Milliken Receives Sponsorship for VDI Plastics in Automotive Engineering Conference

Technical plastics recycling and compounding company Luxus and plastics additive manufacturer Milliken have been sponsored by the Renault-Nissan alliance to speak at the next international VDI conference, ‘Plastics in Automotive Engineering’, 13-14th March 2013, Mannheim, Germany.

Sharing the stage at VDI will be Terry Burton, Technical Manager, Luxus, Adam Watson, Business Development Manager, Milliken and Mark Ellis, Manager Engineer Materials Design, Renault-Nissan. They will be discussing product trials of Luxus’ next evolution in polymer development – a new highly sustainable material for auto car interiors known as Hycolene™.

This new lightweight Polypropylene compound will enable OEMs to significantly lower the weight of the average car, reduce CO₂, deliver improved fuel economy and help meet EU emissions targets. Developed to replace standard talc filled grades for car interior components, it offers a reduced filler content of just 10% down from a typical 25%.

Hycolene will enable much lower weight vehicle components to be manufactured, without compromising on performance and design flexibility. But most importantly, it’s made from up to a high 60 per cent recycled content so its offers manufacturers a highly sustainable choice too.

Renault-Nissan’s, Mark Ellis explains: “Both Luxus’ technical capabilities and its desire to push the boundaries of Polypropylene applications above and beyond that of virgin material by using a high recyclate is a major achievement and one that Renault-Nissan is keen to support.”

Luxus’, Terry Burton also comments: “We are very pleased to have been asked by the Renault-Nissan alliance to showcase our development work with Milliken at this key event in the automotive calendar.

“For the last ten years our thermoplastic materials have been revolutionising auto interior design worldwide. But it has never before been more important than it is today to develop sustainable materials for car interiors that can deliver a competitive advantage for OEMs in what is a highly sophisticated and rapidly changing market.

“Eco materials can dramatically affect the final product and its impact on the environment, while consumers too are becoming more aware of the eco-friendly handling of materials and are thinking in material cycles. This is why sharing our development of Hycolene at VDI is so important at this time.”

For more information on the 2013 VDI Conference please visit www.vdi-wissensforum.de.