Fire - PF - Indspec Chemical Corporation

Plastics Technology, 2004-03-31, PVDF Latex Foam CompositesProvide High Flame Resistance
...ents to produce open-cell foams that reportedly exhibit extremely low smoke and flame generation in fire tests. AtoFina sources describe the Kynar foams as "essentially non-flammable."

Kunststoffe international, An Impact Way beyond its Small Market Share
...ecause these carbon-to-fluorine bonds are very stable, fluoroplastics exhibit a special combination of features, such as almost universal chemical resistance, suitable for very low to very high temperatures, inherent resistance to UV, and weather, fire and abrasion resistance. They also have a low refractive index as well as excellent electrical properties such as a strong insulating effect and low dielectric loss factor. Fluoroplastics further exhibit low surface energy, resulting in a correspo...

Kunststoffe international, Different Viscosities Combined in a ‧Material-Friendly Way
...ediate product for the production of multi-layer synthetic roofing membranes, which have been used in roof waterproofing since the early 1950s. Requirements include elasticity, high impermeability, resistance to weathering and UV radiation, high fire resistance and high resistance to aging. These properties must be guaranteed over a wide temperature spectrum [2]. The original compound [3] for the production of the plastic roofing membranes is a rubber-bitumen mixture, which is conventionally pro...

Kunststoffe international, Drivers of Electromobility
...in vehicle on-board electrical insulations. However, the situation is very likely to change fundamentally with the transition to high-voltage electrification and unattended battery charging. High currents and high charging loads increase the fire hazard. Moreover, the HV system is associated with general risks such as potential short circuits or sparks. There have already been multiple reports of serious fires caused by on-board lithium-ion batteries even in parked and switched-off cars. EVs wit...

Kunststoffe international, Foam Beads in Gliding Flight
...duced in the SamPa project do not yet meet the generally high standards set by potential users. These include, e. g., topics such as surface quality, process reliability, accuracy specifications, simulation and visualization, fire safety or the complex topic of quality assurance. However, the first interim results are now appearing. Electromagnetic Waves instead of Steam A major step in this direction has been taken by Kurtz GmbH, Kreuzwertheim, Germany, which celebrated a world premiere at K 2...

Kunststoffe international, From the Sea to Electronics
...unded into flame retarded PET or polyester blends and such compounds with recyclates are now spreading into structural parts of electronic equipment. Flame retardants are added to plastics to prevent ignition or significantly delay the spread of fire. Experts from Lavergne, Montreal, Canada, and Clariant, Muttenz, Switzerland, developed flame retarded polyester compounds based on ocean-bound PET. Ocean-bound plastics are those that are likely to end up in the oceans because they are not properl...

Kunststoffe international, Polypropylene Beats Aluminum
Batteries in electric vehicles must be specially protected to counter the risk of fires. Battery trays made from aluminum frequently offer insufficient protection. The automotive supplier ElringKlinger has therefore developed underbody protection manufactured from glass fiber-reinforced PP. Until now, battery trays for electric vehicles have been produced mainly from aluminum. Recently, however, a number of vehicles have caught fire after objects lying in the road were flung up at high speed aga...

Kunststoffe international, Present in a Multitude of Trends
... spacers, frames for pouch cells and crash absorbers. The material properties sought after here are characteristics such as high dimensional stability, low-temperature impact strength and fire resistance (UL 94 V-0) as well as electrical properties such as high tracking resistance and good thermal conductivity. Battery developers also prefer thermoplastics such as PC because of the high degree of freedom in terms of shaping and low-cost injection molding in mass production. The breakthrough of t...

Kunststoffe international, Semi-Crystalline, and yet Thermoformable
...ketoneketone PEKK (Table 1). These polymers are typically used when all other polymers fail, in particular when there is a need for a combination of properties such as resistance to high temperature, to wear, to chemicals, to hydrolysis and to fire. Unfortunately, PAEKs are generally not easily thermoformable. Thermoforming is one of the first original methods of forming useful plastic parts and is widely recognized as a very robust, reliable and cost competitive process. This processing technol...

Kunststoffe international, Sustainable Growth
...ex installation sites. They are free from phenols, produce low emissions and low odors, and can be processed economically with short cycle times. They fulfill fire test UL94 from the US testing institute Underwriters Laboratories, Northbrook, IL, USA, with the best classification of V-0. In addition, they serve as not only acoustic, but also thermal insulation. Autonomous vehicles will also place increased demands on vehicle interior surfaces. Classic PU applications like headliners, door panels...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, 30 Years of Playmobil: Investing in the Future
...range also reflects a great deal of production expertise on the part of the developers. The products are high quality and have acquired cult status over the last 30 years. The assortment ranges from pirates to knights (title picture), sportsmen and fire-fighters right through to researchers, all with the necessary accessories, as well as countless animals, and all kinds of buildings – quite simply, the world in toy format. "Every day, letters arrive at the company headquarters from children ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, A Home Game for the Italian Plastics Industry: Rendezvous in Milan
...reas are primarily small electrical devices (Fig.16) which are used in the household and are subject to directive IEC 60695-2-13. For applications with even higher requirements, Vamptech offers the PP grade Vamplen 0024 VO, which has a fire rating of UL 94 V0. Ceast, Pianezza, has developed a capillary rheometer for performing several determinations simultaneously (Fig.17). For this, the device is equipped with two or more capillary bores. The ratio of capillary length to diameter varies. If th...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, A Substitute for Metal: Polyetherimides (PEIs)
...ain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) regulations on recycling of electronical waste. PEI resins are also characterised by a very low heat release rate in radiant panel tests in combination with low smoke emission and low smoke toxicity in case of fire. This behaviour makes the PEIs fit for use in applications constrained by the precise requirements of the aircraft and transportation industry, such as Federal Aviations Regulations (FAR) 25.853, OSU 65/65 and Airbus Directive ABD0031. Furthermore, the ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Additives
... Spezialitätenchemie). This is particularly difficult to master in technical terms, since these demands are contradictory in part and also because the matrix polymers display extremely dissimilar types of behaviour in the event of a fire – with PVC and polyethylene being two good examples here. More than 900,000 tons (2000) of flame retardants are sold on the world market each year, with aluminium trihydrate (ATH) accounting for the biggest percentage in tonnage terms and bromine-containing flam...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, An Alternative?
...boards. Depending on customer, they must withstand 10 to 20 million switching cycles. After the endurance test the switching force may decrease by 10% at most. Tests are made at a frequency of 8Hz at ambient temperature. The material must fulfil fire protection requirements according to UL94HB. The resilience of the key must be ensured even after longer stressing. Different SEBS products have already successfully passed the 20-million-cycle test in accordance with these requirements. In addition...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Application and Recovery: Plastics in Electric and Electronic Appliances
... to the extraordinary diversity of the equipment itself and the specific construction and quality requirements within each individual group of appliances, the polymer content can vary significantly, from 3% to about 60% (Fig.2). In order to meet the fire safety regulations in applications such as TV sets, some of the polymer grades are equipped with flame retardants, while grades used for applications which require high strength and rigidity are often reinforced with fibres or other fillers. Ble...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Building: Trends with Polycarbonate Sheets
...eir production is less expensive and they can be realised without expensive heat conductors such as copper. PC works in this application particularly because of its high ther-mal stability, breaking strength and transparency. Internal fire tests at Bayer MaterialScience showed that hollow sections made of flame-protected Makrolon types passed tests according to DIN4102-7 (45° roof pitch). Also not flame-protected PC solar pro-files passed the DIN4102-1 and 4102-7 (15° roof pitch) tests. The A...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Centralized Supply for 59 Injection Moulding Machines
...aterial Conveying The material and pipeline routing was technically complicated by the design of the hall and its installations. For example, the material lines, starting from the coupling station, had to be installed vertically in stages through a fire-protection wall, to a high of about 8 m. From there, each conveying line had to be lowered four or five times, according to the hall length, and then led horizontally to the injection moulding machines (Fig. 3). The material conveying system con...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Coating Carpets
...on coating. The carpeting produced in this way complies with the load classes to EN 1307 in respect of wear behaviour, napping assessment, suitability for chair casters and dimensional stability. Depending on the insertion of the pile material, the fire behaviour of the coated carpets attains combustion class B 1 to DIN 4102 (flame-resistant). Granule Supply and Feed Pneumatic conveying facilities or screw conveyors (rigid screw or flexible screw spiral) are generally used for the material fee...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Compounds and Masterbatches
...önau/Germany, has taken a unique approach. It has enlarged its laboratory capacities and, as Frisetta Analytics, offers an extensive package of test services (Figs. 7 and 8), such as material tests, spectroscopic, chemical and thermal analyses and fire resistance tests. Research and Development: compounders and masterbatch manufacturers mainly restrict their research and development activities to product-based, customer-specific development work. University research projects are more rarely purs...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Compounds and Masterbatches: Revival of Research and Development?
