Technical Papers

As petroleum prices experience record volatility, automotive OEMs are seeking advanced materials that permit the development of more light weight, fuel efficient vehicles.  Thermoplastics are a natural solution since they provide the combination of structural properties with lower material density, along with ease of forming geometrically complicated parts with rapid cycles and with minimal finishing operations.  However, new automotive applications are becoming increasingly demanding with regard to chemical exposure, environmental exposure, thermal environment, and load bearing requirements.  Addressing these challenges requires a thorough understanding of the application in order to identify appropriate thermoplastic resins and to develop novel resin technologies to extend the performance of structural engineering thermoplastics.

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Today's powerplants challenge the upper limits of many engineering thermoplastics and especially those charged with the critical task of helping cool components and systems. PPA materials offer great resistance to hydrolysis and moisture and they are relied upon for cost effective applications such as water inlets/outlets, thermostat housings, water pumps and impellers, to mention a few. Tomorrow's challenges notch-up material requirements to include alternative powerplants with extremely high-voltage electrical, electronic power modules and battery systems that need to dissipate heat through coolant channels or be preheated for cold starts.

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Tests for thermoplastic materials used in the electrical and electronic industries.  
The purpose of this report is to give:

• A summary of the major electrical, flammability standards for thermoplastic materials covering property definition, test description, and significance.
• Literature data and test results for these major electrical, flammability and heat testing standards for a range of DuPont’s thermoplastic materials currently used in the electrical and electronic market.

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Electrical property data for engineering thermoplastics:  Zytel®, Crastin®, Minlon®, Rynite®, Zenite®, Thermx®, and Zytel® HTN.

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Injection Molding Technology:  The high glass reinforced Zytel® contains superior flow properties without sacrificing the mechanical  properties like elongation or impact. It offers significant advantages to the user, as demonstrated in the article.

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High reliability through low-stress encapsulation

Sensors and actuators used in the engine compartment are being exposed to higher temperatures, more aggressive media and more extreme thermomechanical loads than ever before. These combined stresses are imposing requirements that increasingly exceed the capabilities of the polymers traditionally used to encapsulate and mount electronic components. In such cases, switching to engineering polymers that offer higher performance can provide a cost-effective solution.

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Because they maintain excellent strength and toughness during exposure to hot, aggressive automotive fluids and to hot air whether humid or dry, high performance polyamides (HPPA) can make durable, functional components for automotive thermal management and other demanding applications. This paper reviews the basic chemistry of polyamides and demonstrates how the HPPA family differs from standard nylon. It focuses on semi-aromatic HPPA polymers known as polyphthalamides (PPA).

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