An unusual method for reducing the CO₂ footprint of compounds is being adopted by Polyplastics (Tokyo; www.polyplastics-global.com) with its latest long-fibre (LFT) materials.

The company said its Plastron polypropylene compound with long cellulose fibre reinforcement is due on the market shortly in the car industry, and it will be used for door module carriers and parts for centre consoles and armrests where to date short glass-fibre reinforced materials have dominated.

Mechanical properties are said to be the same, but the density of finished parts is cited at nearly 10% less. On the other hand, the choice of components for this application suggests visible parts are not among targeted products.

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According to Polyplastics, the production of regenerated cellulose fibres based on wood waste emits far less greenhouse gas than glass fibre manufacturing. Polyplastics also said it has developed a patented solvent process for producing the fibres, in which the solvent can be completely reused and virtually no cellulose residues are created.

The Japanese polymer producer announced this development back in 2021, presumably mainly to distance itself from the former co-owner, US-based Celanese (Dallas, Texas; www.celanese.com), and its competing Celstran materials. Plastron grades are mixed on the basis of polyamides and PP and are sometimes filled with glass and carbon fibres.