Demand for recycled sustainable products has been growing due to consumer preference and national legislation for using more recycled content, according to Dieter Henau, Sales Manager - R&D Technical Fibers at Procotex Corporation/Apply Carbon SAS.

In particular, demand for recycled carbon fibers “went through the roof”, partly due to the cost increases in virgin carbon fiber production and the demand for a more sustainable low carbon footprint, said Henau.

He also noticed a strong demand for the company’s natural fiber granulates, which are used for compounding bioplastics or green plastics. In view of the fast growth, Procotex’s subsidiary, Apply Carbon SAS, is building a second plant in France to more than double the current capacity.

Dieter Henau, Sales Manager - R&D Technical Fibers at Procotex Corporation.

Procotex is a global sustainable fiber supplier headquartered in Belgium. It is active in the recycling of synthetic & natural fibers for automotive and geotextiles, with factories in Belgium and Turkey.

Henau said many capital investments have been made in recycling plants, of chemical recycling and pyrolysis, for example. And the upcoming markets for fuel cells (hydrogen-fueled engines) will be a strong driver for thermoplastics and carbon fibers.

He predicts that overall the plastics market will continue to grow in 2023. The economic downturn in some major markets and the weakened automotive market may slow down the growth, but “the end balance will remain positive”.

At CHINAPLAS 2023, Procotex is presenting four featured products. First, CFC MLD 300 G U1 is a recycled, low-cost 300-micron standard modulus carbon fiber granulate with PU sizing. It is lightweight and available for mechanical reinforcement, and can be used as replacement of metal and glass fiber replacement.

It is introduced that this carbon fiber granulate is especially suitable for use in cost driven automotive manufacturing projects of which large volumes of feedstock are required. Dieter Henau said that the company can provide 3000 MT of carbon fiber feedstock to serve high demand.

The newly developed CARBISO P CF OS T-6mm, a recycled +/- 6mm standard modulus carbon fiber with T-sizing, is also on stage. Apart from high mechanical reinforcement and lightweight, it is electrically conductive, making it applicable for automotive, electronics, household appliances and so on.

CARBISO P CF OS T-6mm is a new product of Procotex.

Another exhibit is P-AR MLD 1X G U1, a recycled +/- 1mm para-aramid granulate with PU sizing for compounding. It can be used as metal replacement, for wear and friction improvement, as alternative to PTFE, and is suitable for applying in all polymers.

In terms of natural fiber, there is LIN MLD 4X G, a 4mm natural fiber (flax fiber) granulate without sizing. It is biodegradable and is adaptable to low-temperature thermoplastics. Its targeted applications include automotive, electronics, sports goods, composites and more.

Henau emphasized that the materials of Procotex were developed with aims to help its customers improve results in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), reduce CO2 emission and save production costs, without comprising product quality.

As for the company’s future development, he thinks that factors like world political situation and shortage of available work force in Europe might adversely affect the growth of the company.

Yet, he is confident that the upcoming environmental laws in the EU, US and rest of the world will support the company's growth.

Booth: 10L63