SABIC and Lubrizol collaborate on sustainable soft-rigid compatible material solutions

Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands, August 15, 2024 - SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, and The Lubrizol Corporation, a leader in specialty chemicals, have developed compatible material solutions well suited for various applications in the consumer electronics and mobility industries, among others. These solutions, which combine soft and rigid materials, can help customers advance their sustainability goals, enhance the protection of ever-thinner and more vulnerable applications, and streamline manufacturing through part consolidation.

“Through our collaboration with Lubrizol, we provide material solutions with compatible chemistries that are ready to use which could accelerate time to market for our customers,” said Luc Govaerts, Technology Director, SABIC Polymers, Specialties BU. “This solution also enables our customers to develop more-sustainable applications, addressing an increasing trend across many industries.”

Joining Complementary Strengths and Sustainable Material Portfolios

The solutions feature SABIC’s LNP^™ specialty compounds and copolymers, which function as rigid substrates, and Lubrizol’s soft ESTANE^® ECO TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) materials, which are 2-shot injection molded onto the substrates. The SABIC thermoplastics may enable thin-wall molding to reduce raw material consumption, or deliver chemical resistance for durability. Lubrizol’s ESTANE ECO TPUs are formulated with bio-based content and are manufactured at certified ISCC+ facilities.

Potential applications for these complementary materials include laptops, cell phone cases and other electronics devices where durability, drop protection and a non-slip surface are needed. One potential application is a laptop case featuring glass fiber-reinforced LNP THERMOCOMP^™ compound as the rigid substrate and ESTANE ECO TPU as the soft, overmolded polymer. The SABIC material provides high modulus, low warpage, good ductility and non-brominated/non-chlorinated flame retardance along with impact resistance and weatherability. The Lubrizol ESTANE ECO TPU offers chemical and abrasion resistance. These soft and rigid material combinations could also show promise for industries other than consumer electronics where features such as ergonomics or enhanced haptics are needed.

“We recognized an industry need for soft and rigid thermoplastic combinations that provide high performance and good bonding strength,” said Jane Cai, Senior Business Director APAC, Lubrizol. “But finding the right pairing can be time-consuming for customers. Lubrizol and SABIC combined our strengths and sustainable material portfolios to deliver proven compatible solutions that can help customers reduce their development time and costs and bring new designs and concepts to the market. With this approach, the possibilities are limitless.”

To learn more about these innovative soft-rigid solutions, visit the SABIC Material Finder website and the Lubrizol website.

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