MATERIALS | HIGH TEMPERATURE PLASTICS
Carbon fibre PA wins against magnesium
The highly elaborate centre console for Porsche’s new Taycan EV pictured below is made of Akroloy PA ICF 40, a 40% carbon fibre reinforced grade of PA6T/66/6I from Akro-Plastic. After evaluating the mechanical
properties of different materials, Porsche chose the compound as a replacement for the originally intend- ed magnesium die casting. Due to the density difference (1.35 g/cm3 g/cm3
vs. 1.81 ), a weight saving of 25% in the
component could be achieved. The material retains a very high stiffness (>33,000 MPa) and strength (360 MPa) even after conditioning. Despite the thin-walled construction, this enables very high sustainable natural frequen- cies and dynamic load capacity. ICF compounds are made using
gravimetric feeding of short carbon fibres sourced from textile off-cuts. Gravimetric feeding provides much more precision in dosing of the fibres than rival systems, enabling Akro-Plastic to offer its material with the same specifications as compounds made using virgin carbon fibre.
at high wear rates, it says test components show only low wear with virtually unchanged mechanical stability and chemical resistance. PESU is already known for its very high chemical
resistance, inherent flame retardance, high rigidity and strength combined with temperature stability over a large operating temperature range and outstanding hydrolysis resistance. BASF also recently announced that it was
expanding its Ultrason P range of polyphenylsul- phones (PPSU) with a particularly low-viscosity grade. According to the company, Ultrason P 2010 shows improved flow behaviour in injection mould- ing while maintaining the excellent mechanical properties of “regular” Ultrason P. BASF has largish, complex-shaped components in its sights, including catering dishes and heat-resistant containers with sophisticated, thin-walled geometries, for land- based and aircraft applications. Ultrason P 2010 comes in transparent and opaque grades. The new material combines what BASF de- scribes as the outstanding notched impact strength and stability of the already available Ultrason P 3010 with high chemical resistance, good steam sterilisation at 134°C and inherent fire resistance. The Charpy notched impact strength is said to be almost ten times higher than that of some current competitor amorphous high-temperature thermo- plastics. “Even the combination of aggressive cleaning agents and disinfectants, water and extreme heat does not affect Ultrason P 2010,” says the company. The material is approved for food contact in the EU and the US. Catering and aircraft equipment are among the
72 COMPOUNDING WORLD | October 2020
most important application areas for Ultrason P 2010. In hotels, restaurants and canteens, contain- ers and pans made of the BASF PPSU can be used to prepare food as well as to transport meals and keep them warm. Here the demands on sterilisa- tion and resistance to cleaning agents are very high. In aircraft construction, fire resistance is of particular importance. Therefore the inherently flame-retardant specialty plastic, which in the event of fire releases little heat and hardly any harmful substances, offers optimal conditions, not only for serving dishes, but also for seat and lighting cladding, air vents and overhead luggage compart- ments.
Similar abbreviation, but quite a different
polymer, polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) is the base for compounds widely used in metal replacement applications destined for challenging environ- ments, as in situations characterised by permanent contact with hydrocarbons and solvents, or in the presence of strong inorganic aggressive agents. “Few other polymers are able to offer the same
level of resistance to such a wide range of chemical substances, even at high temperatures,” says Luca Posca, Technical Service and Marketing Director at Italian compounder Lati. “Another recognised advantage of PPS is that it can be used successfully even at operating temperatures touching 200°C, a circumstance that can arise both in the working environment as a whole and locally (for example, parts situated close to electric motors, or in the automotive and industrial applications),” he says. According to Posca, moulded items in rein-
www.compoundingworld.com
IMAGE: SPE
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