Zeon extends capabilities of its speciality rubbers
11 Jul 2022
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New grades offer enhanced performance properties, reduce carbon footprint
Nuremberg, Germany - Zeon Europe GmbH, part of Zeon Corp. of Japan, presented some interesting advances within its portfolio of specialty rubber materials at last week’s DKT IRC event.
At the event held 27-30 June in Nuremberg, Zeon presented several new high-performance materials offering enhancements in terms of sustainability, performance and processing characteristics.
Reflecting the increasingly stringent demands on many speciality elastomers, the introductions also included products exhibiting improved resistance to new types of automotive service fluids and media.
These requirements can also be met more sustainably, as evidenced by Zeon’s new Bio-Hydrin ECO, which incorporates an epichlorohydrin monomer derived from a by-product of biodiesel production.
Stated to fully maintain the properties of standard fossil-based Hydrin epichlorohydrin rubber, the bio-based version is being targeted particularly at applications in automotive and industrial parts.
With the feedstock “originating from sustainable agricultural sources”, substitution with 1kg Bio-Hydrin can reduce carbon footprint by up to 2.56 kg CO2 equiv, Zeon estimates.
The Japanese supplier also rolled out enhanced grades of its HyTemp ACM rubber, offering improved low-temperature performance and aggressive fluid resistance,
Products are said to maintain the heat resistance of established high temperature ACMs, which employ optimised monomer arrangements in the polymer chain and advanced cross-linking technology.
Zeon’s high-temperature ACMs are widely used in automotive sealing and gaskets as well as for hose applications for air and fluid management systems of the engine.
Resistance to high temperature and automotive fluids makes these ACM suitable for use in e-mobility sealing applications, the company statement also pointed out.
Processability has been another focus for Zeon’s R&D team, as with newly introduced grades DP5227 and DP5250, which complement the Hydrin HT-ECO offerings.
As well as enhanced processing and increased upper temperature resistance compared to standard ECO grades, the elastomers offer several cure system possibilities, according to the company.
Cure system options, it stated, include sulphur and peroxide, as well as triazine and bisphenol for flexibility in moulding, calendering and extrusion processes.
Target applications for these grades include automotive sealing and fuel hoses, as well as industrial components such as diaphragms and oil hoses.
Image: Copyright ZEON Europe GmbH
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