Moplen EP240T, a high-performance polypropylene resin from LyondellBasell, has been selected for the production of a series of industrial water high-pressure cleaners by Alfred Kärcher, a producer of cleaning equipment.

The chassis represents Kärcher’s first use of a polymer in the application, which traditionally has been produced using steel. Compared with standard PP resins, Moplen EP240T offers a special balance of advanced mechanical properties, including good flow characteristics, impact strength and chemical resistance, claims LyondellBasell.

“Our new model required a material that permitted more design freedom and production flexibility than steel,” said Bernd Gassmann, process coordinator at Kärcher.

“By using Moplen EP240T, we were able to eliminate several manufacturing steps, and the outstanding processability of the material enabled us to include parts such as the air duct and the holding tanks for water and detergents directly into the chassis instead of assembling these parts in a separate manufacturing step.”