First ABS with recycled styrene

Indaver and INEOS Styrolution announced today the first production of “ABrS”, i.e. acylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) with the styrene component based on recycled feedstock.

The production of ABrS is a significant milestone in the project, funded by the EU LIFE programme, the European Union’s funding instrument for the environment and resource efficiency.

The first 10 kilogrammes of ABrS were produced at the INEOS Styrolution laboratory in Cologne, Germany. The material was subsequently processed at INEOS Styrolution’s R&D partner Neue Materialien Bayreuth GmbH. Initial testing of the material at the INEOS Styrolution laboratory in Cologne, Germany, did not show any measurable differences to native material.

Production of ABrS offers up to 30% lower greenhouse gas footprint compared to production of native ABS.

Petra Inghelbrecht, project leader for the ABSolutely Circular research project, comments: “The first production of ABrS at lab scale is a successful proof of concept. With the upcoming construction of a polystyrene recycling plant and an ABrS mini-plant in Antwerp becoming operational, we will be able to make another significant step forward towards production of ABS from recycled feedstock at commercial scale.”