for high-end application scenarios, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions and water intensity. At present, two recycled ABS resin products, E-LOOP H801 and E-LOOP M220, launched by the E-LOOP environmental protection brand, have been verified by customers in the automobile and toy industry.
E-LOOP H801 is an ABS and polycarbonate composite resin used in the automobile market. It has the characteristics of high heat resistance and is suitable for making various large automobile interior and exterior trim parts. It is made of mechanically recycled materials, while retaining the same product performance as standard products. At present, this product has obtained many OEM certifications in the automotive application market, and will be used in the application of painted parts of automotive exterior trim and pre-colored interior trim, such as door panel trim strip, automobile central armrest, glove box and other products.
E-LOOP M220 is an ABS resin product that can be used in daily necessities, cosmetics, children's building blocks and other fields. It is produced from chemical recycled materials that have passed the international sustainable development and carbon certification (ISCC Plus). It has high fluidity, high gloss and inherits the excellent performance of the original product.
