May 16, 2017

3 Questions About Replacing DuPont Kevlar Engineered Elastomers (KEE)

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Depending on the application, users may treat rubber gently — like in a kid’s toy. On the other hand, users may subject it to a lot of daily abuse — like in a conveyor belt in a mining operation. The latter will need to stand up to gouging, abrasion, tearing, and more.

DuPont Kevlar^® Fibers and their KEE delivery system offered great advantages to formulators looking to significantly improve the physical properties of their product. By infusing Kevlar^® into their elastomers, formulators could exponentially increase the toughness of the selected elastomer. Kevlar^® Engineered Elastomers (KEE) allowed for the introduction of Kevlar^® fibers into elastomers, but processing and achieving an adequate dispersion of Kevlar^® fibers in the rubber matrix remained a challenge.

With the decision by DuPont to discontinue production of KEE (effective in 2017), many companies have been searching high and low for a replacement product. If this sounds like you, consider H.M. Royal’s Roy-Tuff™ 9021.

Understandably, if you’re looking for a replacement or alternative for KEE products, you may have some questions. Here are 3 things you may be wondering about Roy-Tuff 9021.

1. What is it?

Roy-Tuff 9021 is an open Kevlar^® pulp with a proprietary mixture of dispersing agents. Roy-Tuff 9021 allows for rapid dispersion of Kevlar^® into many different viscous materials. It’s a “better way to deliver fibers.”

Roy-Tuff 9021 is not a polymer-bound product, so it is not polymer specific. Roy-Tuff 9021 can be used across multiple polymer types so formulators only need to keep one grade on hand. Users can keep costs down since they do not have to rotate between products when different polymers are used for different applications.

Our product can be used for hoses, belts, and more. Anything that needs to be hardy and stand up to tough conditions.

2. How does it perform?

We’re proud to say that Roy-Tuff stands up to its name. Mooney and MDR data shows improvement in viscosity at equal fiber loading, resulting in superb processing.

Roy-Tuff 9021 achieves a higher percentage of final property value after only a 2-pass mix. As a result, this faster incorporation leads to lower energy use. As an added benefit, it is functional across polymer classes.

3. Is it cost-efficient?

Ultimately, Roy-Tuff 9021 is attractive to many people because of its cost. It is able to deliver equal performance with less processing time and lower material cost — resulting in less overall cost.