The Japan-based tech firm Asahi Kasei has signed an MOU with Aquafil, an Italian polyamide 6 (PA6) developer. The 2 companies will develop a 3D printing material that integrates Aquafil’s ECONYL® Polymer chemically recycled PA6 and Asahi Kasei’s cellulose nanofiber (CNF).
The two companies will be supported by ITOCHU Corp which invested in Aquafil.
With over 49,000 employees, the Asahi Kasei offers solutions via 3 major business sectors – Material, Homes & Health Care. Pellets/filaments of the ECONYL® Polymer meet high-level formability & strength making them reliable for common usage in automotive & aeronautical applications.
The ECONYL® Polymer is created from post & pre-consumer-related waste. It incorporates polyamide waste like previously implemented fishing nets, old carpets, industrial wastage & and so on. The material is depolymerized into monomers & again sent for a re-polymerization process for transformation into ECONYL® Polymer chips.
Asahi Kasei’s CNF is built of cotton linter & consists of extreme heat resistance & network-based properties. Also, cellulose nanofiber has commendable material recyclability in comparison with glass fiber.
The new CNF/ECONYL® Polymer compound features excellent formability and strength in 3DP usage, and Asahi Kasei sees great potential in high-performance applications mainly in the automotive and aeronautical fields.
Asahi Kasei is in discussion to kickstart trial sales of the filament of the latest enhanced compound materials in the EU, US, and Japan regions before 3rd quarter of 2025. These materials will be displayed during Formnext 2024 (Nov – 19 to 22, Germany).
The Asahi Kasei Group pledges its life & living for its beloved people globally. Post its foundation in 1922, the firm with ammonia & cellulose fiber businesses, Asahi Kasei has grown via a proactive makeover of its recent business portfolio to accomplish the evolutional demands spread across various age groups.
Author: Nagarjun M
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