World’s first cost-efficient coating solution for air conditioning piping Superior UV resistance and thermal properties vs. existing PA12 coating materials Bio-sourced eco-friendly fluid barrier solution
Lyon, France October 16, 2013 ---Here at K’2013, Solvay Engineering Plastics, a global leader in polyamide solutions, today announced that Technyl®eXten has successfully demonstrated its effectiveness as a highly efficient fluid barrier material in a world-first application for air conditioning systems manufactured by GMS Korea, a leader in precision instrument technology.
Used as a protective coating for aluminium refrigerant piping, Technyl®eXten provides cost and ecological benefits by helping to replace copper. This broadens its potential for end use in markets such as home appliances, construction and automotive, while at the same time extending the attractive potential of Solvay’s technology over PA 12 also into the field of metal coating.
“Aluminium has a better surface-to-weight ratio, melts at lower temperatures and is far less expensive than copper. Consequently, we were seeking a coating material to support our initiative for replacing copper by aluminium without trading off these benefits and compromising the high surface quality expected by our customers,” explains David Kim, CEO at GMS Korea. “The Technyl® eXten material from Solvay exhibits excellent flowability and metal adhesion. This and its high chemical, UV and temperature resistance coupled with low humidity absorption ensure the long-term corrosion protection required by our products. Moreover, the
polymer used for Technyl® eXten is partially bio-sourced, helping us to lower our environmental footprint in comparison to the use of more conventional, fully petrochemical-based PA 12.”
The new metal coating grade - Technyl®eXten D 236AL - is produced in Asia but commercially available worldwide. Main target countries include China, Korea, Japan, India, the United States and Brazil, which account for approximately 70 percent of the air conditioning market worldwide. This special formulation helps to speed the adoption of aluminium in key application areas from heat exchangers to refrigerant and cooling pipes. Furthermore, this solution can easily be adapted to other metals for protection against surface oxidation or corrosion. Solvay Engineering Plastics also provides comprehensive application support, including customized pre-colouring.
“Technyl eXten underscores our expertise in fluid barrier materials and offers excellent chemical and weathering resistance as well as better thermal properties and low-temperature impact strength over existing PA12 materials,” says James Mitchell, Global Market Director for Solvay Engineering Plastics. “In addition, it is partially based on sebacic acid derived from castor oil, which raises its renewable carbon content up to more than 60 percent. This meets increased customer, consumer and regulatory demands for more sustainable high- performance material solutions.”
For 60 years, high-performance Technyl®materials have led to value-added innovations in such varied industries as automotive and transport, construction and energy, consumer goods and industrial equipment. Today, the Technyl®range is stronger than ever owing to the differentiating offer of products and services for Metal Replacement, Fire Protection, Thermal Management and Fluid Barrier applications founded on Solvay Engineering Plastics’ expertise.
For further information about Technyl®solutions please visit our website www.technyl.com
®Technyl is a registered trademark of Rhodia Operations, member of the Solvay group.
As an international chemical group, SOLVAY assists industries in finding and implementing ever more responsible and value-creating solutions. The Group is firmly committed to sustainable development and focused on innovation and operational excellence. Solvay serves diversified markets, generating 90% of its turnover in activities where it is one of the top three worldwide. The group is headquartered in Brussels, employs about 29,000 people in 55 countries and generated 12.4 billion euros in net sales in 2012. Solvay SA is listed as SOLB.BE on NYSE Euronext in Brussels and Paris (Bloomberg: SOLB:BB - Reuters: SOLB.BR).
