Softell Polypropylene Compound Receives Germany’s Most Innovative Products Honor
LyondellBasell’s Softell polypropylene (PP) compound has been chosen by the 2011 German Innovation Award Committee as one of the most innovative products of the year. Used by leading automotive manufacturers for a variety of interior applications, the product was ranked among the top five entries in the committee’s “Corporations” category.
“It really was the myriad attributes offered by Softell compounds that convinced the judging panel: beneficial cost/performance ratio, environmental benefits and mechanical properties,” said Michael Pohl, automotive business development manager for LyondellBasell in Europe.
Developed at LyondellBasell’s Frankfurt site, Softell resins enable the production of interiors with exceptional surface aesthetics, scratch resistance and soft-touch qualities without the use of coatings. Compared to standard interior resins such as painted ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), Softell compounds offer processing advantages that have the potential to provide cost savings. By eliminating coating requirements, the recycling potential of the individual components is significantly improved.
“Softell PP compounds have established new aesthetic and resource-efficiency benchmarks for compact and mid-class automotive models,” added Pohl.
“Being honored by the German Innovation Award Committee recognizes the extensive innovative potential of this product in automotive applications”, said Erik Licht, LyondellBasell’s global marketing manager to the Volkswagen group.
The German Innovation Award
The German Innovation Award is presided over by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and was initiated by Accenture, EnBW, Evonik and WirtschaftsWoche magazine, with the objective of honoring the outstanding, pioneering innovations of German companies.
Softell is a trademark owned or used by the LyondellBasell family of companies and is registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office.