Celanese and Safic-Alcan DKT Interview
Driving sustainable change in the rubber industry requires long-term partnerships, advanced material solutions and a shared commitment to innovation. In this exclusive Celanese and Safic-Alcan DKT interview, we explore how two industry leaders collaborate to deliver high-performance and sustainable elastomer solutions, supporting the evolving needs of automotive and e-mobility applications.
Through the perspectives of Csaba Holop, Vice President of Elastomers at Celanese, and Philippe Cenreaud, Managing Director Performance Products at Safic-Alcan, this interview highlights the strength of a partnership built on trust, expertise and technical excellence.
Csaba Holop : Celanese is a global leader in the supply of thermoplastics that are sold to injection molders, blow molders, extruders and other manufacturers of these materials. Vamac® AEM is a different type of material: a real elastomer which receives its final part shape by vulcanization, and typically is compounded with other materials to add functionality to a final part. We recognized that we would benefit from the support of a strong partner who knew the rubber industry and could help introduce Vamac® AEM to manufacturers we might never encounter in the thermoplastics world.
After an intense search and many discussions, we recognized that Safic-Alcan had the experience and network that we sought. Just as important to us, the people at Safic-Alcan were people with whom we would enjoy collaborating. Smart, professional, engaged; it is a culture that mirrors that in our own company. We have been collaborating with Safic-Alcan since the invention of Vamac® AEM in 1974. and are very pleased with the development of our partnership.
Philippe Cenreaud : For over 175 years, Safic-Alcan has developed innovative solutions for its principals and clients.
The partnership between Safic-Alcan and Celanese in the rubber industry is rooted in a shared commitment to innovation and excellence in providing high-quality elastomer solutions.
This collaboration began with Safic-Alcan’s longstanding relationship with DuPont de Nemours, the original developer of Vamac® AEM. When Celanese acquired the Vamac® product line in November 2022, it was a natural progression for Safic-Alcan to continue its distribution, given its extensive history and expertise in the market. Safic-Alcan has an exclusive agreement for Vamac® distribution throughout Europe.
Our common goals revolve around driving advancements in engineered rubber applications.
Both companies value strong customer relationships, continuous improvement, and sustainable practices. Our partnership is built on a foundation of trust, shared vision, and the mutual objective of pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the rubber industry.
CH : Vamac® AEM has long been an important material for manufacturing seals, gaskets, hoses and other critical applications in the automotive industry. Until recently most of these applications were in vehicles with internal combustion engines, of course. But in the past years we see strong interest from companies manufacturing similar components, but for electrified vehicles.
As good as Vamac® AEM has been for ICE-powered vehicles, its value seems to be even greater for EVs. Why? There are a few reasons. Motors and batteries are still being developed for EVs, and there is not an industry standard. Vamac®’s ability to withstand heat and many different chemicals, including those used for cooling EV batteries, makes it a very flexible solution that enables OEMs to speed new EV developments. Vamac® AEM also can be easily compounded with different types of ingredients, offering manufacturers the flexibility they need to meet the various requirements of the many OEMs now making EVs. It also allows for compounding of very clean compounds; this is very important in, for example, immersion cooled batteries or in fuel cells.
In addition, we invested time and effort into development of Zytel® polyamide formulations to which Vamac® AEM adheres well during overmolding. This combination of materials, and the strength of the bond between the two, is a great enabler for the design of new EV applications like connectors or other 2K parts.
PC : For us, partnering with Celanese to distribute Vamac® AEM offers significant benefits for our customers in the e-mobility sector. The synergy between our large portfolio of specialties for the rubber industry, combined with our distribution network and Celanese’s innovative materials ensures that our customers can meet the demanding requirements of electric vehicle (EV) applications.
Our customers can leverage Vamac® AEM’s exceptional heat resistance and chemical compatibility, crucial for components exposed to the rigorous conditions of EV systems. This adaptability enhances reliability and safety, crucial for maintaining the performance of EV components over time.
