MATERIALS | ENGINEERING PLASTICS
Right: Vydyne ThermaPlus brings PA66 cable ties into higher temperature areas, including under the hood
DSM already offers bio-based polyamides in the
form of EcoPaXX PA410 and ForTii Eco. At the moment, it is the C10- based section of these materials that is bio-based, derived from castor plants.
Below: Ultrason P2010 is a new high flow PPSU from BASF aimed at demanding thin wall parts
Performance polyamides Away from renewables, Ascend Performance Materials has launched new grades in its signature Vydyne polyamide 66 family. With under-hood tempera- tures in cars powered by internal combustion engines continuing to rise, Ascend has developed the Vydyne XHT line, which currently includes R735XHT and R535XHT grades. The R735XHT grade incorporates a new additive chemistry that Vikram Gopal, Ascend’s Senior Vice President, Technology, says offers “fantastic” performance in terms of retention of properties between 170 and 230°C. The new copolymer and additive chemistry is said to provide multi-stage heat stabilisation and is intended for applications such as charge air coolers and air intake manifolds subject to very high temperatures. The grade also provides resistance to acids, good knit-line strength, and reduced moisture uptake. It is currently being sampled with customers. Vydyne R535XHT is based on PA66 homopoly- mer and is also heat stabilised to improve ageing properties (although performance in this respect is not quite as good as the 735 grade). Also new is Vydyne ECO 500, a reinforced, non-halogenated FR PA66 for use in circuit break- ers, power disconnects, and electric and hybrid vehicles. The new grade, currently in development, exhibits a UL 94 V-0 rating at less than 0.4mm, glow wire flammability index of 960°C,and a comparative tracking index of greater than 600V. It will be
available with glass reinforcement levels of
15, 25 and 30%, with all grades said to show good flow and reduced plate-out. Ascend is also diversifying its PA portfolio beyond products based on PA66 with its new long chain PA610 and PA612 grades. Gopal says these materials are intended for applications that require resistance to calcium chloride and hydrolysis, and where improved elongation is required. He cites the example of battery seals, cable ties, automotive cooling and fuel connectors, and sporting goods. At DuPont Transportation & Industrial, Global
Marketing Director Eugenio Toccalino says automobile electrification is an important opportu- nity for the company. “A lot of the technology we developed in the E&E space, for connectors, for consumer electronics, we are now bringing to automotive,” he says. Toccalino says there will be a big space for engineering thermoplastics in EVs, especially in the transition period to fully electric vehicles when there will be a large number of hybrid vehicles on the road, providing so-called “double content” for materials in and around the internal combustion engine and also the electric motor and battery pack. He cites new thermal management systems for lithium ion batteries as one example. Dimen- sional stability of materials will be very important, he says, indicating that this will likely mean that PPAs will be favoured for battery cases. Meanwhile, BASF has added a new low-viscosity
grade to its Ultrason polyphenylsulphone (PPSU) family. Ultrason P2010 is claimed to display improved flow behaviour in injection moulding while maintaining the typical mechanical perfor- mance of PPSU materials, including very good notched impact strength, high chemical resistance, and inherent fire resistance. The company says that the new grade’s Charpy notched impact strength is almost ten times higher than other amorphous high-temperature materials. The transparent polymer is also resistant to high temperature steam sterililsation process and is approved for food contact in the EU and the US. The lower viscosity means part thicknesses can
be reduced. BASF says the ability to fill moulds at lower pressures and temperatures also leads to process energy savings. It sees the new polymer
58 COMPOUNDING WORLD | May 2020
www.compoundingworld.com
PHOTO: ASCEND PERFORMANCE MATERIALS
IMAGE: BASF
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