TECHNOLOGY | THERMALLY CONDUCTIVE COMPOUNDS
Right: Thermally conductive polycarbonates can be used in the design of innovative battery pack frames
Below: Heat sinks for Whitecroft Lighting’s Mirage 3 range of LED
downlighters are moulded by Protool
Plastics using a graphite-filled PA6 from LATI
strain capability in tensile and bending tests than other materials in the company’s TC product range. The two compounds are respectively filled with 67% and 77% by weight of an undisclosed highly conductive filler that Lanxess says provides almost isotropic properties. In the direction of flow, this is 1.1 or 1.8W/m.K. Both materials have been optimised for good flow performance and are less abrasive than earlier types. Toughness has also been significantly improved, says the company. Durethan BTC965FM30 is a halogen-free compound that offers a UL94 V-0 rating at 0.75mm as well as good light reflection and tracking resistance. In the direction of flow, its thermal conductivity is 2.5 W/m.K. “It has huge potential for use in components for batteries in electric vehicles as well as plugs, heat sinks, heat exchangers and mounting plates for power electronics,” says Gau. Tisan Engineering Plastics has developed a number of thermally conductive compounds that meet the specific performance needs of customers in the automotive and E&E markets. Each is developed for the specific application. Typically these use graphite additives but the company employs alternatives where it is necessary to colour. It says its thermally conductive compounds are generally used in place of metals, where they offer weight and cost savings as well as improved chemical resistance and environmental stability.
Following growth Italian compounder LATI has been developing thermally conductive thermoplastic compounds since 2003, mainly following the growth of LED lighting industry. Luca Posca, Technical Assistance & Marketing Director, says one of its most promis- ing new grades is its Laticonther MI series of PA-based materials combining glass fibres and conductive fillers to provide heat management as well as structural performance. These are often
characteristics needed for automotive and e-mobil- ity applications. “Another challenge that LATI wins is to increase thermal conductivity in electrically insulative materials, keeping material price under control,” Posca says. “Laticonther CP6 and CP8 special compounds are our answer to this request, a line of products dedicated to E&E and automotive markets where performance must meet cost management and electric safety without compromises.” Posca adds that Lati technical support is working on advanced in-house FEA methods, adopted to carefully evaluate actual conductivity and diffusivity of materials featuring graphite and boron nitride, where fillers anisotropy can play a major role in local thermal performance. “This advanced set of computer aided solutions helps Lati’s customers to evaluate part feasibility before investing in tooling,” he says. One of the processors LATI has been working closely with is UK-based Protool Plastics Group, an injection moulding company with particular expertise in production and tooling for polymer heat sinks. The two companies worked together to develop a solution for the Mirage 3 range of luminaires for commercial lighting group White- croft Lighting, which uses Laticonther 62 GR/50 graphite flake filled PA6 offering a thermal conduc- tivity of more than 10 W/mK.
CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: �
www.lanxess.com �
https://wittenburggroup.com/witcom/ �
www.imerys-graphite-and-carbon.com �
www.avanzarematerials.com �
www.hubermaterials.com �
www.eurostar-ep.com �
www.sabic.com �
www.covestro.com �
www.tisan.com.tr �
www.lati.com
36 COMPOUNDING WORLD | August 2020
www.compoundingworld.com
IMAGE: COVESTRO
IMAGE: LATI
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70
