COMPOUNDS | ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Right: Witcom Engineering Plastics has developed a 3D printable version of its radar
absorbing material
0.4 mm. All grades are said to offer very good colour stability, low mould deposits and a comparative tracking index (CTI) of 600V or greater.
IMAGE: WITCOM ENGINEERING PLASTICS
Connected thinking Lanxess has also developed a range of orange coloured compounds for EV applica- tions. The company recently announced RAL 2003 grades for the European market but said it is developing products for other global markets. The materials will be available in standard or heat stabilised versions. Standard versions provide acceptable colour stability after ageing for 1,000h at 130°C; stabilised versions exceed 1,000h at 150°C. “We want to provide a Yellow Card listing from the US testing organisation Underwriters Laborato- ries for all the compounds we offer, which means that the moulders will not have to colour the product themselves nor to undergo the time-con- suming UL certification process. They can deploy the compounds instantly, which helps to cut costs,” says Julian Haspel, manager of the e-Powertrain team within the Lanxess High Performance Materi- als (HPM) business unit. First products include halogen-free flame
Below: A variety of EV connectors made in Technyl Orange PA grades from Domo
Chemicals
retarded Durethan PA6 grades with between 20% and 45% glass. Lanxess says the 45% glass rein- forced BKV45FN04 grade is of particular interest in EV applications where its high flow and UL 94 flammability rating of V-0 at 0.4mm makes it a good choice for structural battery components such as cell frames and end plates as well as large, high-voltage connectors. A hydrolysis-stabilised glass reinforced Pocan PBT is also part of the new product series. It is said to meet the hydrolysis resistance requirements of the long-term SAE/
USCAR-2 Rev 5 plug connector test, passing the strictest Class 5 level. As a significant producer of specialised compounds for EVs, Witcom Engineering Plastics says there are some specific technical challenges to over- come. The increased use of sensors and electronics calls for electrical shielding. The absence of engine noise means there is a greater
requirement for low friction bearing and gear materials to maintain a quiet cabin. And the need to incorporate heavy battery packs raises demands for lightweight high strength materials with enhanced thermally conductivity for casing applications.
Witcom claims to be a global leader in radar absorbing thermoplastics with a product range in this area that includes PA, PP, PBT and PC. “With the advent of autonomous driving, electric vehicles are equipped with many radar sensors that provide the input for guiding the vehicle,” says Udo Schwestka, Global Business Development Manager for Witcom. “The brackets used to mount these sensors have to be invisible to radar waves. Any radiation should be absorbed rather than reflected, as reflections show up as false images on the radar (ghosting).”
IMAGE: TECHNYL/DOMO CHEMICALS 28 COMPOUNDING WORLD | April 2020
Shielding solutions Schwestka says EMI shielding is another key development area. “We are currently working on adapting our range of radar absorbing materials to shield against a wider spectrum of electro-magnet- ic radiation. Our radar absorbing materials function in the frequency range over 10 GHz and we are now addressing the range from 1-10 GHz.” As radar components often undergo several major design changes during development to optimise the radar absorbing qualities, the com- pany has developed a 3D printable option. “This type of development demonstrates that we provide a strong service package to our customer, which includes these types of limited volume products as well as very specific material data and design support,” he says. Witcom is also offering lubricated grades. Its POM compounds offer low slip and good sound damping properties, making them well suited for the quiet interior of an electric vehicle. The materials also meet increasing environmental demands — they do not contain PTFE so do not have any perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) issues. The absence of PTFE also means there are no issues with formaldehyde and other volatile organic
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