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This project is all about the commercialisation of a range of lightweight, scratch resistant, high performance, PP compounds with up to 60% recycled content, for use in automotive cabin interiors enabling the EU auto industry to use more recycled polymers and to help meet ELV & Emissions control legislation. Environmental performance is high on the agenda for Europe’s automotive manufacturers that require materials able to reduce weight; improve fuel efficiency and increase the recycled content. This is why technical compounder Luxus has developed Hycolene™ a range of lightweight recycled content PP compounds to replace traditional grades for today’s demanding applications.The aim of this project is to upscale this development to increase the quality of recycled compounds and the process needed to engineer them to meet the exacting demands of the automotive industry. This requires an investment in infrastructure and expert support from our partners from Coperion, the leading supplier of twin screw extruder which will enable us to ensure that we meet the technical standards of IAC, a highly successful Tier 1 supplier to the automotive Industry for moulding which meets Jaguar Land Rover and other motor manufacturers’ demands for future applications
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Benefits
Light weight and high scratch performance recycled based polypropylene Hycolene compounds will offer manufacturers the right environmental and performance benefits enabling them to be competitive for automotive interiors. Manufacturers adopting this technology will be able to use more recycled polymers so they can satisfy both end‐of-life (ELV) and emissions legislation targets. Reduction in vehicle weight reduces fuel consumption and therefore lowers CO2 emissions
Results
What we have achieved is summarized below in terms of technical and commercial objectives: Technical objectives:
- Established robust scratch testing and correlated with results from various OEMs’ tests to help understand Industry wide common testing.
- Performed performance tests on various virgin and new recycled PP compounds and established correlations or trends where possible.
- Optimized Luxus’ new Coperion twin screw extruder in order to scale up and increase performance of the HycoleneTM formulations.
- Develop knowledge database of process and additives effects on performance in order to understand scalability and repeatability.
- Developed a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) for the project showing up to 26% reduction in CO2 compared to prime material.
- Successfully delivered moulded trials on two interior components parts (column cowl and glove box lid), resulting in better visual and scratch performance than current commercial material).
- Passed successfully a wide range of validation tests
- Developed partnerships.
- Completed a full business plan to address the market, identify target markets, completed people resource plan with full sales plan and financial plan to hit the commercialisation objectives.
- Carried out dissemination activities in line with plan, including attendance at exhibitions and published articles to underpin our commercialisation process.
- Produced marketing material to support our sales activities plan., including a conference.
- Carried out knowledge transfer activities with staff and distribution agents to help and understand how and what to do with new partners and with after sales activity.
- Produced a white paper on the project.
- Recycled PolyPropylene re-used = 4,500t p.a (based on compounds with an average of 45%wt rPP)
- Fuel saved = 2.5million litres in vehicle life using Recyclite Compounds (2.5lt * weight saved [10%] = 2.5*1,000te)
- Reduction in CO2 from polymer saved = 7,650 te (4,500te*1.7kg CO2/kg PP made/10k te)
- Reduction in CO2 from fuel saved = 8,000te (2.5mlt*3.2kg CO2/kg when burnt/10k te)
- Market Potential = €780m (total value of the segment of 520,000te p.a. at €1500/te)
- EU Market Size= 520,000te p.a = 52 lines (in cabin only = 20% of 2.6m te PP in auto p.a.)
Videos and Photos
Partners and coordinator
List Map| LUXUS LTD | United Kingdom |
| COPERION GMBH | Germany |
| INTERNATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE COMPONENTS GROUP GMBH | Germany |
| JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITED | United Kingdom |
Contact
LUXUS LTD
Belvoir Waay Fairfield Industrial Estate
Louth
LN11 0LQ
Contact point:
Name:
Peter Atterby
Budget
Key documents
- High-performance lightweight recycled polypropylene materials for tomorrow’s auto interiors
PPTX 3.72 MB
- Recyclite in the news
- IAC and Luxus advance adoption of recycled lightweight polymers by Jaguar Land Rover
- JLR tries out recycled PP on Class A interiors
- PLASTICS PIONEER LUXUS DELIVERS RECYCLITE PROJECT PRESENTATION AT AUTO INTERIORS EXPO
- Luxus celebrates project that puts recycled PP compounds into cars
- Advanced materials success wows automotive sector
- Hycolene by Luxus
In brief
Sector:
Greening Business Duration:
18/07/2014 to 17/01/2017 Contract number:
ECO/13/630585
Website: