Solvay Launches First ISCC Plus Certified Sulfone Polymers

Photo Credit: Solvay

Solvay has successfully earned independent third-party mass balance (MB) chain of custody accreditation under the widely recognized International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC-Plus) scheme for its Marietta, Ohio (USA) site, producing Udel PSU (polysulfone) and Radel PPSU (polyphenylsulfone), said to be the first ISCC-Plus mass balance compliant sulfone materials in the market and now commercially available, worldwide.

Solvay’s mass balance certified sulfone portfolio is based on monomers produced at the company’s Augusta, Georgia site, which received ISCC Plus accreditation in 2022. The global availability of certified circular sulfone polymers will be supported by a major investment program at Marietta, significantly expanding Solvay’s overall capacity alone for PSU by 25% until 2024.

To manufacture the new portfolio of certified products, Solvay measures, tracks, and allocates the quantities of fossil-derived resources replaced with certified circular feedstocks using the mass balance approach, which translates into a potential carbon footprint reduction of the certified products compared to traditional fossil-based grades. Due to their biological inertness, Solvay’s Radel PPSU compounds are widely used in medical, food service and plumbing applications, often replacing metals to save weight and eliminate corrosion. Udel PSU resins are particularly characterized by low levels of extractables and solubles, which has made them a preferred material choice in water treatment, healthcare and bioprocessing, including components for membrane filtration and renal dialysis.

Said sustainability global marketing manager Claire Guerrero, “The commercialization of our mass balanced sulfone grades is just another step as we continue to pioneer and innovate the high-performance materials market with responsible sourcing and production. Additional certified circular polymers to be introduced soon will include grades of Ryton PPS and Amodel PPA.”