By Robert Grace
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Published: October 21, 2013 11:22 am ET
Updated: October 21, 2013 11:24 am ET
DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY — Italy’s RadiciGroup (Hall 6/B10) rolled out several new nylon grades at K 2013, with enhanced properties related to strength, chemical resistance and high-temperature performance.
Erico Spini, marketing and application development director for Radici Novacips SpA, outlined the new offerings in an Oct. 17 press conference on the firm’s K show booth:
• Radistrong — this new specialty line of long-fiber-reinforced nylon 6 and nylon 6.6 materials aim to replace metal in various applications, especially those requiring high operating temperatures or mechanical or thermal stress for long periods. These grades are manufactured by the pultrusion process and are available 20 to 60 percent glass fiber fillings.
Radici also is considering producing 6.10 or 6.12 long-fiber grades, according to Spini.
• Radilon XTreme HHR — this new high-heat-resistance line, which was developed and produced by the Radici Chimica SpA polymerization plant in Navarro, Italy, can accommodate hot-air applications at operating temperatures of up to 230° C.
The company initially has unveiled three injection molding grades, with glass-fiber fillings of 35, 40 and 50 percent. The Radilon HHR range previously covered applications at temperatures up to 210° C. Spini said Radici eventually hopes to add grades for blow molding and extrusion, as well.
• Radilon DT — this is a new family of nylon 6.12 long-chain polymers that offer better chemical resistance to salts such as zinc chloride and calcium chloride, and improved stress-cracking resistance, compared with the firm’s existing PA 6.10 grade. The company is ready to launch production of grades suitable for such applications as monolayer and multilayer fuel lines.
The new Radilon DT nylon line joins RadiciGroup’s Radilon D family of long-chain polymers, which are made from 64 percent renewable source materials. | 