...etardants for a large variety of polymers are now flooding the market. Success is predicated on the pending ban on a large number of halogenated flame retardants as well as on the demand for safer products. Serious accidents such as the fire at the Düsseldorf airport have made this requirement more than clear. Moreover, the recylcability of polymers will become possible only with halogen-free formulations. While demand for metallic and mother of pearl effects has been initiated primarily by the ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Compounds: Flame Proofing and Light Stabilisation of Polypropylene
... work in different ways. But a common feature of all is that, as regards their chemical mechanism, they are very reactive compounds. Some of these compounds, the halogenated products, form large numbers of free radicals, which is the basis of the fire extinguishing effect. Plastics react more or less readily with free radicals, which leads to severe degradation of the polymer structure and impairs the material’s properties. Such free radicals are generated under the thermal stresses during proce...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Continuous-strand-reinforced composites: Multilayer Knitted Fabrics for Rail Vehicles
...ics for the composite knit fabric in terms of die occupancy and for the injection of high-viscosity, flameproofed S4 resin systems, as well as to meet existing specifications concerning the composites’ mechanical properties, along with surface and fire-protection requirements. Reproducible Production of Multilayer Knitted Fabrics The studies showed that, on the ITB’s optimised laboratory combination flat knitting machine, the theoretically possible production of biaxially reinforced composite ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Designed for the Sun
...ity in combination with good weathering resistance. Depending on the particular application, it may also need to have good heat-insulating properties and low weight. Another critical selection criterion for a building material is its fire properties [2]. The polycarbonate panels used here are able to readily comply with these stringent requirements. Their superior performance is due essentially to their outstanding impact strength in a broad temperature range of between –100 and +120°C. With suc...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Development Trends: Composites for Aircraft
...y flammable thermoplastics such as polyethylene (PE) that aircraft regulations are met. Fig. 6 shows the results for the modification: burning is delayed by almost 2min, this satisfies FAR (Federal Aviation Regulation) 25 with regard to fire safety. Nanomodifiers can also serve to improve the flammability of thermosets (e.g., epoxy-resin matrix). The small amount required (see above) is a benefit here compared to systems common today. These usually require 50 to 150 parts, which has a negative i...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Do it yourself: The Latest Additives and Masterbatches
... Fig.2. Torch made of polyamide with DualGlo masterbatch colour, left in daylight, right at night Fig.3. Size ratios: Particle sizes of CaCO3 and a nanofiller Calciumcarbonat = Calcium carbonate; Montmorillonit = Montmorillonite Fig.4. Fire behaviour of PE-LD/EVA cables: left with, right without nanofillers Fig.5. Gel particles in a PVC film, analysed according to position (x, y plane) and lightness values (CIE L*) Table1. Masterbatch consumption according to product groups and regions

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Double Belt Plants: Flexible Production of Various Insulation Panels
... the system technology on that basis [1]. The result was the most comprehensive line of this type that has been built so far, which can be used for the production of - sandwich panels with a mineral wool core – these are rated in the highest fire-protection category “A2 non-combustible” with a fire resistance of F90 or F120 according to the new EU standard, EN 13501, and are suitable for the construction of warehouse, sales and production buildings - sandwich panels with rigid foam insulation...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Driving the Automotive Industry: Engineering Elastomers
...elatively minor product additions such as Perbunan N 28125 for roller applications. The Italian company Rapisarda Ind. has developed an interesting application: ozone-, weather- and fire-resistant hydraulic hoses for the maritime sector with an inner core of NBR and a CR outer layer. Both elastomer layers have good adhesion to steel wire reinforcement, withstanding bursting pressure peaks of 400 bar and continuous pressure loading of 300 bar. The estimated demand for NBR (service temperatures fr...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Dynamic Growth: Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP)
...tandard fields of application today, LCPs are suitable also for applications demanding extremely tight tolerances, minimal migration or emission values, maximum thermal stability with minimal release of smoke or fumes in the case of fire, weight savings, absence of halogens and heavy metals, or where food or medical regulations must be satisfied. Since the higher price for an LCP, which was previously considered an obstacle, can often be offset by a weight savings resulting from a wall thickness...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Economic Compounding: Nanocomposites
...e strength and elastic modulus can be increased without any significant loss of toughness, - improved barrier properties can be achieved without reduction in transparency or surface quality, - cable sheathing compounds can meet the requirements of fire rating UL94V0 with significantly reduced addition of aluminum trihydrate (ATH), i.e. improved processability and better mechanical properties. In numerous trials, the Coperion Group gathered comprehensive data on the production of nanocomposites w...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Elastomers: Flexible and Customised
...d 8010 (Vita Thermoplastic Polymers) have been given a UL V0 and V2 listing under the international UL standard. Typical applications are cable bushings through walls, which have to be insulated and remain flexible so that in the event of a fire they do not act as a “fire bridge”, as well as welding cables, automotive components, insulation and connectors. New hydrated styrene block copolymers from Kraiburg TPE (Thermolast K) can be sterilised with gamma radiation, ethylene oxide or steam. This ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Electrical Engineering: Plastics Go Electric
...nt standards, which means that very special, flame-retardant-modified polymer materials must be available. High equipment and operating safety are top-priority assessment criteria for electrical goods. The most important requirement is comprehensive fire protection, for which there are many different regulations in Germany and other countries. Market and Business Environment As a result of the globalisation of the electrical industry, companies engaged in export activities have to comply with ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Engineering Plastics: Products for Innovative Processes
..., flame-retardant PBT sector, Ticona is offering Celanex XFR, a product range with a patented, halogen-free flame-retardant system. The choice ranges from unreinforced Celanex XFR to glass-fibre-reinforced grades with 10 to 30% glass fibre content (fire classification: UL 94 V-0 at 0.8mm test specimen thickness). During processing or in the event of fire, the patented flame retardant system does not form any toxic, spontaneously ignitable phosphines or give rise to any emissions or migration. It...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Europe is the Largest Market: Polyaryletherketones (PAEK)
...at pan, they must also include safety-relevant elements such as head restraints, lumbar support and seat belt guides. These components are injection moulded from PEEK by the Belgian company Feronyl, because this material has the best possible fire classification (UL 94 V-0) and extremely low smoke development; virtually no toxic gases and no acid gases are released. The use of fibre-reinforced compounds makes it possible to produce components that are not only lightweight but also have the optim...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Expandable Polystyrene (EPS)
...por P340, a product with reduced blowing agent content, minimum densities of 17kg/m³ can be attained in pressure prefoamers and good quality shaped parts can be manufactured. With styropor F295, a reduced blowing agent content product containing fire retardant, densities down to about 14kg/m³ can be achieved in one foaming. Still lower densities can be obtained by second-stage foaming in continuous or batch prefoamers. Raw materials for production of foam products with low thermal conductivities...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Fibre-reinforced Plastics: Lightweight and Corrosion-resistant
...conducted by the German Federal Armed Forces’ Research Institute for Materials, Explosives and Lubricants (Wehrwissenschaftliches Institut für Werk-, Explosiv- und Betriebsstoffe = WIWEB) was to establish the behaviour of multi-directional glass fire composites under the action of force in the low and medium velocity range as well as their damage tolerance. In order to achieve a differentiated assessment of the influence of the sewing threads, investigations were conducted on both stitched and n...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Filled PU: Solid Metering for Reactive PU Systems
