News | July 27, 2006

New High-Tech Valox iQ* and Xenoy iQ* Resins For Automotive Launched In Japan

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Tokyo, Japan - Complementing Japan's environmental leadership in responsible automotive manufacturing, GE Plastics added two significant products to its ecomagination* portfolio: Valox iQ* and Xenoy iQ* resins. The new products were developed as a result of a two-year initiative at GE Plastics that examined the company's manufacturing processes to redefine how its products can be made to be cleaner and more environmentally responsible than traditional materials, according to the company.

For global automotive manufacturers, including industry-leading Japanese OEMs, the new resins offer options to address three critical environmental concerns: conserving energy, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing post-consumer waste, according to GE.

Valox iQ and Xenoy iQ resins are created with polybutylene terephthalate (PBT)-based polymers derived from 85% post-consumer plastic waste. GE claims that they consume less energy and yield less carbon dioxide (CO2) in their manufacturing than traditional resins. Specifically, according to GE:

  • This approach reduces CO2 emissions by at least 1.7 kg per kg of resin and saves up to 8.5 barrels of crude oil per 1,000 kg of resin.
  • If all PBT was replaced in 2005 with the Valox iQ and Xenoy iQ resins, it would have created an outlet for over 562,000 metric tons/year of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste. This is equivalent to 22.5 billion bottles – enough to circle the earth 120 times if aligned end-to-end.

GE claims that the proprietary manufacturing process for these materials does not involve recycling, but rather, a new way to regenerate and upgrade synthetic solid waste. According to GE, the process also helps conserve non-renewable fuel resources while lowering CO2 released into the environment.

GE is working with global automotive OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers including DENSO, a automotive supplier headquartered in Kariya, Japan, to validate applications. In addition to automotive applications, the new GE products can be used for applications in the consumer electronics and transportation industries, claims the company. GE's Valox iQ and Xenoy iQ resins are available for sampling immediately through local GE sales representatives, and commercial quantities will be available from GE Plastics in the fourth quarter of 2006.

SOURCE: GE Plastics