Category: blog

Can you tell us how long your work-study program with the Addiplast group will last and what your school-work schedule is?
My work-study program began on September 13, 2021, and will end on September 9, 2022, with 36 weeks at the company and 17 weeks at school.

What is your level of education and where do you go to school?
I am studying for a bachelor’s degree, which is equivalent to three years of higher education, under the supervision of Polyvia Formation.

What is the objective of your work-study program?
The aim of my bachelor’s degree is to integrate eco-design into the field of plastics engineering.

Why did you choose the Addiplast Group?
I chose Addiplast because I was very interested in the assignments offered by the company: I wanted to work in formulation, and the R&D department allowed me to do that. In addition, I already knew the entire team and some of the work they did, thanks to my internship at the end of my DUT (which I did in R&D).
That internship went very well, which was an additional source of motivation for me.

What will your responsibilities be with us?
My responsibilities will be to provide support to Guillaume Alès (R&D Manager) and Quentin Boulard (R&D) for collaborative projects. I will also be involved in studies relating to life cycle assessments, which are part of my training.

What do you expect from the company?
I expect Addiplast to enrich my knowledge of plastic materials. I have a lot to learn from the R&D team.
The entire Addiplast Group team welcomes you and wishes you a year rich in exchange and learning! 👏
If you too would like to join the adventure, apply directly on our plastics engineering work-study program page. We review every application (internship or work-study program) and are happy to be able to participate in the training of young apprentices in all areas of our industry. 😊

 

The cosmetics sector is facing a huge challenge: sustainable development. To accompany this transition, Addiplast Group is redoubling its efforts on innovation and the formulation of materials as close as possible to market expectations.

 

Interview: Polyvia & Béatrice Genetiot, Cosmetics & Helathcare Key Accounts Manager.

Béatrice Genetiot, can you talk about your activity within the Group Addiplast?
I joined Addiplast Group 2 years ago, in order to develop the cosmetic sector which is in full mutation from a regulatory point of view. Each project implies more and more requirements, but with a quality structure already in place for medical applications, we can easily transpose it to the cosmetic sector.
What are your key innovations for the cosmetics market?

Addiplast Group is a major supplier to the cosmetics sector, with a wide range of compound solutions for luxury goods and masterbatches for the entire sector: from mass-dyed materials to high-density materials composed of mineral fillers, including ceramic effects, marbled effects, cold touch, etc. and materials suitable for various finishing processes such as galvanization, metallization, lacquering, varnishing, etc., not forgetting the colored masterbatches with the third production site of Addiplast Group.

Our research center Addiscience focuses on the formulation of compounds using recycled materials:

obtained by mechanical recycling, PCR (Post Consumer Recycled) or PIR (Post Industrial Recycled), incorporating a PP grade suitable for food contact according to FDA NOL (Non Objection Letter) regulations, obtained from chemical recycling, which have properties equivalent to virgin materials.

These materials are rigorously selected and are subject to strict internal approvals to meet aesthetic or mechanical applications. Always with the aim of reducing the proportion of fossil-based plastics, we are developing compounds with a concentration of up to 30% of plant fibers such as flax, miscanthus, wood, oyster shells, etc., including a food version for primary packaging.

Addiplast Group collaborates since 2019 with Floreon, a company recognized in the field of sustainable materials technology and in particular formulations using a plastic of plant origin (PLA) by improving its performance, making it up to ten times more resistant than conventional PLA. These materials come from renewable resources and are suitable for composting (Ok Compost) and recycling. These new materials are available under our brand Addibio Renew®.

What specific issue has emerged lately?

Proposition 65 is a global issue, it is a list of chemical substances banned by the State of California, due to toxicity and possible carcinogenic effects. In this list, we find substances such as styrene or formaldehyde of which ABS and POM are composed. As an alternative to POM, we offer lubricated PBT and POK which guarantee flexibility and strength for pump mechanisms and mascara wands. And we have developed low-shrinkage PP grades suitable for metallization (ADDILENE PMD 50333) that can be used in tooling designed for ABS.
Are you working on other innovations?

A great deal of Research & Development work has been going on for over a year on the subject of galvanizing with less environmental impact. Hexavalent chromium 6 is about to be banned for galvanizing in Europe by 2024, in favor of the less chemically aggressive trivalent chromium 3. The challenge is to find solutions for PP parts, which are more complex to chrome-plate. It is a major challenge for all the players in the cosmetics industry to find solutions in the very short term. The Addiplast group has succeeded in involving the main players in the industry: galvanizers, chromium plating bath manufacturers and processors. Conclusive results give hope for a successful solution by the end of 2021.

What are the Addiplast Group’s challenges in terms of sustainable development?

If the circular economy is virtuous in ecological terms, it also brings new commercial, industrial and technological opportunities. We have opted for a proactive approach in order to anticipate our customers’ expectations, where the use of biobased or recycled polymers is becoming a strategic differentiation axis.

