news
Solvay supports plastic engine development
Solvay has disclosed some more details on its role in the development of the Polimotor 2. This all-plastic automotive engine will be installed in a Norma M-20 concept car that will compete in racing at Lime Rock Park, Connecticut, next year. It is ultimately aimed for use in commercial cars. Solvay is seeking to replace
up to 10 metal engine compo- nents – including the water pump, oil pump, water inlet and outlet, throttle body, fuel rail and cam sprockets – with parts made from seven of its thermoplastic materials: Torlon PAI, Amodel PPA, KetaSpire PEEK, AvaSpire PAEK, Radel
The Polimotor 2 plastic engine is set to go racing in a Norma M-20 concept car
PPSU, Ryton PPS and Tecno- flon VPL fluoroelastomers. The target of Polimotor 2 is
to develop an engine weighing 63-67 kg, about 40 kg less than standard metal production engines, which are the single heaviest part in cars. Solvay, which claims to be
the world leader in lightweight polymers for automotive applications of all kinds, had previously contributed to the first Polimotor engine, conceived by American engineer Matti Holtzberg in the early 1980s. ❙
www.solvay.com
DSM and Ascend form PA 6,6 compounding partnership
DSM and Ascend Performance Materials have formed an alliance, under which Ascend will become the strategic supplier of PA 6,6 base-poly- mer for DSM’s Akulon range of PA 6,6 compounds. DSM will also distribute Ascend’s Vydyne range of PA 6,6 compounds. DSM said that this new
scale and capability in PA 6,6 “strengthens its portfolio to offer complete solutions for its customers”. The company is already a major supplier of PA 6, PA 6,6, PA 4,6 and thermoplastic polyesters. Ascend, meanwhile, is one
of the world’s largest produc- ers of PA 6,6 resin, which it
Ascend operates the world’s largest integrated PA 6,6 facility at Pensacola, Florida
makes at its recently expanded site at Pensacola, Florida, the world’s largest integrated PA 6,6 site, and also at Green- wood, South Carolina. It is fully backward-integrated into the key chemical intermediates of adiponitrile, hexamethylene diamine and adipic acid. “We are very excited by this
new alliance with DSM,” said Phil McDivitt, president of the Nylon Business at Ascend. “It enormously expands our reach into applications that until now have been under-served, and it gives us better access to global customers.” ❙
www.dsm.com ❙
www.ascendmaterials.com
12 COMPOUNDING WORLD | June 2015
Alcuin invests in AMI
Private equity investor Alcuin Capital Partners has acquired a majority stake in Applied Market Information (AMI) from its original founders and shareholders. AMI’s directors have retained a significant minority stake in the company, with Andrew Reynolds and John Nash continuing to be actively involved in the business. Founded in 1986, AMI
has grown to become a leading provider of information services to the global plastics industry. These include conferences, market reports, consul- tancy projects, databases and digital magazines, including Compounding World. It has offices in the UK and the USA. Alcuin partner Mark
Storey said: “Alcuin has always targeted ambitious, growth companies with the ability to compete on a global basis and AMI definitely fits the bill.” AMI’s Andrew Reynolds
added: “We really welcome the opportunity of joining Alcuin and moving the company forward in the next stage of its development.” Headquartered in
London, UK, Alcuin specialises in providing growth capital to UK firms. It is a long-term investor with a strong preference for backing owner-managed businesses. ❙
www.amiplastics.com ❙
www.alcuincapital.com
www.compoundingworld.com
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