MATERIALS | ENGINEERING THERMOPLASTICS


LehVoss ecX-Technology.” Other eco high-performance materials based on high-temperature polyamides are in the final development phase. Earlier in the year, Avient launched two polyke- tone-based series, Edgetek PKE and LubriOne PKE, said to deliver comparable performance and lower production-related CO2


emissions than polyamides


PA 66 and PA 6 and acetals with which they compete. Avient says they were developed in response to ongoing polyamide supply constraints. The PK formulations combine high chemical and


hydrolysis resistance. As far as carbon footprint is concerned, PK base resin production emits up to 61% less CO2


than polyamides and POM. The Edgetek PKE series includes short glass-


reinforced formulations with 10-40% short glass fibre. The LubriOne PKE series are internally lubricated grades that combine chemical resist- ance performance with improved wear resistance


and low coefficient of friction properties. On a similar note, SABIC has introduced Noryl


GTX 9500, an unfilled alloy of polyphenylene ether (PPE) and a polyamide, said to deliver excellent dimensional stability under hot and humid condi- tions found in many automotive applications. SABIC says the alloy retains a better balance of mechanical properties when exposed to heat and humidity typical of automotive under-hood environments than unmodified PA 66 and PA 6, as well as comparable high flow and high-tempera- ture performance.


“Its dimensional stability and mechanical


property retention under a wider range of temper- atures and humidity – together with high flow performance – can open opportunities for thin-wall designs that reduce weight,” says SABIC. Target applications include vehicle junction boxes, connectors and other applications requiring dimensional stability. There is also potential for use


Marbling ETPs in household goods


Two years ago at K 2019, BASF demonstrated an injection moulding technique it was working on for mixing colours into plastics to provide a marbled effect. Now it says that its patent-pending technology makes it possible to produce marbled serial components made of Ultrason polyarylethersulphones using a standard injection moulding process. It sees potential in household appli- ances, catering bowls and containers as well as various visible components. “For the first time, surface effects such as colour shades, colour streaks and patterns can be reproduced: injection-moulded parts of one series look alike but are not completely identical,” says the company. The technique has so far proven to be successful with grades of Ultrason E (polyethersulfone) and Ultrason P (polyphenylsulphone), both of which have high mechanical, thermal and chemical resistance as well as approv- al for food contact. Obtaining marbled effects with injection moulding is not new, but BASF says now it can be done more easily and with a greater degree of process reliability than before, using


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Marbled serial components made of BASF Ultrason using a standard injection moulding process


new types of nozzle inserts and a special dosing technique. Georg Graessel from global Ultrason business development at BASF says: “Until now, these effects were only possible with complex two-component injection moulding and did not guarantee reproducibility. So far, our customers have been able to mould transparent, translucent, and, of course, solid-col- oured components from Ultrason.” In the BASF process, using a machine equipped with a single plasticising unit and an open nozzle, pre-coloured base material and a high-contrast colour masterbatch are


INJECTION WORLD | November/December 2021


fed synchronously. The patterns in the moulded part are achieved by separating and merging the melt streams, which is done with 3D-print- ed nozzle inserts. BASF says not only mirror-image patterns can be created but also rotationally symmetrical patterns, something not previously possible. Other factors influencing the pattern design are the nozzle design itself, the mould’s gating system, the location of the gate, and the flow behaviour of the melt during mould filling. The technique is also suitable for other thermoplastics.


www.injectionworld.com


IMAGE: BASF


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