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Doris Iemi , marketing & sales department , Greenchemicals ( left ), with Roberta D ’ Alessandro ( sales manager Italy ) Doris Iemi , aus der Marketing- & Verkaufsabteilung von Greenchemicals ( links ), mit Roberta D ’ Alessandro ( Verkaufsleiterin Italien )
Davide Lecchi , R & D and technical assistance manager Davide Lecchi , Forschung & Entwicklung sowie technischer Kundendienst
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and costs of the shipments from the Far East would allow us to be competitive . And the same goes for flame retardants , but with the aim of developing new technologies compared to the current ones : for example , by chemically modifying plastics , binding the flame retardant to the polymer chain . This , in addition to guarantee a halogen-free technology , would improve self-extinguishing efficiency , and prevent migration and the consequent loss of the additive during use .“ |
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Opening on the left , Micaela Lorenzi , founder and general manager of Greenchemicals Öffnung auf der linken Seite Micaela Lorenzi , Gründerin und Geschäftsführerin von Greenchemicals
company has grown considerably : last year our turnover topped € 40 million and this year we could reach 55 million . Demand continues to be very strong but I also believe that an trade barrier has been created between Europe and Asia and the United States : if on the one hand this makes us suffer from the lack of raw materials , on the other hand greatly limits Asian competition in the area of ready-made compounds and plastic materials . We work in the world of flame retardants and specifically we have noticed a strong demand for local products . A third of all the flame retardants still come from the Far East , while European production is very small . For this reason , our policy has been that of increasing the procurement of raw materials , accepting the inevitable price hikes and trying to predict the market trend , in order to ensure the
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greatest possible stability of prices and supplies to our customers .” Another important factor is impacting on the world of flame retardants , Lorenzi underlines : „ Unlike the USA and Asia , Europe has always been much more attentive to green issues and products with a low environmental impact , therefore to the replacement of halogens . Now the halogen-free products , mainly based on phosphorus and nitrogen , have become even more convenient than the brominated ones because the production of phosphorus is also linked to basic necessities and consequently always guaranteed and not subject to production limitations . On the other hand , brominated products , being absolutely industrial goods , have recorded soaring prices due to energy cuts . Today , therefore , producing halogen-free flame retardant compounds is not only the best choice for our environment , but it is also for our pockets . “ At Greenchemicals we have been working for years on the development of such solutions and this has allowed us to enter many application sectors . I believe that Europe will increasingly focus on the niche of highly technological and greener products compared to the rest of the planet . These products perhaps are more expensive , but able to meet environmental requisites and also cutting-edge and more virtuous techniques than those coming from Asia and the USA . Unfortunately , over the last 10 years several additive plants have been closed in Europe , because they are not profitable compared to those in the Far East . It would be desirable for these productions to start again , because today ‘ s times |
APPLICATION SECTORS : FOCUS ON THE BUILDING INDUSTRY The application sector of greatest interest for Greenchemicals is the building industry , in particular building insulation , a sector that in recent years has recorded a remarkable growth thanks to the facilities granted to renovation projects and the desire to create buildings that are increasingly safe and protected against fire , Lorenzi continues : „ Our other markets are the engineering compounds , therefore polyamide , ABS , polycarbonate and polypropylene , the electrical and electronic industry , and to a much lesser extent the automotive industry , too low cost and battled , where halogen-free flame retardants are not always among the priorities . The electricity sector is instead gaining a lot of ground because there are large companies that are investing so much in the search for green materials . At the moment not even electric mobility is moving the market : there is a lot of talk about it in Europe but little is being done , especially in Italy , in terms of infrastructure and power limits for private consumption , in addition to the costs of energy bills .”
SMART PLASTICS 2022 At the Smart Plastics event , the presentation of Greenchemicals was focused on halogen-free flame retardant solutions for almost all polymers , Lorenzi anticipates : „ We analysed the pros and cons of having a brominated rather than a halogenfree flame retardant and , compared to the past , the picture has changed a lot : while brominated flame retardants were the most advantageous option in the past , this year we have more than one reason to recommend or at least start considering halogen-free solutions . Another important point for us will be the recyclability of compounds that contain flame retardants , because during the recent Greenplast exhibition , in which we participated , entirely focused on recycling , we noticed that especially the first recyclers - that is those who grind and put the compound into the machine for the first time - underestimate the importance of knowing the composition of the material and this sometimes creates difficulties in the subsequent stages of the process . It is important to know whether there is a flame retardant in the material , in order to allow the use of additive packages which may improve both the mechanical properties of the recycled polymer and preserve the state of the extruder , eliminating acid-
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Italian technology plast / October 2022 |
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www . plastmagazine . it |
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