Feiplastic ’19: Eastman targets eyewear, cosmetics for TREVA

SAO PAULO (ICIS)–Eastman is targeting eyewear and cosmetics packaging for TREVA, its new line of cellulosic acetate, a company manager said on Tuesday.

The company recently launched TREVA, and its first worldwide application actually took place in Brazil, where Suntech used it to make frames for eyewear, said Rogerio Assad Dias, regional business manager, specialty plastics, Latin America. He made his comments on the sidelines of the Feiplastic plastic trade show.

Companies have used cellulose acetate in the past, but the grades did not approach the amount of renewable content in TREVA, Dias said. The cellulose for the resin is derived from wood, and TREVA derives 46% of its content from trees.

In addition, these other grades of cellulose require plasticizers, Dias said. TREVA is lighter and easier to process, allowing companies more flexibility to design frames.

Eastman is now exploring other applications for TREVA beyond frames for eyewear, Dias said.

Eastman is marketing TREVA as an engineering plastic, putting it in the same league as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and polycarbonate (PC).

With those qualities and with its cellulose content, Eastman is now targeting TREVA for packaging used in cosmetics and personal-care products, Dias said.

This is a natural fit for the company, since Eastman has the widest selection of resins intended for cosmetics and personal-care products.

For years, the company has marketed its copolyesters to cosmetic companies, since they match the look of glass while being shatter-proof and easier to shape.

Unlike some of the other resins used in cosmetics packaging, TREVA is naturally scratch-resistant and glossy, doing away with the need for coatings, Dias said.

Particularly, the cosmetics industry is eager to use more renewable materials, Dias said.

Cosmetic companies have been aggressive in using more renewable materials, in line with growing demand from customers.

The cosmetics industry is significant in Brazil since the country ranks among the top three markets, Dias said.

The Feira Internacional do Plastic (Feiplastic) takes place on 22-26 April in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Interview article by Al Greenwood