ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC | MATERIALS
charging and interconnect systems. “A high-CTI material has the advantage that the creepage distance [in components incorporating electrical contacts] can be kept the same or even reduced in order to miniaturise the application,” he says. He says some DSM compounds based on ForTii PA4T can even achieve a CTI of 900V, making them a very promising potential solution for the upcoming 800V charging grid. At K2019, Ascend Performance Materials unveiled an addition to its Vydyne ECO series for E&E applications. ECO 500 is a reinforced HFFR PA66 for use in circuit breakers, power disconnects, and electric and hybrid vehicles. It has a V-0 rating at less than 0.4 mm, a glow wire flammability index of 960°C and a CTI of greater than 600 V. Depending on the application, ECO 500 will be available in 15%, 25% and 30% glass filled compounds designed with improved flow and reduced plate-out. Radici has developed a grade specifically for the developing charging system infrastructure, for plugs and sockets. Radiflam ARV250 HF is a V-0 PA66 FR grade with 25% glass fibre reinforcement for sockets. For plugs, a special glass-filled V-2 grade, Radilon S ERV70T, has been developed in many colours, and fulfils requirements for outdoor installations, including UV resistance. Experimental new orange grades that retain their colour after 1,000h at 90°C are based on halo- gen- and red phosphorous-free Radiflam PA66 and PA6 polymers. In power electronics, Radiflam ARV 300 HF is said to be an interesting development for use in inverter bases that hold the IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor). The company is also starting to promote a V-0 grade that also offers some thermal conductivity to help dissipate heat developed in power electronics. “This could be an interesting material to replace aluminium,” says Erico Spini, Market & Application Development Director at RadiciGroup. This is Radiflam SRV 100 FR, which has a thermal conductivity of 1W/m.K. In applications such as cell management
controller housings and covers, battery carriers, cell spacers, and related components, Radici is already promoting various grades of polyamide. “We believe use of polyamides could show fundamental advantages versus amorphous thermoplastics such as PC/ABS, which are not reliable when parts are subject to continuous loads or vibration, or when chemical resistance or creep resistance is required,” says Spini. One important E&E application, moulded case circuit breakers (MCCBs), still consumes a lot of
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thermosetting plastics. These need short-circuit breaking capacity above 10KA. “But today, an interesting thermoplastic material could fulfil these technical requirements,” says Spini. He says Radici is currently working on a project to replace thermoset circuit breakers. Radiflam ARV 250 HF is a high-flow material that can guarantee integrity of the FR package and fill moulds with wall thickness- es down to 0.4mm. For even more severe needs, Radici offers a
HFFR grade based on its polyphthalamide (PPA), Aestus T2RV 300HF, which contains 30% glass fibre reinforcement. It performs to V-0 at 0.4mm.
Beyond automotive High-speed connectors are not just for automotive, of course. They also fit into a megatrend identified by Spini in virtual reality and the Internet of Things, where very small connectors are required in order to keep headsets small and light. Specifiers are calling for V-0 performance at 0.4mm, and this may even go to 0.2mm in the future. “This will be extremely challenging,” Spini says. There is also the need to the able to fill multi-cavity moulds. In addition, many connectors need to withstand reflow soldering temperatures at up to 280°C. BASF too has been extending its range of PPA
materials that have potential in E&E applications. These include Ultramid Advanced N3U40G6, a 30% glass reinforced PA9T, which keeps a UL94 V-0 rating all the way down to 0.25mm. It has “enhanced” mechanical and electrical properties at elevated temperatures. Low water uptake means that parts do not blister in reflow soldering. Ultramid Advanced T2340 G6 is based on PA6T/66 and also contains 30% glass fibre. It has a V-0 rating at 0.4mm. The grade stands out for its very good flow properties. “The new Ultramid and Ultradur grades mean
that we are able to offer our partners from key industries solutions for the increasing regulatory requirements in the areas of electrical systems and fire protection,” says Michael Roth, Product Devel- oper at BASF Performance Materials. “The trend
October 2020 | INJECTION WORLD 55
Above: Inverter base holding the IGBT is a potential application for flame retardant polyamides from Radici
IMAGE: RADICIGROUP
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