The Mitsubishi Chemical Group (the MCG Group) has developed the ZR Series of NOVADURAN™ polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) resin, a foaming grade with ultra-low specific gravity, and began sample work in January 2024.
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ZR Series floating in water thanks to its specific gravity being lower than 1.0 |
The ZR Series is a new grade developed by combining the MCG Group's formulation and proprietary manufacturing technologies. It is unique in that it itself has foaming properties while being a highly rigid fiber-reinforced engineering plastic.
Foam injection molding is widely recognized as a technology for reducing the weight of components, but foaming using chemical foaming agents has problems with decomposition residues and workability, and physical foaming with supercritical fluids has limitations, such as the need for special molding equipment. The ZR Series is a ground-breaking grade that solves these issues and enables the production of molded products with ultra-low specific gravity below 1.0 without the need for complicated work or special molding machines.
The ZR Series delivers the high chemical resistance and heat resistance of PBT resin, and has applications not only in the automotive field where there is strong demand for reduced weight to achieve better fuel efficiency, lower CO2 emissions, and better driving performance, but also in a wide range of other fields including those related to industrial materials, and electricity and electronics.
The MCG Group is committed to continuing to further enhance the functionality of NOVADURAN™ and develop technologies for compound products to offer high-value-added performance products and contribute to the realization of sustainable societies.
