Clariant Masterbatches developed nylon compounds that meet demands for tee connectors in landscape irrigation systems.
Dawn Industries Inc. introduced its Kwik-Tap saddle tee to stand out from the competition and allow new ways for making connections. The Arvada, Colo., firm has been in the underground sprinkler market for 27 years and molds the Kwik-Tap connector.
Dawn chose a 15 percent glass-reinforced nylon 6 from Clariant to make the saddle of the tee. The tap component needs to be stronger, so it is made from a Clariant 36 percent glass nylon 6.
The nylons contain an internal silicone lubricant to make it easy to remove them from the unscrewing molds. The tap component needs a big runner system, which generates scrap.
Dawn regrinds scrap.
The longer Dawn molded its initial development material and added regrind, the darker the orange color got, the firms said. Clariant's specialty compounding business in Millington, Md., found a heat-stable colorant that stabilizes the orange color of the tap component during repeated molding and regrind cycles, allowing Dawn to color-match the tap with the saddle for a cosmetically repeatable product, according to Clariant.
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