engineering plastics | Innovation
The specifi c strength and stiffness values of Grivory XL products are said to greatly exceed those of metals
also in the quality control.” The material carries a UL 94 classifi cation of V-2 for
test pieces up to 0.75 mm thick. In the test to IEC 60695-2-11, it achieved the best possible GWFI (Glow Wire Flammability Index) value for plastics at 960°C for specimen thicknesses of less than 1.0 mm. For LED lighting technology, the company’s new
reinforced Durethan B compounds are said to combine thermal conductivity with electrical insulation. With thermal conductivities in the range from 0.8 to 3 W/m.K, potential applications include cooling elements for LEDs. Highly reinforced, white, light-refl ecting and halogen-free fl ame-retardant material grades are also in development.
Expanding in long fi bre At Fakuma, Solvay Specialty Polymers was highlighting its acquisition of Epic Polymers, the German specialist compounder established several years ago by ex-LNP executives Fred Panhuisen and Jörg Konrad. Epic has developed its own technology for production of long fi bre reinforced thermoplastics (LFTs) and this is the main reason for the acquisition. The two companies have worked closely for some time, and Epic is a long-standing customer of Solvay’s. Solvay says it will take advantage of all Epic’s areas
of expertise “as appropriate.” While the focus of activity will be in LFT and its application to high performance polymers, Epic also has specialist knowledge in areas such as fl ame retardant compounds and tribologically optimised products for wear and friction applications. Tom Wood, head of crystalline polymers at Solvay Specialty Polymers, says the group is moving more into lightweight materials, and will have a strong focus on automotive. He points out that the Solvay group is also currently in the process of acquiring Cytec, a world leader in high performance composites (and also mining chemicals). “We see long fi bre technology as a fantastic
76 COMPOUNDING WORLD | March 2016
bridge between traditional chopped glass fi bre technol- ogy and these sorts of continuous fi bre composites. With the Epic acquisition, we now have a continuum of technologies for structural lightweighting,” he says. “In specialty materials, you need to be on OEM approval lists, but often it’s the Tiers who make the decision about which supplier to use. But with structural body parts, OEMs are making the decisions, and with some of these programs being potentially much larger, they are more comfortable with companies producing polymers and compounds. We decided it was time to take the next step and have this technology in-house. “Long fi bre compounds have been around for over 20 years, but for much of that time they have mostly been based on polypropylene. We see a renaissance in the technology for moving into lightweight high perfor- mance applications,” Wood says. He points out that Solvay Engineering Plastics, which supplies polyamides 6 and 66, is not involved in the acquisition, although Epic’s legacy business in compounds based on such resins will continue (read about other LFT innovations in our independent compounders coverage on page 37). Panhuisen says that until now, Epic has primarily
used polyamide 66 and, increasingly, partially aromatic polyamides (PPAs) in its compounds, but in future it will be using more polymers from the Solvay stable, including PPS and PEEK. “I have been saying for some time that Epic needed polymer integration, and now we have it,” he says. “We have been experiencing tremendous growth recently, and we have some big volume projects in the pipeline, involving several hundred tonnes for each one. It gets to the point where you need polymer integration, particularly when you are talking about aromatics.” EMS-Grivory, which specialises in high performance
polyamides, has introduced a new heat-stabilised product to plug the gap in terms of heat resistance between its Grilon TSG-W and TSG-W2 PA 66/6 types and Grivory HT2VS-HH polyphthalamides. Grilon TSG-W3 is for applications operating in the temperature range from 150°C to 250°C, most notably in charged air systems where air temperatures are normally at around 210°C with peaks of 230°C at pressures of 3.3 bar. “Triple-six” polyamides Grilon TSG-W and TSG-W2 can be used to cover the 150°C to 210°C temperature range. Up to 190°C, Grilon TSG-W can be used without limits; at temperatures up to 210°C, Grilon TSG-W2 is used. Grilon TS XE 16002 (also known as TSG-35/4 W3) for
example, maintains 75% of property values for tensile strength at break after 3,000 hours at 230°C. This means that at this temperature it has heat ageing resistance equivalent to that of high heat stabilised polyphthalamides, the supplier says. It yields parts with the same high surface quality as the Grilon TSG-W2
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