Hutchinson srl of Rivoli, Italy, is producing a diesel-engine fuel line using a DuPont bio-based polyamide blend.
The new Zytel RS PA1010 is 60 percent sebacic acid, derived from castor oil. It is extruded into fuel lines used on the Fiat 500, Panda, Punto, Lancia Ypsilon and other Fiat cars that use diesel or biodiesel fuels. The part won the Society of Plastics Engineers 2011 Automotive Innovation awards, in the environmental category.
Hutchinson found the PA1010 grade stood up to biodiesel-fuel requirements better than a competing PA12 material, Wilmington-based DuPont Co. said in a news release. The plastic tubing is 20 percent lighter than metal.
Hutchinson plans to extend its use to other automakers and fuel-system applications.
