Resins & Compounds

Styron LLC (Midland, MI) has debuted a new polycarbonate resin grade in the Americas and Europe specifically for use in optical media. Calibre 1060 DVD can be used for all optical disc applications including CD, DVD, and Blu-Ray.

Automotive underhood applications are the target of a series of polyamide (PA) 6 grades derived from post-industrial recycled material that will debut from the end of 2010—with first commercial applications following in early 2011. The grades will officially debut at the upcoming K Show.

Hydrolysis resistance to hot water and steam as well as its resistance to environmental stress cracking when exposed to aggressive chemicals are two particular attributes of the 610 chemistry of polyamide (PA) that reportedly make it a worthy competitor to other long-chain high-performance polyamides such as PA 612 or PA 12. Further, it has a lower density and reduced moisture uptake compared with conventional PA 6 and 66.

Engineering plastics are key enablers for weight reduction in automobiles. In particular, they come to the fore in underhood applications where they replace heavier metal components. New high-heat polyamide grades from DSM Engineering Plastics (Sittard-Geleen, the Netherlands) that will be debuted at the K Show in Düsseldorf, Germany this October promise to deliver improved performance at elevated temperature.

NuSil Technology (Carpinteria, CA) has released a curable coating designed to alleviate surface tackiness and blocking in applications where silicones come in contact with each other or other surfaces, such as precision molded parts, O-rings, gaskets, or cables. R-2182 can also be used to control the flow of hydrophilic fluids.

BASF (Ludwigshafen, Germany) has already built somewhat of a reputation in developing low-warpage injection molding grades based on a blend of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate (ASA). Take, for example, Ultradur S4090 GM13, a PBT/ASA reinforced with minerals and glass fibers that displays a shrinkage ratio of 0.70/0.80. Moving one step beyond, the new grade—Ultradur S4090 GM11—boasts a ratio of 0.95/1.0 as measured by the ISO 294 standard.

A mineral/glass-reinforced polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) grade for automotive fuel systems promises 45% weight savings compared with its predecessor.

Fortron 6162XF from Ticona (Kelsterbach, Germany) is designed specifically for applications in contact with aggressive fuels that contain oxygenates such as methanol and ethanol. Applications include impellers, outlet covers, and fuel injector components.

Exposure to hot oil, hot air, calcium chloride, and other aggressive automotive chemicals does not hinder the performance of a new family of nylon products from DuPont Performance Polymers (Wilmington, DE).

The family of Zytel Plus nylon grades has been launched with four products primarily targeted at the automotive market. Additional products are planned for 2010.

Small particles of gas-generating additives infused into the polymer melt during processing can reduce resin requirement by up to 50% and carbon footprint by up to 45%, according to its developer, Polyfil Corp. (Rockaway, NJ). The additives create a microcellular structure (cells less than 100 µm in size) via a chemical reaction that releases a small volume of gas, producing a cellular structure at a size unachievable with present-day chemical foaming agent (CFA) technology.

Performance on par with styrenics is promised by the latest formulation of Ingeo bioresin from NatureWorks LLC (Minnetonka, MN). The new grade enables injection molding of parts with thermal dimensional stability up to 248ºF, notched Izod impact strength greater than 2 ft-lb/in, and modulus of around 450,000 psi.