Royal DSM NV and other resin makers will be putting their best materials forward at NPE 2015.
Royal DSM (West Hall, Room 225A) is focusing on applications for its Akulon-brand nylon 6 and Arnitel-brand copolyester resins. In food packaging, those materials can meet food safety needs while reducing food and packaging waste, officials said. Akulon XS grades in particular have an extended processing window and can provide new opportunities in designing co-extruded multilayer and monolayer film structures.
The Dutch firm also will be highlighting uses of its materials in composite gas tanks for compressed natural gas. In memory connectors, DSM's Stanyl nylon 4/6 resins are making an impact, while also being used in halogen-free sockets in the housing sector.
Grades of Stanyl and Akulon sold under the Diablo trade name offer high-temperature resistance and are aimed at automotive applications such as air intake manifolds, ducts and charge air cooler applications. In these applications, the materials can withstand applications as high as 260° Celsius.
DSM is based in Sittard, the Netherlands. The firm operates a compounding plant in Evansville, Ind., as DSM Engineering plastics, and recently announced plans to build a new nylon resin plant in Augusta, Ga. That plant is set to open in mid-2016.
Other resin makers making the scene in Orlando, Fla., include:
AGC Chemicals Americas Inc. (Booth S19054): Fluoropolymer maker will present a broad array of products featuring AFLAS-brand fluroelastomers and Fluon-brand fluoropolymers.
Fluon filled PTFE compounds provide enhanced deformation and creep resistance, thermal conductivity and wear performance for seals, gaskets and other critical parts, officials said. Fluon melt-processable compounds can be based on several fluoropolymers and have physical toughness and heat and chemical resistance for auto, industrial and aerospace components.
Fluon PTFE resins and micropowders are used in stick shapes and wire insulation, as well as additives to oils, greases and similar materials. Fluon ETFE and low-melt ETFE resins have superior resistance to heat and chemical attack and can be injection-molded and blow-molded.
AFLAS fluoroelastomers have outstanding resistance to heat and solvents and can be used in the oil and gas market and in chemical processing.
AGC Chemicals Americas is based in Exton, Pa., with manufacturing in nearby Thorndale, Pa.
Elastocon TPE Technologies (Booth S26043): Thermoplastic elastomer maker from Rochester, Ill., will be launching five new grades of its material. Four of the grades will be Elastocon-brand TPEs that can be overmolded, extruded, blow molded or compounded. Of those four, three will be black and one will be colorable. The fifth new grade will be an Elastocon CLR with high tensile and tear strength and a tactile finish. The material is FDA-compliant and can be overmolded onto polypropylene and other resins. Potential applications for Elastocon CLR include medical products and toys.
The firm also has added new production lines for both custom and standard grades and has installed new lab equipment as well.
Green Dot Holdings LLC (Booth S21199): Bioplastics maker from Cottonwood Falls, Kan., will showcase its bioplastics, biocoposites and custom formulations.
Green Dot has developed a thermoplastic elastomer with more than 50 percent renewable material from plant starch. Toymaker BeginAgain Toys is using Green Dot's material in a play set and a teether.
Green Dot was founded in March 2011 by CEO Mark Remmert and several partners. He helped launch the firm after retiring in late 2011 after a 30-year career with Dow Chemical Co. and its Styron spinoff. In early 2013, Green Dot acquired the bioplastics business of MGP Ingredients Inc. The acquisition included a bioplastics plant in Onaga, Kan., and some research and development assets at MGP's headquarters in Atchison, Kan.
Huntsman Corp. (Booth S15073): Several thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) products will be highlighted by this materials firm which is based in The Woodlands, Texas. They include Avalon-brand TPU for the footwear sector, Irogran-brand TPU for wire and cable and food contact applications and Krystlagran-brand TPU for film and sheet production.
Grades of Krystalgran in particular can help safeguard tablet computer and smartphone screens — as well as automotive bodies — from chips and scratches. Huntsman also recently announced plans to add 55 million pounds of annual capacity for polyetheramine (PEA) resin in Singapore, effectively doubling Huntsman's capacity for the material there. The $100 million project will include backward integration to produce polyethers from locally-sourced feedstocks. PEA resins are used to improve the properties of paint, adhesives, composites and other materials.
Zig Sheng Industrial/Tre Polymer Inc. (Booth S19097): Taiwanese nylon resin maker and compounder Zig Sheng and its distributor — Tre Polymer of Los Angeles — will feature new nylon compounds, as well as nylon filament for 3-D printing and nylon composite and hollow fiber for water treatment. These materials are sold under the Zislloy and Zismid trade names and can be used in power tools, sporting goods, medical devices and auto parts.
