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OCTOBER 2014
Specialty Polyamides
How Hipro Polymers
successfully integrated
Arkema
Since it joined the Arkema group in 2012, Hipro Polymers has
enhanced its product portfolio and developed new capacities,
with a continuous focus on quality.
I
n 2012, Arkema acquired
Hipro Polymers in China, bolstering its position of global
leader in long-chain polyamides. By adding Hipro Polymers’
“PA x.y” (PA 6.10, PA 6.12, PA 10.10,
PA 10.12) to its technical polymer
range, Arkema put together the
largest specialty polyamides portfolio on the market and strengthened its world leading position in
biosourced polyamides derived
from castor oil.
A state-of-the art industrial site
Hipro’s modern and competitive industrial
site, based in Zhangjiagang, 130 km from
Shanghai, was a perfect complement to
Arkema’s existing industrial bases in Serquigny, France and Birdsboro, USA. Over
the past two years, the site has evolved
significantly and major industrial investments have been made. Polymer capacity
has been tripled raising output to 15,000
tons per year, and a new line of decanediamine (an intermediate to PA 10) has been
built, based on a unique process.
In addition to capacity, considerable
efforts were also made in terms of the
quality and consistency of production
output. “It was really important for us to
provide the high level of quality that our
customers expect from a supplier like
Arkema,” says José Teixeira Pires, General
Manager for Long Chain Polyamides &
Alloys at Arkema.
fast facts
A7-7003
Arkema’s booth number at
the 2014 Fakuma fair, which
will be held in Germany from
October 14th to 18th. Come
and visit us!
4.6%
The growth of US GDP in the
second quarter of 2014,
after a 2.1% decline in the
first quarter.
Hipro’s polymer capacity
has been tripled raising
output to 15,000 tons per year.
raw materials. Key milestones were thus
achieved in 2012 with the acquisition of
Casda Biomaterials in China, the world’s
largest producer of sebacic acid (the PA10
monomer), and in 2013, when Arkema
Provide the high
level of quality that
our customers expect
from a supplier like
Arkema.”
José Teixeira Pires
formed a joint venture with Jayant AgroOrganics, a leading castor oil manufacturer
in India. With such unparalleled access to
this strategic raw material, Arkema can
guarantee the highest security of supply
for its clients.
But the strategic move would not have
been complete without secure access to
specialty polyamides news / OCTOBer 2014 / #3 / Page 1
15.24
The size in meters of the
multihull boat Arkema-Région
Aquitaine taking part in the
Route du Rhum. The famous
transatlantic single-handed
yacht race takes place every
4 years and will depart on
November 2nd.
competition RESULTS
!
“Specialty Polyamides News” #2 competition:
congratulations to the winners
To celebrate the second edition of its newsletter
"Specialty Polyamides News" in April, Arkema organized
a competition for its customers and partners. Many of
our readers took part in the competition to try and win
prizes designed using Arkema materials, such as bags
made of Rilsan® PA11 fibers or running shoes
with Pebax® plate.
Congratulations once again to the six lucky
winners, which included:
Mario Koenig (Atomic, Austria)
Kata Kotorman (Continental, Hungary)
Martin Jachmann (Framas, Indonesia)
Katie Heydon (NCC, Ireland)
arkema’s voice
"Hipro has moved up a gear"
Since it was acquired in 2012, Hipro Polymers has become an integral part of the Arkema
Polyamides Business Unit. General Manager Celine Zeng discusses the progress made over the
past two years.
How are Hipro Polymers’ products
being incorporated into the Arkema
range?
Hipro products are helping to extend
the Arkema range of high-performance
polyamides. Alongside the celebrated
PA 12 (fossil-fuel Rilsamid®) and PA
11 (biosourced Rilsan®), we offer four
ranges of long-chain polyamides that are
mainly biosourced: PA 6.10, PA 6.12, PA
10.10 and PA 10.12, marketed under the
brands Hiprolon® and Rilsan® T.
What are their specific features
and applications?
