Past year´s “Fakuma” exhibition saw the official launch of “Rialene”, a PET fibre-reinforced polypropylene compound by VTS GmbH Kunststoffe (D-78658 Zimmern-Horgen; www.vts-kunststoffe.de). VTS partner RIA-Polymers (D- 78628 Rottweil a.N.) has developed a new manufacturing technology to ensure process stability and handling continuity during the insertion of PET fibres into the plastic material for an improved property profile.

Polypropylene reinforced with PET fibres have a substantially improved impact resistance, heat resistance and rigidity, claims Richard Schuler, managing director of VTS. The product properties were crosschecked by an independent material testing specialist. The technology developed by RIA Polymers can also be applied to other plastic materials.

As a first step into the market, VTS has approached the automotive industry and has met with substantial interest amongst car manufacturers. This is mainly due to the new product´s resistance to fallout when shattered which ensures better safety. Other potential applications may arise in the area of car bumpers, wheel caps, car boot interior cladding or door cladding carriers.