Trēva engineering bioplastic is a new collaboration between specialty plastics provider Eastman and NB Coatings, which supplies paint-on plastics for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with factories in North America.
This new solution for interior Class A painted surfaces is said to be a viable option for companies interested in creating sustainable, cost-effective products. With the recent commercialization of its carbon renewal technology, Eastman produces Trēva with bio-based and recycled content. When painted with NB Coatings’ paint systems, Trēva can “meet the demanding Class A surface requirements as specified by OEMs”.
Sourced from sustainably managed forests, Trēva has bio-based content of 42-46%, certified by the United States Department of Agriculture’s BioPreferred program. To continue reducing waste and maximizing resources, Trēva benefits from carbon renewal technology, Eastman’s proprietary recycling process that recycles waste plastic typically sent to landfills or found as litter in waterways. The technology converts the waste to simple molecular components that are then reintroduced in the production of a variety of Eastman products, including Trēva, without performance compromise, claims the company.
Trēva’s high clarity and superior strength are said to make it suitable for applications such as human machine interface (HMI) lenses. Processing ease and excellent flow enable good dimensional stability and thin-wall designs for less material usage and lower weight.
“Trēva provides a bio-based, sustainable alternative to polycarbonate, ABS and PC-ABS for interior automotive applications at a cost-neutral position,” said Chris Scarazzo, Eastman automotive market segment leader. “Eastman’s material innovations match what OEMs need to develop lasting parts with sustainable materials and help them achieve their goals for sustainable content and replacement of petroleum-based plastic.”
“NB Coatings is excited to announce this paintability breakthrough in collaboration with Eastman,” added Jesse Fritcher, NB Coatings’ vice president of technical. “Our trials with Trēva found adhesion of our coating technologies to be comparable to, and in some cases better than, that achieved with traditional grades of PC-ABS, providing new sustainable options for automotive design engineers.”
