Audia Elastomers to deliver presentation on marine waste plastics

Audia Elastomers will deliver a technical presentation on its OP line of TPEs based on marine waste plastics on 15-16 December at the Elastomers World Summit.

The online technical conference brings together manufacturers, processors, end-users, designers and researchers for a summit-style technical discussion of elastomer materials, global markets, processing advancements and novel applications. 

Anthony Marozsan, Market Development Manager for Audia Elastomers, said: “The most important step in stopping and preventing ocean waste is intercepting waste before it ever enters the oceans or a waterway. A key component of this initiative is to create a market for recycled plastic from regions with poor existing waste infrastructure before it enters the ocean.” 

The OP line of elastomers tackles many of these issues with raw materials sourced from at-risk regions, upcycling used commercial fishing gear, and salvaging plastic waste from marine and beach clean-up efforts. 

The OP line of materials can compete in high-performance applications for consumer goods, toys, electronics, and sporting equipment against conventional TPEs, TPVs, and TPU chemistries.  

The presentation will address both technical and regulatory issues facing marine plastics. Some of the technical challenges include working with variable and potentially degraded sources of raw material. Audia Elastomers has developed ways to stabilize these resins and increase their properties to match prime grades. On the regulatory side, Audia Elastomers works with sources that are by definition from second or third-world regions. As a result, the company works internally to carefully audit these sources and complete third-party certification.  

Audia Elastomers is working closely with customers to commercially adopt its new marine waste-based TPEs for select end-use applications.