Issue 04/2016

Application News
bio-PA for drinking water-contact applications
Royal DSM (Heerlen, The Netherlands), is taking its EcoPaXX ® polyamide into an important new market – drinking water
contact applications. Use of this material offers a high-performance, lead-free option for applications such as faucet mixing
valves.
The water management market is looking for high-performance polymers that are able to withstand the stringent requirements
of hot-water contact, while still meeting all major drinking water approval schemes.
Legislation also has been driving replacement of metals in applications that
involve direct contact with drinking water. Brass and other metals traditionally have
been used for such applications as faucets, water-meter and boiler components.
Lead contamination in drinking water is a major concern worldwide, leading to more
stringent regulation on lead limits in drinking water. This has driven the industry to
look for alternatives, and engineering plastics such as EcoPaXX offer a completely
lead-free solution, and fully comply with those regulations.
Leading industry players already are successfully using EcoPaXX Q-DWX10, a 50 % glass-fiber-reinforced polyamide 410,
for faucet mixing valves because of its outstanding performance. This material enables the design of faucet mixing valves with
lower risk of part failure and water leakage, a key focus for the industry.
Faucet mixing valves need to provide long-term durability and perform reliably when in contact with both warm (60 °C)
and hot water (90 °C). EcoPaXX offers superior toughness, better hydrolysis resistance and dimensional stability than other
polyamide-based materials. It not only is lead-free, but also yields improved torque and bending strength, even after extended
exposure to boiling water. EcoPaXX absorbs 30 % less water and offers superior chemical resistance, which is especially
important when in contact with chlorinated water. It has passed more than 1 million lifetime cycles testing in varying water
temperatures, and fully complies with all major drinking water certifications, such as NSF61 and KTW.
Externally validated by international lifecycle assessment experts, EcoPaXX base polymer is carbon-neutral from cradle
to gate. Compared to polyphthalamide (PPA) resins with similar function, EcoPaXX compounds offer a 30 % lower carbon
footprint. Additionally, the material shows excellent flow and processability, resulting in high weld-line strength, and can be
processed like any other standard polyamide material.
Having recognized this trend, DSM is further extending its portfolio of specialty materials suitable for addressing the full
spectrum of drinking water contact uses. The company already offers EcoPaXX and ForTii – inherently hydrolysis-resistant
grades that are based on polyamides 410 and 4T, respectively. It also recently added Xytron PPS compounds, which are ideal
when very high dimensional stability is needed.
“With the successful commercialization of EcoPaXX polyamide 410 in faucet mixing valves, DSM has proven its ability to
offer solutions for highly critical drinking water contact applications,” says Caroline Mitterlehner, business responsible for
the water management segment at DSM. “DSM is already active in many high-heat and water-contact applications in other
industries, such as cooling-systems in automotive. We are now successfully translating this competence of resistance to
hydrolytic environments into the drinking water contact market, where temperatures are lower, but required lifetimes are
typically much longer.”
www.dsm.com
Weatherproof jacket made from sugar
The outdoor brand Bergans (Hokksund, Norway) recently marked a milestone in the outdoor clothing industry with the
development of the first plant-based, technical weatherproof jacket – the Eidfjord.
The Eidfjord is a lightweight, technical, 3-layer waterproof breathable jacket using a new fabric called Ecodear. Ecodear was
a co-development project between Bergans and the Japanese company Toray. It’s a 30 % plant-based environmentally friendly
polyester, designed to reduce the amount of petroleum-based materials used in apparel, and thus their overall carbon footprint.
The Ecodear is used on the outer layer of the jacket. The Ecodear fabric retains its highly technical performance due
to the chemical structure of the Ecodear polyester being identical to conventionally produced polyester.
Another component is Toray’s well-known waterproof, windproof and highly breathable membrane Dermizax ® .
Bergans developed Ecodear in partnership with Toray. It is made partly from molasses, a waste product of
sugar production, and helps to reduce the amount of petroleum-based materials used in jacket production
and their overall carbon footprint. As for the Eidfjord’s outdoor features, it was designed specifically for
hiking and all-weather outdoor use, with an extended back, fixed hood customized for helmets, laser cut
and welded seams, front pockets designed to not interfere with a pack’s hip belt, articulated elbows, long
underarm zips for ventilation, and tailored cuffs with Velcro closure. MT
www.bergans.com
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