Among these actions, Addiplast Group joined the EcoVadis CSR and responsible purchasing performance assessment platform in 2019, and was awarded the bronze medal that year. The group is continuing its actions to reach the next level and the silver medal.

Discover all our references of Compounds & Masterbatches at PMR RENAULT 2022!

This year again, a large number of our references :

• ADDILENE® (polypropylene compounds),
• ADDINYL® (polyamide compounds),
• ADDIFLAM® (PP, PA and PBT flame retardant compounds)
• and ADDIBIO Renew® (natural or recycled fiber compounds) have been presented and selected by the Renault Group (Renault, Dacia, Avtovaz and Renault Samsung Motor brands, worldwide).

ADDIPLAST Group Compounds & Masterbatches approved in RENAULT Group PMR 2022

New in 2022 : ADDICOLOR, the ADDIPLAST Group’s color Masterbatches division, is also referenced in the PMR 2022 Masterbatch panel for “AS3” and “AS5” interior parts.
In addition, ADDIPLAST also provides many other compounds and masterbatches that are not part of the functions listed in the PMR. So, do not hesitate to contact our market specialists by clicking here.

We will also be present at the FIP exhibition Stand F33 in Lyon from 5 to 8 April 2022 to answer all your questions.

This recognition rewards the actions taken by our company, which practices CSR, and all the teams committed on a daily basis to continuously improving the group’s performance in terms of respect for the environment, human rights, ethics, and responsible purchasing. Always striving for continuous improvement, the group is continuing its efforts to reach the next level and win the silver medal in the very near future. Addiplast Group would like to thank all its customers for their trust.

The Addiplast Group is proud to announce its collaboration with Floreon, with whom it is now working hand in hand to transform and shape the plastics industry of tomorrow into a more sustainable industry.

Introducing Floreon

Floreon is a recognized and award-winning company in the field of sustainable materials technology. Floreon’s unique patented formulations use plant-based plastic (PLA) and improve its performance, making it up to ten times stronger than conventional PLA. Floreon’s high performance allows it to compete with traditional fossil-based plastics while offering a carbon footprint up to six times lower than ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), for example. Thanks to the skills and experience gained through ten years of research and development, Floreon has expanded the potential of PLA beyond the manufacture of single-use products to include sustainable applications. In addition, as Floreon’s materials come from renewable resources, they are suitable for both composting and recycling, contributing to the circular economy.

Corinna Jacobs (Floreon Sales Manager)

 

Presentation of the Addiplast Group R&D department

ADDIPLAST GROUP is a major European player in the compounding of technical plastics, with three production sites in France and a production capacity of 40,000 tons/year. It is a family-owned company that embodies values and principles such as innovation, agility, and technological development.

« Recycled, bio-based, biodegradable », are frequently used terms that reflect the growing awareness of environmental issues in the plastics industry. FLOREON is an organization that aims to shape the future of plastics processing: its expertise in polylactic acid (PLA) has enabled it to develop several products for a wide range of markets.

In 2019, when the partnership between the ADDIPLAST Group and FLOREON began, the ADDISCIENCE® (editor’s note: the ADDIPLAST GROUP’s R&D center) was very receptive and enthusiastic about the idea of working together and developing PLA. ADDISCIENCE®’s extrusion and characterization equipment and its experience in thermoplastic compounding* were put at FLOREON’s disposal, with everyone aware that they were helping to transform the future of plastics by creating more environmentally friendly products. FLOREON’s strength also lies in its ability to inspire everyone to get involved. It is therefore with undisguised enthusiasm that ADDISCIENCE® will continue to move forward with FLOREON to research and develop the plastics of tomorrow.

*Compounding definition: ……

Quentin Boulard (Head of Product Development and Formulation, Addiplast Group)

 

Presentation of the Addiplast Group sales department

ADDIPLAST GROUP offers 100% renewable solutions. Single material, resistance, durability, performance, and antimicrobial properties are now possible using this patented sustainable materials technology.

The approach covers all markets and transformation processes (injection molding, extrusion blow molding, sheet extrusion, biaxially oriented films, calendering). We offer industrial composting and domestic composting materials. These products are marketed under the  ADDIBIO Renew® range.

For example, the percentage of consumers who expect coffee capsule brands to take environmental responsibility is growing rapidly. We have a solution for coffee capsule injection molding that is biocompostable through natural composting and home composting, offering high performance in terms of oxygen and vapor barrier, high temperature resistance, and high pressure resistance for both thin and thick walls.

Customers are very enthusiastic about developing their own biocompostable products for industrial and/or home composting.

Each brand and each company has its own strategy regarding the environmental approach of its products. The R&D, sales, and marketing teams at the ADDIPLAST group are available every day to design the materials of tomorrow that are best suited to each strategy.

Edouard Chantegraille (Export Sales Manager, Addiplast group)

 

The specialist in technical polymers for the plastics industry, based in Haute-Loire, is taking over the business of the Japanese company Toyo Ink Europe Speciality Chemicals, located in the Oise region.

