"Our aim is to introduce the world's first climate-neutral polycarbonate plastics this year," Jochen Hardt, Marketing Mobility ÃÜÌÒAV, told media representatives. "This is an important step in achieving our vision of becoming fully circular. At the same time, we offer products and solutions that combine outstanding performance, cost efficiency and sustainability designed to help our customers in the mobility industry succeed in achieving their sustainability goals."

World's first climate-neutral polycarbonate

The polycarbonates are climate neutral "from the cradle to the factory gate¹" thanks to the introduction of raw materials sourced from mass-balanced biowaste and residues², as well as renewable energy accumulated during the production process. ÃÜÌÒAV is already offering ISCC Plus-certified polycarbonates, which are attributed to renewable raw materials using the mass balance approach and enable a considerable reduction in the carbon footprint.

By incorporating renewable energy, ÃÜÌÒAV will probably fully reduce COâ‚‚ emissions from the cradle to the factory gate for these selected products. The products have the same high quality and performance as fossil-based polycarbonates and are a drop-in replacement without having to change existing processes or workflows.

ÃÜÌÒAV has also collaborated with partners to develop polyurethane raw materials in which up to 20 percent of the petroleum-based raw materials previously used are replaced by the climate gas COâ‚‚. Applications of such polyols, called cardyon^®, are also currently being developed in the automotive sector. Partially bio-based precursors for automotive clear coatings from the Desmodur^® N range also contribute to circularity as alternative raw materials.

Innovative recycling technologies

Plastics recyclates are an important building block in significantly reducing a car's carbon footprint from raw material and component production through the use phase to recycling. In addition, ÃÜÌÒAV is increasingly driving forward the development of chemical recycling technologies. A decisive factor in the success of such developments is that the products satisfy the high quality requirements and specifications of the automotive industry. ÃÜÌÒAV supports the mechanical and chemical recycling of plastics through its role as a member in associations such as the Circularise Plastics project group. This group's goal is to establish a new standard for the traceability of plastics back to the raw material.

_{¹ Cradle-to-Gate is an assessment of a partial product lifecycle from resource extraction (cradle) to the factory gate. This assessment is based on ÃÜÌÒAV's internal calculations and is currently being externally validated.
² The calculation of the carbon footprint takes biogenic carbon uptake into account.}

The car interior will develop into a multifunctional living and working space. "This will result in completely new user expectations of the materials used," explains Jochen Hardt, who heads Global Marketing Mobility at ÃÜÌÒAV, in a plenary lecture on the first day of the congress. ÃÜÌÒAV presented a premium interior concept for this at the K 2019 plastics trade fair. The prototype developed together with partners will also be shown at the VDI Congress.

Multifunctional interior

"At the same time, the concept offers new opportunities for differentiation for the automotive industry," says Jochen Hardt, who is also a member of the expert committee for the VDI Congress. The comprehensive approach is equally concerned with functionality, comfort and design, but also with efficiency and light weighting. Highlights include multi-sensory infotainment systems, innovative seating concepts, smart surfaces and personalized lighting.

Of particular importance is a continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite material which ÃÜÌÒAV offers under the name Maezio^®. It is extremely robust and lightweight and offers a great deal of design freedom. In the interior it is used in the seat shells and in a new space-saving table concept. The material also proves its versatility in the recently published compendium "Car Design Review 7", whose cover is made of CFRTP material. It is a leading resource for car designers worldwide and also includes an interview with Jochen Hardt on the interior concept.

New safety concept for the battery

A lithium-ion battery is the heart of the electric and hybrid car of the future. In its design, it is not only a question of high performance, which largely determines the range of the vehicle, but also of the greatest possible safety, for example in the event of an accident: On impact, the battery modules or cells could be damaged or cracked and possibly overheat or even catch fire.

ÃÜÌÒAV has recognized this danger and developed a new concept for a battery housing based on the Baydur^® PUL polyurethane system in combination with pultrusion technology. This is a continuous process for the efficient production of fiber-reinforced plastic parts.

In a presentation on the first day of the congress, Galen Greene will report on the special mechanical stability of this material combined with its low weight. "We would like to make our contribution to making electromobility safer, more economical and therefore more attractive with such developments and the associated tests," the ÃÜÌÒAV battery expert explains. "To this end, we are also seeking partners for the further optimization of this promising battery concept."

