Solvay qualifies Suzhou plant as certified injection muolder of Torlon PAI

Solvay's headquarters in Belgium

Solvay has qualified the manufacturing site of Quadion LLC (dba Minnesota Rubber and Plastics) in Suzhou, China, as a certified injection moulder of Solvay’s ultra-high performance Torlon polyamide-imide (PAI).

This is the second certification for Minnesota Rubber and Plastics, as the company’s River Falls, Wis., plant was similarly qualified in 2015.

“Solvay’s stringent certification process confirms that our Chinese facility has the equipment and expertise necessary to injection mold Torlon PAI,” said Lih Fang Chew, global vice president of marketing, Minnesota Rubber and Plastics. “Torlon PAI allows our customers to explore and improve new product designs for automotive and other application markets. This certification will help our Chinese customers comply with demanding regulatory and agency approvals, such as ASTM D4000, ASTM D5204, Mil-P-46183 and Mil-P-46179A, together with specific material certifications at key OEMs and tier suppliers serving important markets across Asia.”

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 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. It further offers outstanding creep resistance, an extremely low coefficient of linear thermal expansion and excellent abrasion and chemical resistance. The material 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.