Alpharetta, Ga., September 8, 2016 – Solvay, a leading global supplier of specialty polymers has qualified the manufacturing site of Quadion LLC (dba Minnesota Rubber and Plastics)in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China, as a certified injection molder of Solvay’s ultra-high performance Torlon® polyamide-imide (PAI). This is the second certification for Minnesota Rubber and Plastics, a global leader in the design and supply of advanced precision components and highly engineered solutions, as their River Falls, Wis. USA plant was similarly qualified in 2015.
“Solvay’s stringent certification process confirms that our Chinese facility has the equipment and expertise necessary to injection mold Torlon® PAI,” said Lih Fang Chew, Global Vice President of Marketing, Minnesota Rubber and Plastics. “Torlon® PAI allows our customers to explore and improve new product designs for automotive and other application markets. This certification will help our Chinese customers comply with demanding regulatory and agency approvals, such as ASTM D4000, ASTM D5204, Mil-P-46183 and Mil-P-46179A, together with specific material certifications at key OEMs and tier suppliers serving important markets across Asia.”
Torlon® PAI, one of the highest performing thermoplastics in Solvay’s specialty polymers portfolio, combines the exceptional performance of thermoset polyimides with the melt processing advantage of thermoplastics. This advanced material portfolio encompasses wear-resistant grades that offer unsurpassed performance in both dry and lubricated environments, and high-strength grades that retain their toughness and high strength and stiffness at temperatures up to 275 °C (525 °F), establishing them as the industry's highest performing thermoplastics in this regard. The Torlon® PAI portfolio further offers outstanding creep resistance, an extremely low coefficient of linear thermal expansion and excellent abrasion and chemical resistance. The material’s high-end performance profile is ideal for many precision components used in repetitive-use, load-bearing applications, such as automotive seal rings and transmission thrust washers, ball joint sockets, molded gears and slide elements for steering systems where it successfully replaces metals.
“Torlon® PAI delivers proven reliability in applications too severe for even advanced thermoplastics, which explains why it is often specified as a lightweight replacement for metal,” said Christopher Wilson, Senior Vice President for Ultra Polymers at Solvay’s Specialty Polymers global business unit. “Solvay’s certified molder status validates that Minnesota Rubber and Plastics possesses the processing expertise necessary to optimize Torlon® PAI’s unique properties, and enable it to meet or exceed the most demanding customer applications in a wide range of industries.”
“Our latest certification as a qualified Torlon® PAI injection molder further expands the Suzhou plant's broad offering of high-performance thermoplastics,” added Chew. "It also underscores Minnesota Rubber and Plastics’ strong commitment to meeting Asia’s fast-growing demand for the state-of-the-art polymer technologies that its OEM customers need to successfully compete in today’s global markets.”
® Torlon is a registered trademark of Solvay
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About Minnesota Rubber and Plastics
Quadion LLC (dba Minnesota Rubber and Plastics)is a global leader in the formulation of high performance rubber and plastic parts for the water, power, transportation, medical and pharmaceutical markets. Building on a foundation of over seventy years of advanced material technology and manufacturing expertise, Minnesota Rubber and Plastics provides superior design and production latitude for efficient project implementation with fast time to market.
About Solvay
Solvay Specialty Polymers manufactures over 1500 products across 35 brands of high-performance polymers – fluoropolymers, fluoroelastomers, fluorinated fluids, semi-aromatic polyamides, sulfone polymers, aromatic ultra-high performance polymers, high barrier polymers and cross-linked high-performance compounds – for use in Aerospace, Alternative Energy, Automotive, Healthcare, Membranes, Oil and Gas, Packaging, Plumbing, Semiconductors, Wire & Cable, and other industries. Learn more at www.solvayspecialtypolymers.com.
An international chemical and advanced materials company, Solvay assists its customers in innovating, developing and delivering high-value, sustainable products and solutions which consume less energy and reduce CO2 emissions, optimize the use of resources and improve the quality of life. Solvay serves diversified global end markets, including automotive and aerospace, consumer goods and healthcare, energy and environment, electricity and electronics, building and construction as well as industrial applications. Solvay is headquartered in Brussels with about 30,900 employees spread across 53 countries. It generated pro forma net sales of € 12.4 bn in 2015, with 90% made from activities where it ranks among the world’s top 3 players. Solvay SA (SOLB.BE) is listed on Euronext in Brussels and Paris (Bloomberg: SOLB:BB - Reuters: SOLB.BR).
