Materials firm Jerico Plastic Industries Inc. has launched two new product lines aimed at rotational molding.
J-Sustain is Jerico's line of sustainable polymer compounds. The line includes polyethylene-based compounds that promote sustainability, clean waterways and the recyclability of post-consumer waste in rotational molding, officials with Wadsworth, Ohio-based Jerico said in a news release.
In an Aug. 24 phone interview, Jerico President Steve Copeland said that several customers had been asking for sustainable products. He added that although the firm has worked with post-industrial recycled plastics before, J-Sustain marks the first time Jerico is using post-consumer material.
"There are a lot of opportunities to put forward a greener footprint," Copeland said.
J-Sustain compounds offer post-consumer content at 10, 25 or 40 percent. Officials said that the recovered PE has been collected and recycled to help prevent it from reaching oceans and waterways.
Jerico has a long history in post-industrial recycling and development of formulations that can incorporate plant-based PE resins, officials added. These blends, including those sold under the Envirolene brand name, provide a good balance of performance and physical properties with good impact performance, they said.
Corporate Operations Officer Brandi Frey said in the release that Jerico's product engineers "have continued to develop formulations and combinations that fill the growing worldwide need for a greener compound that helps our planet."
J-Bond is Jerico's other new product line. Those materials are PE compounds targeted at uses such as heavy-duty coolers that need adhesion to polyurethane foam. The compounds can eliminate multiple steps in that process, officials said.
J-Bond and J-Sustain are commercially available now. "Both of these products are not the typical kind of materials that are used in rotomolding," Copeland said.
Jerico generates most of its sales from rotational molding, but also sells into injection molding markets. The firm operates manufacturing sites in Minerva, Ohio, and Greensboro, Ga. Those sites employ 63 and utilize a total of five twin-screw extruders, one single-screw extruder and nine pulverizers.
By the end of the year, Copeland said that Jerico will add another twin-screw line at one of its locations. The firm also is looking to add more space in Greensboro, he added.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jerico has been able to remain open in order to serve customers in essential industries. Officials said that the firm's business "stayed pretty steady" during lockdowns earlier in the year.
"April wasn't good, but we adjusted and by June things had started to turn around," Copeland said. "It really gave us time to finish our development work. Now we're in position to take advantage of that time."
Other materials made by Jerico include cross-linkable, flame retardant and special effects PE compounds and rotational molding PP compounds. The 23-year-old firm also offers custom compound development, toll post-industrial recycling services for rotational molding and toll pulverizing.