LANXESS will be exhibiting at “interplastica 2013” in Moscow – a trend-setting international trade show for plastics and rubber for Russia and its neighbors. The specialty chemicals company is taking part in the trade show for the third time. “This underlines the growing importance of this region for our business, particularly with regard to product innovations resulting from the megatrends of mobility and urbanization that are especially strong in that part of the world. As well as tire rubber, we also see major opportunities for high-tech thermoplastics in the automotive, electrical and electronics industries and for colorants and additives for enhancing plastics,” says Dr. Werner Breuers, member of the Board of Management of LANXESS AG.  

Material solutions for sustainable mobility
LANXESS' presentation will focus, among other things, on Durethan polyamides and Pocan polyesters and will showcase numerous material and technology solutions for manufacturing lightweight, sustainable and reliable vehicles such as electric cars. For example, nylon composite sheet hybrid technology using polyamide 6 enables the manufacture of high-strength components such as front ends that are much lighter than comparable metal components. With this method of composite construction, brake pedals can be designed that are up to 50 percent lighter than when using sheet steel. Airbag housings are around 30 percent lighter than injection-molded components made of polyamide 6. A further focus is on heat-resistant, blow-moldable polyamides for components in the airflow management systems of new combustion engines. For instance, LANXESS offers very soft, exceptionally tough polyamide 6 grades that can be used to produce charge air tubes with integrated bellows cost-effectively as a single-material component.

LANXESS will also be presenting thermoplastics with innovative flame retardance packages that satisfy fire safety standards with excellent results. One example is the polyester Pocan DP BF 4232, which achieves the best classification V-0 under fire safety standard UL 94 of the Underwriters Laboratories test institute in the United States for very small testpiece thicknesses. This is used to manufacture housings for motor overload switches, for example.

Better performance – additives and dyes for plastics
A further theme at the LANXESS stand is the coloring of plastics using Bayplast and Bayferrox color pigments and soluble Macrolex dyes. These pigments and dyes are lightfast, weather-stable and offer high color brilliance. LANXESS will be showcasing the design freedom they offer by coloring a wide range of plastic components such as brake lights, equipment housings and PET beverage bottles. The company and its subsidiary Rhein Chemie will also be presenting plastics additives such as phthalate-free plasticizers Mesamoll.

Strong growth in Russia
LANXESS' sales in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have tripled in the last four years. The company controls its business in these countries through its own sales company in Moscow and is also investing in production facilities. This year at its site in Lipezk, Rhein Chemie is launching the production of rubber additives and release agents, which are in particularly high demand in the automotive and tire industries. LANXESS is also looking to establish contact with Russian research institutes. The company collaborates closely with the Russian Academy of Sciences and has built up a network with leading Russian institutes and universities.