- New material is made of at least 90 percent renewable raw materials

- Rochling-BioBoom is suitable for a large part of the product range of the 
company 

- By 2035, Rochling Automotive aims to become the leader in bioplastics and 
recycled materials in the automotive industry


 -- Green materials ensure sustainable mobility: The automotive industry is 
increasingly working on aligning vehicle production with the principles of 
sustainability. The development of appropriate materials plays a decisive role 
in this process. 

With the bioplastic Rochling-BioBoom, Rochling Automotive is the first company 
on the market to have a patented polylactide (PLA)-based biopolymer that 
consists of at least 90 percent renewable raw materials. In this way, the 
company offers an ecological and economical alternative to most conventional 
materials such as polyester (PC, PET, PBT) but also polystyrene (ABS), 
polyolefins (such as PP) and polyamides (PA6).

"We want to support our customers in the development of environmentally 
friendly vehicles and thus help shape the transformation of the industry 
towards a sustainable one," explains Prof. Dr. Hanns-Peter Knaebel, Chairman of 
the Board of Management and CEO of Rochling Automotive. "With our bioplastics, 
we are bringing a sustainable solution to the market that originates from a 
completely self-controlled supply chain - from renewable resources to the 
automobile manufacturers." Rochling Automotive has built up internal expertise 
in materials development over many years in cooperation with various partners. 

With significant improvements in terms of thermal stability and chemical 
resistance compared to standard PLA, the new biopolymer family meets the 
company's high technical requirements and specifications.

Rochling BioBoom enables greenhouse gas emission savings that are about 70 
percent higher than those of PP and almost 90 percent higher than those of PA6. 
This means that if the proportion of petrochemical plastics in a mid-sized car 
is replaced by Rochling Automotive's bioplastics, 515 kilograms of CO2 
emissions can be saved per vehicle production. 

Three standard types of Rochling Automotive biopolymers are currently 
available, which are suitable for applications in the engine compartment and 
underbody as well as for the interior of a vehicle. Each of the three types can 
be tailored to individual customer needs and the respective specific 
requirements. Rochling BioBoom can also be used for almost the entire product 
portfolio of Rochling Automotive.


With Rochling BioBoom, the plastics specialist once again underlines its role 
as a pioneer in the industry. For Prof. Dr. Hanns-Peter Knaebel, the 
sustainable material is also an initial indicator for a green future for the 
company: 'We have set ourselves the goal of becoming the leading supplier of 
bioplastics and recycling materials in the automotive industry by 2035 at the 
latest. This means that we will noticeably increase our development activities 
in this area'. With the newly developed biopolymer, Rochling Automotive has 
already successfully initiated this important transformation process.  

Please go to 
https://www.roechling-automotive.com/products-solutions/biopolymers for more 
information on Rochling-BioBoom.

- Picture is available at AP Images (http://www.apimages.com) -

The Rochling Group has been shaping industry. Worldwide. For nearly 200 years. 
We transform the lives of people every day with our customized plastics: they 
reduce the weight of cars, make medication packaging more secure and improve 
industrial applications. Our workforce of around 11,500 people is located in 
the places where our customers are – in 90 locations in 25 countries. The 
Group's three divisions generated joint annual sales of 2.352 billion euros in 
2019.

The Industrial division is the expert for optimal materials for every use. We 
develop and supply individual products made of plastic for all industrial 
areas. This is why we have the broadest product range of thermoplastics and 
composite materials. We supply our customers with semi-finished products or 
machined components. 

The Automotive division advances mobility. Our product solutions in the areas 
of aerodynamics, propulsion and structural lightweight help solve major 
challenges. We protect the environment while also improving the driving 
experience. 

The Medical division is the reliable partner to leading global companies when 
it comes to the components, services and smart plastic products that are needed 
in the healthcare industry. We develop solutions in the fields of diagnostics, 
fluid management, pharma as well as surgery and interventional. 

Katrin Biedebach, 
Senior Manager Marketing & Communication
T +49 151 406 695 23 
kbiedebach@roechling.com 
roechling-automotive.com

Source - Rochling Automotive SE & Co. KG