MATERIALS | HIGH-TEMPERATURE PLASTICS
Right: Fibre optic receiver optical
sub-assembly, or ROSA, in SABIC’s Ultem PEI material
which generally take place in metal replacement.” Eurotec’s Tecopeek
grades of GF-rein- forced PEEK are competing with metals in some applications. Tecopeek PK40 CR30 BK111 high stiffness and tensile perfor- mance suit it to metal replacement applications such as gears, bearing rings, pump parts. Tecopeek PK40 CR30 BK111 RT 0D, with 23,500 MPa tensile modulus and 215 MPa tensile strength, is specially designed for equipment which works under high temperature and constant wear exposure, such as chain bushings for a textile machine. In its Tecotek family of PEI materials, Eurotec highlights Tecotek EI20 GR30 NL grade as offering solutions for long term heat resistance in automo- tive, electronics, military and aviation uses. Tecotek EI20 AR15 NL GP 0B grade, which is reinforced with aramide fibre, is a good choice to solve problems with wear resistance and friction, it says. Tecotek EI20 CR30 BK111 targets metal applica- tions like furnace vents and has 200 MPa tensile stress at break and 25 GPa tensile modulus. Polymer producer SABIC says it is acting on the rising need for high heat thermoplastic materials. “Many global trends, such as the growing need for connectivity in the consumer electronics and automotive industries, together with an increas- ingly higher demand for stringent physical perfor- mance and expansion of environmental and regulatory requirements in certain industries, drive the need for high heat materials in areas such as photonics, mass transportation and consumer goods,” it says. This increased customer demand, especially in
Asia, has prompted new capacity expansion plans for SABIC’s high heat Ultem PEI-based product line. The company says that when its planned output addition in Singapore is ready in 2021, it will be the only petrochemical company with the ability to produce the high heat resin in Asia, the Americas and Europe. “An increasing area of interest is the market of connectivity, in all its forms and shapes, varying from 5G networks and antennas to sensing equipment or actual mobile phones,” the company says, noting that Ultem has proven to be a cost- effective alternative to machined aluminium and thermoset for RF filters. “Its dimensional stability,
42 INJECTION WORLD | September 2018
low coefficient of thermal expansion and excellent bonding strength to copper and other metals allow for complex and miniaturized injection moulding designs for RF filters and antennas,” SABIC says. “The high strength to weight ratio and torque resistance of Ultem resin also make it a candidate material for resonator screws in
the 5G environment.” In addition to the extra PEI capacity, SABIC also
plans to recommission operations at a plant in Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands, by the end of 2019 to produce polyphenylene ether (PPE), the base resin for its line of Noryl resins and oligomers. PPE is another high-heat polymer, but is mostly used in blends with polystyrene or polyamides, partly because it is so hard to process on its own. When operational, the Bergen op Zoom facility is expected to add more than 40% global capacity over a 2017 baseline. In the meantime, SABIC expects incremental manufacturing process improvements at the Selkirk and Mt. Vernon plants in the US, to provide increases in PPE and PEI resin production by the end of 2018.
SABIC also sees an increasing need for lenses and sensor equipment in several industries. With quartz glass and epoxy resins being traditional solutions for sensor lens materials, SABIC says its Extem thermoplastic polyimide has proven to be a viable alternative to these traditional materials. Extem eliminates the need for polishing and curing steps, and with its high flow and low shrinkage it is well suited for mass production of miniaturised high precision parts, the supplier claims. Plus, it withstands the temperatures of lead-free soldering commonly used in device assembly.
CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: �
www.kuraray.eu �
www.evalevoh.com �
www.polyplastics.com �
www.dsm.com �
www.lanxess.com �
www.radicigroup.com �
www.lehvoss.de �
www.akro-plastic.com �
www.eurotec-ep.com �
www.sabic.com �
www.basf.com �
www.dow-dupont.com
www.injectionworld.com
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