Garden equipment manufacturer Husqvarna (Stockholm / Sweden; www.husqvarna.com) has specified “Hostacom” ERC 475L, a PP compound produced by LyondellBasell (Rotterdam / The Netherlands; www.lyondellbasell.com), to replace ABS in its redeveloped “Flymo” range of lawnmowers. The choice was driven by sharp rises in raw material prices and the requirement to use existing tooling in production. It was also important that a replacement offered sufficient impact strength and stability of shape when used in the manufacture of body casings Plastics distributor K.D. Feddersen (Hamburg / Germany; www.kdfeddersen.com) said that the newly-developed talc-filled “Hostacom” has the same shrinkage as ABS, combined with good mechanical performance.

The compound has undergone several development phases to improve brilliance, surface quality and scratch resistance, it added. The material has also enabled a reduction in cycle times compared to ABS, thanks to 20% reduction in processing temperature.