International compounding group HEXPOL TPE has developed a customised bio-based TPE from the Dryflex Green series for VAUDE.
The material is used on the bicycle bottle mouthpiece by the outdoor equipment manufacturer based in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
With the ‘Bike Bottle Organic’, VAUDE has produced its first bicycle bottle developed from bio-based plastics.
Materials Manager at VAUDE Clément Affholder said: "For VAUDE, the idea behind the bicycle bottle was to shift reliance from fossil to renewable resources. We want to support a bio-based circular economy and improve the ecological footprint of an article that all frequent bikers need to have. Thanks to Dryflex Green TPEs, VAUDE was able to manufacture a technical component.”
The main challenge for HEXPOL TPE was to develop a suitable compound that meets the mechanical properties and processability requirements.
HEXPOL TPE’s Kathrin Heilmann said: “The Dryflex Green TPE compound, developed individually for VAUDE, is based on more than 34 per cent bio-based materials, it can be processed using conventional production methods, as a drop-in solution without the need for tool modification. The raw materials used meet requirements for food contact according to EU 10/2011 and FDA.”
These material properties in combination with the co-operation with HEXPOL TPE were the decisive factors for VAUDE.
Affholder added: “It is an important step forward that helps minimise the environmental impact of consumer goods and at the same time shows that renewable resources can be used in high-performance products.”