Mobility/Transport
Rilsan® polyamide 11 contributes in several key ways to the advent of cleaner mobility. In particular, it offers an alternative to metal and rubber for various structural parts of vehicles, notably in the form of composite bands loaded with carbon or glass fibers, offering manufacturers a bio‑sourced and recyclable solution in their race to make vehicles lighter. It is also increasingly used in demanding applications such as the fuel lines of plug‑in hybrid vehicles, as well as in new electric vehicle battery cooling lines (see p. 18). In the medium term, it appears to be well positioned to contribute to the rise of hydrogen vehicles. Its high resistance to cold shocks (up to -50°C) makes it a particular material of choice for hydrogen tanks.
Consumer electronics
In this market that is constantly innovating, very few materials offer both the expected high level of performance and the renewable nature of a plant‑based raw material. Rilsan® Clear polyamide 11, formulated to give it specific properties such as high rigidity and flawless transparency, is becoming increasingly popular for dozens of niche applications including structural elements in cell phones, folding screens and watch parts. With the boom in 5G technology, the low dielectric constant of some Rilsan® grades makes it a solution of choice for certain smartphone components that require such “transparent” materials.
Sporting goods
Sporting performance is often associated with talk of equipment and materials performance. In this huge market whose growth, especially in Asia, is driven by the rise in living standards, Rilsan® polyamide 11 and especially Pebax® RNew®, a combination of a thermoplastic elastomer and polyamide 11 blocks, offer lightness, flexibility, impact resistance and/or energy restitution to many items. These include soles and structural parts for soccer and running shoes, ski boots, anoraks and so on. Their bio‑sourced nature is a feature that is increasingly in demand from end consumers and that is promoted by manufacturers.
Specialty coatings
Many fine powder grades of Rilsan® are used as specialty coatings for a wide variety of technical applications. One of these is the manufacture of dishwasher baskets, a market with strong organic growth in Asian markets, which will be a major outlet for Arkema’s new downstream production unit at its Changshu facility in China. Production there is scheduled to start in 2023. Rilsan® fine powders are also used for coating metal parts, such as water pipe fittings, and for the chemical and electrical isolation of bus bars that connect cells inside electric vehicle batteries.
3D printing
The additive manufacturing market is growing at an annual rate of 30%, beyond prototyping, to many small and medium series applications. Arkema is deploying an unrivaled portfolio of solutions based on the complementarity of its high‑performance polymers. Rilsan® polyamide 11, well‑suited to laser sintering technology, offers mechanical strength and durability for the rapid manufacture of custom‑made shapes, in areas such as eyewear and bicycle helmets adapted to the cyclist’s body shape (see p.40 and 41).
