Innovation | high temperature plastics Some like it hot
Demand for high temperature polymers continues to grow and it is a demand resin producers are working hard to satisfy. Peter Mapleston looks at the latest high temperature resin introductions
Whether it is heat sinks for electronics, kitchen equipment, car engine parts, or components in oil and gas drilling operations, there is a growing need for thermoplastics capable of surviving high temperatures. Polymer suppliers are responding to that demand - if not actually driving it - with improvements to their existing offerings and in some cases with totally new polymers. Activity is at a particularly high level in the polyamide sector, but there is also plenty going on in sulphur-containing polymers and ether-ketones. This article takes a look at the latest innovations. Looking first into developments in the polyamides
sector, DSM recently launched a new grade in its Stanyl ForTii polyamide 4T range - Stanyl ForTii T11 – targeted at high performance halogen-free electronic terminal blocks. It delivers UL94-V0 flame retardancy combined with what the company describes as outstanding thermal and mechanical performance. The new grade meets the high performance requirements for printed circuit board (PCB) terminal blocks that are mounted using surface mount technology (SMT). DSM says that for high-temperature engineering
plastics typically used in terminal blocks, there is not always a drop-in halogen-free flame retardant solution that meets both engineering and cost targets. In addition, the size of the connectors is falling all the time, while their electrical performance requirements are increasing. It claims that its new material “meets
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all the key specifications for terminal blocks in a way that is much more cost-effective than can be achieved with rival materials.” Conventional wave soldering of terminal blocks onto PCBs is being steadily replaced by surface mount technology using through-hole reflow soldering, or SMT THR. So what terminal block makers need is an injection moulding material that is consistently capable of withstanding SMT THR processing conditions, while also meeting such needs as high flow for production of thin-walled components, very good mechanical performance, high flame retardancy, and compliance with global environmental regulations. DSM says Stanyl ForTii T11 answers all these requirements. Patrick Duis, application development engineer for
connectors at DSM, says Stanyl ForTii T11 displays better blistering performance than polyphthalamide (PPA) and also better long-term heat ageing. “And compared with LCP, it has better electrical perfor- mance, especially in smaller designs with high electrical loads,” he says. Stanyl ForTii T11 is also said to be the first high temperature polyamide certified by the VDE (Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies) up to 0.4mm, using glow wire tests carried out according to the household appliance standard DIN EN 60335-1.
At Chinaplas in Shanghai in April, DSM was also highlighting the use of its Stanyl ForTii and Stanyl
June 2014 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 61
Main image: These photo- copier paper
feeder parts in PEK resin by Gharda
perform at
temperatures up to 250˚C
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