... choosing a particular solid are various and can be derived from the properties of the additive. The following arguments speak in favour of adding solids to polyurethane products: - noise reduction, - reduction of vibrations, - reduction of fire hazard, - reduction of weight, - increase of stability, - improved haptics, - reducing the manufacturing and disposal costs, - reducing the raw materials consumption, - design aspects, - marketing reasons, e.g. in the case of natural materials such as co...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Fillers: Improved Properties and Processing
...meters of 1 to 2µm. They are produced via a new grinding technique that permits even finer sizes. Because of the low bulk density and the increasingly precarious transportation situation, the material is available only in compact form. FireBreak, a line of fillers to impart flame retardance, represents a new filed of activity that has resulted from cooperation with Borax, likewise a subsidiary of Rio Tinto. The primary objective when employing these is to reduce smoke generation in the event of ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Flame Retardants
Flame Retardants Trends and Innovations Jürgen Troitzsch, Wiesbaden/Germany More stringent international fire protection requirements in the construction sector as well as in rail transport, automotive engineering and the electrical industry, coupled with a rise in plastics consumption, are making for sound growth in the flame retardant sector. New flame retardant systems are facilitating plastics processing, and the trend towards halogen-free systems is continuing unabated. Contrary to ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Flame Retardants: Flame-retardant Epoxy Resins
...e electronics industry. To meet the variety of mechanical, thermal and electrical requirements, epoxy resins (EP), because of their versatility, are used in a range of different applications. The products manufactured are usually subject to specific fire safety regulations, making it necessary to use flame retardants. At the same time, the toxicological properties of the flame retardants and the recycling of products containing flame retardants are subject to ever close scrutiny. Depending on th...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Flame Retardants: Growing Demand
Additives Growing Demand Flame Retardants. Increasing internationalisation and more stringent fire-protection requirements are opening up promising markets for flame retardants and flame-retardant plastics. Halogen-free products will benefit in the electrical sector thanks to the forthcoming introduction of the EC Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment. The trade fair K2004 served as an indicator of the general growth in demand for plastics and the increasing use of flame-reta...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Flame-Resistant GRP Systems
Flame-Resistant GRP Systems Fire-Proofing for the Construction and Rolling Stock Industries Michael Sommer, Wesel/Germany Halogen-free flameproofed SMC systems containing added wetting agents meet the specifications of fire regulations. As the EU proceeds with harmonisation of plans and standards for fire protection in different application areas, the scope for SMC applications is also increasing. As a result of the efforts of the EU to establish uniform fire-protection plans in various ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Flame-retardant Curing
...lectronic parts through to high-performance adhesives for automotive engineering. The products are often subject to particular flame retardancy requirements. At the same time, increasing attention must be paid to the toxicological consequences of a fire, and the recycling of flame-retardant epoxy resin products, and therefore the health impact of flame retardants. This involves meeting a wide range of different flame retardancy standards for different final products and countries (Table 1) [1, 2...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, For the Car of Tomorrow
... the window, PC glazing does become distorted but remains in position. Consequently, despite its lower rigidity, it supports the roof area. But then again, outside helpers must be able to gain access. In co-operation with an organization of American fire-fighters specializing in emergency rescues, tools have been designed and improved that allow intact PC glazing to be overcome and trapped passengers to be reached. Noise Levels in the Passenger Compartment The noise level in the passenger comp...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Grown Dynamically: PBT Compounds
...s PBT/BET blends are even being use when glassfibre contents are high. Other blends, such as PBT/PC and PBT/ASA have been developed that make for less warpage and improve impact resistance. A major concern of the electrical and electronics sector is fire properties. The major plastics manufacturers offer a number of flame-retardant products for this market, which is characterised by numerous regulations and testing procedures. Among these, for example, are those in which a wall thickness of 0.4m...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Heat Management
...ther insulating materials. For fitting out the loft interior, rigid foam panels are now available, which can be provided with decorative facings on the exposed side. A special design of this PU insulating system with a bonded silicate board achieves fire-resistance class F30-B according to DIN 4102 (Fig. 4). The high fire-resistance requirements made for building insulating materials can be met by PU rigid foams [7]: For construction applications, flame-resistant grades are available in construc...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Heat Treatment: Drying with Infrared Radiation
...out sustaining heat exhaustion. According to a statement by Mark Smith, project engineer at Airbags International, the infrared module needs only little additional space. Thus, it can be integrated into the coating equipment without difficulty. Fire damage, which can occur in other drying systems, is precluded since the infrared radiation of medium wave length warms the water more quickly than the tissue. Another salient point is that the carbon radiators’ quick response time guarantees that th...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High Growth Rates: Polycarbonate (PC)
...ce, making it possible to produce moulded parts with very low wall thicknesses. The manufacturers of television sets are increasingly asking for easy-flow PC/ABS grades for TV housings, which make a notable contribution to the avoidance of fire damage. PC Sheet – Constant Growth In the case of plastic sheet for the construction industry – another key field of application for PC – the producers are expecting global annual growth of around 6%. In 2003, global demand for PC for sheets was more ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High Increase in Consumption: Polyamides (PA)
...ndustry. In Western Europe in 2003, their share of consumption was 22%. The average growth in this segment in recent years was about 4% p.a. Responsibility for the sustained demand lies with the combination of advantageous properties in the event of fire, balanced mechanical properties and excellent thermal properties. Growing safety demands can often only be satisfied with specialty flame retardant additives. Halogen-free alternatives, such as red phosphorus or organo-nitrogen based flame retar...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High-performance Plastics: The Right Material for Future Markets
...roup are always used when exceptional property combinations are required, such as extremely high chemical resistance, high radiation resistance, extremely low frictional values and similar qualifying properties together with high heat resistance and fire retardancy (Fig.1). In addition, certain high-performance plastics have the strength normally only achieved by metals while others tend to be ductile. Some high-performance plastics are semi-crystalline, others amorphous. The latter make it pos...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High-performance Polymers: Metal Substitution and Miniaturisation
... polycarbonate lamp covers – can be washed with alcoholic cleaning agents. Ensinger created the halogen-free, flameproofed polyamide Tecamid 6 FRT especially for transportation applications, for providing robust and fire-safe interior trim in trains, buses and ships. DuPont presents novel high-performance polyamides under the trade name Superstructural. They consist of long and short fibre-reinforced Zytel grades, characterised by high stiffness and strength in combination with very high creep...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Innovations in Flame Retardants
...elopments in this area and a new life cycle assessment. With a consumption corresponding to more than 2.4 billionUS$ in 1999 flame retardants (FRs) are the by far largest group of additives in the plastics industry (Fig. 1) while ensuring improved fire safety. The fast development of plastics applications in the electronics (title photo), construction and automotive industries puts high requirements on plastics and costs. Because of their generally outstanding property profile, brominated flam...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Large Investment Plans: Polyurethanes (PU)
...component heads. Current technical developments aim to reduce the changeover times for these mixing heads still further (e.g. Krauss-Maffei). An important trend in the moulded foam sector in 2003 concerned fire protection requirements. The direction here is clearly towards halogen- and melamine-free products. Rigid Foam In the rigid polyurethane foam sector, construction applications and technical insulation are predominant. Altogether, some 26% of the global output of polyurethane raw materia...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Materials with Multiple Functions
