BASF, Mercedes-Benz, Pyrum Innovations AG, and WITTE Automotive successfully closed a material cycle to produce automotive components from mass-balanced plastics.

To produce the plastic for the bow door handle for selected Mercedes-Benz models, BASF combined alternative raw materials in a mass balance approach: pyrolysis oil generated at Pyrum Innovations AG from scrap tires and biomethane from agricultural waste and food industry residues. The resulting plastic, in this case, the Ultramid polyamide 6 with 30 percent glass fiber reinforcement, features the same properties as prime quality plastic making it the ideal material for demanding vehicle components.

In line with an efficient circular economy, mass-balanced products will be used for bow door handles for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and the EQE this year. “Solutions like these help our customers meet their sustainability goals,” explains Dr. Martin Jung, President of Performance Materials, BASF.

“This is our Go!Create approach: we invite all our customers and partners to join us in shaping the path towards a circular economy with plastics. With this bow door handle for Mercedes-Benz, we have shown this in an exemplary way,” added Jung.