Bio-based polyamides with low water absorption

Avient introduces its Nymax BIO Formulations, a line of bio-based polyamide materials that help customers reach their sustainability goals. These new materials also solve the long-standing problem of undesirable water absorption levels in other bio-derived polyamide materials available today.

Formulated in glass fibre-filled and unfilled options, Nymax BIO materials include between 16 and 47 percent natural filler from renewable plant sources, including corn, straw, and wheat. Renewable, plant-based raw materials, have been shown to offer significantly lower product carbon footprint values than typical petroleum-based feedstock.

Compared with traditional PA66 glass fibre-filled materials, these bio-derived solutions offer lower warpage plus excellent surface appearance and colourability. Nymax BIO low-water-absorption polyamide formulations deliver excellent dimensional stability and property retention after conditioning, providing a solution to the problem of water uptake (hygroscopy) for finished parts.

“Sustainability is a high priority for consumer brands. Most have initiatives built around bringing more environmentally friendly products to market,” said Matt Mitchell, Director, Global Marketing, Specialty Engineered Materials at Avient. “Our new Nymax BIO line of bio-based polyamide formulations exemplifies our continuous innovation in developing sustainable materials, and expands the material choices for design engineers while mitigating the risk of water absorption.”

Nymax BIO materials are applicable for automotive, consumer, industrial, and building and construction applications and for both injection moulding and extrusion processes. They can also be customised for specific performance needs, such as laser welding and flame retardant properties.

Nymax BIO formulations are currently manufactured in Asia and are available globally.