materials | Bioplastics Right:
Production of PLA wine
bottles at the AIMPLAS technical
institute in Spain
physical properties of conventional grades. Simulations by Reverdia suggest around a 65% reduction in the carbon impact compared with products produced with petrochemicals. The biomass content of the Desmopan TPU in these hardness grades is 65% (85 Shore A), 52% (95 Shore A) and 42% (60 Shore D). DSM has extended its range of high temperature
Right: AIMPLAS developed this 50g SiOx coated PLA wine bottle for wine
producer Bodega
Matarromera
resistant bio-based polymers with the introduction of a new family of high performance polyamide 4T materials, partially produced from renewable resources, called ForTii Eco. These new materials are claimed to fit with the growing need for faster, thinner and more sustainable devices in the electronics industry. According to the company, on average smart phones are getting 12% thinner every year, while speed and functionality continue to increase. At the same time there is a growing demand for more sustainable devices. DSM’s range already includes Arnitel Eco (a thermo- plastic elastomer) and EcoPaXX (polyamide 410), which are partially or fully derived from renewable resources. The company says that the new ForTii Eco grades add to the current bio-based range and provide increased performance compared to alternative mineral oil-based solutions. DSM says that the ForTii Eco grades are
Below: Good flow to fill thin wall parts is a key require- ment in the electronics sector
able to meet more stringent requirements on prop- erties such as flow, mechanical and dielectric strength than has been possible even with existing ForTii polyamide grades. The polymer in the new grades is 30-60% derived from renewable resources. DSM uses castor beans as the basis for the C10 chemistry that it incorporates. The grades have a bio-content ranging from 10-25% by weight on a compound basis. The first three grades in the range are ForTii Eco E11, ForTii Eco E61 and ForTii Eco LDS62. They will provide halogen- free solutions for parts with thinner walls and are claimed to demonstrate good flow with good
mechanical and dielectric properties. DSM says that key applications for ForTii Eco E11 and ForTii Eco E61 include surface-mount technology (SMT) connectors, like the new USB-C, and also audio jacks. The ForTii Eco LDS62 grade is claimed
to be an ideal material for the production of antennas for mobile electronics, as it enables incorporation of fine and precise electrical circuitry
using laser direct structuring - LDS. Parts made in ForTii Eco LDS62 have good dielectrics, surface quality and high mechanical robustness. ForTii Eco shows low sensitivity to moisture, which ensures that its good mechanical and dielectric properties are retained even in the conditioned state. Toughness is also high. “As data transmission speeds continue to rise, there is a growing need in the market for insulating materials like ForTii that have a stable dielectric constant and loss tangent to limit signal losses,” says Konraad Dullaert, business manager ForTii. DSM says these new grades offer higher flow
and an improved processing window, combined with high toughness and full resistance to high temperature soldering. Competing semi-aromatic polyamides such as PA6T and PA10T have (to varying extents) lower flow and lower toughness. “This is an important develop- ment for processors because the new grades, with their improved processing characteristics, will help them reduce their costs while still being able to produce parts that meet OEM requirements,” says John Hsieh, marketing manager connectors. “The OEMs themselves will appreciate the marketing benefits of bio-based materials, and the ability to design thinner parts.”
Compound options Compounder FKuR Kunststoff of Germany, film manufacturer Oerlemans Plastics of the Netherlands and the specialist foodstuffs packaging distributor BK Pac of Sweden, are collaborating on expanding the use of bio-based plastics for sustainable food film packag- ing. FKuR is the distributor of Green PE - a 100% recyclable, sugar cane-based polyethylene manufac- tured by Brazilian biopolymer manufacturer Braskem . The film is produced by Oerlemans Plastics and supplied to BK Pac, which specialises in packaging materials such as films, trays, bags and carton boxes
50 COMPOUNDING WORLD
www.compoundingworld.com
PHOTO: DSM
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