CorporateProfiles

hat are Advanced Bio-Circular (ABC) materials?

Arkema’s Advanced Bio-Circular materials are based on amino 11 chemistry. The Group’s flagship Rilsan^® polyamide 11 (nylon 11) is first “Advanced” because of its high-performance properties. It offers improvements in weight reduction, flexibility, durability, dimensional stability and corrosion resistance versus standard materials like PA6. The Rilsan^® product family includes grades that are tailored for higher temperatures, transparency, conductivity and more.

The “Bio” in Advanced Bio-Circular comes from the bio-based origin of Arkema’s amino 11 chemistry. Specifically, these materials are derived from the castor plant, a sustainable, renewable crop that does not compete with food and does not cause deforestation. Arkema is a leading driver of sustainable castor farming in India.

Lastly, materials based on amino 11 chemistry are “Circular” in that they can be recycled. Arkema offers its Virtucycle^® services to partner customers, where Arkema plays the role of “matchmaker” —matching companies who want to recycle with those who want to source recycled materials. From there, Arkema’s recently acquired subsidiary, AGIPLAST, gets to work in mechanically recycling the discarded parts and scrap into new raw material for new applications. This mechanical recycling allows another ~80 percent further reduction in CO₂ impact.

Automotive applications

Arkema’s ABC materials have been used in various automotive applications for more than 70 years, and they are currently being used in technologies that will enable cars of the future. The broad portfolio of amino 11-based materials includes grades designed for injection molding, extrusion, rotomolding, powder coating and 3D printing. Some applications include: battery cooling lines, hydrogen storage tank liners, emissions control lines (e.g., PCV, SCR, EGR), bus bar insulation, fuel lines, connectors and fittings, key fobs and more.

Benefits of ABC materials

The Rilsan^® PA11 product family offers a variety of advantages depending on the applications they are being used in and the alternatives they are replacing. Some examples are as follows:

• Excellent barrier properties to fuels and gases
• First-rate cold temperature impact strength
• Great resistance to ZnCl2 while under stress
• Better dimensional stability (lower water uptake) compared to short-chain polyamides like PA6
• Significantly reduces weight when replacing rubber/metal systems
• Excellent flexibility and processability

For additional information, contact Arkema at 900 First Avenue, King of Prussia, PA 19406-1308 USA, phone (610) 205-7396 or (800) 596-2750, fax (610) 205-7497, armani.chavolla@arkema.com or extremematerials.com.