Softell Polypropylene Compound Receives Germany’s Most Innovative Products Honor

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, April 24, 2012 – LyondellBasell’s Softell polypropylene (PP) compound has been chosen by the 2012 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 three finalists in the committee’s “Corporations” category.

“It really was the myriad of 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.

# # #

LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB) is one of the world’s largest plastics, chemical and refining companies. The company manufactures products at 58 sites in 18 countries. LyondellBasell products and technologies are used to make items that improve the quality of life for people around the world including packaging, electronics, automotive components, home furnishings, construction materials and biofuels. More information about LyondellBasell can be found at www.lyondellbasell.com.

For information, contact:
Media – Bill Herdman, +1 713 309 4814 or
bill.herdman@lyondellbasell.com


email Email Page   print Print