Metallurgy / Chemicals / Rubber & Plastics

At a press conference in Fakuma, LANXESS announced the establishment of a strategic partnership with BP. The energy company will supply sustainable cyclohexane to the LANXESS plant in Antwerp, Belgium, starting in the fourth quarter of this year.

The sustainability of cyclohexane has been certified by ISCC Plus, which is a constant among all the elements that LANXESS uses to achieve a "more sustainable plastic" through the mass balance method. According to reports, BP uses bio-based and bio-recycled raw materials (such as rapeseed oil or biomass) to produce "green" cyclohexane. LANXESS will use cyclohexane as the precursor for PA6 production.

At the press conference, Jan Bender, Marketing Director of the High Performance Materials Business Unit in Europe, Middle East and Africa, introduced LANXESS' Scopeblue product portfolio. Products with the Scopeblue brand logo either contain at least 50% recycled raw materials (bio-based or recycled), or have a carbon footprint that is at least 50% lower than traditional products. The PA6 compound made from 92% sustainable raw materials-Durethan BlueBKV60H2.0EF-is the product of choice.

In addition to sustainable cyclohexane, Durethan Blue BKV is also reinforced with glass fibers made from industrial glass waste. Bender emphasized that all the raw materials used for PA6 precursors are chemically the same as their fossil fuel relatives. Therefore, according to LANXESS, Durethan Blue BKV has the same properties as traditional materials and can be processed without changing tools or production methods. Possible applications for this material include automotive front ends, brake pedals and oil pans.