Compounds | engineering plastics
The independent ETP option
Independent compounders of engineering thermoplas- tics around the world are growing in size and sophisti- cation. A common theme in their approach to the market, as they seek to distinguish themselves from the polymer majors who are often after the same business, is their willingness and ability to create solutions for specifi c applications. Bob Healy, Managing Director of Lehmann & Voss’s North American operation LehVoss, highlights the company’s recently introduced Luvocom XTF com- pounds to illustrate how the company responds to problems it comes across in the market. In this case, the problem related to tribology and the issues some customers were having when using compounds containing PTFE to improve surface characteristics. The fi rst grades in the series are based on PEEK and
are aimed at parts used in high temperature and high pressure environments. Under high loads, PEEK compounds with XTF modifi cation exhibit signifi cantly lower levels of wear - 50% less than unreinforced PEEK and 80% less than PEEK modifi ed with 15% standard PTFE. Other polymer formulations are in development. “Developments are more often coming from listening to multiple lines of communication, Healy says. “They may not just be for one customer, but rather form a platform for a particular application area.” The new compounds are lubricated with an advanced
proprietary PTFE formulation. They are said to exhibit signifi cantly increased wear resistance, especially at high loads, when compared to standard PTFE formula- tions. Other benefi ts include a low coeffi cient of friction,
www.compoundingworld.com
As application demands become more specifi c there’s a growing
demand for more targeted polymer solutions. Independent compounders are stepping in to fi ll that space, writes Peter Mapleston
reduced mould deposition during processing and shorter running in performance. Lehman & Voss now operates two sites in Germany, one in the USA, and one soon to be operational in China. It is also expanding through acquisitions. Last Septem- ber it took over German engineering plastics com- pounder WMK Plastics, which employs around 40 people at Solingen. US-headquartered global compounder Teknor Apex
indicated earlier last year that it has long-term plans to manufacture Chemlon brand polyamide in its own facility in Europe. This announcement came shortly after a fi re devastated its plant in the UK, prompting it to sell its Beetle thermoplastic polyester (PBT and PET) brand and some manufacturing assets to UK-based Petlon Polymers. Also last year, Teknor Apex introduced Chemlon 109 HBK778, a polyamide 66 compound that it says has
Main image: This 32.4W spotlight by Sylumis uses a heat sink moulded in a Therma-Tech PA66-based
compound from PolyOne
May 2016 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 75
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