Chemicals and engineering plastics producer Arkema (Colombes / France; www.arkema.com) has inaugurated its first US plant for polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) resin at its site in Axis, Alabama, near Mobile on the US Gulf Coast – see Plasteurope.com of 08.03.2017. Based on Arkema's investment information, the plant capacity could be around the 1,500 t/y mark. The French company said the new facility for the carbon fibre-reinforced plastic is a further step in its ambitious growth strategy for sustainable high-performance polymers and advanced materials.

The US investment follows the doubling of capacity for the resin sold under the “Kepstan” trademark in France in 2017 to around 200 t/y. Arkema said the global expansion is in response to strong demand for carbon fibre-reinforced composites and 3D printing from the aeronautics, oil and gas, electronics and automotive industries. Christophe André, VP Advanced Materials, said the new plant will enable the company’s customers and the end-markets to better meet future demand for more efficient materials.

Parts made of PEKK, claimed to have excellent mechanical, chemical, fire and abrasion resistance, are designed to replace metal in structural parts of the aircraft of the future, providing lightweight materials that will allow faster production cycles. Arkema said its PEKK range can be used with a wide range of processing technologies, particularly in 3D printing where the high-temperature polymer is “uniquely suited” for powder sintering and filament extrusion processes.