Italian chemicals company and compounder RadiciGroup (Gandino) launched five new grades of a material based on polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) this week. It made the announcement at Fakuma, the international plastics trade show in Friedrichshafen, Germany, that runs through Oct. 21.

The high-performance Raditeck P family of materials was introduced by Erico Spini, Marketing Manager Europe, during a Fakuma Forum presentation today. The properties of the materials include chemical resistance with low swell, mechanical heat aging resistance, dimensional stability and inherent flame retardancy, Spini told attendees. Extensive testing has been performed, he added, noting that the material is especially well suited when you’re “looking for tight dimensional tolerances on parts.” Raditeck P was developed to meet the exacting requirements of the engineering plastics market and the German automotive industry, in particular, said RadiciGroup.

The five grades are all heat-stabilized for injection molding and range from a 40% glass fiber fill to a 65% mixed mineral-glass fiber fill. Two of the grades—Raditeck P ERVA400K and RCMA651K—are formulated to facilitate injection molding.

This product launch exemplifies the RadiciGroup’s approach to innovation. Via the company’s three pillars—chemicals production, compounding and market knowledge, and the development of engineering plastics for complex applications—“synergies are achieved in designing high-performance polymers for demanding markets,” said Spini. Innovation at RadiciGroup, he added, is not done for its own sake—it is articulated around market requirements. Specifically, material selection support always takes into account the customer’s application needs and cost constraints.