Extrusion International USA 3-2020

33 Extrusion International 3/2020 Acquisition Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation announced that its sub- sidiary Mitsubishi Chemical America, Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all of the issued and out- standing shares of Gelest Intermediate Holdings, Inc., the parent of Gelest, Inc. and a portfolio company of NewMoun- tain Capital, LLC. Gelest is an American innovator, manufacturer, and suppli- er of silicones, organosilanes, metal-organics, and specialty monomers for advanced technology end markets including medical devices, life sciences, microelectronics, and personal care. Gelest helps customers succeed by assisting them to de- velop and supply the chemistry to solve their most challeng- ing materials science problems and enable their new product technology. “Since partnering with Gelest in 2017, we have been ex- tremely impressed by the management team and Gelest’s Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation Mitsubishi Chemical America, Inc. www.m-chemical.co.jp/en/ Gelest, Inc. NewMountain Capital, LLC. www.newmountaincapital.com ability to innovate continuously to serve the evolving needs of its demanding customers,” said Andre Moura, Managing Director at NMC and lead director of Gelest. “We are proud to have supported Gelest’s execution of an organic and inor- ganic growth strategy, and we thank everyone at Gelest for an exceptional partnership.” MCC will continue to execute its strategy of enhancing its technology platform, leveraging its extensive R&D capabili- ties and pursuing new business development opportunities in new markets to drive further expansion in the future. Custom-designed Xaloy ® screw and barrel packages from Nordson Corporation withstand the corrosive effects of fluo- ropolymers in the extrusion of insulation for wire and cable while meeting the processing requirements of materials as different as fluorinated ethylene-propylene (FEP) and polyvi- nylidene fluoride (PVDF). Fluoropolymers are among the most corrosive materials for processing in standard extrusion systems. The screw and barrel packages now offered by Nordson include highly corrosion-resistant materials for all components, along with custom-designed screws to meet the differing processing temperatures of FEP and PVDF and the special mixing re- quirements of the individual customer. The corrosion-resistant materials specified for FEP screws in- clude Inconel ® nickel-chromium alloys for the base metal and Colmonoy ® nickel-based alloys for the hard-surfacing that is welded onto the wear surfaces, or lands, of the screw flights. For PVDF screws, the recommended base metal is chrome- plated 4140 HT alloy steel or stainless steel. The barrel that Nordson recommends for use with both screws is lined with Xaloy X-800 ® , a highly corrosion- and abrasion-resistant nick- el-based alloy with tungsten carbide; for discharge flanges and feed ports, the material is Inconel. An important difference between the two fluoropolymers is melt temperature: 230 to 290 °C for PVDF, versus 360 to 380 °C for FEP. This is a determinant of screw design for ap- plications requiring mixing of the polymer with additives, modifiers, and colorants. For FEP, Nordson recommends a Nordson Polymer Processing Systems www.nordsonpolymerprocessing.com screw with the Xaloy Stratablend ® II mixer, which provides both distributive and dispersive mixing with relatively low shear. This is also recommended for mixing PVDF, but in ad- dition Nordson also specifies the Xaloy Efficient™ barrier screw. The barrier screw design separates the already melt- ing resin from solid material that has yet to melt, preventing over-shearing of the already melted PVDF and keeping the melt temperature of the overall extrudate low. Other design specifications for screws to process these fluo- ropolymers involve the length of the feed and transition sec- tions of the screw and the compression ratio. Extrusion Screwand Barrel Packagewithstands Corrosion from Fluoropolymers used for Wire and Cable Xaloy ® Stratablend ® II Extrusion Screw Xaloy ® Efficient™Screwwith Stratablend ® II