Premium Recycled Nylon 66 Chosen for Molded Spray Lances of High-Pressure Cleaners
Solvay’s Technyl 4earth selected by global cleaning technology OEM to foster sustainability roadmap.
A 100% post-industrial nylon 66 sourced from auto airbags launched two years ago by Solvay Engineering Thermoplastics has been adopted by global leading OEM in cleaning technology Karcher (U.S. office in Denver, Colorado) in step with fostering the company’s sustainability goals.
As previously reported, Technyl 4Earth is based on patented technology which can separate the nylon from the airbag’s silicone, and reportedly boasts properties equivalent to virgin nylon 66. Strongly committed to increasing the use of recycled materials in its well-known products, Karcher opted to use Technyl 4earth for molding spray lances for its high-pressure cleaners. The company is one of the first major international OEMs to evaluate and embrace the Solvay technology.
Said Daniel Carmine Manocchio, manager of the group material technology at Karcher central R&D, “After adopting Technyl 4earth as a component of our resource-conserving solutions, we have already manufactured more than one million high-pressure spray lances molded using this remarkable recycled polyamide.”
The spray lances must meet a range of demanding requirements including high-pressure resistance, hydrolytic stability, very high impact strength, printability and compatibility with cleaning agents. Said Manocchio, “After comprehensive testing, we selected a 30 percent fiber-reinforced Technyl 4earth compound. It behaves exactly as a comparable virgin PA66 both in terms of physical in-use properties and processability, without compromising the superior quality and safety of our equipment. After switching the first production plant completely from virgin Technyl to Technyl 4earth, we are now evaluating its further use throughout our extensive portfolio.”
Technyl 4earth is commercially available in various grades with a glass content of up to 50%. Solvay’s proprietary recycling technology is said to endure both consistent material quality and security of supply to meet fast-growing demand for more sustainable high-performance applications in a wide range of markets—from automotive components to electrical appliances, and consumer and industrial goods.
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