Ever wondered how much energy and resources go into making some very ordinary, everyday products we use? Maybe you could give it a thought the next time you pick up that food packet from the supermarket. As the rapidly growing ranks of India’s middle-class consumers prepare to assume greater environmental responsibility, they face some of the same challenges as businesses—how to reduce their carbon footprint by making eco-friendly choices. Enter sustainable chemical solutions.
Sustainable Chemicals for Energy Efficiency
This is the age of energy and resource efficiency. Expectedly, businesses are increasingly adopting new-age technologies that help produce environment-friendly everyday products while providing energy-improvement opportunities. The chemicals industry is prepared to play a game-changing role in creating products that address this need.
Chemical solutions are already aiding a wide range of industries, from automobile to packaging, combat their greenhouse (GHG) emissions and produce safe products. Some simple switches can ease the transition of these industries to a more sustainable, energy-efficient business model.
Why Make the Big Switch?
There is no question that the energy demand has been rising in recent times. According to ExxonMobil’s report 2019 Outlook for Energy: A View to 2040, the global demand for energy will continue to rise steadily in the coming decades. Industries, which are estimated to account for 50% of the global electricity demand, are looking towards alternative energy sources and sustainable solutions to boost energy savings. They are also turning to energy-efficiency solutions to reduce the environmental risks of their operations and keeping a tab on their carbon footprint.
ExxonMobil, an industry leader with a long legacy of developing sustainable chemical solutions, has been consistently innovating to facilitate safe production and distribution of everyday products, including food and water. Its next-gen chemical solutions are used across many industries. One of them is automotive.
Lighter Vehicles for Better Performance & Lesser Fuel
ExxonMobil’s impressive range of chemicals solutions for automobiles help in building lighter auto parts and enhancing their recyclability upon retirement, in line with the Indian government’s Automotive Mission Plan 2016-26.
Weight is the biggest impediment to fuel economy on the road. A 10% reduction in a vehicle’s weight improves its fuel efficiency by 6-8%. As automakers search for innovative ways to design lighter auto parts that boost fuel savings, ExxonMobil’s new-age chemicals such as Santoprene™ TPVs are already leading the way. Used in weather-stripping seals and under-the-hood components, these TPVs contribute to making auto parts up to 55% lighter when compared with the traditionally used compounds. Another advantage of using Santoprene™ TPV is that it is fully recyclable in the production process, which enables reuse of part trim and scrap. Even the typical TPV production line can use up to 50% less energy, not to mention up to 70% less capital investment.
Similarly, properly inflated tyres help lower a vehicle’s fuel consumption by 1-2%. This is even more true for electric cars whereproper air retention can extend battery range by 3 to 7%. ExxonMobil’s Exxpro™ halobutyl inner liner used in tyres enhances air retention by 20%, paving the way for superior performance and greater fuel economy while ensuring improved safety and a better driving experience .
Making Plastics Safe &More Recyclable
As India moves away from single-use plastics, another area where the chemicals industry has been helping is in enabling plastic recycling. There are several recycling challenges associated with conventional laminated structures. ExxonMobil’s full PE laminated packaging solutions, containing Exceed™ XP, Exceed™ and Enable™ performance PE polymers, help overcome the recycling issues typically associated with conventional laminated structures.These can be easily recycled where programs and facilities to collect and recycle plastic films exists, while delivering the performance properties needed for high-quality packaging.
A major obstacle to using recycled material is the costly and time-consuming process of separating incompatible plastics. ExxonMobil’s Vistamaxx™ performance polymers allow incompatible PP and PE plastics to mix in the melt. They also help to increase the recyclable content in end-use articles, thereby creating opportunities to reduce costs while also potentially providing additional performance benefits including enhanced toughness, improved tear resistance, and product consistency.
Sustainable chemical solutions could be one of the cornerstones of an industrial future that is benign to the environment and to those who benefit most from its well-being. From making it easier for businesses to manufacture recyclable products, to reducing their overall carbon emissions, chemicals are already a crucial part of the broader spectrum of innovative solutions businesses need in their quest for responsible growth. With its thrust on technologies that bring sustainability benefits across industries, ExxonMobil has been consistently leveraging safe, reliable and economic chemical processes to design high-performing sustainable everyday products.
