Sirmax Group at Plastpol 2022

The Xelter range of sustainable products takes centre stage at the Sirmax Group’s stand at the Plastpol trade fair; Eastern Europe’s largest exhibition in the plastics sector, scheduled to take place in Kielce, a city in the heart of Poland, from 24-27 May (Hall E-49). Two are the innovations that Sirmax presents thanks to its thermoplastic elastomers marketed under the Xelter brand name, the Italian group’s production subsidiary established just three years ago. The first relates to the Frontsh1p project, a public programme financed by the European Union with the aim of fostering a circular economy. The programme involves 34 European companies, and Sirmax will supply its Xelter-V: a particular lightweight TPE designed for manufacturing coatings for insulating pipes (thermal and acoustic) intended for hot domestic and industrial heating. The second innovation centres on the new grades developed for the automotive sector. More and more car manufacturers are endorsing Xelter, the products developed by Sirmax and available in different formulations, attesting to the division’s significant maturity and competitive technological progress.

Frontsh1p, a sustainable and circular European project

Sirmax Group, an Italian company based in Cittadella (Padua) and specialising in the production of polypropylene compounds, post-consumer compounds and bio-compounds, is committed to the «green» use of plastic materials, from the high recyclability of its products to its focus on greenhouse gas emissions. A challenge that has now added a new and ambitious chapter, thanks to participation in the Frontsh1p project, an initiative funded by the European Union as part of the Horizon 2020 framework. The focus is on fostering circular economy models through tangible projects and initiatives, identifying good practices for the ecological transition, and addressing topics such as decarbonisation and energy saving. Sirmax Group shall join forces with 33 other partners, ranging from industrial enterprises and public institutions.

The Padua-based group will work on a specific project in Poland in cooperation with the Regional Government and the University of Łodz, where two of the group's 13 factories are located. Sirmax has made its products from the Xelter family available for two goals: manufacturing insulation for domestic utility pipelines to achieve energy savings and using waste CO2 to process and transform the granule into insulation material. It is the only type of elastomer that can be expanded as much as necessary for such a purpose, thus avoiding the use of vulcanised rubber or other materials. As an example, when used in this form, the elastomer can go from a density of one thousand kilograms per cubic metre to around 50 kilograms per cubic metre. On top of that, the material is expanded by reusing the CO2 from industrial production waste, avoiding the emission of new greenhouse gases.

Xelter: this ever-growing brand stands the test of the automotive industry

The Xelter’s family of thermoplastic products draws its strength from its extreme flexibility and ability to adapt to specific customer requirements. The wide range (featuring five different types, plus one, called Hybrid, containing other sub-families) offers materials for soft components, rigid-soft couplings and integrations, thanks to the hi-tech

Hybrid type. The family also includes a product line made from bio-based sources, the Xelter Bio, and one from recycled raw materials based on post-consumer or post-industrial waste, the Xelter Green. All Xelter brand products, thanks to their thermoplastic recyclability, offer a viable and sustainable alternative to vulcanised rubber, contributing to the design of applications in a wide range of industries.

Only two years later, this start-up launched by Sirmax landed in the automotive world. The latest success story involves Renault, which has already endorsed eleven out of the twelve grades submitted by Sirmax, laying the foundations for an invaluable collaboration regarding under-bonnet components. Although they belong to the same product family, each grade is, in fact, a different Xelter granule, with specifications, such as density and hardness, designed for precise applications.

As a result of its flexibility, the Xelter range can also be used in the household appliance sector: an ongoing collaboration with one of the leading players in the industry, has led to the production of seals for washing machine drums. Yet again, they provide a suitable replacement for rubber, as Sirmax elastomers are the only ones currently on the market to possess the physical characteristics to replace it. However, there is one key difference: Xelter products are all recyclable.
Xelter elastomers are also used for applications in the building industry for insulation and sealing systems as well as in the Sports & Leisure, where the new-generation polymers are applied in ski boots, technical soles and anywhere a secure grip is needed in sports equipment (e.g. Pro Grip brand grips). In all cases, Sirmax solutions follow a tailor-made approach, which is designed to adapt, just like Xelter, to the customer’s requirements.

“The Sirmax Group’s commitment focuses on three core areas,” explains Stefano Capurro, Global Product Owner Elastomers Director. One of the goals remains to achieve better performance on elasticity by replicating rubber characteristics more effectively, with a particular focus on the combination with rigid materials. Furthermore, Sirmax is actively working on contact electrification, which is instrumental in enhancing product safety, especially the flame-retardant capacity of polymers. A third, highly ambitious goal concerns the production of antibacterial plastics through the use of non-toxic materials that can drastically reduce the proliferation of microbes on finished materials. A feature that is increasingly sought after by the market and can make a difference, not only in the light of pandemic risks but also of the emerging and ever more widespread problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which is of particular concern to hospitals.”

Sirmax and its presence in Poland

By attending Plastpol, Sirmax consolidates its Polish presence, which dates back to 2006, when the Italian company set up its first plant in Kutno, within the special economic zone of Łodz. Besides being the largest in the entire group, this 52,000 square metre facility (20,000 of which are covered by the production area) can manufacture up to 85,000 tonnes per year of plastics, most notably polypropylene compounds and engineering plastics for the automotive and home appliance sectors. An investment in technology and human resources that paid off, so much so that, just thirteen years later, Sirmax doubled with another facility, the group’s twelfth, with a production area of 12,500 square metres, and the new products of the Xelter family see the light of day in this second facility. Overall, the two Polish plants employ 130 workers.

“Poland remains a strategic region for Sirmax,” adds Massimo Pavin, President of Sirmax Group, “so much so that we are evaluating the possibility to expand our production facilities in the next years, to meet the growing demand in both the automotive and appliance sectors. The shift towards sustainability we have undertaken since 2019 and the continuous investment in research and development further strengthen our standing as a highly innovative and competitive manufacturer. The market demands a lot nowadays, even from a simple plastic granule; the goal is total recyclability, circular economy, reduction in material usage, and attentive design that allows for never-ending service life, and Sirmax is already providing the customer with all of that.”