Thursday, January 25, 2007

European polyamide product costs go up

Rhodia Polyamide announced price increases of EUR 130 per metric ton for PA 66 base resins and Technyl polyamide 6 and 66 compounds will be increased by EUR 200 per metric ton - in Europe.

Rhodia Polyamide announced price increases of EUR 130 per metric ton for PA 66 base resins in Europe. At the same time, prices of Rhodia's Technyl polyamide 6 and 66 compounds will be increased by EUR 200 per metric ton in that region. These increases are effective as of March 29th, 2004.

The price increase is required to help respond to the continuously rising cost of energy and raw materials, and to the significant erosion of margins at a time when the global polyamide demand is strengthening worldwide.

Rhodia has worked proactively to improve productivity, reduce manufacturing and operating cost over the past years and will continue to sustain these efforts while operating according to highest industry standards and promoting sustainable development.

However, under the current circumstances, these efforts are inadequate to overcome the cost pressures.

Rhodia Polyamide, headquartered in Lyon, France, is the second largest polyamide producer worldwide.

The company provides a wide range of innovative solutions in four main businesses: polyamide intermediates, engineering plastics, high tenacity yarns and fibers for industrial and textile applications.

Rhodia is one of the world's leading manufacturers of specialty chemicals.

Providing a wide range of innovative products and services to the consumer care, food, industrial care, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, automotive, electronics and fibers markets, Rhodia offers its customers tailor-made solutions based on the cross-fertilization of technologies, people and expertise.

Rhodia subscribes to the principles of Sustainable Development communicating its commitments and performance openly with stakeholders.

Internally lubricated cast nylon does not leach

Internally lubricated cast nylon provides a continuously lubricated surface ideal for applications where maintenance greasing is difficult or impossible.

Quadrant Engineering Plastic Products (formerly Erta and Polypenco) has developed a new lubricated cast nylon grade suitable for packaging, bottling and food processing applications requiring FDA compliance. This internally lubricated cast nylon provides a continuously lubricated surface ideal for applications where maintenance greasing is difficult or impossible. The internal lubricant does not leach out of the material after machining or service wear and gives a lasting and considerable improvement in the sliding properties.

Furthermore Nylatron LFG offers reduced coefficient of friction, improved wear resistance and better machinability over standard cast nylon grades.

Nylatron LFG has successfully been introduced in the food market used as wear strips in food drying towers where lubrication is impossible and the continuous operation temperature goes up to 100degC.

Other targeted applications are all kind of unlubricated moving parts requiring FDA compliance.

The new material is available from Quadrant in the form of plate, rod and tube in both natural and blue colour.

Quadrant EPP offers a broad range of bearing and wear resistant materials that can handle aggressive thermal, wear and chemical environments.

Its products range from its numerous grades of Ertalon and Nylatron and Ertacetal to ultra-high performance polymers that maintain strength at temperatures over 425degC.

Quadrant EPP offers its Extreme Materials, as well as its standard lines of plastic stock shapes, through its worldwide operations, technical support centres and authorized distributors.

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Tough body panel polyamide is electro-paintable

Polyamide grade that has specifically been designed to address vertical body panel needs is electro-paintable, withstands e-coat temperature up to 200degC and simplifies mould tool design.

Rhodia Engineering Plastics has announced the introduction of Technyl A 238P5 M25 blk 5N polyamide. This new grade has been specifically designed to meet the critical technical requirements for automotive vertical body panels. The technical characteristics of Technyl A 238P5 M25 meet the requirements for a better performing material at high temperature and, in particular, with respect to the e-coat process temperature increase announced by many car makers for the near future.

Parts made of Technyl A 238P5 M25 such as front fenders can then be assembled prior to the electro-coating bath (on-line process) and successfully pass through the curing oven at a temperature of around 200C for 30 minutes.

Successful sag test results, up to 220degC, demonstrate the substantial advantage of Technyl polyamide performance versus other thermoplastic competitive materials.

The excellent thermal resistance of Technyl A 238P5 M25 is due to a pure PA66 polymer matrix modified with specific fillers.

Technyl A 238P5 M25 can be painted by using electrostatic painting systems without conductive primers.

Parts made of this new Technyl grade exhibit a high paint transfer efficiency resulting in VOC emissions reduction as well as cost savings.

