EcoPaXX®: The green performer The bio-based carbon neutral polyamide

Bio-based materials“As global concern continues to increaseabout the fossil fuel economy, and as bothconsumers and regulators call for greenermaterials, we’re actively working to createhigh-performance products with lowerenvironmental impact,” says Kees Tintel,Business Manager EcoPaXX® at DSM.“We already offer products that are 70%bio-based, and which show superior performance. Our longterm goal is to create performance materials made from 100% renewable resources.”

Brighter Living SolutionsDSM offers an entire range of Brighter Living Solutions designed to contribute to a greener planet. Our portfolio includes halogen-free products, recycle-based products and bio-based high-performance polymers. Furthermore we offer materials that eliminate the use of hazardous substances, and those that extend a product’s serviceable lifetime, or offer signicant reductions in weight or friction to deliver a low carbon footprint.

EcoPaXX is a high-performance polyamidethat outperforms both green and traditionalpolyamides in the most demandingenvironments. The material is carbon neutral from cradle to gate, and is predominantly made from renewable castor bean oil.

Partnership“We see our customers as partners, andsupport them through the entire designand implementation process,” says Kees.“Our customers face increasing pressurefrom consumers and regulators to lower theenvironmental impact of their products.We’re doing everything we can to providethem with greener materials that don’tcompromise on performance. Our Brighter Living Solutions combine with our customers’innovative application designs to create abrighter future for everyone.”

A brighter future withengineering plastics.At DSM, we build our business around creating brighter lives for people today and forgenerations to come. We focus our research and innovation on creating high-performanceproducts that meet the current and future needs of our customers, while helping them toreduce the environmental impact of their applications. Our innovative materials help to save energy, reduce reliance on fossil fuels in a shift towards the use of renewable resources, and drastically reduce the carbon footprint of the products people use every day.

EcoPaXX is a 70% bio-basedmaterial that contributes tobrighter living.

High Performance. Zero carbon footprint.EcoPaXX is a high-performance resin with aneutral carbon footprint. Approximately70% of the polymer’s building blocks arederived from the castor bean plant (RicinusCommunis), a renewable resource. Castorplants grow in tropical areas andproduce well in relatively poor soilconditions. There is no direct competition with the food chain.

EcoPaXX has been proven to be carbonneutral from cradle to gate, meaning thatthe carbon dioxide (CO2) generated inproducing the polymer is completely compensated by the CO2 absorbed during plant growth.

Cradle to CradleEcoPaXX holds the silver Cradle to Cradle®

certication from world-renowned sustainable design firm McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry.

Top performanceEcoPaXX polyamide 410 (PA410) is along-chain polyamide with exceptionalperformance in even the most demandingenvironments.

The material has excellent mechanicalproperties, high heat stability, excellentthermal stability for a broad processingwindow, low moisture absorption for gooddimensional stability, high stiffness afterconditioning, relatively low density forweight reduction, and good hydrolytic andchemical resistance.

This high-performance material is ideallysuited for internal framing applications inconsumer electronics, under-the-hoodautomotive applications such as coolingsystems and engine covers, automotivesafety systems including car seats andairbag systems and sports and leisure.It can also be extruded to create strong,transparent films, or to create mono- and multi filaments for all kinds of industrial and consumer-related applications.

EcoPaXX outperformsboth green andtraditional polyamides.

EcoPaXX: The high-performancepolyamide that’s carbon neutral.

EcoPaXX offers key advantagesover both traditional and “green”polyamides, and is an idealchoice for applications in theautomotive, electrical andelectronics, and sports andleisure markets.

