Summary:

Exploring sustainable alternatives to traditional polyamides is crucial for reducing environmental impact and enhancing material performance. By embracing innovative solutions such as polyketone, as well as recycled content and bio-based nylon, manufacturers can meet the demand for sustainable materials in various industries. Avient plays a key role in this transition, offering materials, expertise, and support to help manufacturers integrate these sustainable alternatives into their products and processes.

Who should attend:

Engineers, Product Designers, and Procurement Professionals in the Automotive, Consumer Goods, and Industrial Sectors.

What you will learn:

Traditional polyamides are an excellent material for high-performance applications. Today’s challenge is finding ways to achieve the same level of performance while enhancing sustainability. From new chemistries to bio-based and recycled-content polyamides, this seminar will cover the comparative performance, applications, and environmental benefits of these materials.

1. Nylon and Sustainability:
   • Discuss the growing demand for environmental sustainability in manufacturing and the challenges associated with traditional polyamides, such as PA66 supply constraints and carbon footprint issues.
   • Explore the role of sustainable materials in addressing these challenges and their potential to drive industry innovation.
2. Sustainable Alternatives to Nylons:
   • Polyketone for Reduced Product Carbon Footprint (PCF).
     • Provide an overview of polyketone properties and its lower PCF compared to traditional polyamides.
     • Highlight the advantages of polyketone, including its chemical resistance, low moisture uptake, and impact resistance, and discuss its applications and case studies in the automotive and industrial sectors.
   • Recycled-Content Nylon
     • Emphasize the importance of recycled materials in sustainability efforts.
   • Bio-Based Nylon
     • Introduce bio-based polyamides and their environmental benefits.
     • Discuss the comparative material performance of bio-based polyamide, its applications in automotive and consumer goods, and its manufacturing possibilities.
3. Considerations to Sustainable Alternatives
   • Examine considerations when choosing sustainable nylons, such as price, performance, aesthetics/colorability, and the supply chain.

How Avient can help:

Manufacturers seeking to implement sustainable alternatives to polyamides can consider the following strategies:

1. Material Selection: Selecting the right sustainable polyamide is crucial for balancing performance, sustainability, and cost objectives. Manufacturers need to consider factors such as mechanical properties, environmental impact, and application requirements.
   • Avient has developed Nymax™ REC to provide performance equivalent to prime nylon grades – it has proven applications in transportation, appliance, and industrial sectors
2. Customization: Customizing sustainable materials to replace traditional nylon can enhance specific properties such as strength, durability, and environmental resistance, enabling manufacturers to address unique challenges and optimize product performance.
   • Avient can tailor its Nymax™ REC, Nymax™ BIO, and polyketone formulations to meet precise requirements, providing solutions that enhance the final product's sustainability and functionality.
3. Processing and Manufacturing Support: Achieving optimal performance of sustainable polyamides during manufacturing requires appropriate processing techniques and conditions. Manufacturers need support in areas such as molding, extrusion, and material handling.
   • Avient provides processing recommendations and technical support to ensure the successful integration of sustainable polyamides into manufacturing processes, helping to maintain product quality and efficiency.
   • Avient has a global footprint and can provide seamless solutions across various regions
4. Product Carbon Footprint (PCF): Calculating product carbon footprint and developing sustainability strategies are essential for understanding the environmental impact of polyamide solutions and identifying opportunities for improvement.
   • Avient offers PCF services and sustainability consulting to help manufacturers assess the environmental footprint of their products and develop actionable strategies to enhance sustainability and meet their environmental goals.
5. Collaboration and Innovation: Collaborating with stakeholders across the value chain is key to driving innovation and advancing the development of sustainable polyamides.
   • Avient fosters collaboration and innovation by working closely with manufacturers, end-users, and other partners to develop new polyamide solutions that push the boundaries of sustainability.
   • Avient Design service, including prototyping and part molding, can aid in facilitating the use of various sustainable nylon alternatives.