GE Introduces Resins for Auto Industry with 85 Percent Post-Consumer Content

GE Plastics has added two plastics with post-consumer content to its ecomagination portfolio: Valox iQ(1) and Xenoy iQ(1) resins.

The new products were developed as a result of a two-year initiative at GE Plastics that examined the company's manufacturing processes to make cleaner and more environmentally responsible materials.

According to a press release from GE Plastics, the new resins offer automotive manufacturers options to address the environmental concerns of conserving energy, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and reducing post-consumer waste.

Valox iQ and Xenoy iQ resins are created with polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) polymers derived from 85 percent post-consumer plastic. The manufacturing of these resins uses less energy and produces less carbon dioxide (CO2) than traditional resins, according to GE Plastics. For instance, the GE manufacturing process reduces CO2 emissions by at least 1.7 kg per kg of resin and saves up to 8.5 barrels of crude oil per 1,000 kg of resin. Additionally, according to GE, if all PBT made in 2005 was replaced with Valox iQ and Xenoy iQ resins, it would have consumed more than 562,000 metric tons of post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or 22.5 billion bottles.  

“In terms of both eco responsibility and high performance, Valox iQ and Xenoy iQ resins represent one of the most significant technological breakthroughs coming out of GE Plastics in recent years,” Greg Adams, vice president and general manager of GE Plastics' automotive business, says.

“The proprietary manufacturing process for these materials does not involve recycling, but rather, a novel way to regenerate and upgrade synthetic solid waste,” according to a press release from GE Plastics.

The materials are suitable for use in connectors, lighting bezels, energy absorbers and body panels. In addition to automotive applications, the new GE products are good candidates for applications in the consumer electronics and transportation industries.

GE is working with global automotive OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers including DENSO, a Tier-1 automotive supplier headquartered in Kariya, Japan, to validate applications.

GE's Valox iQ and Xenoy iQ resins are available for sampling immediately through local GE sales representatives, and commercial quantities will be available from GE Plastics in the fourth quarter of 2006. Additional information on these products can be found at www.geplastics.com.

GE Plastics is a global supplier of plastic resins widely used in automotive, healthcare, consumer electronics, transportation, performance packaging, building and construction, telecommunications and optical media applications. The company manufactures and compounds polycarbonate, ABS, SAN, ASA, PPE, PC/ABS, PBT and PEI resins, as well as the LNP(1) line of high-performance specialty compounds.