Celanese Plans to Compound Nylon

US chemicals and plastics producer Celanese continues to expand its plastics portfolio through compounding of in-sourced polymer.

In its latest move, the company said it will add compounded nylon to its range, introducing the first grades of PA 6 and PA 6.6 immediately, with other grades to follow by the third quarter of this year.

Celanese said it will be able to draw on its own proprietary technology to offer “differentiated solutions” for moulders, tier suppliers and OEMs in key industries such as automotive, consumer goods and E&E.

By leveraging the company’s MetaLX metal-effect process Scott Sutton, president of the Celanese Material Solutions business group, said new products can be developed to support a manufacturer’s need for aesthetic Class A surface appearance parts and components that meet colourability, lasermarking and structural functions.

Other planned in-house solutions will include melt-impregnation technologies for structural applications, widening the existing “Celstran” LFT and composites product offerings. Celanese said it also intends to blend various types of PA with its own portfolio of PCT, LCP, PPS and thermally conductive resins.

In November 2015, the US company said it would expand the high end of its engineering plastics portfolio with the introduction of two compounded grades of the high-performance polymer PEEK grades in the second half of 2016. One of the compound grades will be reinforced.

Celanese did not disclose a location for manufacturing either of the compounded products, but both are likely to be in the US. It also has not revealed where it plans to source the base polymer. Nylon is widely available globally. Speculation on the PEEK supplier has focused on Solvay Advanced Polymers’ new plant scheduled to go on stream later this year at Augusta, Georgia / USA.