Established Interior Automotive TPE With High Recycling Ratio

TPEs with a post-industrial (PIR) recycling content of up to 38%, depending on hardness, and approved for use in automotive interiors are newly available from Kraiburg TPE. The company’s new Interior PIR TPE grades are said to provide the automotive market with a reliable and sustainable alternative to virgin material solutions. The company says, a wide hardness range combined with excellent product performance allows an easy integration into the targeted market segment.

The PIR material used by Kraiburg TPE to produce compounds for sustainable automotive interior applications is waste material derived from other companies’ manufacturing process for plastic products. Targeted applications include anti-slip mats, floor mats, soft components in cup holders, as well as fixation elements. The series is also suitable for other applications requiring a hardness range between 60 and 90 Shore A.

Strict OEM requirements for emission and odor reportedly are fulfilled and the material can be either combined with PP in co-injection molding applications or used as single soft component solution. In addition, Interior PIR TPE provides good abrasion resistance and excellent flowability combined with low density to keep the part weight at a minimum.

To support customers in implementing their sustainability projects, Kraiburg TPE is now able to provide the product carbon footprint  (PCF) of the TPE compounds. This can lead to a decisive competitive advantage for customers and is part of the TPE manufacturer’s service package. The PCF quantifies the CO2e-footprint – in this case within the system boundaries cradle-to-gate. The global warming potential (GWP) of a product is calculated, indicating how much the product contributes to global warming from raw material extraction to the product manufacture’s gate. Producers require this value to assess the carbon footprint of their components, and ultimately of the whole vehicle. Kraiburg TPE claims full transparency in assessing the PCF and calculates the values according to DIN EN ISO 14067 and DIN EN ISO 14044, following the GHG Protocol.