Solvay, a global supplier of specialty polymers, has qualified the manufacturing site of Quadion (a sub-division of Minnesota Rubber and Plastics) in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China, as a certified injection molder of Solvay’s ultra-high performance Torlon polyamide-imide (PAI).

This is the second certification for Minnesota Rubber and Plastics, a global developer in the design and supply of advanced precision components and highly engineered solutions, as their River Falls, Wis. U.S. plant was similarly qualified in 2015.

Torlon PAI, one of the highest performing thermoplastics in Solvay’s specialty polymers portfolio, combines the exceptional performance of thermoset polyimides with the melt processing advantage of thermoplastics.

This advanced material portfolio encompasses wear-resistant grades that offer unsurpassed performance in both dry and lubricated environments, and high-strength grades that retain their toughness and high strength and stiffness at temperatures up to 275 °C (525 °F), establishing them as the industry’s highest performing thermoplastics in this regard.

The Torlon PAI portfolio further offers outstanding creep resistance, an extremely low coefficient of linear thermal expansion and excellent abrasion and chemical resistance. The material’s high-end performance profile is ideal for many precision components used in repetitive-use, load-bearing applications, such as automotive seal rings and transmission thrust washers, ball joint sockets, molded gears and slide elements for steering systems where it successfully replaces metals.

Solvay
solvay.com

Minnesota Rubber and Plastics
mnrubber.com