The world, including Trinseo, is focused on addressing plastic waste through circularity. As market demand continues to increase for sustainable solutions, the automotive industry has sought opportunities to incorporate recycled content-containing materials into vehicle design that deliver the same safety and performance properties.
Trinseo continues to invest in innovation to deliver materials that meet our customers’ sustainability needs and address industry challenges. Our Midland Plastics Innovation Lab in the United States has utilized recent equipment updates to develop PULSE™ GX70 ECO, a PC/ABS blend for automotive applications containing 50% recycled content without compromising on the high quality and consistency customers have come to rely on with our standard PULSE™ GX70 PC/ABS Resin.
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In order to maintain the durability of the material, the Midland Plastics Innovation Lab utilizes a Drop Tower Impact system, which recently underwent a system update. This instrument is used to measure instrumented dart impact, which quantifies the durability of the materials in scenarios where the plastic may experience a sudden impact, such as an automotive crash. The new software has improved the operations and efficiency of the current instrument, and it has enabled our team to quantify the durability of the PULSE™ GX70 ECO PC/ABS for automotive applications. |
 Figure 2: Three-point Flexure Test |
In addition to the Drop Tower Impact system, the lab completed qualification of a new unit to measure flexural modulus, an important mechanical property for the material selection of all plastics. The laboratory follows requirements outlined in the Design and Development and Laboratory segments of the IATF 16949 Automotive Quality Management System standard. The team completed a measurement system analysis (MSA) to ensure that the precision and accuracy is acceptable, as part of the qualification process. The data that is generated is used for characterization of properties for new product designs, quality data for material production, and technical data sheets. |
By continuing to maintain and improve the Innovation Lab, Trinseo remains dedicated and committed to designing quality products to meet our customers’ needs as outlined in our quality policy.
