SPARTANBURG, S.C. – September 29, 2011 - Milliken & Company’s Wouter Reyntjens, Ph.D., MBA, Chemical division business development manager, will be a featured speaker at the SPE Automotive TPO Global Conference in Troy, Mich., Oct. 2-5, 2011. Dr. Reyntjens’ talk, entitled “CO2 reduction by lightweighting of plastic car parts with low density TPO compounds,” will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 9:00 a.m. He will describe the benefits of replacing higher-density engineering thermoplastics with low-density thermoplastic olefins (TPOs) featuring Milliken’s Hyperform HPR-803i reinforcing agent in automotive interior parts. This new, high-performance reinforcing agent permits lower levels of filler to be used in TPOs, leading to lower density, reduced weight and reduced carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

 Dr. Reyntjens will show how one of these specially reinforced TPO materials can reduce CO2 emissions by 0.37 g/mile as a result of lowering the weight of a typical B segment car by 5.5 lb (2.5 kg). Milliken will show an example of the lightweighting potential of the new Hyperform HPR-803i reinforcing agent in a developmental interior trim part made by Mecaplast, a tier one automotive supplier ( www.mecaplast.com).

 New Hyperform HPR-803i agent, loaded at 3 to 10 percent with or without talc, can achieve improved scratch resistance as compared to the mechanical equivalent with pure talc polypropylene (PP) formulations. Weight savings can be 7 to 20 percent, depending upon part requirements. The Milliken agent also provides improved feeding and handling characteristics for compounders and yields whiter compounds, so users can cut back on the amount of color masterbatch.

 Dr. Reyntjens, who is based at the Milliken facility in Ghent, Belgium, has published several scientific papers and holds several international patents. He earned his doctorate in polymer chemistry from Ghent University in 2001 and also holds an international MBA from the Vlerick Management business school in Belgium.

 Milliken & Company is a gold-level sponsor of the SPE conference. 


 About Milliken

Milliken is an innovation company that has been exploring, discovering, and creating ways to enhance people’s lives since 1865. Our community of innovators has developed one of the larger collections of United States patents held by a private U.S. company.  With expertise across a breadth of disciplines including specialty chemical, floor covering, and performance materials, we work around the world every day to add true value to people’s lives, improve health and safety, and make this world more sustainable. For more information, visit www.milliken.com.

 
About Milliken & Company’s Chemical Division

Milliken & Company’s Chemical division has grown to become a leading global supplier of coatings, specialty chemicals and advanced additive and colorant technologies since its conception in 1957. The division that was founded to supply proprietary processing chemicals within Milliken’s operations has since expanded into many diverse industries and markets, ranging from plastics to children’s art products. Milliken’s Chemical division has application and development centers around the world and is committed to customer support. For more information about Milliken’s Chemical division, please visit www.millikenchemical.com.

 
For more information about Milliken & Company’s Chemical division, please visit www.millikenchemical.com.

Hyperform is a registered trademark of Milliken & Company.

 

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Milliken & Company
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