German specialty chemicals company LANXESS is making its debut at INTERPLASTICA 2011 in Moscow with its high-tech plastics Durethan and Pocan. This international exhibition is regarded as the leading trade fair for plastics and rubber in Russia and the CIS countries. “We’re looking to harness the excellent opportunities for growth that this region offers us, for example with its booming automotive industry and the numerous investments in infrastructure, such as modernizing buildings. INTERPLASTICA is therefore the ideal platform to showcase the latest innovations in Durethan and Pocan,” says Egbert von Platen, head of Marketing and Sales for the Europe, Middle East and Africa regions in the Semi-Crystalline Products business unit.

High-tech plastics for the automotive industry
One area LANXESS is focusing on at the trade fair is the potential offered by highly filled grades of Durethan in lightweight construction. The exceptionally stiff polyamide 6 grades are in many cases a lighter alternative to sheet steel, die-cast aluminum components and thermoset plastics, yet nevertheless exhibit high mechanical strength. They are used to manufacture such things as car front ends, spare wheel recesses and intake manifolds for engines. Despite their high glass fiber content of up to 60 percent by weight, their melt is as easy flowing as that of standard polyamides filled with 30 percent glass fibers. The LANXESS stand at the trade fair will also be showing a film demonstrating the production and potential uses of polyamide organic sheets. Organic sheets are much lighter than sheet steel while offering excellent mechanical performance. Using these sheets instead of sheet steel enables often considerable reductions in component weight, particularly in plastic-metal composite technology (hybrid technology), resulting in lighter and safer vehicles that consume less fuel. “With our product portfolio, particularly in high-tech plastics, we are meeting the growing demand for mobility in Russia,” says Georges Barbey, Managing Director of the Russian country company OOO LANXESS.

Pocan for electrical, electronic and household appliances
The presentations on the Pocan polybutylene terephthalates (PBT) will concentrate first and foremost on easy-flowing material grades such as Pocan Xtreme Flow that are cost-effective to process. These enable the manufacture of plastic components for the electrical, electronics and household appliance industries, for example, that have even thinner walls and are lighter and less prone to distortion. Components made with these high-tech plastics offer a high level of safety when in use thanks to the plastics’ effective flame retardance.

Technical seminars for customers
LANXESS is also offering technical seminars for customers at the trade fair. Plastics expert André Schmidmeier, for instance, will be giving a presentation entitled “LANXESS – High Performance Plastics.” This will highlight innovative material grades and applications for Durethan and Pocan, including polyamides for blow molding parts in engine compartments, an electrically conductive polyamide 6 for media-carrying parts such as fuel filters, PBT grades for large components in truck cabs and customized polyamide and PBT grades for extrusion and film production. The presentation takes place at 10:30 a.m. on January 27, 2011. 

The LANXESS Year of High-Tech Plastics
LANXESS’s participation in INTERPLASTICA marks a key milestone for the company in the “LANXESS Year of High-Tech Plastics.” This sees it emphasizing the crucial role of a material without which it would be impossible to imagine countless achievements of modern life. As part of the theme year, LANXESS will be initiating a whole host of events in 2011 and taking part in trade fairs and exhibitions that will provide information to all interest groups, ranging from customers and political representatives to journalists and LANXESS employees throughout the world. The company will be highlighting where high-tech plastics are used, the benefits they offer and, in particular, how they can also help ensure sustainable and eco-friendly development.

LANXESS is a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of EUR 5.06 billion in 2009 and currently around 14.700 employees in 24 countries. The company is represented at 45 production sites worldwide. The core business of LANXESS is the development, manufacturing and marketing of plastics, rubber, intermediates and specialty chemicals.

Leverkusen,  January 25, 2011
erb  (2011-00009e)