Consumer electronics:- Lightweight with high stiffness (dry/wet)- Good processing and flow

Automotive (under-the-hood):- Hydrolysis and chemical resistant- High stiffness and impact resistant

Automotive (engine covers):- Excellent surface- High temperature resistance

Sports and leisure:- Excellent paintable surface- Impact resistant

Automotive (safety systems):- Excellent impact resistance- Superior mechanical performance

Film:- Good barrier to oxygen and grease (wet)- Excellent puncture resistance

Monofilaments:- Can be oriented for strength and resilience- Hydrolytic resistance and property retention when hot/wet

Tubes and hoses:- Heat resistant in air- Hydrolysis and chemical resistant

EcoPaXX surpasses other greenpolyamides with:- substantially higher melting point- high stiffness and strength- fast injection molding cycles and large processing window for increased productivity.

It outperforms traditional PA6/PA66 with:- significantly lower moisture absorption- better dimensional stability- improved stiffness and strength retention after conditioning- superior resistance to hydrolysis and chemicals such as oil, grease and salts.

EcoPaXX is ideally suited for automotive applications such as cooling systems, engine covers and automotive safety systems.

Cradle to gate carbon footprint of selected base polymers

120%

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0% PA66 PC ABS PA610 PA1010 PP EcoPaXX

Glob

al W

arm

ing

Pote

ntia

l**

Assessment method: IPCC 2007 GWP 100a*Sources: EcoInvent database; external publications; DSM primary data.**All GWP values are normalized to the highest value.

Base polymers*

Extremely resistantEcoPaXX has a high melting point of 250°C, providing excellent heat resistance.The material has very good thermal resistance, it also has excellent resistance to hydrolysis and chemicals, including salts such as calcium chloride, making it an ideal choice for under-the-hood components where these characteristics are key. In impact resistance tests, EcoPaXX performs at least on par with PA6/PA66.

High crystallizationThe material’s high melting point and rapidcrystallization rate ensure quick injectionmolding cycles, meaning you can optimizeyour productivity with faster throughput. It also offers a broad processing window forflexibility on the production floor.

Exceptional mechanical propertiesEcoPaXX offers significantly lower moistureabsorption than PA6 and PA66 for improveddimensional stability. It’s low rate of watervapor transmission and fuel permeabilitycombine with very high puncture resistanceto create good barrier properties with transparency on par with PA6 and less haze.

Partnering for a brighter futureAt DSM, we actively seek to partner withcustomers to improve the environmentalimpact of their applications in a cost competitive way.

Our portfolio includes a wide offer ofgrades with best-in-class performance atextreme operating temperatures, whileconsiderably extending service lifetimes.We back all of our material sales withextensive research and development, aswell as a collaborative partnership wherewe support you through grade selection,design and testing.

Excellent mechanical properties fordemanding application environments.

Meltingpoint

Reducedwater uptake

Chemical,hydrolytic

salt resistance

Charpy impactstrength

Tensilemodulus

Lowerdensity

Crystallizationrate

PA66 unreinforced

EcoPaXX unreinforced

DSM offers a growing portfolio ofcomposite resins and engineeringplastics suitable for a range ofindustrial applications and sectors,including EcoPaXX®, Palapreg®ECOand Arnitel®Eco.

Contact us today to learn how DSM can help improvethe carbon footprint of your designs:

CO2CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2

Fertilizer Growing Harvesting Transport Oil pressing,processing and conversion

Transport Polymerization

100% based on fossil resources

PetroleumFossil resource

HMDAHexamethylenediamine

AAAdipic acid

PA66

DABDiaminobutane

SASebacic acid

EcoPaXX®

Bio-feedstockRenewable resource

Castor oilRenewable resource

Now: 70% based on renewable resourcesFuture: 100% based on renewable resources

70%30%

EcoPaXX: carbon neutral

EcoPaXX, from cradle to gate.

now future

DSMFor further information, please see:www.dsm.com or contact:

EuropeTel +31 46 47 73796Info-Europe.DEP@dsm.com

AmericasTel +1 800 333 4237Info-Americas.DEP@dsm.com

Asia PacificTel +86 21 6141 8188Info-Asia.DEP@dsm.com

©DSM 2012

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