A. Advanced: SOLUTIONS FOR THE FUTURE IN THE FACE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
Rilsan® polyamide 11, Rilsamid® polyamide 12, Kynar® PVDF, Kepstan® PEKK: “The Group’s high‑performance polymers firstly share the common purpose of serving applications with a long service life and making major contributions to the global innovation effort to address major climate and energy challenges”, explains Charlotte Herdt, Global Sustainability Program Manager for Arkema’s High‑Performance Polymers business unit. This fundamental aim is notably reflected in the growth of electric (p. 17) and hydrogen mobility (p. 23), in the race to create lighter components in the transport sector
(from Rilsan® polyamide 11 to Kepstan® PEKK), and also in the soles of technical sports shoes.
B. Bio‑based: THE SEEDS OF SUSTAINABLE GROWTH.
With more than 70 years of expertise in castor chemistry, Arkema has created in Rilsan® polyamide 11 a veritable global standard for high‑performance bio‑sourced polymers. “While petroleum‑based equivalents use a raw material that takes thousands of years to form, castor beans are harvested several times a year by farmers”, confirms Charlotte Herdt (see box opposite). A truly decisive argument: Arkema’s various polyamide 11 based materials (Rilsan® 100% bio‑sourced, Rilsan® Clear 40 to 60% bio‑sourced, Pebax® Rnew® 30 to 98% bio‑sourced) are experiencing growing success in a range of applications. The Group supports and anticipates this demand by developing a next‑generation production capacity in Singapore which will increase the global availability of polyamide 11 by 50% (p. 63).
C. Circular: FROM RECYCLING POLYMERS TO ECO‑DESIGN
Arkema has made recyclability the backbone of its high‑performance polymer innovation policy. The Group's commitment accelerated in 2019 with the launch of the Virtucycle® program, which aims to develop recovery and regeneration loops, mainly for Kynar® PVDF and Rilsan® polyamide 11.
A key milestone was reached in 2021 with the acquisition of Agiplast (see next page). At the same time, the Group has been raising awareness and supporting its customers and industrial partners through its sales teams and a team of “bio‑ambassadors”. “It’s about identifying sources of recyclable materials, particularly in our customers’ factories, and working together with them to design recovery schemes adapted to each situation”, says Charlotte Herdt. “We are also increasingly working with them to apply the principles of eco‑design: reducing the number of materials, the chemical complexity, and thinking, right from the design stage, about the recovery and recycling possibilities at the end of their life.”