...smaller and as a consequence of close contact proximity and small wall thicknesses. Transmission of high currents requires other types of contacts than those for transmitting information signals. Accordingly, requirements on fire protection as well as on the mechanical strength and toughness of the plastic used are different and additionally dependent on the attached mouldings or guiding devices. Without halogen and antimony: Materials for electrical devices must be provided with flame protecti...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Modified Polyphenylene Ether (PPE)
...f choice with growing opportunities for their use. In Europe, (PS+PPE) blends are used in TV back plates and bezels, and special high flow materials are available that meet the European IEC65 standard. Individual resin grades pass the UL94 V-0 fire behaviour standard which is used by OEMs striving for a higher fire safety. All TV applications require a certain level of flame retardancy and this can be achieved in modified PPE by using additives that do not contain halogens or other potentially h...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, More Light
...lage of Wilhelmshütte. The same year, it set up a subsidiary company called Lighthouse GmbH for marketing lights specially designed for children through specialist retailers. Elkamet suffered a setback in 1998 when a short circuit triggered a fire on the company’s site, during which 5000m² of production and storage area were lost. Elkamet nevertheless succeeded in defending its market position by rebuilding again very quickly. Today, Elkamet has some 300 employees and sales of EUR 33 millio...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, More Reliable Washing
...ation properties coupled with tracking resistance and dielectric strength guarantee parts with a high operational reliability and a long service life. Special flame-retardant products are available for applications that place special requirements on fire behaviour. Reliable Positioning Indispensable When the so-called Aqua Stop System was developed for Bauknecht-Whirlpool washing machines (title photo, Fig.1) the Robert Klinger GmbH company opted for the flame-retardant polyamide 66, Radiflam ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Nanocomposites - En Route to Application
...an impressive variety of surface functionalities. The silsesquioxane types shown in Fig. 3 are supplied by Hybrid Plastics in Fountain Valley, CA/USA, under trade names such as POSS (Polyoctahedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxan), Molecular Silicas, FireQuench, Nanoreinforced Polymers and Nanostructured Chemicals. The silsesquioxanes are, in fact, molecules and the smallest molecular building blocks of silicate chemistry. The Lichtenhan group deserves particular credit for making accessible these exot...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, New Developments and Trends: Functional Fillers
Trend Report Fillers Functional Fillers New Developments and Trends. Fillers are acquiring increasing importance as key constituents of plastics. On the one hand, they generally make it possible to achieve an excellent price-performance ratio and, on the other, it is only through the addition of functional fillers that standard plastics can be used in technical applications. Walter Hohenberger Plastics are versatile and generally low-cost materials with a unique combination of processing and ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Ninety-five: Bound by Tradition
... contained articles about the materials referred to above and their processing, yet also gave coverage to other issues already, such as the use of these materials in electrical engineering, submarine cables and gramophone records, as well as their fire behaviour and re-use. The journal subsequently accompanied all the other synthetic materials in the chemical industry and ultimately even lent its name to this class of materials: "Kunststoffe" – the German word for synthetic materials or ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, One Step Closer to Nature
...s. Recycled products are generally only available in black. The granules are then visible on artificial-turf systems that require a high level of filling. If artificial-turf systems are used in indoor sports facilities then these ought also to be fire retardant. Fireworks and the like can rapidly set fire to recycled tyres. The use of flame resistant material is thus recommended on a precautionary basis, so as to ensure greater safety. Only virgin material will permit a flame resistant grade to ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Optimisation of Screws with Small L/D Ratio: Custom-made Screws
...feguarded by practical tests. Uniform Metering Optimisation of the plastics properties by suitable choice of additives opens up extended fields of applications for plastics in various industries. For electronics and electrical applications, fire resistance, achieved by the addition of flame retardants, is very important. During processing, therefore, the decomposition temperature of the additives must be taken into account, as is shown by an example. For processing PA6-V0 with very small short ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Plant Construction: The World's Biggest PBT Polymer Plant Goes into Production
...all thermal stress of the product. The realisation of the turn key project put high requirements on the partner companies. Strict guidelines for execution and certification of the project, the building, personnel security, environmental protection, fire protection, etc. were to be obeyed. This lead to increased construction expenditures. In particular, the strict safety management led to excellent accident statistics results. The project team completed more than 450000 working hours without a si...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, PMMA Successful in More and More Fields of Application: Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA)
...sparent PMMA layers. In addition, special nanoadditives permit laser welding of two transparent acrylic workpieces. Likewise, the offensive taken by Degussa to promote PMMA as a suitable glazing material that complies with stringent fire prevention regulations for trade fairs, interior design or construction in general promises to bear fruit for new applications, since trials and certifications from independent institutes have shown that, for instance, Plexiglas develops almost no smoke in the e...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polyamide (PA)
...cal Engineering and Electronics Polyamide is one of the most significant thermoplastics in the electrical engineering and electronics industry thanks to its outstanding mechanical, electrical and thermal properties, as well as its suitability for fire-retardant additives (Fig.8). Average growth in this segment has been running at some 5% over the past few years, with the exception of a slowdown in the second half of 2001 due to the poor economic climate. Development work in Europe has been, and...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polyamides (PA)
...ing and Electronics Components made of polyamides also play an important role in the modern electrical and electronics industry. In Western Europe the consumption share amounted to 21 % in 2000. The combination of favourable behaviour in the case of fire, balanced mechanics and good thermal characteristics is responsible for the continued demand. Increasing safety requirements can frequently be satisfied only with special flame protection equipment. Halogen-free alternatives, for instance with f...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polyarylsulphones (PSU, PPSU, PES)
...nd 220°C (PES), - low tendency to creep and high dimensional stability, - good chemical resistance as well as resistance to hydrolysis, - multiple sterilisation capability by all usual methods, - transparency and favourable behaviour in case of fire (UL listing). Although the general synthesis route for the basic polymers is very similar with all manufacturers, the procedural details lead to different characteristics regarding intrinsic colour, temperature behaviour, hydrolysis and behaviour in...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polycarbonate (PC)
...g covers and housings for household appliances. Numerous PC grades with specific property profiles have been developed to comply with the wide variety of different specifications. Use is made here almost exclusively of reinforced and fire-retardant products. PC has benefited considerably from the trend toward miniaturization and thin-wall technology: A few years ago, the first mobile phones weighed several kilograms, but a weight of less than 200g is nowadays state-of-the-art for a modern cellul...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polycarbonate Multiwall Panels: Transparency Coupled With Good Thermal Insulation
...s or for splinters to hurt people inside. As a result, the panels are eminently suitable for strip lights that are set into roof constructions to create a daylight ambience. A further safety aspect of the polycarbonate panels is their good fire performance properties, which have a B1 and B2 rating in Germany as defined in DIN 4102. Neither strong sunlight nor frost damages the panels, because they remain dimensionally stable across the extreme temperature range of -100 to 120°C. Nor do the poly...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polycarbonate: Flat Screen TVs with Luminescent Aura
...phan, Key Account Manager at Bayer MaterialScience, explains. Thus, it fulfils the demanding US test standard UL 94 V (Underwriter Laboratories) at a specimen thickness of 3 mm with the best classification of V-0. At the same time, the stronger fire protection requirements of Philips are the reason that the front cover and back housing of other television models by Philips are made of the technical thermo plastic Bayblend FR 2010 by Bayer MaterialScience. “This is a (PC+ABS) blend with a flame ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polypropylene-flax Compounds ...