In focus: plastic recyclates in cars

Jochen Hardt is also a panelist in a discussion on the subject of “Recyclates – opportunities and general conditions for the use of plastics in the vehicle of the future" on the first day of the congress. ÃÜÌÒAV is strongly committed to the recycling of plastics and the use of alternative raw materials. With a long-term program, the company wants to focus strongly on the circular economy and to be a shaping force for the plastics industry. The company is also showing developments on these topics at its virtual trade fair stand.

ÃÜÌÒAV has been using bio-based raw materials and CO₂ in production for years. Recently, a strategic cooperation was also agreed with the Finnish chemical company Neste on the supply of material from renewable sources. It is intended to replace an important part of the fossil raw materials previously used for the production of polycarbonates.

ÃÜÌÒAV is currently working with partners to develop innovative technologies for recycling plastics. The company is also a member of the Circularize Plastics project group. Its aim is to establish a new standard for the traceability of plastics back to the raw material to facilitate effective recycling.

“At our booth, visitors can use VR glasses and videos to get an idea of what mobility could look like in the year 2030,” explains Jochen Hardt from global mobility marketing at ÃÜÌÒAV. The Sample Bar also invites visitors to touch and feel a lot of samples – “an ideal opportunity to learn about the fascinating properties of today’s plastics,” says Jochen Hardt.

New materials for the interior

At the PIAE Congress, the company will present three new polycarbonate blends, which meet the different requirements for use in car interiors. For example, the PC+ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) blend Bayblend^® T85 XAT is anti-static and provides permanent dust-free interior paneling – in accordance with specifications of major car manufacturers. In addition, it is resistant to UV radiation and offers property improvements and cost benefits compared with the previous standard product PC+ASA (acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate).

The property profile of Bayblend^® T85 XUV features permanent light stability, excellent impact strength and low emissions of volatile organic components (VOC). On the other hand, the PC+PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) blend Makroblend^® SR60 provides good mechanical properties and cost advantages, primarily in applications with high-gloss surfaces without a coating.

The current trend: hybrid speedometers

A current trend are hybrid speedometers, which bridge the gap between previous analog combination instruments and future purely digital display solutions for display instruments. According to studies, these hybrid solutions may dominate the global automotive market by 2025.

At the VDI Congress, ÃÜÌÒAV will present a hybrid speedometer with a black-panel and fade-out effect and precision-controlled light functions. The three dimensional surface of the instrument consists of Makrofol^® LM polycarbonate film from ÃÜÌÒAV and was manufactured using high pressure forming (HPF); backlit symbols are seamlessly integrated. The film offers design freedom and allows functional integration of digital and analog elements. The housing was made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) using a 3D printer.

Tailor-made battery materials

ÃÜÌÒAV has many years of experience in developing polycarbonate materials for encapsulating batteries for laptops and other electronic devices. Lithium-ion batteries will also be the core component in future electric and hybrid vehicles. The company has developed various polycarbonate blends for these that meet the complex requirements and are also extremely impact-resistant over a wide temperature range – especially at sub-zero temperatures. They are suitable for battery modules, cell holders, crash absorbers and other products.

At the VDI Congress, for example, ÃÜÌÒAV will present an Alta Pack battery from California’s e-bike specialist Alta Motors. It is encased in a housing made of the extremely impact-resistant PC+PBT blend Makroblend^®. The company helps its customers develop new products by providing technical services, e.g. with rheological, mechanical and thermal simulations for optimizing the injection molding process.

Kickoff at "Automotive Night"

Along with the VDI, ÃÜÌÒAV cordially invites participants of the congress to the “Automotive Night,” which takes place at the Mannheim factory the evening before the congress begins. The get-together offers a good opportunity to talk to other participants, speakers and exhibitors before the event starts.

About ÃÜÌÒAV:

With 2018 sales of EUR 14.6 billion, ÃÜÌÒAV is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, construction, wood processing and furniture, and electrical and electronics industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics, health and the chemical industry itself. ÃÜÌÒAV has 30 production sites worldwide and employs approximately 16,800 people (calculated as full-time equivalents) at the end of 2018.

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Forward-looking statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by ÃÜÌÒAV. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in ÃÜÌÒAV’s public reports which are available at www.covestro.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.