Recycled PA for sustainable mobility

Leading polyamides producer DOMO Chemicals (DOMO) has introduced new material cards to fast-track the adoption of its innovative line of eco-friendly polyamides, TECHNYL® 4EARTH®. This new feature in DOMO’s advanced predictive simulation platform, MMI® TECHNYL® Design, will help manufacturers to develop lighter, more cost-effective parts, using peak-performing recycled polyamides.

With many industries eager to reduce their environmental footprint, demand for recycled plastics is growing exponentially. Until recently, however, the often-inconsistent performance of recycled plastics hindered their adoption in the most rigorous applications. TECHNYL® 4EARTH® has opened the door to a suite of new applications, providing breakthrough performance comparable to traditional polyamide 66 (PA66). With TECHNYL® 4EARTH®, DOMO’s goal is to accelerate the use of sustainable plastics, and broaden the scope of target applications, by providing top-performing grades to meet the most demanding technical requirements.

Advanced predictive simulation

If automakers are to adopt eco-friendly metal-replacement polyamides, however, engineers need to have confidence in their material performance. With DOMO’s MMI TECHNYL® Design (Multi-scale modelling, Mechanical simulation, and Injection moulding) tools, manufacturers can understand how these new materials will behave in real-life situations before putting new parts into production.

MMI TECHNYL® Design is an advanced predictive platform that harnesses DOMO’s extensive database of key material property measurements to help engineering teams develop lighter, more cost-effective parts using its TECHNYL® polyamide materials. This solution is powered by Digimat, a material modelling software developed and supported by Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) experts from Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division. It simulates a wide range of in-use conditions to accurately predict the performance of injection-moulded parts using DOMO-validated digital material cards.

Full range of models

To support the wider adoption of recycled grades, a more complete range of material behaviour models is essential. DOMO has created no less than 700 models for its TECHNYL® 4EARTH® A4E 218 V30, TECHNYL® 4EARTH®A4E 218 V35 and TECHNYL® 4EARTH® A4E 218 V50 BK grades in Digimat, so that engineers can evaluate the performance of parts by embedding a material model within their standard Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) tools. TECHNYL® 4EARTH® A4E 218 grades are heat-stabilized, 100% recycled PA66, reinforced respectively with 30, 35 and 50% glass fibre.

This vast range of models enables customers to perform integrative simulations covering an exhaustive array of environmental conditions and load cases, including failure prediction, modal analysis, crash, noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), and thermal dilation. Additionally, lifecycle analysis (LCA) of the product is also available.

“If the models of material behaviour are oversimplified, there is insufficient data and that makes OEMs more reluctant to adopt the technology,” says Alexandre Chatelain, Simulation Models Database Manager - DOMO Chemicals. “This is why we provide predictive models – so that engineers can use Computer Aided Engineering to optimise their designs and make the best possible use of our polymers. In this way, we inspire greater confidence so that polymers are applied in areas where they are traditionally overlooked and enable new product design innovations that are only possible with detailed material simulation.”

DOMO has built one of the largest databases in the plastics industry, with over 42,000 files available in Digimat, covering more than 50 grades in PA6 and PA66. Moreover, these “material cards” are not just limited to static load, but also cover tests on a wide range of dynamic parameters. The files from this advanced database are made available to customers that have access to Digimat MX (Hexagon’s Material eXchange platform that enables customers to request validated proprietary material models within the software); alternatively, DOMO can perform the simulation on the customer’s behalf.

The Digimat database covers a full range of recycled, as well as virgin materials, and the files can be sorted by tags such as eco-friendly, or post-consumer. DOMO can offer a wider range of material cards with useful features such as LCA (Life Cycle Assessments), demonstrating to customers that its polymers and compounds can meet their needs for complex load cases.

TECHNYL® 4EARTH® sustainable solutions

The TECHNYL® 4EARTH® range of PA66 engineering plastics came out of the Move4earth® project supported by the European Commission’s LIFE+ programme. A patented process transforms stable sources of technical fabric scraps, such as those arising from automotive airbag production, into prime-quality polyamide. TECHNYL® 4EARTH® offers properties comparable to those of equivalent virgin PA66 and can significantly reduce such environmental impacts as CO₂ emissions, water consumption, and use of energy.

TECHNYL® 4EARTH® is commercially available in various grades with glass content up to 50%. DOMO’s proprietary recycling technology ensures both consistent material quality and security of supply to meet fast-growing demand for more sustainable high-performance applications in a wide range of markets, from automotive components to electrical appliances, and consumer and industrial goods.

The development of eco-friendly polyamide solutions is an integral part of DOMO’s sustainability strategy. DOMO has pledged to enhance its offering of sustainable solutions, including a 20% increase in sustainable applications, a 20% reduction in the carbon footprint of its products and a 50% increase in circular solutions. Many more products and associated technical services for a more sustainable future are in the DOMO pipeline.