A cost-effective alternative to metal, the new formulations pass strict drop test requirements and provide excellent low-temperature impact performance, according to Avient. The materials’ flowability, combined with injection and impact strength, make them a good fit for complex, thin-wall moldings while also providing design and processing freedom. In addition to pre-colored options and application-specific surface effects, the new Gravi-Tech materials are available in special grades for vacuum metallization.

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New high-impact polypropylene (PP) grades, part of Avient’s Gravi-Tech density-modified portfolio of materials, are designed to replace die-cast or machined metals in premium-brand applications. They replicate the look and weighted feel of metal, including enhanced metallic surface finishes and handles, for personal, oral, skin, and cosmetic products.

The ability to mold finished weighted components without requiring further assembly and post-treatment saves energy, which can then reduce the carbon footprint of end products, said Avient. Moreover, molded-in colors eliminate the release of potentially hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with painting.

Avient’s portfolio of Gravi-Tech materials combine the aesthetics of metals with the processability of polypropylene (PP), acrylic butadiene styrene (ABS), polyamide (PA), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), and other thermoplastic materials. These materials are currently manufactured in Asia and are available globally.

“We identified a growing need for high-density injection molding solutions that will help brand owners, designers, and manufacturers create weighted premium products with more complex designs than possible when using metals, while simultaneously meeting higher demands on impact strength,” said Matt Mitchell, Director of Global Marketing, Specialty Engineered Materials. “Our new high-impact Gravi-Tech formulations can be customized to be as light as plastic or up to four times as heavy as aluminum with excellent weight distribution. As injection molding materials with good flowability, they deliver finished components in one single process step, helping to facilitate easy assembly.”