Ineos Styrolution (Frankfurt / Germany; www.ineos-styrolution.com) said it has launched “Styrolux” Eco and “Styroflex” Eco, a range of thermoplastic styrene-butadiene copolymers (SBC) with identical product characteristics as the conventionally produced “Styrolux” / ”Styroflex” copolymers. The new products have a 74% lower greenhouse gas footprint when compared to styrene produced by fossil fuel, according to the supplier.

Two grades are available at commercial scale: B60, with fossil-based styrene that is 100% replaceable by bio-attributed styrene, and B30, with fossil-based styrene that is 50% replaceable by bio-attributed styrene. “Bio-attribution” means the materials are obtained from a mix of renewable and fossil feedstock during production, the company said.

Applications for Styrolux include labelling and twist films, shrink film, food packaging, and medical applications such as drip chambers. Styroflex offers the properties of a thermoplastic elastomer (S-TPE), and can be used in extrusion and injection moulding processes for flexible films, medical tubes, stretch hoods and impact-modified compounds.