...ed to the light weight construction potential of this group of materials as well as their high strength and rigidity parameters because composite densities around 1g/cm3 are realisable. During processing and for the later intended purpose also good fire safety and flame resistance as well as appropriate smell and emission behaviours are desirable [1, 2]. The characteristics mentioned must be optimised to extend the area of application of natural fibre polymer composites. Different Halogen-free ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polyurethanes (PU)
... the differences in insulating performance between competitive insulation materials. This, too, will further increase the popularity of polyurethanes for insulation systems. Another vastly important topic for the construction industry is, of course, fire safety. Bayer has come up with a genuine innovation in this field: the use of expanded graphite as a solid flame retardant in continuous production (initial tests have already been successfully carried out at customers). Through the simple addit...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polyurethanes (PUR)
...panels is undergoing a gradual transformation. The insulating panel is slowly but surely becoming a commodity. n-Pentane-blown PIR panels are rising strongly in anticipation of new, probably stricter European fire safety standards. Their low smoke density and the possibility of dispensing with halogenated flame retardants are important benefits of these insulating elements. The higher isocyanate demand for PIR formulations is offset by the possibility of reducing the addition of flame retardants...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Pressure Vessels: A Question of Curvature
...or plastics can be additionally integrated directly into the two end laggings. Not Only for Trucks Apart from production of compressed air reservoirs for trucks the new tank construction method is interesting also for compressors, fire extinguishers, natural gas containers, hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders as well as pipe seals. High loads and also higher temperature ranges can be covered with higher quality semi-finished material. With materials such as polyamides or polyethersulfone as well a...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Production Control: Press Process Transparency
...th dimensions of up to 1300 x 1100mm are moulded – using the so-called crushed core technique – on four presses with clamping pressures of up to 250 tons. This process results in very light-weight, highly rigid and low-fume (in case of fire) composite parts made of fibreglass-reinforced plastic sheets and (crushed) honeycomb reinforcement profiles. The Laupheim staff can look back on decades of experience in the design and implementation of sophisticated interior concepts. They finish their prod...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Protective Control of Hot-Runner Systems
...- hot-runner diagnostics carried out with the controller, replacing the time-consuming manual examination of new or repaired hot-runner moulds. The most important technical innovation is the use of phase angle control (see box) instead of the burst fire control that used to be used. The benefits of the TMMZ controller are enhanced by numerous additional functions, which simplify its use and operation - from start up, via steady-state operation, through to handling disturbances and assistance wit...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Quality and Process Optimisation: Taking Stock of SMC Technology
...ry high filler loadings of aluminium hydroxide are used to meet the high requirements for rail vehicles. The products so obtained are very flame-retardant, have a low smoke density, exhibit good-tempered processing behaviour and are non-toxic in a fire. This is a combination of properties that cannot be surpassed by other polymer materials. SMC applications range from body parts, trim panels and oil sumps for trucks and buses to high-quality car body parts. In the electrical industry, SMC conti...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Quality assurance: Additives – a Book with Seven Seals?
...ther need of additives results from the processing method and final application: demoulding agents for the injection moulding process, slip and anti-block agents for film applications, antistatic additives, flame retardants for fulfilment of legal fire protection regulations, nucleating agents, blowing agents, etc. The Polymer Influences the Function of the Additive A fundamental common characteristic of all additives is that they are dependent on the solubility in the polymer. The solubility ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Railroad Rolling Stock: On Track with Lightweight Construction Techniques
...l linings of trains. As matrix for the fibre reinforced composites essentially only thermosetting systems are applicable. Unsaturated polyester resins (UP) are the most usual resin systems for the usually glass-fibre reinforced materials. Because of fire protection (see the information box on fire protection) phenolic resins (PF) are having an upswing. For many fibre-reinforced applications in rolling stock construction relatively large components in short series are typical, so that as an advan...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Reaction of Building Materials to Fire
Reaction of Building Materials to Fire European Harmonization Edith Antonatus, Ludwigshafen/Germany The reaction to fire of building products will soon be classified throughout Europe by standardised test procedures and a uniform classification system. Plastics producers and processors are called upon to help design this new system as it affects plastics and to press ahead with the development of products that satisfy the new demands. The construction industry is increasingly resorting t...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Requirements and Markets: Polymeric Flame Retardants
...Flame Retardants Requirements and Markets. Reactive and polymeric brominated flame retardants offer many advantages over conventional systems, as they themselves are polymers or become part of the polymer. They do not bleed, provide highly effective fire retardancy, are heat-resistant and easy to process. They are gaining increasing market shares in polyurethane foams and engineering plastics. Rudi Borms Pierre Georlette The market for brominated flame retardants has suffered considerably from...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Roofs of Light
Roofs of Light Transparent Plastic Sheets for Creative Roof Constructions Volker W. Benz, Darmstadt/Germany Polycarbonate's extraordinary range of properties has gained it a growing share of the market for transparent construction sheets. Fire resistance is an increasingly important factor in material selection, particularly in the construction of public buildings. Transparent roofing is subject to extremely high static and dynamic requirements under extreme weather conditions. Roof ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Safety Standard Increased
... and in the construction and automotive sectors. PVC has long been the material of choice for extruded plastic articles that must be flame resistant. But it suffers from the major disadvantage of releasing acidic and toxic gases in the event of a fire. This may not only present an acute security risk for mankind and the environment. In even a minor building fire, it can also lead to considerable corrosive damage to electronic equipment and plant devices. Halogen-free, flameproofed extrusion ma...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Self Colouring of ABS: New Service Brand Supports
Market New Service Brand Supports Customers Self Colouring of ABS. BASF's new in-house coloration (self colouring) concept, Colorflexx, has survived its baptism of fire. New partners now strengthen the team. Initial market experience is helping to guide customers through the changeover. Sylvaine Metayer Florian Greger ABS is increasingly being subject to the laws that apply to a commodity material, i.e. intense competitive pressure and continually shrinking margins. This acrylonitrile/butadi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Shaping New Realities!
...lyols (Lyondell). Polymer polyol (Repsol) and dimer fatty acid polyester (Uniqema) have been supplied for increasing hardness and hydrophobing and hence for hydrolysis-resistant foams. Construction Industry The problem areas of blowing agents and fire retardance are closely linked to each other in the construction industry. The time is approaching when blowing agents which cause concern from the ODP angle will have to be definitively eliminated. The search for one or more appropriate blowing a...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Simulation of Wall-Thickness in Extrusion Blow Moulding
...rregular geometries, and it imposes high demands on the blow-moulding machine's systems for controlling wall thickness. For example, the minimum wall thickness in certain areas of a PFT can have a significant bearing on performance in a vehicle fire test. Systems for Adjusting Wall Thickness Three basic wall-adjustment systems have achieved widespread acceptance. If the parison is described in terms of a cylindrical co-ordinate system (Fig. 1) in which x is the tube's longitudinal co-o...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Simulation: Even Faster Development of Cylinder Head Covers
...ive manufacturers and in some cases have been used in series production for more than ten years. In the USA, the market for thermoplastic cylinder head covers is developing only slowly. Instead, thermoset components are often used under the hood for fire safety reasons. The European experience and clear cost advantages will encourage the use of thermoplastic components in the USA in the medium term. The Asian market for cylinder head covers is split: for Korean manufacturers, as in Europe, therm...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Software: Real-time Production Monitoring System
... on the march and you must have electronic systems to join in. Knowing exactly what is happening helps manufacturing managers make the right decisions. And knowing as it happens, in real time, makes the difference between fire fighting and managing, between catching up and controlling. The Author Clive A. Maier, born in 1937, is managing director of Econology Ltd, Orpington/UK. Edited version (CD) of an article published by British Plastics & Rubber in March 2004. Photos: Moldflow System Fe...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Solder-resistant PBT
...t a radiation dosage of 320 kGy is adequate to safely satisfy all the demands made on an SMD connector (Fig. 2). It is only the heat resistance that increases as a result of the crosslinking. The mechanical and electrical properties as well as the fire characteristics of the moulding compound remain - as desired - at the same level as those of a non-modified PBT moulding compound (Table 1). Since PBT, unlike the HT polymers mentioned at the beginning, absorbs hardly any water, it has very high d...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Sports Equipment: Plastics at all Events