Hipro polyamides offer an excellent
balance between rigidity and impact
resistance. This allows us to diversify
and develop further applications for
certain markets: connectors and tubing
for the automotive, electronics and
sports industries... When the company
was acquired, our polyamides were
mainly used to make flexible hosing for
truck braking systems. Today, we have
developed new grades, for example for
the mono-filament fibers and sport shoe
soles markets.
What geographic market areas
do you serve?
When it was acquired, Hipro Polymers
was mainly serving the Chinese market.
However, China now represents less
than half of our total sales. We are now
serving Asia generally, and in particular
Japan, Korea and India, but we also
market to the United States and Europe.
How did you back up this
development from a production
perspective?
We increased our production capacity,
going from 5,000 to 15,000 tons
per year. We also developed a new
manufacturing unit to produce
Hipro Polymers has
now adopted the
standards of an
international group to
distribute its products
all over the world."
diamine 10, a monomer made from
sebacic acid, used in the manufacturing
of our products. As a result, we secured
our supply and also have direct control
over the quality of this component.
Has the Hipro organization changed
over the past two years?
Of course. We have structured a process
team to support the increase in capacity.
We have improved safety and quality
capabilities. When it was acquired, Hipro
was a fast-expanding local start-up.
It has now adopted the standards of
an international group to distribute its
products all over the world.
Celine Zeng has been general manager of Hipro Polymers since it was
acquired by Arkema in 2012. Based in Zhangjiagang, approximately 130 km
from Shanghai, Hipro produces long-chain polyamides that are partially or
totally biosourced, marketed under the Rilsan® T and Hiprolon® brands.
Hipro Polymers employs 160 people.
specialty polyamides news / OCTOBER 2014 / #3 / Page 2
PRODUCT INSIGHTS
Grades to break through in new
application areas
Leveraging the acquisition of Hipro Polymers and the integration of the Hiprolon® product
range, Arkema develops new grades of "PA x.y" polyamides for a variety of applications.
The new Hiprolon® 70 MNWH6L G30 – the
latest in the PA 6.10 range – is a typical
example of a new grade developed by combining Arkema’s R&D know-how and Hipro
Polymers’ existing portfolio. This 30% glass
fiber reinforced grade for injection molding
is a cost-effective solution with an excellent
balance of properties.
It exhibits superior chemical ageing and
excellent thermal resistance in comparison
to other PA 6.10 and shorter chain aliphatic
PA grades. Designed for transportation applications and already approved by automo-
tive OEMs, it is also making its way into other applications where short chain PA have
shown limits.
The Rilsan® T PA 10.10 is another new offer,
aimed at the truck air-brake market. The
various grades developed offer a full range
of possibilities, from low-pressure tubing up
to the highest quality EURO VI-compliant
high-pressure tubing with excellent zinc
chloride resistance. Rilsan® T based solutions can be proposed as monolayer, or
multilayer when combined with the selfadherent Rilsan® TieFlex PA alloys.
New territories
Monofilaments for industrial brushes or oral
care are probably the most established application for PA 6.12. But this was unknown
territory for Arkema before the acquisition of Hipro. To meet the tight specifications and quality standards of that industry,
Arkema worked closely with monofilaments
manufacturers and leveraged its extensive
knowledge of polycondensation. The result:
a new grade called Hiprolon® 90 NNLM that
offers optimum properties for monofilaments: an excellent process stability, color,
transparency and required approvals...
The most comprehensive long-chain polyamides portfolio
IN BRIEF
Fakuma 2014: Arkema showcases its technical polymer range
Arkema will be present at the Fakuma
fair (14-18 October) in Friedrichshafen,
Germany to present its latest innovations in
technical polymers. The Group has the largest
portfolio of specialty long chain polyamides and
PVDF fluoropolymers, adapted to all plastics
technologies; injection moulding, extrusion,
thermoforming, etc. At Fakuma 2014, Arkema
will discuss its latest innovations, among which
numerous new products for automotive fluid
transportation, and a new range of Pebax®
thermoplastic elastomers dedicated
to demanding industrial applications.
Join us in hall A7, stand 7003.
specialty polyamides news / OCTOBER 2014 / #3 / Page 3
Editorial Director: José Teixeira Pires - [email protected] - Photos: Arkema, X - Production: ARCA Agency - http://en.agence-arca.com