Axion unveils new ELV- and WEEE-derived polymer grades

United Kingdom – Following further investment in its UK plastics refinery plant to increase extrusion capacity and improve melt filtration technology, Axion Polymers has launched new polymer grades of ABS, polyethylene and polypropylene, derived from end-of-life vehicle (ELV) and waste electrical/electronic equipment (WEEE) resources.

The Salford-based company claims its Axpoly ABS52 1000 offers carbon savings of 70% when compared with virgin plastics. This is ‘a tough plastic suitable for moulding parts that require durability, longevity, strong puncture strength and good dimensional stability, such as automotive trim components like car wing mirrors and car bumpers’, Axion explains. ‘With good electrical insulation properties, it is suitable for use in enclosures for domestic products like vacuum cleaners and kitchen appliances.’

Offering carbon savings of 53% versus virgin grades, Axpoly PE51 1090 is a new grade of polyethylene with properties similar to HDPE. ‘It is suitable for products such as pallets, boxes and shipping containers or other general purpose moulded items where durability and good water resistance are required,’ the company notes.

Meanwhile, the recently-developed high flexural modulus polypropylene Axpoly PP51 1093 ‘has excellent strength to withstand an applied top load without flexing’, it states. ‘It is ideal for construction and civil engineering applications, such as internal support structures for rainwater drainage tanks.’

Steve Bell, Axion Polymers’ commercial operations manager, observes: ‘As a new engineering polymer, Axpoly PP51 1093 is an innovative example of a customer-driven variant of Axion’s standard PP grade – Axpoly PP51 1000 – and demonstrates how we can tailor-make compounds to meet challenges from our customer base.’

A feature on Axion’s Shredder Waste Advanced Processing Plant will appear in the September issue of Recycling International.