... roof elements for this will be made of air-filled ethylene tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (ETFE) membranes, which are highly transparent. This very light membrane type has high flame retardance (group B1) and melts in the event of fire so that fumes can escape more easily. In addition, the complete outer skin of the stadium is to be made of transparent and translucent air cushions with an integrated lighting system, which, in the dark, will convert the entire stadium into a luminous object remin...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Stations in the Life of an Injection Moulding Firm
.... Natural fibre technology is employed for achieving additional performance characteristics, such as - weight-reduction, partially resulting in improved mechanical and acoustic properties, - increasing safety through less severe splintering, greater fire resistance, - cost reduction and - facilitation of recycling, or ease of disposal. Co-operation Promotes System Capability Long-standing joint venture agreements enable IBS Brocke to manufacture also in the USA, Mexico, Great Britain and the R...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Strong Growth: Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT)
...nts do not represent a fundamental potential risk as such, and only individual, very specific flame retardants actually constitute a health risk. Nor should we forget that this class of flame retardants is very effective indeed in the event of a fire. Here, like anywhere else, it is important to weigh the risks against the benefits, particularly in view of the increasing amount of electrics and electronics in today's cars [2]. Many car manufacturers already specify on principle a flammabilit...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Styrene Copolymers (ABS, ASA, SAN)
...es good electrical and mechanical properties at the same time. A successful example of such a tightrope walk are the halogen-free (PC+ABS) blends developed specifically for extrusion and blow moulding that comply with the fire protection standards in the electrical installation and construction segment and in public transport. They can be extruded into all kinds of profiles such as cable conduits, bus bars or guide rails for optical waveguides. In such cases, they are an alternative to tradition...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, The Crucial Question in Fire Protection
The Crucial Question in Fire Protection Flame-retardant Thermoplastics – Product Strategy and Development François de Bie, Bergen op Zoom/Netherlands What is your stance on polybromine? The use of flame-retardant plastics in electrical engineering and electronics (E&E) is frequently a compromise between economics and technical feasibility. This article outlines the topic from the point of view of a raw material producer and describes modern solutions. The choice between halogenate...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Thermosets
...w available. They can be used to produce thin-walled mouldings that offer excellent impact and notched impact strength but still retain typical thermoset characteristics such as electrical insulation properties and heat and fire resistance (Fig.6) [9]. For urea injection mouldings, such as sockets and power circuit breakers, there is a moulding material that allows more cost-effective processing with improved mechanical properties to be achieved. It is distinguished from conventional products by...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Thermosetting Moulding Materials
...n quantity with a simultaneous increase in value. In electrical engineering and electronics thermosetting materials continue to be of fundamental importance because of their excellent thermomechanical characteristics and their ecologically harmless fire protection properties. The European market for this segment will stagnate in the next years at a high level and the world market will register pleasing growth with a trend toward high value products. Products and Applications Through moulding m...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Trends in Laminating Adhesives
...inked to a solvent recovery unit. Solvent-free Laminating Adhesives (Based on Aromatic Polyurethanes) The advantages of solvent-free laminating adhesives are that the environment is not affected by solvents (no air pollution), that there is no fire or explosion hazard and that there is no solvent retention in the laminates. Consequently, the operating costs are lower. No costs are incurred for drying tunnels, solvent recovery or solvent incineration, and use can be made of compact laminating m...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Ultrasonic Measurement Technology: Online Process Control
...tation [1]. They must not only meet the traditional demands on lightweight construction, but – besides offering superior corrosion protection – must also be able to compete economically with conventional engineering materials in view of the high fire-protection requirements in transport applications [2 to 5]. In the production of FRP parts, the quality is crucially determined by the resin injection process. Time and position-dependent fluctuations in the flow resistance of the preform cause the ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Which Way is the Wind Blowing for GRP?
...ally beneficial from a logistical point of view in the production of very large blades [5]. Modular Systems for Potlife and Curing Times Some rotor blade manufacturers still use unsaturated polyester resins (UP) as the matrix for the fire composites on which the blade constructions are based. Thixotropic grades prevent any ‘curtaining’ or sagging on inclined surfaces; for reduced styrene evaporation, skinning agents are sometimes added, too. Use is also increasingly being made of styrene-diss...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Windows Production: Welding Time Slashed by a Factor of Ten
...r Eberlein Manfred Deuerlein Windows Production: A new welding technique can join almost any profile cross-sections in four places at once, and slash welding times by a factor of ten. Friction generates heat. Our forebears used this effect to make fire. In our day, frictional heat is also used for welding. The parts to be joined are rubbed against each other until the points of friction turn plastic. The rubbing is then stopped and the points of friction solidify to yield permanently welded pa...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-02-22, Carbon-fibre-reinforced Plastics (CRP): The Black Gold of Lightweight Building
... and can usually be processed faster and more flexibly [11, 12]. For maximum requirements on thermal loading, bismaleinimide resins with glass-transition temperatures of just under 300°C have been adapted for liquid processing [6, 9]. Optimum fire safety is achieved with RTM parts based on phenols resins [6, 10]. From a mould point of view, allowance has to be made for the high curing temperatures, which sometimes exceed 180°C. Flying Lighter than Ever. Rising sales in recent years for the CRP ...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-02-23, Materials: Nature in the Car
... raw materials is a further project idea in the context of the Riko group. Current questions are concerned with optimisation of fibres and semi-finished material. While tensile characteristics, surface quality and behaviour in case of fire already correspond to requirements, the impact strength must still be improved, however. The Author Stefan Schlott is a freelance journalist specialising on the automobile industry; redaktion_schlott@gmx.net Title photo. Kenaf is an up to 3 m high plant fro...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-03-07, Mass Production: Unlocking the Foaming Process
...uction in part weight and a cycle time reduction of 20%, of course, with minimum warpage and lowest reject quotas - is a complete economic success. With this start in mass production, the young process has successfully withstood its baptism of fire. References: 1 Habibi-Naini, S.: No Fear of Foaming. Kunststoffe plast europe 94 (2004) 9, pp. 191–194 The Authors: Dr.-Ing. Sasan Habibi-Naini, born in . 1972, is responsible for plastics processing in the technology division at Sulzer Chemtech AG,...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-03-29, Semi-finished Products: More Freedom for Designers
...s also very durable. One of the original applications was in the urban furniture market. Bus shelters and other street furniture are the natural environments for a material that is noted for its transparency, strength, chemical resistance and fire safety. The Author Bob Caddick, born in 1947, is responsible for the introduction and market development of new products at Quinn Plastics. He coordinates marketing communication and heads training and development of Quinn’s European sales team. Tit...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-04-24, Melamine Resin Foam: Lightweight, Versatile All-rounder
...tests according to national and international standards, Basotect achieved the highest classification that can be achieved by organic substances. The favourable behaviour of the material is also evident in the component tests and realistic model fire tests. Lightweight with Excellent Sound Absorption Because of its very low density of only 9kg/m3, melamine resin foam – along with the far more expensive polyimide foams – is one of the lightest materials on the global market. This makes Basotect...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-04-25, Process Automation: Machining Cell for Injection Moulded Plastic Containers
...nder high loads - the base is flat and very smooth to ensure that automatic conveyance gives rise to only a low level of noise. - containers with a perforated base are supplied for warehouses with sprinkler systems to BG 4.3 / VdS; this ensures that fire-fighting water can drain off downwards in the event of an emergency – safety aspect 1 – rather than remaining in the containers and increasing the weight higher up, which is not permitted – safety aspect 2. Achieving a container design that is s...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-06-29, PVDF Foams: High Purity Plus Outstanding Resistance
...High-performance foams based on polyvinylidene fluoride are manufactured in a specific physical foaming process. The resultant foams combine low weight and insulating characteristics with the resistance to elevated temperatures, corrosive chemicals, fire and ionising radiation that is typical of PVDF. This property profile opens up numerous applications in the aviation, chemical and construction industries, and also in architecture. Igna Van der Weide, Michael Werth. The high-performance polymer...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-08-06, Stabilisers (Part 1): Alternative Stabiliser Systems for PVC
...mance spectrum. This, in combination with low production costs, means that PVC has become an indispensable material in many areas of our everyday life. High resistance to wind, weather, UV radiation and chemicals as well as a long service life, high fire resistance, good dielectric properties and a wide processing window make PVC suitable for a very diverse range of applications. Examples include building facades, windows, pipes for drinking water, drainage and wastewater, floor coverings, wire/...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-05, Wood-filled Thermoplastics: No All-purpose Fire Protection
