LyondellBasell's `Moplen' resin used to replace steel in cleaning equipment

A high-performance polypropylene (PP) resin from LyondellBasell Industries - Moplen EP240T - has been selected for the production of a new series of industrial cleaning equipment by leading cleaning equipment maker Alfred Kärcher GmbH & Co KG.
 
Karcher, a world leader in the manufacture of powerful cleaning equipment for home, garden and car cleaning applications, will use LyondellBasell's PP resin Moplen EP240T to produce the chassis of the company's new midclass and high-end range of hot water high-pressure cleaners, LyondellBasell said in a release.

"The new chassis represents Kärcher's first use of a polymer in the application, which traditionally has been produced using steel," the release said.

"Compared to standard PP resins, Moplen EP240T offers a unique balance of advanced mechanical properties, including high flowability, impact strength and chemical resistance," it added.

Kärcher's cleaning equipment, which is used to clean automotive engines as also agricultural and industrial machinery, has to stand up to the rigors of outdoor environments.

"Our new model required a material that permitted more design freedom and production flexibility than steel," said Bernd Gaßmann, process coordinator at Kärcher. "By using Moplen EP240T, we were able to eliminate several manufacturing steps, and the outstanding processability of the material enabled us to include parts such as the air duct and the holding tanks for water and detergents directly into the chassis instead of assembling these parts in a separate manufacturing step," he added.

"The PP resin from LyondellBasell has already proven its suitability in a variety of other Kärcher applications, due to its outstanding melt-flow rate, impact resistance and stiffness required for demanding applications such as industrial cleaners," said Gaßmann.

The world's largest cleaning equipment manufacturer, Kärcher is a family-owned company that sold 6.38 million units in 2008.