Avient Launches Negativecarbon Materials to Boost Auto Industry Sustainability

The automotive manufacturing sector is advancing with unprecedented determination toward establishing a genuine circular ecosystem. In this transformative shift, material innovations in thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) and polyolefins play pivotal roles. Avient Corporation’s recent breakthroughs—particularly in developing products with carbon-negative, neutral, or near-zero product carbon footprints (PCF)—have set new industry benchmarks.

Avient has successfully engineered multiple carbon-negative TPE formulations. Its innovative TPE compounds achieve cradle-to-gate lifecycle emissions ranging from -0.46 to 0.0 kg CO2e/kg, demonstrating carbon neutrality or even net-negative emissions during production. These high-performance TPEs match conventional counterparts in mechanical properties while addressing stringent application requirements.

The newly launched reSound™ TPE series offers 60 and 80 Shore A hardness options with natural translucency, enabling both aesthetic flexibility and custom coloring. These TPEs exhibit excellent overmolding compatibility with polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE). However, Avient notes that any formulation adjustments may alter PCF values, necessitating recalculations.

PCF calculations adhere strictly to ISO 14067:2018 standards, leveraging Avient’s global formulation expertise, sustainable manufacturing processes, and precision supply chain management.

Beyond TPEs, Avient introduced recycled and bio-based polyolefins under its Maxxam™ REC and BIO lines. The REC series incorporates 25–100% post-industrial (PIR) or post-consumer (PCR) recycled content, while BIO variants contain 15–100% bio-based resins and/or renewable plant-derived fillers. Both maintain performance parity with virgin materials.

These polyolefins support customization via glass fibers, mineral fillers, impact modifiers, and stabilizers—including flame-retardant systems. The BIO formulations feature naturally neutral hues suitable for tinting.

Additionally, Avient’s NYMAX™ BIO bio-based polyamides—containing 16–47% renewable fillers from corn, straw, or wheat—are now locally produced in Germany after initial Asian manufacturing, reducing transport-related emissions.

Maxxam™ and NYMAX™ materials serve critical automotive applications: HVAC systems, engine covers, battery housings, and flame-retardant components. For electric vehicles (EVs), NYMAX™ BIO suits battery covers, high-voltage connectors, and motor housings.

In an interview, Hermann Fuechter, Avient’s EMEA Senior Market & Product Manager, emphasized sustainability as a core value: “We prioritize bio-based and recycled material projects to deliver optimal solutions across standards.”

1. Lightweighting: Reducing material mass without compromising performance.
2. Energy Efficiency: Optimizing production to lower energy consumption.
3. VOC Reduction: Replacing components that emit volatile organic compounds.
4. Recycling: Integrating post-industrial/post-consumer recycled content.
5. Bio-Polymers: Utilizing renewable feedstock for resin production.
6. Eco-Conscious Design: Substituting hazardous materials (e.g., lead, phthalates).
7. Sustainable Infrastructure: Supporting renewable energy and green construction.
8. Health & Safety: Developing materials for medical and protective equipment.

Fuechter concluded: “The industry’s future lies in circular systems—spanning products, packaging, and beyond. Our innovations empower clients to achieve sustainability targets through material science.”