Materials (August 01, 2004)

Nylon 46 has good strength for thin sections

DSM Engineering Plastics is introducing a new grade of high-flow Stanyl polyamide 46 (PA46) designed for elements of aircraft jet engines. Stanyl 46HF4130 is a 30-percent glass-fiber-reinforced compound that was initially developed for use in the intake portion of the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine. The engine uses 50 panels with highly complex geometry to minimize noise through a complex section of the engine duct, benefiting from Stanyl’s high strength and moldability.

Thin and large — up to 40 cm in length, yet only 0.8 mm thick in places — the components must be able to withstand the impact of bird strikes at temperatures ranging from 50C to 150C, as well as resist warpage.

In addition to its use in jet engines, Stanyl 46HF4130 is also well suited for connectors and other intricate parts featuring thin sections or complex geometries.

DSM Engineering Plastics 800-263-6895

Vinyl for high output profile extrusion

New flexible vinyl compounds from Teknor Apex can be run at lower temperatures than the company’s previous product, providing a 15 to 25% increase in throughput. Processing temperatures for the new Apex compounds are around 300F, compared with temperatures of approximately 350F required for the earlier Apex profile extrusion products. The new compounds are priced at levels comparable to earlier counterparts, and come in three grades spanning a range of durometers. Typical applications include seals and gaskets, weather stripping and glazing beads, furniture trim, automotive trim and appliance rub strips.

Teknor Apex 401-725-8000

Additive eases laser marking

Britain-based Sherwood Technology Ltd., has introduced a new additive that facilitates high-quality marking of plastics with low-power CO2 lasers. DataLase Masterbatch can be added directly to the polymer to be extruded or injection molded. The additive is non-toxic and produces a positive image when marked by a low power laser. Prior to this new product, many manufacturers had abandoned low power CO2 lasers for marking polyolefins because of poor results. The additive undergoes a simple chemical color change, creating an image that is stable and has high contrast.

Sherwood Technology www.sherwoodtech.com

A TPU for every shoe

BayerMaterial Science has expanded its range of thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) for shoe manufacturing. The Desmopan line now includes transparent aromatic material types, as well as abrasion resistant and aliphatic lightfast grades.

The new polyether-based aliphatic TPUs are ideal for sports shoe soles. They are lightfast and can be produced in bright, fashionable colors. The materials also combine low density, high elasticity and flexibility, making it possible to produce thinner, lighter soles.

The new aromatic transparent grades are based on both polyesters and polyethers. These materials allow the production of transparent molded parts with no visible clouding, even at a wall thickness of up to 6 mm. They can be used to produce wear-resistant windows for decorative features and company logos, even in the highly stressed sole area.

The varieties of Desmopan with reduced abrasion characteristics were specially designed for injection molding sports shoe soles and toe areas. However, they are also suitable for general shoe applications, for example, as a material for the heel of ladies shoes. They facilitate cost-effective production with short cycle times, one reason being that the parts produced from the materials can be easily removed from the mold, even with large wall thicknesses.

“One key advantage of these materials is the fact that loss due to abrasion is reduced by up to 30 percent compared to standard grades,” says Alex Savignani, head of Sport & Leisure TPU segment, at BayerMaterial Science.

BayerMaterial Science 416-248-0771