Staff were in buoyant mood on Accsys Technologies’ stand with sales of its modified timber Accoya up 40% in the fourth quarter, encouraging test results and a new partnership signed recently with BP Chemicals.
“The key to our success has been working with our partners. We hope to come back to Ecobuild next year with more strategic partnerships and licensees,” said chief executive Paul Clegg.
He said the partnership with BP Chemicals would enable Accsys to draw on its vast knowledge of acetyls, the chemical used to create Accoya’s hardness and durability.
“Accoya is the single largest incremental user of acetic anhydride in the world. We have a technology that could significantly change its supply and demand,” said Mr Clegg. “We could use acetylated fibres for other products such as wood plastic composites, and insulation.”
One product Accsys has already expanded into is Tricoya Medite MD.
“The early indications are good in terms of performance and value to customers,” said Mr Clegg.
Accoya’s performance can be backed up with data from TRADA and BRE which have both included the product in durability tests.
“Longer spans between maintenance and less premature failure have less environmental impact so in Accoya we have a product that delivers environmental sustainability,” said BRE’s timber division director Ed Suttie, referring to the organisation’s window trial.
Accoya was also outperforming other timber products in TRADA’s tests.
“The test has been running for 42 months and we can’t see any degradation in Accoya,” said principal consultant Dr Hugh Mansfield Williams.
