Arlanxeo to extend production, capabilities of EPDM

Nuremberg, Germany – Arlanxeo is looking to extend its production of a newly introduced very high molecular weight EPDM rubber to sites outside of China.

The high-molecular Keltan 13561C DE grade is manufactured at the company’s EPDM plant in Changzhou, China, using Keltan ACE polymerisation technology.

Arlanxeo said it is now investigating production of these materials at the company’s sites in Geleen, The Netherlands and Orange, US, locations, using different technologies.

This first Keltan grade with five digits is being targeted particularly at automotive-seal and wastewater sealing applications, the company has previously announced.

Since introducing the semi-crystalline EPDM in 2017, Arlanxeo said it has further developed this grade. Application areas have now been extended into coolant hoses and micro-dense profiles, said Niels van der Aar, Arlanxeo business development manager EPDM/NBR.

At DKT, Arlanxeo also introduced the recent findings of a study into the use of EPDM and natural rubber (NR) blends in applications requiring enhanced temperature resistance.

“Having identified a need in the mechanical engineering and automotive industries for rubber that can withstand high operating temperatures for long periods, we developed a compound with exceptionally high molecular weight, which gives synthetic rubber its extremely high NR-type strength and resilience,” said van der Aar.

The material, ultra-high-molecular Keltan 9565Q, “opens up new potential for more economical EPDM processing compared with NR,” he added.

Arlanxeo also said its scientists have been able to improve synthesis processes to further increase the molecular weight of EPDM.