Automotive The new all
Automotive The new all electric SUV series to use bio-attributed vinyl car seats Independent Volvo spin-off and high-performance electric car manufacturer Polestar (both from Gothenburg, Sweden) has introduced BIOVYN in its brand-new Polestar 3 SUV. The new model, described by Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath as “defining the heart of Polestar in terms of size, luxury, ambition and design”, features innovations throughout the vehicle, including MicroTech seat upholstery which is made from Biovyn by Ineos (London, UK). “We decided that we wouldn’t choose the easy way of quoting old paradigms of traditional car design”, said Maximillian Missoni, Head of Polestar Design, at the launch of the Polestar 3. “On this path, we asked ourselves how we could combine the benefits of vinyl upholsteries with a better process to achieve our sustainability target, and the solution is MicroTech”. MicroTech uses Biovyn to reduce the carbon footprint of the upholstery. Biovyn bio-attributed vinyl is made of 100 % renewable feedstock that does not compete with the food chain. It replaces fossil-based raw materials with renewable materials obtained from crude tall oil, a byproduct of coniferous tree pulping. It has the same properties as traditional PVC but is the world’s first bio-attributed PVC available for commercial use that enables a carbon footprint reduction of over 70 %. It is also the first PVC product certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials. “It’s a great honour for our company to be associated with a brand as ambitious and forward-thinking as Polestar. This shows just how much the automotive industry is evolving and how INEOS Inovyn’s continuous innovation and investments in more sustainable processes and products are paying off”, says Geir Tuft, CEO of INEOS Inovyn. First released in 2019, Biovyn has been turning heads in many industry sectors in need of new-generation PVC grades that meet rigorous performance and quality standards while moving society closer to a circular and carbon-neutral economy. Biovyn PVC can already be found in various automotive parts, building and construction, consumer goods, electrical and electronic components, leisure, clothing, and healthcare. AT www.biovyn.com | www.polestar.com 24 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/23] Vol. 18
LCA opens dors for lightweight and lower carbon footprint Materials Heartland (Des Moines, OI, USA), is a material science company that engineers hemp fibres as additives for plastics. Their goal is to help brands and suppliers reduce the cost, weight, and carbon footprint of the plastics they use every day. Late last year, Heartland completed its LCA. This LCA showed that every 1 kg of Heartland’s Imperium Filler removes 3 kg of CO 2 e. After adding in some logistics assumptions, 1 kg of Imperium Filler will remove 2.85 kg of CO 2 e. This is the first hemp fibre LCA that focuses specifically on plastic additives. Heartland’s goal is to replace and augment commonly used additives like talc, calcium carbonate, and fibreglass. Their team has also started working with tire manufacturers that have successfully validated that Imperium Filler can be used as an additive to replace and augment carbon black. So, why is this important? Most of the plastics that manufacturers rely on have a high carbon footprint. Every kilogram of conventional plastic creates several kg (from 2 to more than 8) of CO 2 . So if we’re going to be reliant on plastic over the coming decades, it’s our responsibility to figure out how to reduce the negative impact that this plastic has on our planet. Over the past few years, Heartland’s team has engineered a hemp masterbatch product that solves the dust, flammability, moisture, bonding, and bulk density concerns typically associated with natural fibre additives. This material innovation has been able to help plastic compounders transition away from mineral and glass-filled plastics without retooling costs. Lightweight and lower-carbon-footprint plastics have become a core theme in mobility, packaging, building materials, and other markets. But, as Heartland’s materials continue to get tested, they’re finding other benefits that are less direct. Injection moulders have now gone through product development with hemp-filled plastics. They have found decreased abrasion on the equipment, lower cycle times, and less energy consumption. These metrics will help manufacturers further their sustainability initiatives beyond reducing the CO 2 of raw materials. With 2025 sustainability mandates closing in, manufacturers are jockeying for position. Commercial volumes of sustainable materials are coming online over the next year or two. It’s the innovators in manufacturing who are going to step up to the plate and lead our planet toward the sustainable future that we need and deserve. AT http://heartland.io/ Most manufacturers have been using the same resins for decades. Heartland’s additives offer manufacturers the opportunity to use the same plastics while reducing cost, weight, and carbon footprint. Stay informed the fastest way! Subscribe to our Newsletter NEWS https://www.bioplasticsmagazine.com/en/newsletter/ Oh, and it‘s for FREE... bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/23] Vol. 18 25
