Jul 17 2009
Launched in March 2009, Rilsan HT for extrusion is the first flexible high-temperature thermoplastic to replace metal in high-temperature applications. Today, Arkema unveils Rilsan HT injection resins. The Rilsan HT range is now the first complete polyphtalamide (PPA)-based product line suitable for all process technologies, ranging from extrusion to blow or injection molding. Rilsan HT resins are up to 70% bio-based and match the increasing environmental commitment of many industries.
PPA-based injection resins in automotive applications have increasingly replaced metal parts as a way to optimize costs, reduce emissions and weight, improve fuel economy and extend car life. Until now, PPA-based injection resins were more difficult and costly to process when compared to aliphatic high-performance polyamides.
Rilsan HT offers easy processing and cost-efficient manufacturing
Rilsan HT is the only PPA-based injection resin that offers processing characteristics similar to those of aliphatic high-performance polyamides. With mold temperatures close to those of PA12 and PA11, Rilsan HT can be easily processed on standard injection-molding equipment using conventional water-cooled temperature control. Moreover, Rilsan HT can be processed in injection molds designed for PA12 and PA11 thanks to similar mold shrinkage properties.
Unlike conventional PPA-based resins, Rilsan HT has very low moisture uptake, which provides multiple benefits in manufacture and applications. Low moisture pickup means that Rilsan HT resin is easily stored and requires no supplemental steps before processing. Low moisture absorption makes the resin easy to process and handle, and imparts reliable uniformity to the finished parts' properties, which avoids further downstream processing and limits waste. The finished parts exhibit excellent dimensional stability.
Rilsan HT builds its own class among the PPA polymers
Rilsan HT injection grades have exceptional ductility not found in typical semi-aromatic injection resins. Thus Rilsan HT resins deliver a designer-friendly balance of toughness, strength and elongation and reduce the risk of failures that can occur with brittle plastics, such as conventional PPA-based injection materials or PPS.
Conductivity combined with ductility make Rilsan HT the first conductive PPA-based injection resin that perfectly balances high temperature resistance and excellent mechanical properties with conductivity - making it well suited for fuel system applications where conductivity is specifically required, as it is in the North American market.
Furthermore, Rilsan HT is the only PPA-based injection resin that can be easily spin-welded with aliphatic high performance polyamides, a completely new processing feature for this material group. This offers further component integration and addresses the enhanced safety and emission standards of pipe connections in fuel-conducting systems.
Rilsan HT injection grades - glass-fiber reinforced or formulated for conductivity - are ideally suited for metal replacement in fuel system applications requiring low permeation, low swelling and high thermal resistance. And the suitability of the injection grade for quick-connectors and other temperature resistant parts extends to powertrain components including those integrated with Rilsan HT flexible tubing.
Rilsan HT allows you to benefit from renewable materials
Largely derived from renewable non-food-crop vegetable feedstock, Rilsan HT is a durable high-temperature thermoplastic containing up to 70% renewable carbon. Rilsan HT offers a significant reduction in CO2 emissions compared to conventional petroleum-based high-temperature plastics, a reduced dependence on oil resources and a perfect fit with the eco-design concepts of many vehicle manufacturers.