Technology
Unitika, one of Japan’s leading material
producers, developed a high performance biomass-derived heat-resistant polyamide
resin with a melting point as high as 310 degrees centigrade. Named XecoT, it
contains 56% bio content. Despite the high content ratio, it is a low-absorbent
material excellent both in wear resistance and chemical resistance. It is based
on ricinus collected from nonfood castor-oil plants. The new product is
suitable for injection molding and can be processed as fiber and film because
it rarely gelates. The company plans to mass-produce XecoT by next summer.
The heat-resistant polyamide resin market
is growing at an annual rate of 12%. Unitika wishes to focus on the high bio
content ratio and functionality to differentiate XecoT from competitive
products and expand the market worldwide, responding to the growing concern
about oil depletion and environment. The company plans to sell it to the market
of automotive parts and such electronics parts as SMT connector and LED reflector
plate. The annual production will start at 100-200 tons in 2012, increase to
500 tons in 2013, and subsequently increase to 5,000 tons in 2015.
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