CH : We don’t want to give too much away in this forum, but encourage manufacturers who are seeking more sustainable solutions, that still deliver the excellent mechanical and thermal properties of Vamac® AEM, to visit our stand during the DKT. Vamac AEM is naturally halogen-alee, an increasingly important criteria for many applications. Plus, we have invested in sustainable solutions for Vamac® AEM in different ways, have plenty of data on these that we can share, and will be pleased to discuss all of this in depth in our meetings there.
PC : We are proud to support Celanese's commitment to sustainability. The sustainable compounding options being developed for Vamac® AEM are meant to significantly reduce the environmental footprint of automotive manufacturing. As a distributor, it is a part of our role as experts to answer these growing challenges of sustainable sourcing by partnering with companies who are already thinking ahead. This is what we aim to bring to our customer’s projects.
CH : For all of its fantastic properties, we must admit that marketing Vamac® AEM has not always been easy for Safic-Alcan. In past years, demand for this material sometimes outstripped supply. Safic-Alcan has helped us to manage customers’ demands, and we truly appreciate the Safic-Alcan employees’ cool heads during what sometimes were heated meetings.
But we come to this DKT with very good news for the industry: Vamac® is back! Our engineers have unlocked new capacity so you can confidently specify this functional solution for seals, gaskets, hoses and other critical applications. We have enough supply to meet current and growing demand and to help new customers who may have always wanted to work with Vamac® AEM. Vamac® is back and available, and this is another great reason to meet with us at the DKT and explore your options. We have started to actively pursue business development for Vamac, and feel confident that we can meet new, incremental demand as a result of these business development activities.
PC : Vamac® delivers long-term durability and high performance in challenging environments.
Halogen Free, Flame Retardant (HFFR) compounds exemplify the successful collaboration between Celanese and Safic-Alcan for applications requiring fire safety.
Safic-Alcan teams have successfully expanded the application areas of Vamac® above automotive and more especially in the wire and cable segment by leveraging synergies between Vamac® dipolymers and our own branded range of specialty additives.
Safic-Alcan is renowned worldwide for its own complementary range of specialties, including curing agents (Vulcofac brand family), plasticizers (Alcanplast brand family) and processing aids (Ofalub brand family). We continuously offer new technical solutions for Vamac® formulations that meet specific needs, such as high or low-temperature specifications or compliance with stringent SH&E regulations, with the help for instance of our tailored activators Vulcofac® ACT-55 and ACT 66 (both o-toluidine-free alternative to DOTG) for Vamac® terpolymers.
CH : Vamac® is back! The material that offers an excellent mix of thermal and mechanical properties is available for our current customers as well as new ones. We are excited to share a space with Safic-Alcan at the DKT and think this makes it even more convenient for attendees to find the right contact. And we think it is important for companies outside of the automotive industry to learn about Vamac® AEM and how it can add value to their components.
The DKT is always a great show and with the very positive change in the supply situation, plus our new sustainable developments, we think this year’s show will be a real treat. See you there in Hall 9 at stand 125!
PC : Twenty-four years ago, Safic-Alcan first had its booth at DKT 2000. Since then, we have participated in every edition, providing a valuable meeting point for our customers and suppliers. This year, we are excited to have Celanese join our booth as a co-exhibitor, offering our customers a great opportunity to discuss important current topics such as sustainability or supply directly with Celanese's technical and commercial representatives. We look forward to welcoming all our customers again this year for fruitful and intensive discussions.
Celanese and Safic-Alcan at DKT 2024
At DKT 2024, Safic-Alcan and Celanese showcase their partnership at a shared booth, offering visitors direct access to technical, commercial and sustainability expertise. Attendees can explore:
- The latest VAMAC® AEM developments
- Sustainable compounding solutions
- Application support for e-mobility and beyond
With more than two decades of continuous presence at DKT, Safic-Alcan continues to serve as a trusted meeting point for customers and partners, reinforcing its role as a key player in the rubber industry ecosystem.