SABIC releases bio-based alternatives to its entire NORYL resin range
21 Aug 2023 --- Chemical industry giant SABIC is offering bio-based versions of its thermoplastic NORYL, Flexible NORYL, NORYL GTX and NORYL PPX resin grades to cater to increasingly stringent environmental sustainability standards imposed on its customers.
The bio-based versions, formulated with polyphenylene ether (PPE) resin feedstocks, certified by the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) Plus, provide properties similar to those of fossil-based grades, according to the company.
Customers can now select from multiple levels of bio-based content for each NORYL product.
SABIC has commercialized three of its most popular NORYL grades to demonstrate the “feasibility of the bio-based approach,” but a more comprehensive range of offerings is available.
“Bio-based PPE feedstocks enable Sabic to efficiently produce sustainable NORYL materials that can serve as drop-in replacements for traditional grades – with equivalent performance and processability,” says Joshua Chiaw, director, business management, LNP & NORYL, Specialties, SABIC.
“Expansion of our NORYL resin portfolio with bio-based versions is a key part of our strategy for helping brands, OEMs, tier suppliers and molders achieve their sustainability goals.”
SABIC says its bio-based offerings will help customers achieve environmental sustainability targets.
Commercializing bio-based resins
The three bio-based NORYL Grades currently commercialized are:
- NORYL NH5120BIO4 resin – suited for evaluation in housings and enclosures, heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) components and photovoltaic/solar junction boxes. The resin is a non-brominated and non-chlorinated flame-retardant resin with a UL flame rating of V1 at 1.5mm with no intentionally added PFAS. The product also delivers a balance of heat resistance, flow, hydrolytic and dimensional stability, and creep performance and retains its good mechanical properties in harsh outdoor environments.
- NORYL GFN2BIO3 resin features high strength, hydrolytic and dimensional stability, low warpage and low specific gravity. This bio-based material carries a UL746C outdoor suitability rating of F1 and is an excellent candidate for indoor and outdoor applications in the building, construction, and lawn and garden industries.
- NORYL GTX902BIO3 resin is a bio-based PPE alloy that provides excellent chemical resistance and paintability for potential use in applications such as automotive wheel covers, automotive electrical components and painted automotive trim.
“Our Selkirk, New York, facility was one of the first production and compounding facilities to receive ISCC PLUS accreditation for the production of PPE resin and compounds based on renewable, bio-circular sources,” says Evelyn Pearson, senior manager, Process Technology, Technology & Innovation, Specialties, SABIC.
“We plan for NORYL grades formulated with these bio-based feedstocks to be certified under ISCC PLUS at Selkirk and other global NORYL compounding plants.”
The availability of bio-based versions broadens the choice of environmentally sustainable NORYL resins, notes SABIC, beyond its recently introduced PCR-based materials containing more than 25% PCR content.
SABIC’s sadvances
In January, SABIC announced it is collaborating with Scientex to develop material for what it says is the world’s first flexible food packaging made from advanced recycled ocean-bound plastic (OBP) using Sabic-certified circular PP.
In June, Nordic beauty company Lumene partnered with UPM Biofuels and SABIC to launch “the first” bio-based packaging application with both jar and label of wood-based residue.
In July, Total Energies, Aramco and SABIC successfully converted oil from plastic waste into ISCC+ certified circular polymers. The conversion is “a first” for the Middle East and North Africa.
Edited by Louis Gore-Langton
