Sustainable 3D printing materials along improved overall eco-balances
Sustainable 3D printing materials along improved overall eco-balances
Press release
INFINAM
October 5, 2022

Evonik introduces new powder materials for 3D printing with reduced carbon footprint

Evonik wants to align its INFINAM® polyamide 12 (PA12) powders along improved overall eco-balances.

  • INFINAM® Polyamide 12 powder with nearly 50 percent less CO2  
  • Consistent material properties  
  • Further sustainable products in the pipeline
     

Essen/Marl, Germany. Evonik is focusing on sustainability in 3D printing. The specialty chemicals company wants to align its INFINAM® polyamide 12 (PA12) powders along improved overall eco-balances. In doing so, the group analyzes not only CO2 emissions but also other important sustainability factors of its own footprint, such as water consumption or land use. The current materials portfolio is being gradually expanded to include new sustainable ready-to-use products. Evonik is starting with the introduction of a new grade of PA12 powders with significantly reduced CO2 emissions. With immediate effect, they will replace the previous INFINAM® polyamide 12 materials for all common powder-based 3D technologies such as SLS, HSS or MJF.

CO2 footprint halved

The new sustainable INFINAM® PA12 powders are produced using renewable energies at the Marl Chemical Park. TÜV Rheinland has certified the associated life cycle assessments, attesting to an improvement in the company's own carbon footprint of almost 50 percent. In the overall life cycle assessment, the comparison of the new sustainable material grade is positive even compared with the castor oil-based polyamides of Evonik's own Terra range.  

"Sustainability is the core element for being successful in the future. That's why we take a holistic view on it at Evonik. Alongside factors such as production efficiency or the reusability of materials, our sustainability approach includes the total life cycle assessments of our materials and their consistent improvement”, says Dr. Dominic Störkle, Head of the Additive Manufacturing Innovation Growth Field at Evonik. “Using green energy and renewable or recycled feedstocks for production, we are able to significantly improve the overall eco-balance of our materials. And we work on end-of-life opportunities for our polymers.”
 
"Sustainability is the core element for being successful in the future. That's why we take a holistic view on it at Evonik. Alongside factors such as production efficiency or the reusability of materials, our sustainability approach includes the total life cycle assessments of our materials and their consistent improvement”, says Dr. Dominic Störkle, Head of the Additive Manufacturing Innovation Growth Field at Evonik. “Using green energy and renewable or recycled feedstocks for production, we are able to significantly improve the overall eco-balance of our materials. And we work on end-of-life opportunities for our polymers.”  

Further sustainable INFINAM® powders in the pipeline

Evonik is also working to expand its range of sustainable PA12 powders to include the INFINAM® eCO product line. "eCO" stands for the company's goal of avoiding the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide by using renewable or circular raw materials via the mass balance approach. This method enables immediate CO2 reduction in existing plants without changing the quality of the products. The market launch of INFINAM® eCO is planned for 2023.

Evonik’s 3D printing activities are bundled in the group’s Additive Manufacturing Innovation Growth Field. The strategic focus is on the development and manufacturing industrial ready-to-use high-performance materials for all major polymer-based 3D-printing technologies. The specialty chemicals company thus drives 3D printing as a large-scale industrial manufacturing technology along the entire value chain. In this context, Evonik has organized its product range under the new INFINAM® brand.

Learn more about Evonik’s new sustainable materials for additive manufacturing at this year's K trade show in Düsseldorf, Germany, October 19-26, at booth B28 in hall 6 and Formnext trade show in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, November 15-18, at booth C59 in hall 12.1.

About Evonik

Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The company is active in more than 100 countries around the world and generated sales of €15 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of €2.38 billion in 2021. Evonik goes far beyond chemistry to create innovative, profitable and sustainable solutions for customers. About 33,000 employees work together for a common purpose: We want to improve life today and tomorrow. 

About Smart Materials

The Smart Materials division includes businesses with innovative materials that enable resource-saving solutions and replace conventional materials. They are the smart answer to the major challenges of our time: environment, energy efficiency, urbanization, mobility and health. The Smart Materials division generated sales of €3.92 billion in 2021 with about 7,900 employees.

Disclaimer

In so far as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this press release or where our statements concern the future, these forecasts, expectations or statements may involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment. Neither Evonik Industries AG nor its group companies assume an obligation to update the forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release.