Sustainable, 100% recyclable plastic materials in Automotive Industry

With our processing equipment, we are able to handle a wide range of sustainable automotive materials and various co-polymers.

We manufacture our automotive packaging and components using plastic materials such as expanded foam solutions, including expanded polystyrene (EPS) and expanded polypropylene (EPP), as well as special co-polymers utilized in the Lost Foam casting process. For injection-molded automotive components, we efficiently process materials like PC, PS, ABS, PC/ABS, PP/EPDM, PA6 GF30, PP GF30, PP+T, and more. Explore our innovative EPS applications and other new material solutions for the automotive industry! 

Sustainable plastics processing with Knauf Industries

Your foam solutions supplier for automotive with strategic and responsible approach 

At Knauf Industries, we prioritize the Circular Economy and environmental protection in all our work with sustainable automotive materials. When managed responsibly, the plastics processing industry becomes an irreplaceable asset, offering groundbreaking solutions across diverse sectors. Our materials are widely utilized by engineers in industries such as automotive, HVACR, and pharmaceuticals, excelling in areas like: 

• Protection (helmets, baby seats, car components, transport packaging preserving health of people as well as protecting goods from damage)
• Lightness (less CO₂ emissions by vehicles, ease of application, easy handling of parts and packaging)
• Absorption of shocks (automotive, HVAC)
• Safety (Passive safety, vehicles with plastic components are safer for pedestrians)
• Time to market (quick way from design to manufacturing of a customized solution, designers can turn their ideas efficiently into products)
• Insulation (in buildings, appliances, vehicles)
• Cost effectiveness (plastics processing is a flexible, adaptable process form the cost point of view which is extremely important form business perspective)

In our Innovation Centre ID Lab, we develop solutions fitting with the circular economy of Plastics. We focus on three areas of innovations: New Raw Materials preserving fossil feedstock, Eco design and Recycling. We are proud to design solutions from plastics which combine practical and economic advantages being sustainable at the same time.

Sustainability of expanded plastics in manufacturing for Automotive

Smart plastics design and processing take into account the entire product life cycle. This approach makes it possible to use all the above advantages of the modern plastic materials preserving the natural resources at the same time. See how it works!

As a leader in sustainable automotive materials, we aim to increase the use of recycled plastic materials in the economy, striving to re-use as much existing plastic as possible. 

To support this initiative, we encourage replacing traditional plastics with their recycled-content alternatives. We offer expanded polystyrene (EPS) applications with defined recycled content, such as rEPS 20% (20% recycled material) and varieties up to rEPS 100%, tailored to specific applications. Products manufactured with mechanically recycled ground EPS are not only sustainable but also maintain high quality, even with adjusted process parameters. 

Our portfolio also includes RELOOPP^®, a material produced by mechanically recycling post-consumer EPP waste. With up to 90% recycled content, RELOOPP^® delivers performance comparable to standard EPP, making it an excellent choice for low carbon and environmentally conscious projects. 

We guide our clients through the entire process, providing clear recommendations on product design and manufacturing. Recycled-content materials are readily available from suppliers, and we encourage testing them in both current and future projects. 

At IDLab, we stay ahead of market trends in plastics processing and continuously evaluate new solutions, including chemically recycled EPS applications, ensuring that our clients benefit from the latest innovations. 

Specialty foams for special requirements of the automotive sector

Increased fire-resistance, UV, shock resistance

The automotive industry is famous for its strict quality and ecological requirements. More and more innovative and specialized plastic materials are therefore in demand. They need to be lighter than traditional materials like metals to lighten up the vehicles which have to fulfil the emission reduction standards. At the same time, we expect them to demonstrate the improved performances like increased fire resistance for applications in battery insulation or airplane applications in seat inserts.

Our expanded polypropylenes - EPP with increased fire resistance prove reliable in the UL 94 fire tests withstanding temperatures up to 140℃.

Our specialty foams can also be UV resistant, have increased shock-resistance, fatigue resistance, anti-static properties (ESD). Among specialty foams, we are able to supply PEPP (porous expanded polypropylene). Along with special technical features, the materials may have defined aesthetical properties like tiny beads for thin walls or a precise shade of black color like ARPRO EPP.

Contact our engineers for your material solution

You name the requirements; we will find the right material for your automotive project!

For information on specialty foams, contact:

[email protected]

Our Material Engineering Team will advise on the material solution appropriate right for your project!