Plastics News Show Daily - April 4, 2012 - (Page 12)

12 PLASTICS NEWS, April 4, 2012 Radici Group extending its nylon family By Frank Esposito PLASTICS NEWS STAFF ORLANDO, FLA. — Radici Group (Booth 35017) has hit the floor at NPE2012 with three recently commercialized grades of nylon resins. All three grades are part of Radici’s Radilon-brand nylon family, marketing and application director Erico Spini said during a press event at NPE2012. The newest grade is an eco-sustainable material for injection molding and extrusion. The eco-grade is based on nylon 6/10 and is 60 percent com- posed of renewable resources, primarily sebaccic acid from castor oil beans and plants. The material has improved chemical resistance and is less expensive than standard grades of nylon 6/12, Spini said. Radici produces the material at a plant at its headquarters site in Bergamo, Italy. Radici also recently has launched high-heat-resistance grades of nylon 6/6. The materials are aimed at the auto market and address needs in engine downsizing and longer vehicle life times, Spini said. They can be used in blow molding as well as injection molding. One grade — a 35 percent glass-filled 6/6 — can replace specialty polymers such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), he added. The third new offering is a line of high-fill level grades of nylon 6 and 6/6 for metal replacement. Radici executive Michael Cain added that the firm “is very optimistic about the U.S. market.” Cain is executive vice president of Radici Plastics USA, which operates a compounding plant in Wadsworth, Ohio. Nylon and engineering resins demand in the U.S. is expected to average 4.5 percent annual growth to 2020, Cain said. Radici’s major markets in automotive and electrical/electronic are also expected to grow with automotive builds possibly reaching 14.5 million per year. Radici has about $2 billion in annual plastics sales. In addition to its plant in Wadsworth, the firm operates a plant making polymer-based Spandex synthetic fibers in Gastonia, N.C. Plastics News photo by Michael Marcotte Spot-on: Erico Spini, marketing and application director for Radici Group, details his firm’s latest nylon grades at NPE2012. DuPont: Sustainability needs to be ‘holistic’ By Frank Esposito PLASTICS NEWS STAFF ORLANDO, FLA. — DuPont Co. (Booth 35013) is broadening its approach to sustainability by encouraging its customers to look beyond their material use. “The first step is to get your house in order,” Shanna Moore, global sustainability director, said in an interview at NPE2012. Moore was scheduled to deliver a paper on the topic at the Antec technical conference during the event. “You can look at your energy usage, emissions, water and waste,” she said. “These are simple things any company can do.” Wilmington, Del.-based DuPont — a global leader in engineering resins and related products — “is taking a holistic view” of sustainability, including looking at ways to reduce carbon footprints at its own facilities and those of its customers. Internally, DuPont is recycling its own Fusebond-brand ethylene copolymers into products such as pipes and bottles. The firm’s Building Innovations unit also has completely eliminated its landfill waste. DuPont also has found success with its Biomax Strong-brand additive, which improves processing of polylactic acid bioplastics and reduces energy use by 30 percent. Next, the firm will work more closely with its customers. Some of our customers are very sophisticated when it comes to sustainability,” Moore said. “Procter & Gamble, Unilever and Coca-Cola all do excellent jobs. But we also have some customers who don’t know the basics and don’t know where to start.” In some cases, Moore said this lack of a sustainability program might be a function of company size. “We’ve been tracking our own data for years, but others might not have the resources to do so,” she said. DuPont also endorsed a recent presidential directive and proposed legislation that supports the growth of bio-based products made from agricultural ingredients as good for the U.S. economy and the environment. DuPont’s BioPreferred-certified products include Susterra Propanediol, which is certified 100 percent bio-based by USDA. This product is a specialty glycol that offers a nonpetroleum alternative for products such as polyurethanes and aviation de-icing fluids. DuPont’s bio-based products also include DuPont Hytrel RS Thermoplastic Polyester Elastomer, a renewably sourced polyol used to make hoses and tubing for automotive and industrial uses. The firm’s Performance Materials unit — including nylon and other engineering resins — saw sales grow 8 percent to $6.8 billion in 2011.  http://www.gamma-meccanica.it http://www.irecyclingsolutions.com http://www.gamma-meccanica.it http://weimaamerica.com http://weimaamerica.com

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Plastics News Show Daily - April 4, 2012

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