German speciality chemicals company Lanxess (Cologne; www.lanxess.com) said it has entered into a strategic partnership with BP (London / UK; www.bp.com) under which the latter will supply “green” cyclohexane starting in the fourth quarter of 2021. BP will provide the sustainable raw material, used in the production of polyamide 6, to Lanxess’s site in Antwerp / Belgium. The origin of the raw material is certified under the ISCC Plus scheme.

Lanxess is increasingly including circular and bio-based raw materials in its production. The company’s latest product is “Durethan BLUEBKV60H2.OEF”, in which 92% of the raw materials used to make this PA 6 compound have been replaced with sustainable alternatives. That, said Lanxess, is more than in any other prime quality glass fibre-reinforced polymer. The compound is also the first in the German group’s “Scopeblue” series, a line of products containing at least 50% circular (recycled or bio-based) raw materials, or with a carbon footprint at least 50% lower than that of conventional products.

Durethan BLUEBKV60H2.OEF is also strengthened with 60% by weight of glass fibres that are comprised of industrial glass waste instead of mineral raw materials. In addition, because the alternative raw materials are chemically equivalent to their fossil-based counterparts, Lanxess said the compound has the same characteristics as virgin material and can be processed just as easily, with no conversion required to existing tools and facilities.

“This high-strength, high-rigidity structural material can be deployed wherever its purely fossil-based equivalent Durethan BKV60H2.0EF has traditionally been used in series production – so in automotive construction for the production of car front ends, brake pedals and oil pans,” explained Guenter Margraf, head of global product management in the High-Performance Materials division. He noted that the company is currently working to increase the raw material content in this compound to 100%, adding that Lanxess is also planning to replace additives used in its plastics with sustainable equivalents.

The company recently unveiled three “Durethan” PA 6 compounds containing 30%, 35% and 60% by weight of recycled fibres made from waste glass, respectively “ECOBKV30H2.0”, “ECOBKV35H2.0” and “ECOBKV60XF”.

Lanxess is also using the recycled glass fibres for mechanically reinforcing its “Pocan” family of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) compounds. First products include “Pocan ECOB3235” and the flame-retardant version “ECOB4239”, each of which contain 30% recycled glass fibres by weight.

Separately, Lanxess has introduced a new variant of the composite “Tepex” based on the biological raw materials flax and polylactic acid (PLA). This extremely strong material is used in sports articles, interior automotive parts and in electronics for case components. The firm produces “Tepex” in Brilon / Germany.