"Sustainable" Halogen-Free Flame-Retardant TPEs for Consumer Electronics

The reSound Bio biobased and reSound Rec recycled content portfolios of TPEs from Avient have been expanded to a include a new range of halogen-free flame-retardant (HFFR) grades containing recycled and biobased resin. These new grades have been developed to meet the growing demand for consumer electronic applications made with sustainable raw materials and meet strict flame-retardancy compliance without compromising performance or processability, like USB-C connector cable jackets.

Aside from relying on the verified halogen-free technology of all flame-retardant reSound TPEs, Avient’s new low-PCF HFFR formulations include two reSound Bio grades with up to 45% biobased content and one reSound Rec FR grade with up to 30% PCR content. All three products have a hardness range of 80 to 90 Shore A and a UL94 V-0 flammability rating at 3.2 mm wall thickness. This can help customers meet the VW-1 test specification for cables according to UL1581 while achieving enhanced sustainability targets.

The new HFFR grades also exhibit good UV resistance performance and excellent processability for extrusion molding. They can be used in various consumer electronic cable applications, such as USB-C cable jackets for smartphones, tablets, personal and laptop computers, chargers, adapters, television sets, gaming devices, and more. These new HFFR reSound Bio and reSound Rec TPE grades are currently manufactured in Asia and are available globally.