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industrial giant in chemicals , textile solutions , and the production of engineering polymers . At present , the company based in Gandino ( near Bergamo ) has a staff of about 3 thousand and a network of production units and sales offices in Europe , the Americas and Asia . The experience
Erico Spini , Marketing & Application Development Director at RadiciGroup
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and know-how gained in the field have made RadiciGroup a world benchmark in the production of a wide range of chemical intermediates , polyamide polymers , high-performance engineering plastics as well as nylon and polyester fibres destined for numerous sectors , such as the automotive , E & E , consumer goods , clothing , furniture , construction , household appliances and sports industries . The utmost attention to the customers ’ requests , the desire to anticipate their needs and offer them tailor-made solutions , is the main objective that the company has always set itself , focusing on the efficiency and quality of processes , products and services , always relying on the latest technologies and innovative systems compatible with safety and environmental protection .
VEGETABLE-BASED POLYAMIDE “ Precisely on the subject of environment and sustainability , the market is increasingly interested in bio-based products and , in this sense , we already have a highly popular polymer in our catalogue , the Radilon D , a PA 6.10 derived from the oil extracted from castor beans , marketed for rather important engineering applications ” said Erico Spini , RadiciGroup Marketing & Application Development Director . “ The success of this polymer derives from the fact that , compared to our core products like PA6 and PA66 , it offers some advantages that have allowed it to be used as an alternative to PA12 . Advantages such as , for example , the ability to absorb less water than conventional polyamides , as a result
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providing better dimensional stability , combined with chemical resistance much higher than PA6 and PA66 and processability by extrusion and injection moulding .” According to the certified calculations carried out by independent bodies , the production of PA 6.10 allows a 48 % reduction in overall environmental impact compared to PA 66 ( in terms of the amount of CO2 emitted per kilogram of product ), also taking into account the fact that , while it grows , the castor plant absorbs carbon dioxide which is then included in the calculations , leading to a very positive overall balance . The main applications of Radilon D include fuel lines and air ducts for truck braking systems , available in specific grades suitable for extrusion processes , but also heating and plumbing applications where superior resistance to hydrolysis is required , or connectors for the cooling circuits of electric cars . Without neglecting the fact that this polymer can also be used , for example , in the form of monofilaments for toothbrushes , in versions tailored to this type of application . “ Looking at the availability of the raw material , i . e . castor oil , at the present time and keeping in mind our current production volumes , we don ’ t have any supply problems . Yet when considering that in the coming years we might see a significant surge in the demand for this type of material , an increase in investments can be expected with an expansion of cultivations , especially in India , where a sizeable share of castor oil is already produced and where new enterprises related to this |
Italian technology plast / August / September 2023 |
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