By guest author Andrew Elsass from 3D Printing
Specialist-chemicals company Evonik is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its signature polymer, PEBA, with the release of it for use in 3D printing.
When we last reported on Evonik in August 2018, the German company announced the material’s development. With the landmark product already in use for select projects, it is now being used to ceremonially mark the 40th birthday of its parent polymer.
A Brief History of PEBA
Since its release 40 years ago, PEBA (polyether block amide) has since impacted many different niches and industries. Its powdered-3D printing version is now just the latest in a long line of iterations on the material.
PEBA is a thermoplastic elastomer, a polymer blend that has characteristics of both plastic and rubber. The material is especially renowned for resilience to chemicals, a high degree of flexibility, and resistance to temperatures ranging from -40°C to 90°C. This adaptability has seen it commonly used to replace other popular elastomers like silicone and polyurethane.
One of its most popular uses is in sporting goods. The PA 12 version of PEBA is extremely lightweight and commonly found in high-end athletic shoes across various sports. Thanks to its water resistance, it’s also extremely popular for use in sports exposed to water or snow, such as in hiking or skiing/snowboarding boots, and as a protective covering for skis and snowboards themselves.
Over the past four decades, PEBA has also found its way into medical devices, fabrics, and cables for electronic devices.
The World’s First PEBA Powder for 3D Printing
The powder, which Evonik calls the world’s first flexible synthetic PEBA material for use in 3D printing, is ideal for making functional 3D parts using methods like laser sintering, high-speed sintering, and binder jetting.
It’s easy to imagine that the new powder used in printing 3D parts in the aforementioned industries PEBA has already rooted itself in. But it’s not so easy to speculate the possibilities the landmark product will open up. For Senior Product Manager for Polymers at EOS Fabian Stoever, these possibilities are immense.
“Flexible polymer materials significantly expand the options for additive manufacturing because they allow us to realize new, demanding applications in attractive markets,” says Stoever.
The multinational EOS has been collaborating with Evonik for years and has already been utilizing the material in its laser sintering systems. And like many other 3D materials, using PEBA allows for more inexpensive production of single items, small batches, and prototypes. It also allows for increased customization based on the end user’s specific needs, part of the reason it’s been so popular in the athletic and medical fields.
PEBA of course isn’t Evonik’s first 3D material—they’ve been at the game awhile and their catalog includes being the world production leader in polyamide 12 (PA 12) powders, one of the older powdered materials used for 3D printing.
Through key partnerships, like with EOS and HP, Evonik looks to continue to expand their reach and show that their PEBA’s usefulness is as flexible as the product itself.
https://corporate.evonik.de/en/
Evonik expands production capacities for transparent polyamides in Marl
Due to increasing global demand for high-performance polymers, Evonik is expanding its production of transparent polyamides of the TROGAMID® CX brand at the Marl Chemical Park (Germany).
Production expansion is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2020. The project will double the specialty chemicals company’s capacity for its transparent, high-performance materials.
“Expanding our capacities for transparent polyamides in Marl is a further step along our long-term growth track for high-performance polymers. This will not only strengthen our market position as a reliable partner and solutions provider for specialty applications, but at the same time we will also be creating an important latitude for developing new products,” says Dr. Ralf Düssel, Head of the High Performance Polymers Business Line at Evonik.
The company will be expanding its TROGAMID® CX production in part through targeted debottlenecking efforts, in part through comprehensive optimization initiatives undertaken by production management. The plans for the project are complete and implementation has already begun.
“We’ve been observing consistently high demand, especially in the consumer goods segment, for specialized material solutions that combine highest transparency, quality, and design freedom with the best processing characteristics,” says Dr. Iordanis Savvopoulos, Head of Evonik’s Granules & Compounds Product Line. “The additional production capacity will allow us to provide our customers with long-term support for their growth.”
Unique combination of characteristics
For many years, TROGAMID® CX, a transparent polyamide from Evonik, has been a trusted name in the sports, leisure, automotive, and cosmetics industries, as well as in medical technology and in optical applications. As a lens material for sports and ski goggles, the high performance polymer offers crystal-clear visibility, high UV protection and excellent mechanical strength along with resistance to chemical substances such as those contained in skin creams or hair spray. In the automotive area, TROGAMID® CX is well known as a decorative material for interior applications that stands out for its high transparency and scratch-resistance.
Evonik has just recently developed a new polyamide moulding compound for optical applications. TROGAMID® myCX high flow offers crystal-clear transparency, excellent wear comfort and high durability along with improved processing capabilities. This unique property profile makes the high-performance polymer a preferred material for high-end lenses and visors, e.g. in sun visors or ski goggles.
Evonik has over 50 years of experience in developing and manufacturing high-performance plastics. The company’s comprehensive product portfolio encompasses solutions for virtually any industrial application.
Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The focus on more specialty businesses, customer-oriented innovative prowess and a trustful and performance-oriented corporate culture form the heart of Evonik’s corporate strategy. They are the lever for profitable growth and a sustained increase in the value of the company. Evonik benefits specifically from its customer proximity and leading market positions. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world with more than 36000 employees. In fiscal 2018, the enterprise generated sales of EUR 15 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of EUR 2.6 billion.