Solvay, a prominent global player in high-performance polymer and composite materials, has entered a multi-million euro deal with long-term partner Agru, a leading company in engineered polymer applications.
The agreement involves providing Agru with top-quality Solef® polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), ensuring a consistent supply for creating ultra-pure water piping systems in the expanding semiconductor sector.
“Over the last 4 decades, our teams have collaborated intensively with Agru. By building on Solvay’s high-purity resins and Agru’s advanced engineering providing, our co-located teams have been able to jointly develop new applications in one of their key growth market, the semiconductors industry and significantly increase the cleanliness of piping systems,” commented Peter Browning, President of Solvay’s Specialty Polymers Global Business Unit. “This agreement further reinforces the bond between our companies, and we look forward to continuing to grow our partnership with Agru.”
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Andrew Lau, VP Electronics and Industrial for Solvay’s Specialty Polymers Global Business Unit, with Alois Gruber, owner and CEO of Agru.[/caption]
As an industry benchmark thermoplastic fluoropolymers, Solvay’s Solef® PVDF resins are utilized extensively in the semiconductor industry for pipes, tubing and fittings used in water piping systems due to their exceptional purity.
In contrast to numerous other plastics, these plastics do not need stabilizers, plasticizers, lubricants, or flame-retardant additives. Their chemical inertness and the virtual absence of released contaminants make natural Solef® PVDF grades well-suited for semiconductor industry uses, including distribution systems and ultra-pure fluid components.
High-purity Solef® PVDF grades are based on 100% pure polymer feedstock without any added substance and are produced in a dedicated line to prevent any possible cross-contamination.
They offer a smooth surface and possess a low coefficient of friction, which prevents the build-up of bio-film and bacterial growth – a critical performance requirement for a wide range of high-tech applications in the semiconductor industry, in thin-film transistor (TFT) and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) manufacturing, and in the life sciences, food and photovoltaic industries.
Balanced processability as a neat resin and excellent mechanical properties make Solef® PVDF an ideal solution for high-pressure piping systems.
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