TECHNOLOGY | FUNCTIONAL FILLERS
Kraiburg TPE says expandable materials typically require strict process control procedures to achieve an even surface quality without surface waviness. It says its new compounds can be used for produc- tion of thin-walled mouldings with high quality surfaces that can withstand high mechanical loads. Compression-set values are described as excellent. 3M Glass Bubbles are made of chemically stable
Above: Kraiburg TPE is using 3M’s Glass Bubbles as an alternative to foaming in a new family of low density TPEs
and we chose to publish this novel strategy in the open literature as a benefit to the polymer/ materials community.”
Foam alternatives Development activity extends beyond mineral- based fillers. New uses continue to be found for hollow glass beads (also known as microspheres) produced by companies such as 3M, Nouryon (previously part of AkzoNobel), and Kish Compa- ny’s Sphere One. Glass is not considered a mineral, by the way, because of its non-crystalline structure. Last year, Kraiburg TPE introduced a series of weight-saving thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) that use 3M’s Glass Bubbles to reduce material density instead of physical or chemical blowing. The company is now offering three new product lines for automotive vehicle construction, power tools and various other application areas with densities between 0.7 and 0.9 g/cm³.
“3M Glass Bubbles have been tried and tested as weight-saving fillers in various ‘hard’ thermoplastics, but our new lightweight technology is using them in TPEs for the first time,” says Martina Hetterich, Project Manager Advance Development at Kraiburg TPE. One of the reasons for taking the microsphere route was the need to achieve high quality surfaces.
Webinars
Technology Trends for Thermally Conductive Plastics
• Keep up to date with the latest news from AMI • Stay in touch with your industry • Watch in your own time
Chris Smith
Watch the FREE webinar today
www.ami.ltd/conductive-trends
Editor, Compounding World Magazine
borosilicate glass. Kraiburg TPE says they disperse evenly in the TPE matrix and help improve dimen- sional stability. Production waste can be recycled directly. Thermolast K LW/UV (lightweight + UV resist-
ance) grades are specifically formulated for exterior vehicle components; Thermolast K LW/CS/UV (with increased compression set) grades adhere to polypropylene, making them particularly suitable for various sealing applications; Thermolast K LW/ PA (lightweight + adhesion to polyamides), which are rated HB under UL94, are suitable for power tools, among other things. Meanwhile, Lehmann&Voss recently introduced a new ultrafine version of its Tri-Sphere silicate- based multicellular hollow microspheres. The 45XS Ultra product can be used as functional fillers in plastic compounds for injection moulding or extrusion processing. The company says they can be used to reduce density as well as to modify acoustic and thermal insulation.
CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: �
www.phantomplastics.com �
www.arcticminerals.com �
www.imerys.com �
www.imifabi.com �
www.quarzwerke.com �
www.hubermaterials.com �
www.hybridplastics.com �
www.kraiburg-tpe.com �
www.3m.com �
www.lehvoss.de
IMAGE: 3M
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
