Perstorp investing in the dynamic plastic materials market

Key issues related to plastics, such as safety, reduction of waste and sustainable chemical solutions are key innovation drivers for the Perstorp Group. Recent major strategic investments in new sustainable products for the plastics industry will help Perstorp meet its goal of being a top 3 player across 85% of its product portfolio by 2015. Four new star products will be unveiled at K Fair. Each of these new products provides sustainable solutions for consumers. Perstorp has continued its historic trend of producing products through focused innovation that meet the challenges of the day. The four new products are being released under the Capa™, Charmor™, Pevalen™ and Akestra™ brand names. Capa™ for bioplastics – this exciting product is a highly biodegradable plastic offering a more sustainable solution to a wide range of products. The caprolactone chemistry is established and its use as a key component in biodegradable plastics has increased significantly. Perstorp has invested in new capacity to meet the strong growth in bioplastics. Capa™ is the perfect blend for bioplastics as it improves mechanical properties as well as accelerating biodegradation of the biopolymers. Charmor™ for intumescent systems in plastics – this halogen free product is a rich carbon source for phosphorous/nitrogen based systems and significantly reduces the release of smoke and heat in the event of a fire. Charmor™ also comes in a variant - Charmor™ PM40 Care - with a sharpened sustainability profile. Charmor™ is already a tried and tested solution for intumescent coatings, but is now also available for injection molding and plastic extrusions. Pevalen™ non-phthalate plasticizer for sensitive applications – this new plasticizer is one of the results of Perstorp’s major investments in plasticizers in Sweden. It is perfect for close contact PVC applications, such as flooring, coated fabrics, plastisols, toys and molded parts. It also represents a complement and broadening of Perstorp’s plasticizer offer alongside Emoltene™ 100, which is primarily used for PVC cables and outdoors products. Akestra™ a new thermoplastic material – as a result of a strategic partnership with Mitsubishi Gas Chemical, Perstorp is launching a new co-polyester alternative in Europe called Akestra™. This new generation of plastics with its unique properties makes it an important alternative to polycarbonate, polystyrene and glass. This co-polyester contains a special glycol, which creates superior glass-like transparency, heat resistant and amorphous properties. The heat resistance, for example, is 34% better when compared to traditional PET. “All these four exciting products address safety and sustainability to society today without compromising performance. The major investments we have made over the past 3 years are really bearing fruits now, with significant new products already in the pipeline to continue our strategy of serving the dynamic plastics market with new solutions”, Håkan Björnberg summarizes.