MOSCOW (MRC) -- Royal DSM, a global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials, is taking its EcoPaXX polyamide into an important new market - drinking water contact application, said the producer in its press release.
Use of this material offers a high-performance, lead-free option for applications such as faucet mixing valves.
The water management market is looking for high-performance polymers that are able to withstand the stringent requirements of hot-water contact, while still meeting all major drinking water approval schemes.
Legislation also has been driving replacement of metals in applications that involve direct contact with drinking water. Brass and other metals traditionally have been used for such applications as faucets, water-meter and boiler components. Lead contamination in drinking water is a major concern worldwide, leading to more stringent regulation on lead limits in drinking water. This has driven the industry to look for alternatives, and engineering plastics such as EcoPaXX offer a completely lead-free solution, and fully comply with those regulations.
Leading industry players already are successfully using EcoPaXX Q-DWX10, a 50% glass-fiber-reinforced polyamide 410, for faucet mixing valves because of its outstanding performance. This material enables the design of faucet mixing valves with lower risk of part failure and water leakage, a key focus for the industry.
Externally validated by international lifecycle assessment experts, EcoPaXX base polymer is carbon-neutral from cradle to gate. Compared to polyphthalamide (PPA) resins with similar function, EcoPaXX compounds offer a 30% lower carbon footprint. Additionally, the material shows excellent flow and processability, resulting in high weld-line strength, and can be processed like any other standard polyamide material.
Having recognized this trend, DSM is further extending its portfolio of specialty materials suitable for addressing the full spectrum of drinking water contact uses. The company already offers EcoPaXX and ForTii - inherently hydrolysis-resistant grades that are based on polyamides 410 and 4T, respectively. It also recently added Xytron PPS compounds, which are ideal when very high dimensional stability is needed.
"With the successful commercialization of EcoPaXX polyamide 410 in faucet mixing valves, DSM has proven its ability to offer solutions for highly critical drinking water contact applications," says Caroline Mitterlehner, business responsible for the water management segment at DSM. "DSM is already active in many high-heat and water-contact applications in other industries, such as cooling-systems in automotive. We are now successfully translating this competence of resistance to hydrolytic environments into the drinking water contact market, where temperatures are lower, but required lifetimes are typically much longer."
As MRC reported before, in April 2016, as a result of increasing raw material prices Netherlands-based Royal DSM increased the price for its Akulon and Novamid polyamide 6 polymers and compounds. DSM raised its prices in Europe by EUR120/tonne for polyamide polymer and by EUR85/tonne for polyamide compounds.
Royal DSM is a global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials. DSM delivers innovative solutions that nourish, protect and improve performance in global markets such as food and dietary supplements, personal care, feed, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, automotive, paints, electrical and electronics, life protection, alternative energy and bio-based materials.
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