The Japanese technology company Asahi Kasei has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Aquafil, an Italian manufacturer of polyamide 6 (PA6). The two companies agreed to develop a novel material for 3D printing (3DP) applications utilising Aquafil’s Econyl Polymer chemically recycled PA6 and Asahi Kasei’s cellulose nanofibre (CNF), with the support of ITOCHU Corporation, which has made a capital investment in Aquafil. Pellets or filaments of this compound achieve superior formability and strength, which make them suitable for use in automotive and aeronautical applications.

Econyl Polymer is a chemically recycled PA6 derived from post and pre-consumer waste. Utilising polyamide waste such as used fishing nets, old carpets, industrial waste and so on, the material is first depolymerised into monomers, and then re-polymerised into Econyl Polymer chips, the company said in a press release.

Asahi Kasei’s CNF is made from cotton linter and features high heat resistance and network-forming ability. Furthermore, CNF has superior material recyclability compared to glass fibre. The new CNF/Econyl Polymer compound features excellent formability and strength especially in 3DP usage, and Asahi Kasei sees a great potential in high-performance applications mainly in the automotive and aeronautical fields.

Asahi Kasei plans to begin trial sales of filament of the new compound material in the EU, US, and Japan in the third quarter of 2025. The new material will be showcased at the upcoming Fakuma (October 15-19, Germany), Sustainable Material Expo (October 29-31, Japan), and Formnext (November 19-22, Germany).