Daicel Corporation Introduces New DURACON® POM with 30% Recycled Content
Daicel Corporation's High Performance Polymers (HPPs) SBU has launched four new types of DURACON® POM containing 30% post-consumer recycled material (PCR). The new products aim to address the growing demand for sustainable plastic materials.
OSAKA, Japan – Daicel Corporation's High Performance Polymers (HPPs) SBU has introduced four new grades of its DURACON® POM (polyoxymethylene) engineering plastic, incorporating 30% post-consumer recycled (PCR) material. This new PCR-POM range includes standard, low-VOC, low-friction, and high-strength types, allowing customers to select materials suited to their application needs.
The newly developed grades were first showcased at CHINAPLAS 2026 in Shanghai. The standard PCR-POM grade features a melt flow rate (MFR) of 9, while the low-VOC option meets the requirements of original equipment manufacturers. The low-friction type offers significantly improved sliding properties, and the high-strength material is designed to provide comparable performance to virgin POM.
Daicel has offered its DURACIRCLE® re-compounding service since 2023, which recycles plastic waste generated from customer production sites, focusing on post-industrial recycling (PIR). The new PCR-POM utilizes post-consumer recycled POM plastics as the raw material. A key challenge in using PCR materials is managing property variability and ensuring consistent quality.
Leveraging its extensive compounding experience and quality control technologies, Daicel states that the key mechanical properties of the new grades remain comparable to conventional types, even with 30% recycled content, based on internal testing conditions. DURACON® POM is widely used across various industries, including gears, connectors, and automotive components, due to its high mechanical strength, wear resistance, and dimensional stability. The company plans further development to expand its PCR-POM offerings.