Asahi Kasei eyes lighter-weight options, new recycling technology

Friedrichshafen, Germany — Fakuma 2023 marked the unveiling of Lencen, a continuous glass-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic made by Asahi Kasei Corp.

Lencen is a composite material formed by stacking layers of continuous glass fiber textiles with nylon 6/6 films. Officials said that because of the material's tensile strength, high heat resistance and metal-like impact properties, it improves collision safety and reduces the weight of EV batteries.

Lencen can be used in many metal replacement applications, such as compression molded battery cases for electric vehicles, engineering plastics general manager Martin Aeschlimann said at Fakuma 2023.

Other applications displayed by Tokyo-based Asahi Kasei at the event included cooling pipes made with Xyron polyphenylene ether (PPE), mirrors made of Leona nylon, battery transport cases made of PPE foam and display lenses made with AZP transparent acrylic optimal polymers.

Asahi Kasei also is developing a microwave-based method of recycling nylon 6/6 into its adipic acid and HMD feedstocks. The resulting material could be reused, resulting in 50 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions. A pilot plant using the microwave process is on track to open in Japan in 2024, with a large-scale facility possibly opening in 2027.

Also at the show, Asahi Kasei displayed a bio-based and biodegradable cellulose nano fiber (CNF). This material is made from cotton linter and features high heat resistance and network-forming ability. Officials said that CNF-reinforced nylon is suitable for 3D printing applications in terms of easy printing, dimensional accuracy, smooth appearance and mechanical performance.

Aeschlimann said that when customers first talk with Asahi Kasei about sustainable options, larger OEMS "have a sense of what they want and what the government is asking of them, but smaller OEMs and molders can't know what's coming."

"That's why we try to give [our customers] options using different types of materials," he added.

Asahi Kasei is an industrial conglomerate that employs almost 47,000 worldwide. The firm's Asahi Kasei Plastics North America unit ranks as one of North America's 30 largest compounders, making compounds based on polypropylene and engineering resins.