Link-Tech's New PolyBrass Ball Valve Uses Acudel® Modified PPSU in Industry's First Modular Ball Valve
Acudel Resin Delivers Resistance to Hot Chlorinated Water and Tight Tolerance Molding to Ball Valve Designed for Lead-Free Potable Water Systems
ALPHARETTA, Ga. - Link-Tech Co., Ltd., Tianjin, China, a component manufacturer for plumbing and heating systems, has developed the industry's first modular ball valve which features several thermoplastic components including the ball, the ball valve housing, and several connector components. The new PolyBrass ball valve incorporates thermoplastic parts made of Acudel® modified polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) resin from Solvay Specialty Polymers USA, LLC, for prolonged resistance to hot chlorinated water and tight tolerance molding.
Link-Tech is targeting the PolyBrass ball valve for the U.S. market where new legislation to be enacted in 2014 will require lead-free systems for potable water and heating applications for residential and commercial use.
"We needed a partner with a raw material which offered proven long-term exposure and resistance to hot chlorinated water and long-term durability, coupled with a history on the market," said Larry Zhang, General Manager for Link-Tech.
Modular construction enables the PolyBrass ball valve to be versatile, permitting use with a range of fittings including threaded screw fittings, push fittings, and crimp fittings. All three parts are injection molded including the ball, which serves as a flow control device. Acudel modified PPSU allows tight tolerance molding of the ball - previously made of metal - thus eliminating machining and post-treatment operations. All three parts are manually assembled. The ball valve assembly comes in four sizes: ¼-in, ⅜-in, ½-in, and ¾-in.
Acudel modified PPSU is part of Solvay's family of polysulfone polymers, which have been used successfully in plumbing applications for over 20 years. It provides resistance to prolonged exposure to hot chlorinated water, performs well in varied water quality environments, and avoids any de-zincification problems. The material also provides excellent toughness and chemical resistance along with hydrolytic stability and dimensional stability.
Along with Acudel modified PPSU, Solvay offers a broad range of high-performance plastics for water handling systems, with a large number of products for fittings, including Udel® PSU, Radel® PPSU, and Solef® PVDF, as well as Polidan® PEX for pipes.
Link-Tech will manufacture the PolyBrass ball valve in China and conduct sales through its U.S. office in Chicago.
About Link-Tech Metal Products Co., Ltd.
Link-Tech Metal Products Co., based in Tianjin, China, is a manufacturer of plumbing, heating, and refrigeration systems. For more than a decade, the company has delivered high-quality products and services to its customers in North America, Europe, and Asia. Link-Tech has achieved ISO 9001:2008 quality system certification, CE security certification, and NSF certification. For more information, visit www.linktechtj.com.
About Solvay Specialty Polymers
Solvay Specialty Polymers manufactures more products with more performance than any other polymer company in the world. The company supplies over 1500 products across 33 brands of high-performance polymers - fluoropolymers, fluoroelastomers, fluorinated fluids, semi-aromatic polyamides, sulfone polymers, aromatic ultra polymers, high-barrier polymers and cross-linked high-performance compounds - for use in Aerospace, Alternative Energy, Automotive, Healthcare, Membranes, Oil & Gas, Packaging, Plumbing, Semiconductors, Wire & Cable, and other markets. Learn more at www.solvayspecialtypolymers.com.
Solvay is an international chemical Group committed to sustainable development with a clear focus on innovation and operational excellence. Its recent acquisition of specialty chemicals company Rhodia created a much larger player which is realizing over 90% of its sales in markets where it is among the top 3 global leaders. Solvay offers a broad range of products that contribute to improving quality of life and its customers' performance in markets such as consumer goods, construction, automotive, energy, water and environment, and electronics. The Group is headquartered in Brussels and its companies employ about 30,000 people in 55 countries and generated EUR 12 billion in sales (pro forma) in 2010. Solvay SA is listed on NYSE Euronext (SOLB.BE - Bloomberg: SOLB.BB - Reuters: SOLBt.BR).
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