The paint thickness uniformity observed with large parts results from a low variation in volume and surface conductivity thanks to the specific technology developed by Rhodia, and is an additional benefit of this new product.

Technyl A 238P5 M25 confirms the typical advantages of plastics exterior body panel applications in comparison to metals: * Weight reduction up to 40% vs.

steel.

* Better low speed impact behavior.

* Design flexibility and more opportunity for complex parts design.

* Good chemical resistance.

* No corrosion.

Furthermore, Technyl A 238P5 M25 offers specific advantages vs.

other thermoplastic materials in use for such applications: * Improved heat resistance.

* Better dimensional stability due to a lower CTLE.

* Easy processing on standard injection molding machines.

* Better productivity through the reduction of injection moulding cycle time and lower part reject rate.

* Mold design simplification.

Technyl A 238P5 M25 has been successfully tested on parts such as exterior front panels.

The parts were submitted to the typical automotive standard tests including: * Resistance to e-coat process up to 200 degC for 30 minutes and dimensional shrinkage evaluation.

* Electrostatic painting on production line and measurement of the surface aspect.

The parts were submitted to e-coat, painted, and then dried at a typical temperature of 140 to 160 degC for 20 to 30 minutes.

* Adhesion tests using the most common automotive painting systems.

Parts were submitted to water immersion, thermal shock, jet of hot water at high pressure, etc * Impact test at room temperature and low (-20degC to -30degC) temperature conditions.

Rhodia Engineering Plastics is promoting Technyl A 238P5 M25 for both in-line and on-line painted parts, for example: vertical panels, fuel filler flaps, rocker pillars, front grills, and exterior trim applications.

Rhodia Engineering Plastics can support its' customers in the development of new applications through its' technical application developments centers worldwide.

Appropriate support is available from the concept to the production of body panels including assistance with mould design, CAE, process optimization and testing on components.

Polyamide grades perform better acoustically

Two polyamide grades have an acoustic performance that is superior to traditional engineering plastics and offer more than 4dB improvement over glass reinforced PP or PA.

Rhodia Engineering Plastics has announced the launch of two new polyamide grades offering acoustic performance that is superior to traditional engineering plastics. These new grades offer more than 4dB improvement versus other engineering plastics such as glass reinforced PP or PA. Thanks to their intrinsic acoustic insulation improvement, Technyl STARTM S 218dB1 M50 and Technyl STARTM S 218dB2 MV60 allow designers to remove expensive acoustic components such as foams or heavy layers, without affecting the acoustic performance of their systems and even improving it in some cases.

These solutions open then the way for significant cost savings, combined with new design freedom.

As a mono material solution, these two grades offer an easier recycling solution for parts that have to fulfil a noise insulation role than typically used composite solutions.

In automotive under-the-hood applications, Technyl STARTM S 218dB1 M50 and Technyl STARTM S 218dB2 MV60 not only contribute to improved passenger comfort, but also help in compliance with environmental noise and recycling regulations.

Rhodia Engineering Plastics' engineers at the Lyon, France-based Acoustic Center have demonstrated that these grades can optimize the acoustic performance of any kind of application that requires a high level of noise insulation.

Target automotive applications for these new acoustic grades include carburators, engine covering systems, distribution covers, bonnet louvers or air pipes.

Additionally, various housings in electrical appliances, as well as sound insulators in buildings are applications currently being developed with this innovative material solution.

Rhodia Engineering Plastics, headquartered in Lyon, France, is the world wide specialist in polyamide engineering thermoplastic materials.

The company has a sales network that spans the world, with manufacturing plants and technical development centres in Europe, North America, South America and Asia.

Rhodia is one of the world's leading manufacturers of specialty chemicals.

Providing a wide range of innovative products and services to the consumer care, food, industrial care, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, automotive, electronics and fibers markets, Rhodia offers its customers tailor-made solutions based on the cross-fertilization of technologies, people and expertise.

Rhodia subscribes to the principles of Sustainable Development communicating its commitments and performance openly with stakeholders.

Rhodia generated net sales of EUR5.5 billion in 2003 and employs 23,000 people worldwide.

Rhodia is listed on the Paris and New York stock exchanges.