Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS
Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS

© AI generated

Sustainable thermoplastic compounds

Sitzstrukturen und Kindersitze aus Bio-Materialien für Elektrofahrzeuge stehen im Fokus des Projekts.
© Fraunhofer IMWS

Thermoplastic compounds offer versatile applications due to their formability and property profiles tailored to specific applications through suitable additives. In the automotive industry, they are in demand for their high strength, chemical resistance, and good processability, as well as for packaging materials or housings.

Fraunhofer IMWS provides particular expertise in developing sustainable thermoplastic compounds to optimize resource use and reduce environmental impact. Sustainable thermoplastic compounds have a better environmental profile than conventional polymer materials, while maintaining comparable processing and performance properties.

 

 

 

We support clients, for example, with:

  • Use of bio-based, renewable raw materials to reduce the fossil share in polymers, fillers, and reinforcing agents
  • Solutions for recyclability, biodegradability, and circularity
  • Optimization of technical properties when using sustainable materials
  • Reduction of harmful emissions during production and use (e.g., microplastics)
  • Material selection for substitution of harmful chemicals

Sustainability in plastics processing also involves solutions for longer product lifetimes and increased energy efficiency in production. The competencies of our team and the capabilities of our technical equipment cover large parts of the value chain:

  • Materials: development of sustainable thermoplastic compounds with tailored properties
  • Processing: optimization of processing methods such as injection molding and extrusion, always considering the processing of sustainable thermoplastic compounds with conventional machines and processes
  • Characterization: analysis and testing of the physical and chemical properties of compounds
  • Scale-up: transferring developed solutions from lab scale to industrial scale

We support our customers with both material- and process- and simulation-solutions and provide recommendations for a variety of applications of sustainable thermoplastic compounds, for example in packaging, automotive components, construction materials, or textiles.