Teknor Apex partners with Hyperlight
Teknor Apex’s partner, Hyperlight Energy, has developed an innovative Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) system to decarbonize oil recovery sustainably and affordably.
Hyperlight developed an affordable and reliable CSP system, called Hylux™, using domestically produced, recyclable tubes made from Teknor Apex vinyl compounds.
“Today we have a simple, robust, low-cost system that eliminates 90% of the expensive steel and concrete of traditional CSP by replacing that with plastic,” said John King, CEO of Hyperlight.
CSP projects usually look like massive fields of mirrors with one tall tower in the middle, the firm said. This new, unique American-made renewable energy technology is quite different.
Hyperlight uses the Apex® compound to extrude a hollow profile to hold the mirrors for the CSP technology – completely replacing the traditional steel in this component.
“We were thrilled to work with Hyperlight on this project which ties directly to our own sustainability goals. Providing domestically-produced and recyclable PVC compound has allowed for a greener and more affordable alternative to traditional concentrated solar projects,” said Mike Patel, director of marketing for Teknor Apex, vinyl division.
The Teknor Apex compound contributes to this sustainable solution while providing other key benefits such as UV stability – ensuring no cracking or degradation over time.
“The team at Teknor was incredible in our development – offering their full support and process engineering knowledge at every step of our project to optimize the result. Their technical support and materials solutions enabled us to achieve unprecedented level performance. They have been an important partner and have been able to scale to our requirements,” said King.
After more than a decade of research and development, Hyperlight has demonstrated the technology in multiple successive generations, at a fraction of the size and cost of traditional CSP projects, it said.
Hyperlight Energy manufactures Hylux, its flagship product, in its San Diego-based manufacturing plant out of domestically sourced recyclable plastic tubes.
Teknor Apex Company, a privately held firm founded in 1924 and based in Pawtucket, R.I., is one of the world’s leading custom compounders of plastics, and produces flexible and rigid vinyl, thermoplastic elastomers, nylons, color masterbatches, specialty chemicals and hoses.