The European specialist in the formulation and manufacture of technical polymers for the plastics industry, Addiplast Group, is taking over Toyo Ink Europe Speciality Chemicals in Villers-Saint-Paul (Oise) on 1 April. This is a colouring unit for plastics, created in 2008 by the Japanese listed group Toyo Ink, which also produces high performance pigments for LCD screens and industrial machines in Seine-Maritime.

The deal brings 33 employees and €12 million in additional sales to the family-owned company from Auvergne, which generated €33 million in its last financial year (ending March 2020) and has a workforce of over 140. It is aiming for 50 million euros by 2023.

New markets for Addiplast Group

This site in Hauts-de-France, renamed “Addicolor”, is in addition to those already operating in Saint-Pal-de-Mons and Sainte-Sigolène, in Haute-Loire, and to its research centre with around ten engineers and colour technicians. It brings its capacity to 40,000 tons and provides it with know-how in the formulation of colour additives. Denis Chantegraille, President of Addiplast Group, explains that the operation strengthens its position as European leader in technical specialty compounds and allows it to position itself on new markets, such as technical surface protection film and PET food packaging.

The company specialises in the formulation, manufacture, fireproofing and colouring of polypropylene, polycarbonate and polyamide compounds used in plastic injection moulding in the form of granules, and targets the automotive, electrical engineering, electronics, luxury cosmetics, healthcare and chemical markets. In product supply or service provision.

Recycled or bio-based material

“In recent years, we have been developing ingredients based on recycled materials, with a limited carbon footprint or biosourced, notably from wood fibre, miscanthus or castor oil,” adds the head of Addiplast Group, who is also in the process of buying back, with his family shareholders, the 14% of the company’s capital that has been held since 2015 by BPIFRANCE and Sofimac Partners.

Article written by Denis Meynard – Les Echos and translated by Addiplast Group.

WEIGHT REDUCTION, NATURAL FIBERS, LOCAL PRODUCTION, NO FOOD RESOURCES, LOWER CARBON FOOTPRINT, RECYCLING

Addiplast Group, founded in 1986, now, has 2 production sites: Addiplast & Addikem in Saint Pal de Mons in France, equipped with twin-screw extruders and Buss co-mixers. Both sites are certified IATF 16949 and ISO 14001 and have a production capacity of 30 000T.

The group has been developing and manufacturing natural fibers reinforced compounds on an industrial scale for more than 10 years. Today, the Addibio Renew® range meets the most demanding specifications for the automotive, cosmetics, construction, packaging and consumer goods markets. This range complements its traditional lines of products Addilene® (polyolefins), Addinyl® (polyamides), Additer® (styrenics and polyesters), Addiflam® (flame retardant), Additec® (ESD, semi-conductor), Addiperf® (masterbatches for engineering plastics) and Addibatch® (masterbatches for polyolefins)

Most of the European natural fibers that do not compete with human and animal food resources have been characterized at the Addiscience research center. Each type of used fiber makes it possible to meet the needs expressed by customers for the production of appearance and structural parts (miscanthus, wood fibers, vine tendrils, flax, reed, cellulose, etc).

The used polymer matrices are dictated by the characteristics and intended uses of the plastic part. This diagram summarizes the range of possibilities:

That includes polyolefins (PE, PP), biopolymers such as PA11, PA10-10, PLA, PHA, PBAT and others.

Addiplast Group is fully committed to the circular economy by now offering solutions integrating “PCR”, Post-Consumer Recycled in the formulation of its natural fiber compounds. The compound developed this way makes it possible to meet the expectations of industrialists, who are themselves guided by the expectations of end consumers. Based on the market requirements, the natural fibers will have to be visible or not visible, biodegradable or sustainable materials.

A few application examples:

Addibio Renew® GHI 52028 colored for the cosmetics market

It is a PP NF20 compound where pastel colors are possible. It meets the American FDA and European food standards. It meets the California 65 regulation. This compound is therefore particularly intended for primary packaging.

Addibio Renew® GEI 52009 dyed in the mass for the automotive market

For 5 years this grade has been in series production for the manufacture of interior cabinetwork parts in vehicles. VOC, Fogging, Odor, scratch resistance etc… are the essential prerequisites in the automotive industry to claim to be used instead of the so-called “traditional” mineral filled copolymer polypropylene compounds (P/E MD10, 15 or 20). This reference meets these requirements. The other challenge was to formulate this compound in such a way that it could be injected into the same tooling as mineral filled PP.

Structural material Addibio Renew GJI53116

Finally, the mass gain is important for this industry.

The use of natural fibers fully contributes to this objective. This is why the Addibio Renew® GJI 53116 black standard reference was developed this time for structural parts. Up to 20% lighter than PPMD40 or PPGF20 is possible.

Each brand, each company has its own strategy regarding the environmental approach of its products. The Addiplast Group’s R&D, sales and marketing teams are listening daily to design the materials of tomorrow that are best suited to each strategy.