Mitsui Chemicals Develops Eco-Friendly Grade of MILASTOMER™
～Aiming to ensure traceability of recycled raw materials using DX in the future～
2022.06.21
Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.
Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. (Tokyo: 4183; President & CEO: HASHIMOTO Osamu) has developed an environmentally friendly grade of MILASTOMER™ by using a recycled polyolefin as a principal component of the thermoplastic elastomer. Samples of the new grade are already being sent out to customers.
The eco-friendly product builds on the material development capabilities of the Mitsui Chemicals Group (MCI Group), tapping into quality control and other know-how that has been cultivated through the production of compounds. Leveraging these resources has allowed Mitsui Chemicals to succeed in switching the polyolefin component to a recycled material, reducing CO2 emissions and overall burden on the environment while not having any loss of performance compared with the original product.
MILASTOMER™ is currently used primarily in automotive and building applications, as well as in everyday goods. In adding the Eco Series to the product range, Mitsui Chemicals aims not only to offer an environmentally friendly option for use in these existing areas, but also to step up the development of new applications for MILASTOMER™.
MILASTOMER™ （ https://jp.mitsuichemicals.com/en/service/product/milastomer.htm ）
A flexible plastic available in a wide range of hardness grades, MILASTOMER™ offers outstanding heat resistance, light weight and low density when compared to other flexible resins. Its principal components are rubber and a polyolefin or other such plastic material. In the new eco-friendly grade, the conventional polyolefin component is replaced with a recycled polyolefin.
The MCI Group’s strengths
1. The MCI Group produces the main components of MILASTOMER™ itself and can design formulations as needed.
2. Along with quality control capabilities, the MCI Group has the technical skills required to optimize compound properties.
3. Digital transformation technology being introduced by Mitsui Chemicals will eventually ensure the traceability of the recycled material itself.
Expanding the range of applications for recycled materials
Using high-quality recycled materials is vital to ensure that the properties of the Eco Series consistently meet certain standards. However, to encourage the use of recycled materials throughout society, it is also important to broaden the scope of recycled materials that can be used, thereby increasing the volume available for use. By leveraging digital transformation to ensure the traceability of recycled materials in due course, Mitsui Chemicals intends to guarantee the quality of these materials, while also expanding the range of applications for which recycled materials can be used.
In doing so, Mitsui Chemicals aims to contribute to encouraging the use of recycled materials throughout society.