Avient Corporation AVNT declared the launch of Nymax FR REC flame-retardant recycled polyamide grades, addressing the growing demand for more sustainable materials amid the company’s accelerating electrification and circularity initiatives. The new grades combine non-halogenated fire safety performance with 42-77% post-industrial recycled content, helping manufacturers achieve uncompromising fire safety along with aggressive sustainability targets.
Avient, which is among the prominent mid-cap chemical companies along with Innospec Inc. IOSP, Quaker Chemical Corporation KWR and Cabot Corporation CBT, will showcase the Nymax FR REC portfolio at the upcoming Fakuma international trade fair in Germany. The launch will mainly target residential and institutional power distribution systems.
As increasing bans on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) emerge, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are eager to lower the product’s carbon footprint. The system can be used widely across various applications, including switchgear, busway and connectors, appliances, BESS, and EV charging infrastructure.
The new materials deliver UL 94 V-0 performance at 0.8 millimeters and a 960°C glow-wire flammability index, supporting compliance with global electrical safety standards. The formulations also offer comparative tracking index values of up to 600 V and use non-halogenated, non-PFAS formulations, aligning with regulatory requirements.
The portfolio includes PA6 and PA66 resins with 15-40% glass-fiber loading, along with unfilled options. By incorporating recycled feedstock while maintaining flame-retardant performance, Avient aims to help OEMs and component manufacturers address fire-safety requirements alongside circularity goals.
Avient, in August, raised its full-year 2026 adjusted earnings guidance to $3.10-$3.25 per share from the previous range of $2.93-$3.17. The revised range implies adjusted earnings growth of 10-15% over 2025. Management cited year-to-date performance and visibility into third-quarter demand in raising its expectations. The company also increased its full-year adjusted EBITDA guidance to $575-$603 million. Avient expects to repay $100-$150 million of debt during 2026, including the $50 million repaid in the second quarter. Management remains focused on targeted investments in prioritized growth portfolios while pursuing continued earnings growth and balance-sheet improvement.
Another industry leader, Innospec, expects its Performance Chemicals segment to benefit from ongoing plant repairs, process improvements, upgrades and additional top-line and margin opportunities. For Oilfield Services, Innospec expects its DRA expansion and opportunities in completions and production to support further sequential gains. Fuel Specialties, meanwhile, is expected to continue advancing opportunities across its established and newer end markets. IOSP continues to pursue opportunities across traditional fuel, renewable fuel and non-fuel applications.
Quaker Chemical, on its second-quarter call, released its third-quarter guidance, reflecting expectations of stable demand, with end markets projected to remain flat to slightly positive through the rest of 2026. Continued share gains are expected to support volume growth despite macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty. KWR expects the gross margin percentage in the third quarter to remain near second-quarter levels as it works through raw material cost inflation, inventory movements and the timing of price recovery actions. Management said pricing and cost initiatives should allow the company to exit 2026 within its target gross margin range. The company continues to expect meaningful revenue and adjusted EBITDA growth in 2026.
Cabot, for fiscal 2026, tightened its adjusted earnings guidance to $6.15-$6.45 per share from the previous range of $6-$6.5. The company expects its full-year fiscal 2026 operating tax rate to be in the range of 28-30%. It also reaffirmed its expectation of approximately $40 million of EBITDA from its battery materials product line for fiscal 2026. CBT is expanding global conductive additive capacity through targeted investments in the United States and China to support expected growth in global battery demand and broaden its participation with leading battery manufacturers.
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