ETPs | materials
Polyamides seem to be the focus of ETP developments at present with material producers offering tougher, higher temperature resistant and more easily processed options. Peter Mapleston finds out more
Polyamides lead innovation in engineering polymers
There appear to be few limits to the ability of engineer- ing thermoplastic suppliers to extend the capability of their materials—just so long as they are polyamides. While developers seem to have hit a wall with most other medium-high performance polymers - semi- crystalline and amorphous - the trajectory for polyam- ides and most especially the semi-aromatic types— polyphthalamides (PPAs) – appears to be ever-upward. BASF made a splash at K 2016 with its Ultramid
Advanced N, a new polyphthalamide portfolio “for sophisticated components in the automotive and electronics industries.” BASF gives no details of the exact chemical nature of the polymer, saying only that it is a long-chain PPA that is not PA6T (which is the basis of several other PPAs). Abdullah Shaikh, head of the company’s PPA business for Performance Materials Europe, says Ultramid Advanced N has much lower water uptake than PA6T, giving it higher dimensional stability and enabling it to fulfil up to JEDEC Class 1 for blister-free high-temperature soldering. Expect to see more from the company in this area. Melanie Maas-Brunner, Senior Vice President Perfor- mance Materials Europe at BASF, says the company is “committed to offer a broad PPA portfolio and will
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further launch high-performance plastics in the coming years.” Last summer, DSM launched the ForTii MX family, which is based on PA4T polyphthalamide and is aimed at replacing die-cast metal parts. It followed that at K 2016 with a further major move into the PPA territory with the launch of ForTii Ace. DSM says ForTii Ace offers an outstanding set of mechanical, thermal and chemical properties. ForTii Ace will enable automotive OEMs to replace
metals in applications that have been too challenging up to now, says Konraad Dullaert, Global Business Manager for ForTii at DSM, who describes it as a gamechanger. “Target applications include powertrain, transmission, chassis, and thermal management applications. Many industrial applications now incorpo- rating die-cast designs will also benefit from the properties of ForTii Ace as a replacement material,” Dullaert adds.
Dullaert says DSM is targeting ForTii Ace at die-cast
metal replacement applications that require high and consistent mechanical performance at constant-use temperatures as high as 150°C, together with superior chemical stability. Most thermoplastics aimed at
April 2017 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 67 Main image:
Polyamides are one of the most active areas of
development in ETPs, with EMS-Grivory among a number of material
producers adding higher thermal
resistance grades
PHOTO: EMS-GRIVORY
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