ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC | INNOVATION


Back in the world of regular injection moulding, polyamide and PBT thermoplastic polyester supplier Lanxess says it is expecting a sharp rise in demand for the flame-retardant variants of these plastics in E&E applications, due to factors such as increasing electric mobility and digitalisation in all areas of life. Lanxess has recently expanded its technical service offering in this area. An experimental injection mould for an applica- tion-focused part was developed in one of the company’s own labs. The mould reflects the typical challenges encountered during injection moulding of flame-retardant polyamide and polyester compounds. “We want to use this mould for the realistic analysis of new flame-retardant as well as hydroly- sis-stabilised materials,” says Katharina Schütz, a project engineer at the polymer processing lab of the High Performance Materials (HPM) business unit. “First, our aim is to identify their special processing characteristics ahead of time so that we can adapt the formulations, where required, already during the product development stage. Second, we want to give processors of our flame- retardant plastics specific processing recommen- dations for serial production.” Most flame-retardant thermoplastics have a


narrower processing window than standard prod- ucts due to the additives that are used. If the process parameters are not chosen ideally, this can result in deposits on the mould or surface defects on the component. Non-ideal processing can also impair the mechanical properties of the compounds. The injection mould developed by the Lanxess people is for a housing-like demonstrator part integrating numerous aspects from different areas of application. Its complex geometry exhibits sudden changes in wall thickness, openings, larger planar sections, ribs and rough imitations of plug connections. Various types of snap fits and screw bosses are also integrated. The tests that HPM performs include drop tests,


tracking resistance measurements in accordance with UL 746A (Comparative Tracking Index, CTI), and glow-wire tests in accordance with IEC 60695-2-11 to -13. At DuPont Mobility & Materials, Nainish Sanghani, Global Strategic Marketing Manager, E/E, says the company may be unique in supplying E&E customers with non-halogen, flame retardant (NHFR) solutions that meet EIS (Electrical Insulation Systems) standards. DuPont tests these materials to generate data in support of various EIS standards covering Electrical Insulation Material (EIM) combinations. The company’s portfolio for E&E


www.injectionworld.com


applications is based mainly on PBT, PET and polyamides. “We estimate that the testing we do in advance helps our customers decrease the time necessary to launch new electrical components by up to 18 months and reduces their costs. Testing costs can reach $100,000 depending on the device and where it will be sold,” says Sanghani. The company reckons it has developed more than 400 solutions that meet EIS standards for moulders of E&E parts. Nainish says there is growing interest in sustain- able solutions such as the company’s Zytel HTN high-temperature nylon products made with bio-based materials and protected with NHFRs. “These products are helping customers who mould, for example, SMT connector applications or USB connectors, to meet performance and safety requirements, demonstrated by UL-94VO ratings, as well as meet their increasingly tough sustainabil- ity goals.” He says the company also sees demand for its bio-based products in applications such as soldering coil forms/bobbins. Compounder Eurotec offers many Tecomid PA


and Tecodur PBT compounds at various levels of flame behaviours, with the options that are halo- gen-free, halogen-free with red phosphorus content and RoHs-compliant halogenated. Several halogen-free Tecomid compounds, for example, comply with EN45454 R22 and R23, and so can be safely used in E&E parts in the railway industry. Other grades have already been proven for fuse and distribution boxes, busbars and other elec- tronic housing parts and come with UL Yellow Card certifications. Tecomid NB40 GR30 ORVXX HS and Tecomid NB40 GR30 ORVXX XA60 orange compounds with high thermal stability are ready


Above: DuPont says manufacturers of solenoids such as this one, part of a bulldozer transmission, benefit from its proactive materials testing to meet their end-use requirements


October 2021 | INJECTION WORLD 51


IMAGE: DUPONT


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56