LANXESS Presenting Quality Solutions in High Performance Materials, Additives and Pigments at NPE2018

  • Focus on advanced materials for new mobility
  • Expanded additives portfolio and North American manufacturing base
  • Pigments for coloring plastics

Pittsburgh, PA –May 3, 2018 Specialty chemicals company LANXESS will showcase an extensive range of high-quality and advanced materials for the plastics and automotive industries at NPE2018: The Plastics Show, from May 7 – 11, 2018 in Orlando, Florida.  Following the theme, “Quality Works”, the business units High Performance Materials, Inorganic Pigments and Additives will highlight how LANXESS Quality adds value to customers in the plastics industry with a wide range of products and service capabilities to address today’s market needs.

Materials for new forms of mobility

A major focus for LANXESS at the NPE is on solutions for new forms of mobility such as powertrain electrification, alternative fuels and autonomous driving – areas that present a multitude of opportunities for its Durethan polyamides, Pocan polybutylene terephthalates (PBT) and Tepex thermoplastic composites.  LANXESS’ extensive range of materials for new mobility concepts includes flame-retardant plastics with top ratings in international fire testing standards; thermally conductive thermoplastics; heat-stabilized grades of PA66; a wide range of products for blow molded parts like air ducts for turbocharged engines; and new lightweight materials and technologies that help to extend the range of electric vehicles.

Applications for LANXESS thermoplastics in hybrid and all-electric vehicles – some already proven in series production – include components for charging systems, mounts and cell holders for battery systems, as well as sensors and housing parts for electric motors.  The materials also have potential in the electric mobility infrastructure, for example in housing parts, circuit breakers, high voltage connectors and terminals for charging stations.  One example on display is a flange fan module for indoor vehicle ventilation, made of Durethan BTC75H3.0EF, an easy-flow, heat-stabilized polyamide with nearly isotropic thermal conductivity and electrically insulating properties, that is also very stiff and strong.

Another highlight from LANXESS High Performance Materials is the continuous-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites of the Tepex product family, which are becoming increasingly important for lightweight vehicle design and can be found today in an increasing number of series production applications. LANXESS will showcase the SPE Innovation Award-winning first mass-produced all-plastic brake pedal featuring high modulus Durethan BKV60H2.0EF and Tepex dynalite composite sheet.

In addition to innovative materials, LANXESS’ HiAnt engineering expertise provides comprehensive design services during every stage of development.  “LANXESS has decades of experience with plastic components for the automotive, electrical and electronics industries, making us a valuable development partner to our customers,” says Jose Chirino, Technical Director, Americas for LANXESS High Performance Materials. “We’ve significantly grown our engineering staff in North America, because we place a high priority on providing these services to our customers – this is how we differentiate ourselves as a quality supplier.”

Expanded Additives portfolio and North American manufacturing base 

With the 2017 acquisition of Chemtura Corporation, LANXESS significantly broadened its portfolio of additives for the plastics industry with the addition of bromine-based chemicals and flame retardants into the business unit Additives.  More recently in February, 2018, LANXESS completed the purchase of the phosphorus chemicals business from Belgian chemicals group Solvay, including its U.S. production site in Charleston, South Carolina.  The Charleston site includes six production plants and establishes a U.S. phosphorus chemicals base to facilitate organic growth, as well as provide a balanced asset footprint to LANXESS’ global phosphorus chemicals production network.  LANXESS now offers an even broader portfolio that includes phosphorus-based and brominated flame retardants; plasticizers; hydrolysis stabilizers; bromine chemicals and other plastic additives.

Innovations in hydrolysis stabilizers and flame retardants

A key highlight at NPE will be the Stabaxol line of hydrolysis stabilizers.  The LANXESS Additives business unit is expanding its range of hydrolysis stabilizers for plastics and polyurethanes with the addition of Stabaxol L, the first product in a new line of innovative, low-emission monomeric carbodiimides.  With Stabaxol L, LANXESS is addressing the trend toward customized anti-hydrolysis agents that are tailor-made for use in individual applications and can thus optimally meet requirements with respect to stabilization performance, toxicology, emissions and handling.

As one of the world’s leading suppliers of flame retardant additives, LANXESS provides customers with a series of complementary bromine and phosphorus-based products from a single source.

Emerald Innovation 3000 is a sustainable flame retardant based on a brominated styrene-butadiene copolymer.  It is mainly used in extruded (XPS) and expanded (EPS) polystyrene foam that is used as thermal insulation in the construction industry.  Emerald Innovation 3000 is a high-performance polymer with molecular weight of more than 100 thousand.  It can effectively replace the original brominated flame retardant HBCD.

In addition, the Levagard family of phosphorus-based flame retardants is particularly suitable for use in rigid polyurethane foam as well as in flexible polyurethane foam.  The product range includes new, innovative flame retardant solutions for flexible foam.

Pigments for Coloring Plastics

LANXESS’ Inorganic Pigments business unit will present the well-established Bayferrox and Colortherm pigment families for plastics processing.  The product range includes yellows, reds, browns, blacks and greens, used for all kinds of applications including packaging materials; tubes and connecting elements; artificial wood; automotive interiors; artificial turf and all-weather sports surfaces.

When it comes to coloring plastics, pigments are subject to demanding requirements, like being easily dispersible; rapidly reaching their final tinting strength; demonstrating high thermal stability; and having a level of lightfastness and weather stability suited to the intended application. Because LANXESS’ Bayferrox and Colortherm high performance pigments have been specifically developed for coloring plastics, they meet these requirements to provide long-lasting color stability and high technical standards.

In addition, LANXESS’ Technical Competence Center Color Specialties – Plastics supports customers with formulation development and troubleshooting, with the capability to study the behavior of pigments in plastics under realistic conditions.

LANXESS is a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of EUR 9.7 billion in 2017 and about 19,200 employees in 25 countries. The company is currently represented at 74 production sites worldwide. The core business of LANXESS is the development, manufacturing and marketing of chemical intermediates, additives, specialty chemicals and plastics. Through ARLANXEO, the joint venture with Saudi Aramco, LANXESS is also a leading supplier of synthetic rubber. LANXESS is listed in the leading sustainability indices Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI World and Europe) and FTSE4Good.

Forward-Looking Statements
This company release contains certain forward-looking statements, including assumptions, opinions, expectations and views of the company or cited from third party sources. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause the actual results, financial position, development or performance of LANXESS AG to differ materially from the estimations expressed or implied herein. LANXESS AG does not guarantee that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors nor does it accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the opinions expressed in this presentation or the actual occurrence of the forecast developments. No representation or warranty (expressed or implied) is made as to, and no reliance should be placed on, any information, estimates, targets and opinions, contained herein, and no liability whatsoever is accepted as to any errors, omissions or misstatements contained herein, and accordingly, no representative of LANXESS AG or any of its affiliated companies or any of such person’s officers, directors or employees accept any liability whatsoever arising directly or indirectly from the use of this document.

Durethan, Pocan, Tepex, Stabaxol, Emerald Innovation, Levagard, Bayferrox, Colortherm, LANXESS and the LANXESS logo are trademarks of LANXESS Deutschland GmbH or its affiliates, registered in many countries worldwide.

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