French chemical company Arkema has introduced Rilsan S, a new biosourced polyamide 6.10 range that is partially processed from castor oil.
Manufactured at its Zhangjiagang facility in China, the new product offers an alternative to long-chain polyamides and PA6/PA6.6. It consists of up to 62 percent renewable carbon, contributing to reducing the consumption of non-renewable resources.
According to Arkema, in addition to good processability and high abrasion resistance (comparable with PA12), Rilsan S offers good chemical resistance to fuels, coolants, lubricants, greases and oils, as well as fuel and CO2 permeability, and it exceeds long-chain polyamides' thermal resistance and rigidity, especially when reinforced with glassfiber.
Rilsan S can also offer weldability both on PA6/PA6.6 and on long-chain polyamides.
The various Rilsan S grades already available cover most applications in the field of transport (in particular for fluid transfer quick connectors), monofilaments and injection molded parts for automotive, sports or electronics applications, the company said.
"This innovation has been developed to meet the most pressing needs of our customers who are looking for a credible higher performance alternative to PA6 or PA6.6 polyamides in the most demanding markets looking for better dimensional stability and chemical resistance. We are pleased to be able to provide a solution that suits our customers' medium- to long-term capacity and competitiveness needs," commented José Teixeira Pires, Arkema's general manager for long-chain polyamides and alloys.
