news
Lanxess focuses on sustainable mobility…
Lanxess’s pitch at the VDI Plastics in Automotive Engineering conference in Mannheim, Germany, in early March was on “tailor-made high-tech thermoplastics for sustainable mobility.” To the fore was the Tepex
brand of continuous-fibre- reinforced, semi-finished thermoplastic composites for
lightweight design of highly load-resistant components. This featured at the event as the reinforcing overlay of a van battery console made using the direct long fibre thermo- plastic technique, which, Lanxess claims, enables the console to pass a more stringent crash test both in freezing conditions and at high
temperatures than previous versions. Tepex also featured in a
sports car seat shell to demonstrate the benefits of hybrid moulding. In this process, semi-finished composites are both formed and overmoulded in an automated one-shot process in the injection mould. The
…while PolyOne launches new TPEs
PolyOne used the Plastics in Automotive Engineering conference to announce some new polymers and services for the European automotive industry. This included the European launch of its
OnFlex LO thermoplastic TPEs, which are claimed to provide a 50% reduction in VOC emissions for vehicle interior applications. Targeted applications include HVAC seals,
buttons, coin trays and drink holder mats. The company also launched its IQ Design Labs services in Europe. These are said to combine expertise in design, polymer science and manufacturing, “working with customers in the early stages of product development to inspire creative designs that can be efficiently manufactured and successfully launched”. ❙
www.polyone.com
component is said to be lighter than metal, while giving the same performance and offering the driver “a lower, more sporty seat position”. Lanxess also showcased
hydrolysis-stabilised PBT compounds for automotive electrical and electronic systems and new, thermally conductive polyamides, notably the new and extremely flame-retardant grade Pocan BF 4232 HR. In addition, the company showed the first example of a motor flange for a car internal ventilation system using thermally conductive Durethan BTC 75 H3.0 EF PA 6, which is said to conduct heat about five times better than a standard 30% GFR PA6. ❙
www.lanxess.com
Fraunhofer sets up kilo-scale polymers lab
Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability & System Reliability (LBF) has set up a new "kilogram lab" that enables laboratory syntheses to be scaled up to kilograms. The lab includes reactors
and autoclaves with volumes of up to 20 litres, allowing LBF scientists to carry out polymerisations and organic syntheses under different conditions. The products obtained can then be examined practically. Fraunhofer LBF says that
12 COMPOUNDING WORLD | April 2016
while a few grams of additive, monomers, excipient or polymer are usually enough to examine the physical, chemical, or thermal proper-
ties, larger volumes are needed to explore applications, particularly in terms of practical parameters like mechanical properties,
durability, look and feel. The new laboratory enables the synthesis of a wide variety of substances at kilogram scale, allowing them to be processed further at the in-house applications labora- tory and provided for corre- sponding testing. Reactions such as the synthesis of polymers with special architectures for use as coupling agents or compatibil- isers can be carried out and the use of gaseous monomers and reactants is also possible. ❙
www.lbf.fraunhofer.de
www.compoundingworld.com
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