high temperature plastics | Innovation Solvay aims to have all options covered
When it comes to the breadth of product offering in the world of high performance plastics then Solvay is a top player with a portfolio including Amodel polyphthala- mide, AvaSpire polyaryletherketone, Ixef polyarylamide, Kalix high performance polyamides, KetaSpire polyetheretherk- etone, Radel polyphenylsulphone, Torlon polyamideimide and Udel polysulphone. Kalix branded materials are all aimed
at mobile electronics applications such as frames and chassis that require mechani- cal strength and, in many cases, good aesthetics. The company has been working to expand the range, with three new series of Kalix resins joining the 9000
series products first introduced in 2008. The Kalix high performance polyamides
were developed as an alternative to Ixef, Solvay’s original high performance polymer for mobile electronics applica- tions that has been used since the late 1990s. Tom Wood, senior vp for crystalline products, says Ixef has a very good combination of strength, stiffness and esthetics. But the very high flow that gives Ixef parts their good surface – even a 60% glass filled grade has a surface as good as ABS—means they are also prone to flash. The Kalix 9000 series addressed this and the 2000, 3000, and 5000 series go further. The Kalix 2000 series is based on
Below: The engine manifold used on Ford’s 3.5L and 3.7L engine uses an overmoulded cross-over coolant component made in DuPont’s Zytel HTN PPA resin
for direct food contact applications. The company says that the excellent wear, chemical and hydrolysis resistance, good creep properties, dimensional stability and outstanding strength of Victrex PEEK make it the material of choice for components subjected to high pressure (up to 19 bar) steam. Evonik recently partnered with Greene, Tweed & Co
to develop a new engineering polymer that the two companies say surpasses the performance of existing PEEK materials at high temperatures and in extreme environments. It says the outcome is a material platform with significantly improved mechanical properties above 175°C, with chemical resistance comparable to PEEK. Built on the Evonik Vestakeep platform, the new material provides enhanced creep resistance over existing thermoplastics. In dynamic mechanical analysis tests, it exhibits superior mechanical property retention
semi-crystalline bio-based PA610, the Kalix 3000 series is also bio-based but this time on a new amorphous PPA, and the Kalix 5000 HFFR series is based on a polyarylamide that Wood describes as a cousin of MXD6-based Ixef. There are two grades in the Kalix 2000 series – 2855 and 2955 – both containing 55% glass. The first has better mechani- cal properties (stiffness and strength, impact strength, elongation at break), while the second has better dimensional stability. Kalix 3000 series grades 3850 and 3950 both have 50% glass, and are differentiated in the same way as Kalix 2855 and 2955.
at temperatures from 175°C to 315°C. Solvay produces PEEKs under the KetaSpire banner,
while other PAEKs (which Solvay describes as modified PEEK) are branded as AvaSpire. With these materials, the company is targeting automotive, aerospace, oil & gas, semiconductors and electronics, and fluid han- dling. Chris Wilson, senior vice-president of the ultra-performance materials business line, says the families are rapidly evolving. Late last year, the company commercialised a new
ultra-high molecular weight grade of KetaSpire PEEK that offers greater ductility and toughness than standard high-molecular weight PEEK products. KetaSpire KT-810 has a melt viscosity ranging from 0.51-0.65 kPa-s compared to 0.38-0.50 kPa-s for standard high-viscosity PEEK grades. It is still processable by conventional methods though. There is also an improve- ment of around 50% in tensile elongation at break and a 10% to 20% increase in impact resistance compared to standard high-molecular weight PEEK grades. Wilson says AvaSpire PAEK can be used in applica- tions “where PEEK was almost there, but maybe lacked the performance at higher temperatures, or the necessary ductility.” He cites an application in an autoclavable battery for powered surgical tools developed by ConMed Linvatec. The UL-approved Hall Lithium Battery system powers
surgical tools for reconstructive orthopedic procedures. Unlike standard batteries, this new design can be autoclaved with other instruments in a single tray. AvaSpire is used to injection mould the black rectangular enclosures which measure 8.9cm high by 8.25cm long by
68 COMPOUNDING WORLD | June 2014
www.compoundingworld.com
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