Elastomers producer Arlanxeo (Maastricht / The Netherlands; www.arlanxeo.com) has launched a semi-crystalline EPDM grade with a very high Mooney viscosity for demanding rubber applications, especially in the automotive industry. The producer said that "Keltan 13561C DE" has a Mooney viscosity of 130, which is higher than any other Keltan EPDM grade. Keltan 13561C DE is said to deliver excellent mixing and fast extrusion behaviour with high elasticity and collapse resistance in high-filled compounds. Arlanxeo noted that when replacing existing EPDM polymers, Keltan 13561C DE can significantly improve mechanical properties with the same compound loading.

According to the Dutch producer, customers testing the new grade for automotive sealing applications were able to choose between benefiting from enhanced physical properties or from being able to add more fillers and oil to the rubber mixture to reduce overall compound costs.

Another key application for Keltan 13561C DE is in wastewater seal compounds where it is claimed to offer excellent mixing and processing properties for extrusion and moulding technologies. Arlanxeo said a key benefit is that the finished product offers optimal weather- and ozone-resistance when stored outside.

"We are currently starting to develop recipes for demanding applications to explore the full potential of this product and are considering creating further variants with different ethylene and ENB [ethylidene norbornene] contents," said Chretien Rooijakkers, head of global marketing for the Keltan business.

Keltan 13561C DE has been launched in China, where it is made at Arlanxeo’s EPDM plant in Changzhou, Jiangsu, and South America. Samples of the new grade are now available worldwide.