French chemical producer Arkema is expanding the portfolio of its “Rilsan” PA 11 sourced from castor oil. This newest addition to the Rilsan biosourced product range is Rilsan S, a family of bio-PA 6.10 containing up to 62% renewable carbon and manufactured at its Zhangjiagang site in China

Rilsan S ‘closes the gap between long-chain polyamides (PA10.10, PA10.12, PA12, PA11) and PA 6/PA 6.6’, said the company in a statement announcing the launch.

In addition to good processability and high abrasion resistance –comparable with PA 12, according to Arkema, – Rilsan S offers good chemical resistance to fuels, coolants, lubricants, greases and oils, as well as fuel and CO2 permeability, and event exceeds the long-chain polyamides’ thermal resistance and rigidity, in particular when reinforced with glass fiber. Zinc chloride resistance is fair, although not up to the outstanding performance of the long-chain polyamides.

Offering weldability on PA6/PA6.6 as well as long-chain polyamides, Rilsan S makes it possible for Arkema to produce any type of PA6.10-based alloys, all offering “excellent bonding properties towards all types of polyamide materials”. In addition, the new biobased PA features what Arkema described as “incomparable dimensional stability” relative to PA6/PA6.6.”
The various Rilsan S grades already available cover most applications in the field of transport (in particular for fluid transfer quick connectors), monofilaments and injection molded parts for automotive, sports or electronics applications.


“This innovation has been developed to meet the most pressing needs of our customers who are looking for a credible higher performance alternative to PA6 or PA6.6 polyamides, in the most demanding markets looking for better dimensional stability and chemical resistance,” explained José Teixeira Pires, General Manager for Long-Chain Polyamides and Alloys. “We are pleased to be able to provide a solution that suits our customers’ medium to long term capacity and competitiveness needs.”


Arkema is the only chemicals manufacturer to offer expertise spanning over 70 years in the chemistry of castor oil, the raw material for its Rilsan polyamide 11. This expertise was further bolsterd in 2012 with the acquisition of Casda Biomaterials, a manufacturer of sebacic acid derived from castor oil, and Suzhou HiPro Polymers Co Ltd, which produces polyamides from castor oil, as well as the more recent purchase of a 25% stake in Ihsedu Agrochem a subsidiary of the Indian castor oil supplier Jayant Agro-Organics.

http://www.arkema.com

reactie XEA.nl
Purac werkt al vanaf 9 sepr. 2010 samen met Arkema.

9 september 2010
Arkema and CSM subsidiary Purac announce their collaboration in functional Lactide-based additives (so-called block copolymers). These additives will enhance the thermo-mechanical and physical properties of many biobased polymers, such as Poly Lactic Acid (PLA), resulting in a wider range of application opportunities. These additives are produced by Arkema’s organic
catalysis technology, using Purac’s L- and D-Lactide monomers.
Gerard Hoetmer, CEO of CSM comments "The joint development with Arkema will add a number of functional properties to biobased plastics, for example in the field of heat resistance and impact strength, which will open up opportunities for new applications. The partnership with Arkema will enhance and
accelerate the further development of the bioplastics market."
Purac is enabling the growth of the PLA market through partnerships with leading and innovative companies throughout the value chain. PLA is a strongly growing biobased thermoplastic polymer which can be widely used in packaging, textile and other consumer goods.

Background
Arkema is a global chemical company consisting of three businesses: Vinyl Products, Industrial Chemicals, and Performance Products. Arkema reported sales of 4.4 billion euros in 2009. Arkema has 13,800 employees in over 40 countries and 7 research centers located in France, the United States and Japan. With internationally recognized brands, Arkema holds leadership positions in its principal markets.
Arkema is known for its expertise in anionic and controlled radical polymerisation technologies. A polymer range based on these technologies is already available on the market under the Nanostrength® brand name. Arkema has developed a new ring-opening polymerisation process based on organic catalysis, thereby enabling full control over the polymer architecture. This process helps produce high purity copolymers from cyclic compounds such as lactides and lactones, providing environmental benefits due to absence of metal residues. The combined know-how of Arkema and Purac will allow the development of this new range of high purity functional block copolymers containing PLA segments.