Additives No All-purpose Fire Protection Wood-filled Thermoplastics. In the building industry or other applications that require flame-retardant materials with a B1 fire rating, wood-filled plastics have not so far been suitable. This has given rise to extensive studies with different flame-retardant wood/plastic composites. Jens Schuster Christian Neu For nearly a decade now, the term “wood/plastic composites” (WPC) has been part of the vocabulary of plastics processors and users. These mater...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-28, High-tech in a Holiday Region: With Clockwork Precision
...components such as gears and motors for controlling the air flaps. We develop and produce these products right through to the final assembly stage. We are also very strong on safety engineering. Here, we produce fire alarm systems and burglary prevention devices on an ultrasonic and infrared basis and also offer all-in ranges, right through to the mirror optics. In the fire alarm sector, we produce primarily the insides of smoke detectors: the labyrinths. We similarly produce the lens system in ...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-11-24, Additive Systems: Composition Decides
...estation of the WPC entirely. Low Combustibility. Wood is a combustible building material, disregard of its form, i.e. solid wood or chipboard. Impregnation by plastics, with flame retardants employed at the same time, can yet improve fire safety a lot. This is essential, if WPC is to be employed as a construction material. It is indispensable for today’s flame retardants to be highly efficient, and have as few secondary effects as possible, while at the same time paying account for economic a...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-02-13, Hot-Runners for Flame-Retardant Polyamides
..., in electronics industry, those plastics components having direct contact to live parts, must conform with the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) standards. A further requirement is that the plastics self-extinguish after contact with fire. To classify plastics as flame-retardant, Standard No. 94 ("Tests for Flammability of Plastic Materials for Parts in Devices and Appliances") by the Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL, www.ul.com) has been established as the worldwide sta...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-03-15, Promoting Innovations with a Focus
...inforced, easy-flowing, opaque material, and a polycarbonate reinforced with 10vol.-% glass fibres. "By introducing these new grades, we are reacting to the increasing demand from the electrical, IT and domestic appliance industries for fire-retardant thermoplastics that can be processed into transparently or translucently pigmented components with complex, finely structured geometries," explains Hans Franssen, an expert in technical product management for fire-retardant polycarbonates. ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-05-14, Improving the Flame-Resistance of Extruded Profiles
...halogen-free (PC+ABS) blend containing an organophosphorus flame retardant, which has been used in production, and is characterised by good flame-resistance and excellent mechanical characteristics. The Flame Retardant Screens off the Source of the Fire As halogen-free flame retardant, an ammonium polyphosphate (APP) was selected, which provides outstanding fire resistance properties, particularly in polypropylene, by the mechanism of intumescence. In the PP/APP system, the APP, in a fire, und...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-06-18, Melt Filters in Foam Extrusion
...activated. Depending on the formulation employed this could result in the release of corrosive substances and hence in a marked reduction of the service life of the machine. Flame-retardant additives are admixed in the final product on grounds of fire safety. They are incorporated into the melt in the primary extruder and due to the high temperatures at this stage of the process they require very precise consideration. Given the added gas and the relatively high temperature, the viscosity of the...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, Buss Kneader for Cable Compounds
...nt field of application for MX Kneaders is in the production of high-quality polyolefin-based cable compounds. Use of aluminum hydroxide as a halogen-free flame retardant is especially important in this regard. In the event of a fire, this chemical releases water in an endothermic reaction at temperatures as low as approx. 200°C. This cools the burning area and restricts the flow of oxygen. For effective flame retardance, filler levels of up to 65 wt. % are common – while the cable insulation mu...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, Several Irons in the Fire
Several Irons in the Fire Molds, Hot-Runners, and More (Trade-fair-pre-report K 2007) Without a new injection mold, there can be no new molding. But Europe’s mold makers are faced with ever-increasing cost pressure and competition. This requires intelligent solutions, both from the mold makers themselves and from the component and assembly manufacturers who specialize in mold technology. The exhibitors’ program for this year’s K trade show demonstrates how this can be done. For cost-effect...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-10-21, Polyaryletherketones (PAEK)
...rt being made to replace aluminum components with PEEK. This would allow the production of lightweight complex geometries exhibiting high strength and stiffness, as well as low, minimally toxic smoke development in case of fire (Fig.4). Chemical processing or analytical equipment such as sensors, housings or pump components frequently combine requirements on chemical resistance, temperature and mechanical performance. These advantages of PEEK, combined with the integration of various functions a...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-10-21, Polyarylsulfones (PSU, PESU, PPSU)
...in applications where transparency, high temperature and media resistance are required. Examples of this include, for instance, injection stretch blow molded baby bottles, microwave tableware, skillet covers etc. Thanks to their good fire behavior, polyarylsulfones have found more and more applications in recent years in the aerospace industry (interior design). One relatively recent application here are sandwich components with a core of PESU hard foam. This composite should also find applicati...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-10-21, Polycarbonate (PC) and Polycarbonate Blends
...n-free flame-resistant thermoplastics to rise. On account of these trends halogenated HIPS and ABS materials are currently being steadily replaced by halogen-free flame-resistant PC blend grades in electrical/electronics applications. The risk of fire posed by television sets and IT equipment is moving increasingly into the public consciousness. A standardization committee of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on the safety of electronic equipment is currently establishing new ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-10-21, Polyurethanes (PU)
...or automobiles are the most important applications for molded flexible PU foam. Considerably more than 90% of upholstered furniture is produced from PU foam. Applications related to the acoustics in automobiles such as foam backing of carpeting, firewall insulation and engine compartment insulation still hold greater potential. In the area of car seats, the trend goes towards increasingly complex geometries, because more and more functions such as airbags, motors for complicated seat mechanisms,...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-11-21, Pipe Systems in the Engine Compartment
... technology) means that fuel is introduced into the combustion chamber at higher injection pressures and speeds. As a result, the fuel lines and filters can become statically charged. If fuel bubbles are formed, a spark can set off a fire. Thermoplastics in this application should therefore have the lowest possible surface electrical resistance. Durethan DP BCF 30X H2.0 is a good example of such an electrically conductive thermoplastic. This new PA6 is already being used for series production of...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-12-17, From Miniaturization through to Furniture Design
...ly high flowability and strength is opening up innovative design variants (Fig. 5) as is borne out by the Myto chair from industrial designer, Konstantin Grcic. Basotect too is creating new dimensions in furniture design. Its fire resistance and elasticity make this melamine resin foam the ideal material for comfortable and safe upholstered furniture. This means that public buildings no longer need to be furnished with sober and cold seating facilities in (non-combustible) stainless steel, in or...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-12-17, Metal Phosphinates in Industrial Applications
Metal Phosphinates in Industrial Applications Halogen-free Flame Retardants More than a quarter of polymers produced worldwide are used in applications for which there are specific fire safety requirements. Industrial trials impressively demonstrated that flame-retardant systems based on metal phosphinates are an excellent alternative to conventional formulations. Rüdiger Walz, Thomas Baqué Most polymers are relatively easy to ignite and release large quantities of both smoke and heat duri...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-01-15, Elastomer Industry Has Understood
...or the automotive industry (Fig.11). Levapren, which consists of 40 to 90% vinyl acetate, is a halogen-free specialty elastomer that displays exceptional resistance to heat, oil, weather and fire. This makes it ideal not only for producing cables but also for automotive engineering applications – even those subject to dynamic loading. It can be used to produce seals and hoses, for example. Lanxess hopes to use the new Levapren processing method to develop additional areas of application – partic...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-01-15, Where There is No Smoke There is No Fire
Where There is No Smoke There is No Fire Design Upholstered Furniture with Melamine Resin Impregnated melamine resin as the foam used for the seat makes sure that a specially developed design series of upholstered furniture does not catch fire. This way it is particularly well-suited for furbishing public spaces where usually strict fire-protection regulations apply. That’s why seating made of steel and of little comfort has predominated there up to now. The furniture manufacturer Walter Knoll...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-02-17, Efficient Design of Pneumatic Conveying Systems
...r, the receiving silo must be separated from the conveying system so that no explosion can be carried into the silo (Fig. 9). This separation ensues via a filter receiver mounted on the silo which discharges the bulk material into the silo via a fire-proof rotary feeder. In this case there is no need for all the additional system parts otherwise required for returning and circulating the nitrogen and of course the additional costs associated with operating with nitrogen. Summary From knowledge...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-02-17, Few New Products but Business is Booming
