US supplier Avient (Avon Lake, Ohio; www.avient.com) says it has added two sustainable formulations to its Gravi-Tech line of density-modified products that serve as a cost-effective alternative to metals.

The materials use engineered thermoplastic resins and select metallic fillers to offer densities similar to traditional metals while providing design and processing flexibility and mimicking the look, weight, and feel of die-cast or machined metals, according to the specialist for surface coatings, additives, and compounds.

The latest grades are said to have comparable performance to conventional solutions with less reliance on virgin thermoplastics.

Related: PP grades replace metal in personal care products

The Gravi-Tech REC Recycled Formulations use reclaimed resins, fillers, or both from post-industrial or post-consumer recycled sources. Gravi-Tech BIO bio-based formulations contain resin from renewable plant sources.

The products offer the same performance benefits of the original formulations while supporting the circular economy and helping customers work towards their sustainability goals, said Matt Mitchell, Avient’s director of global marketing for specialty materials.

The company noted that suitable applications include luxury packaging, caps and closures for cosmetics, bottle caps, boxes for spirits, decorative knobs and grips for appliances, furniture, and automotive parts.

The sustainable formulations are made in Europe but available globally, the supplier said.