AUTOMOTIVE | MATERIALS
Eurotec provides electrically conductive and
structural materials that are especially suited to sensor components. This includes Tecomid NB30 GR20 BK EF, a 20% glass fibre reinforced, electri- cally conductive, black PA6 grade that is being used currently for brackets and housings of electronic sensors by a well-known OEM to prevent failures during driving, Turan said. The primary characteristics required for under- the-hood parts and charging stations, such as battery management systems, high-voltage connectors and brackets are the maintenance of mechanical properties under heat, consistency of electrical properties with voltage level and resist- ance to fire and chemicals. “It has been increasingly more common to see PP-based materials being used in such precision applications, considering their lightness, price, availability, and lower carbon footprint compared to other polymers used in electric vehicle applications,” Turan said. However, it is critical for safety that plastic
materials used in live battery equipment, such as live busbars or connectors, have a class-V0 fire resistance and a high Comparative Tracking Index (CTI) value, Turan said. “Powered by its experience in e-mobility applications, Eurotec is ready to offer PP-based grades to its business partners in line with application requirements,” Turan said. The company developed Tecolen CP30 NL XA80, a flame-retardant, halogen-free PPCP to meet high impact requirements. It also developed Tecolen HP50 NL XA80, a halogen-free flame-retardant PPHP solution designed for high heat applications that require high flow characteristics. Elix Polymers has developed several new
material grades that deliver a combination of properties and performance benefits in automotive applications. It developed specialty grades of ABS and PC/ABS formulated to reduce squeaking and rattling sounds generated by plastics parts contact- ing other plastic parts, leather, PVC-foil, or other products. The anti-squeak grades are more often required by automotive OEMs that offer electric and hybrid vehicles with powertrains that make less noise, to produce critical interior parts including door handles, armrests, seating parts, sunroofs, cuphold- ers and air vents, said Fabian Herter, Marketing Manager at Elix Polymers. The development of the new materials is the result of Elix Polymers’ close partnership with leading automotive OEMs. Several of the specialty grades have received
approvals from a German automotive OEM and will be used in future cars, Herter said. The materials were subjected to stick-slip tests according to
www.injectionworld.com
VDA230-206 using a test rig and a patented test method from Ziegler Instruments, showing positive test results. Using a 10-point scale, where 10 is the highest risk level, the newly developed grades scored 1, the lowest risk level. Testing is conducted with different forces (10°N,40°N) and speeds (1°mm/s and 4°mm/s) at several temperatures. Successful results were obtained after heat aging of the materials, where the risk of squeaking, creaking or cracking normally increases in standard non-modified materials.
High stiffness The new grades use Elix Polymers’ base polymers, including its standard ABS, high heat ABS, ABS/PC or PC/ABS. Because the key properties and the shrinkage of the materials remains the same as the standard grades, current moulds can be used and OEM approvals for existing grades are not affected, Herter said. Significant cost savings can be realised as no felts, tapes or grease need to be added after the moulding and assembly of parts. China-based Beijing Beiqi Mould Plastic
Technology, a supplier of automotive exterior parts for premium OEMs, selected an ABS grade from Elix Polymers for use in the production of roof spoilers for Mercedes-Benz’ GLA and GLB model series. The Elix ABS H801 grade can be used for reinforcement interior parts and for exterior parts, due to its high stiffness, heat and impact resistance and paintability. Elix Polymers says the density of the material is 4% lower than the PC/ABS previously used for the application, which delivers weight reduction. Both the tensile modulus (2,400 MPa) and flexural modu- lus (2,300 MPa) are higher than many PC/ABS grades with a greater PC content, the company said. Its impact resistance, with a Charpy notched
January/February 2024 | INJECTION WORLD 35
Above: Elix Polymers has developed several new material grades that deliver a combination of properties and performance benefits in automotive applications
IMAGE: ELIX
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