it increases the durability of
plasticizing units and injection
molds and helps reduce production stoppages due to service
and maintenance.
The new material meets UL 94 requirements for the V-0 flammability class
at wall thicknesses as low as 0.4 millimeters. Its thermal ageing resistance has
been considerably improved over that
of well-known glass fiber-filled polyamide grades, the company said. The new
Ultramid A3U42G6 is especially well
suited for use at higher temperatures.
The new flame retardant system
shows no migration effects and thus
ensures component surfaces of higher
quality. It also contains no halogen or
antimony components. This allows favorable smoke density and toxicity values to
be attained and also complies with the
WEEE and ROHS directives.
Reinforced with 30 percent glass
fibers, Ultramid A3U42G6 possesses
the good mechanical properties typical of polyamides, and can be marked
by laser, when colored black. This new
grade is especially suitable for connectors and thermally stressed industrial automation applications such as
switchgears and contactors. Effective
immediately, the material is available
in commercial volumes and with extensive supporting data.
Eastman Expert Hosts
Webinar on Regulatory
Changes
Eastman global application technology
leader Jennifer Cogar recently hosted a
webinar exploring existing regulations
and anticipated changes for volatile organic content (VOC) and emissions in
North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and
Latin America.
During the webinar, attendees also
learned how to minimize reformulation
work as they comply with regulations
that continue to shift. Cogar identified
tools and resources that help formulators achieve regulatory and performance goals.
“VOC and emission regulations con-
tinue to change, and vary by region, so
formulators need to understand the latest
requirements and respond to new stan-
dards in ways that are cost effective,”
Cogar said.
To learn more about the Eastman coalescents portfolio go to Eastman.com/
coalescents.
Evonik Boosts Capacity
for Special Silicas at its
Rheinfelden Site
Evonik Industries AG has officially
opened a new production line to manufacture surface-treated fumed silica under
the Aerosil brand name. The new line
will be located at Evonik’s Rheinfelden,
Germany site, which will boost their
global production capacity for these
products by 25 percent.
Aerosil specialty silica grades enhance the properties of high-performance adhesives, sealants and
industrial resins, as well as varnishes
and paints. The key driver behind the
soaring demand for these products is
the development of resource efficient
products and technologies. Market
trends, including the development of
renewable energy sources, and the automotive industry’s trend away from
mechanical fasteners in favor of higher
performance bonding will be supported by this expansion. Other significant
applications using the specialty silica
grades include defoamer, plastic and
toner products.
Among other qualities, fumed special silica grades made by Evonik optimize rheology, viscosity and thixotropy
of liquid and gel-like formulations as
well as suspension properties of pigments and fillers they contain. They also
boost the flow rate of powdery products
and prevent caking during production
and storage.
BioAmber Signs Supply
Agreement with Xuchuan
Chemical for Bio-Succinic
Acid
BioAmber Inc., an industrial biotechnology company producing sustainable
chemicals, has signed an exclusive supply agreement for bio-based succinic
acid with Xuchuan. Under the terms of
the five-year contract, which runs from
2015 to the end of 2019, BioAmber
Sarnia, a joint venture with Mitsui &
Co., will ship to Xuchuan’s Chinese facilities bio-based succinic acid it has produced in Sarnia, Canada.
Xuchuan is a top five global producer of polyester polyols, which are used
to produce a wide range of products
including paints and coatings, polyester
resins and synthetic leather. Xuchuan
operates four polyester polyol plants
in China and has an annual production
capacity of 150,000 tons. Xuchuan is
initially launching PU systems for cast
polyurethane elastomers (CPU) made
with bio-succinic acid. CPU is used in
applications including automotive instruments, caster wheels, industrial and
mining equipment, power tools, industrial tires, coating rolls, drive belts,
mold makers and hoses.
The company said that by replacing
adipic acid with succinic acid, Xuchuan
has produced CPUs that offer better properties: they are more abrasion/scratch
resistant and more resistant to solvents.
The forecasted succinic acid volumes in
the contract for this initial application
are 300 to 500 tons per year. Xuchuan
is broadening its line of sustainable, bio-succinic acid based polyester polyols to
other applications, including resins for
shoe soles, coating and synthetic leathers.
BioAmber projects the long-term sales
potential to Xuchuan for these applications could be several thousand tons of
succinic acid per year.
BioAmber’s Sarnia plant is expected
to be completed in early 2015 and will
have an initial capacity of 30,000 tons
per year. BioAmber has signed take-or
pay agreements that commit 50 percent
of the output over the first three years of
production, and has committed the balance of available capacity in 2016 and
2017 by signing 20 supply and distribution agreements.
Argex Titanium Wins ICIS
2014 Best Innovation
Award
Argex Titanium Inc., a producer of high-grade titanium dioxide (TiO2) used
as white pigment in paint, plastic, paper, cosmetics and other applications,
