High performance innovation for e-mobility

In the area of engineering polymers, the RadiciGroup High Performance Polymers R&D team contributes to the electrification of the automotive and transport industry by developing environmentally friendly solutions that meet the high safety standards required. Lightweighting is key to increasing the distance range of electric vehicles: this is where metal replacement with polymer materials comes in. It offers a solution delivering stable mechanical resistance and performance over the vehicle’s lifetime, which is usually longer than for a conventional non-electric vehicle.

RadiciGroup has a wide and ever-evolving product portfolio: materials for battery pack components (battery module covers, cell spacers, end plates and frames), power electronic devices (inverters and converters) and charging systems (charger plugs and recharge sockets). The must-have characteristics of polymer materials for these applications are flame retardancy, electrical insulation, mechanical and chemical resistance, and retention of properties after prolonged exposure to heat. For this class of applications, RadiciGroup’s brand of choice is Radiflam®, comprising PA6, PA66, PPA and PBT materials featuring excellent flame resistance and the highest UL ratings (V-0 and 5VA).  Various technological formulations are used to produce Radiflam® products. In particular, the Radiflam® HF grades are halogen- and red phosphorus-free, in accordance with environmental sustainability principles.

The RadiciGroup Advanced Textile Solutions Business Area makes available a wide portfolio of products for the manufacture of fabrics for auto interiors (seats, headliners and shading) and carpeting. Ever greater attention is paid by the Group to eco-friendly materials, particularly yarn made from recycled nylon, polyester and polyethylene (the RENYCLE®, REPETABLE® and RESPUNSIBLE® brands, respectively), and yarn obtained from renewable biosources (BIOFEEL®), all of which are notable examples of materials that can be solution dyed, so as to save water and energy.
 

RadiciGroup customers can rely on the Group’s extensive experience in the advanced textile solutions field, technical support, research and development, highly flexible exclusive colour offering (thanks to in-house masterbatch development) and very wide range of polymer combinations (PET, FR, recycled PET and PA,  and biobased PET), as well as additives (bacteriostatic and UV-stabilized), all geared towards the production of the highest performance yarns.