...try, transport, textiles and upholstery. Flame retardants (> 40%) are particularly used in E+E where they are found in consumer and office electronics, domestic appliances and industrial applications as well as wire and cable. Stricter and Expanded Fire Protection Requirements The new European fire tests and the Euro classes for building products have – at least in theory – simplified the testing process since all member states now use identical test methods. In reality however for the most va...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-05-10, Today’s Ideas – Tomorrow’s Technologies
...ysis. Only when failure and damage analysis is conducted on a systematic and consistent basis and is incorporated at an early stage, is it in a position to do a great deal more than simply assume the role of the "fire brigade". It is then able to provide key impetus for quality assurance and the development of new processes. The experts also agreed that the availability and mastering of the appropriate methods of instrumental analysis is similarly a central aspect of damage analysis. Men...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-06-16, RFID Transponder with 3-D Antenna
...ion at break are also needed, the elastomer-modified Pocan TP 710-005 based on this grade is available. It is predestined for components subject to impact. In addition, new flame-retardant grades that satisfy special US requirements for fire protection have been developed on the basis of Pocan DP 7102 and Pocan DP T 7140 LDS. They qualify for the V-0 classification under UL 94 (Underwriter Laboratories). Their GWIT value (Glow Wire Ignition Temperature) is over 775°C (0.75mm test specimen thickn...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-07-15, Unlimited Combination
...yer, since only the core components need to satisfy the demands of fluid-assist molding. In two-layer fluid lines, the outer layer can define the mechanical properties of the part and additionally provide functions such as a high heat resistance and fire resistance. The inner layer, for its part, which is characterized by good processing properties under the conditions of fluid-assist molding, can offer properties such as high chemical and hydrolysis resistance, good barrier properties or a smoo...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-09-23, Plastics, Electronics and the Environment
...tal protection legislation has a global impact, unless the companies develop and produce different product lines for different parts of the world. The legal regulations can mainly be divided into the areas of air quality, waste, toxic substances and fire protection. Improving Air Quality Several provisions in Europe, the USA and Japan regulate atmospheric emissions. For each member country of the EU Directive 2001/81/EC of the European Union defines limits for the total atmospheric emissions of ...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-09-23, Withstanding the Heat
...ories, USA). Changing the series is therefore only possible at high expenditure and with a new listing. As a result, materials are mostly used over the entire life of a product, without any alteration. PA 66 is most commonly used, in V-0 and V-2 fire protection classification types according to UL 94. In many respects, polyamides fulfill the demands classified; still there are some weak points that should be improved: Temperature resistance should be above the RTI (Relative Temperature I...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-10-17, Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCPs)
...dy in sight: halogen-free consumer electronics. Even before the environmental conservation organization Greenpeace publicly denounced well known manufacturers of electronic games on account of the use of polymers containing halogenated fireproofing agents, the electronics industry had already started on the stepwise replacement of brominated fireproofing systems for polymers by inherently flame-resistant LCP. The high-performance plastic withstands lead-free solder baths without difficulty and i...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-10-17, Polyarylsulfones (PSU, PESU, PPSU)
...meric materials, in which flame smoke density and toxicity increase when they are rendered flame retardant with additives, polyarylsulfones inherently have good FST properties (Flame Smoke Toxicity). Their excellent fire-safety properties also qualify polyarylsulfones for use in many other, equally safety-critical means of transport, such as subways. Interesting opportunities are opening up in the aviation sector not only for polyarylsulfones themselves but also for the lightweight, carb...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-10-17, Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT)
...material is used to manufacture amongst other things electrical distribution cabinets as well as thermal insulation rings for coffee makers (Fig. 4). The large majority of parts in current and new PBT applications in the E&E sector where fire retardancy is required use flame-retardant packages containing halogens. The long standing commitment by many well known European companies to use only halogen flame retardants rated as environmentally friendly in PBT has contributed to the wide...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-10-17, Polycarbonate (PC)
...and brominefree flame-retardant (PC+ABS) blends. The benefits they offer include the very flame-retardant behavior, the low corrosivity and toxicity of combustion gases as well as the absence of environmental concerns. In Europe, the risk of fire associated with television sets and IT equipment is increasingly becoming a matter of public interest. It is considerably greater than in the USA, where more stringent requirements regarding the risk of fire associated with materials for applian...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-10-17, Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS)
...r PPS whose high level of purity does no damage to catalytic converters. The fiber industry represents a very significant growth market for PPS. In the area of industrial flue gas purification, especially for exhaust air purification in coal-fired power plants and cement factories, they use filter bags made from PPS staple fiber (Fig. 3) that have to withstand aggressive, hot conditions in exhaust gas for five years and longer. PPS is also used in the form of monofilament in conveyor be...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-10-17, Polystyrene Rigid Foam (EPS, XPS)
...acture EPS with a defined, uniform bead size. In addition, the melt process for modifying EPS products opens up new possibilities for using different additives, fillers, polymers etc. to selectively adjust the product properties (heat stability, fire behavior etc.). EPS formwork elements have been used in construction for years as an alternative to wood. These EPS formwork elements are assembled on site by means of a plug-in system and subsequently filled with concrete. For years, the EP...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-10-17, Polyurethanes (PU)
...hicles produced in smaller quantities, but with a greater number of variations. Challenging contours can also be achieved without difficulty. Flexible PU foam also has potential in the automobile industry for use as carpet backing, firewall insulation and as a sound-absorbing material in the engine compartment – for instance, in combination with high-density PU layers that provide effective damping of solid-borne noise. In this case, the flexible PU foam serves to deaden the air-borne noise. Bay...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-10-17, Thermosets
...g the door is open for SMC to move into automobile interiors [www.dsmcompositeresins. com]. For UP lamination applications there is a system dissolved in high-grade acrylates as a styrene-free alternative. It additionally fulfills the highest fireproofing requirements [www.buefa.de]. Reactive resins made from renewable raw materials are taking a step forward into the green future. While hitherto mixtures of unsaturated polyesters and biopolymers based, inter alia, on soya beans have been on the ...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-01-26, Plastics in the Fire
Flame treating plastics to activate their surfaces is a well-established practice. Nanoscale coating of plastic materials with the aid of flame-assisted processes, however, presents potential users with several problems, a major one of which involves the narrow temperature limits within which such processes can be used. At the same time, the ever-increasing prices for energy make the need for improvements and alternatives to previously employed technologies ever more essential. Reducing energy a...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-04-16, Eco-friendly – for Safety’s Sake
...are thus becoming a major concern in the E/E sector (Fig. 2). Flame retardance in electronic devices is a potential lifesaver. Expressed numerically, flame retardance gives a person about 15 additional minutes to flee after a fire has broken out [4]. With an increasing number of flame-retardant products, statistics confirm that the number of deaths due to fire has considerably, in Europe by about 20 % in the past ten years [4]. In particular, bromated chemicals pose a high risk because of their ...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-11-19, Strong Partners
...ties can be combined that would otherwise exclude one another. A component’s outer appearance can thus be designed without paying too much attention to mechanical requirements. The skin material determines surface quality, chemical resistance, fire behavior, brilliance or printability. Apart from requirements in terms of function, very often economic aspects need to be considered. A manufacturer might therefore use recycled or cheap materials for the core. Thanks to its sandwich structure, a par...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-04-20, Future Technologies for Mechatronic Products
...cturing procedures and the different technical challenges require the development of specific materials for the respective process. The most important material parameters to be considered here are the processing and operating temperatures, fire proofing, mechanical and electrical properties, injection and metallizing capabilities, and the costs. Basically, when compared with standard materials for electronic production, thermoplastic materials exhibit a high thermal expansion coefficient that is...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-08-19, Biopolymers as a Source of Energy
...ion of oxygen and without oxidation processes [4, 5]. Determining factors for the composition of the combustion gases are the type of energy source, the availability of oxygen (ventilation) and the physical and chemical properties of the fire load. The ventilation of a combustion process is characterized by the air-fuel ratio α (alternatively the α factor). This number represents the ratio of the air present in the combustion chamber to the quantity of air required for a complete stoichiometric ...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-08-19, Grow Strategically
...rer has already achieved more than half its sales for 2009 (approx. EUR 1.7 billion as of 12/31/2009). At the K2010, Sabic will introduce five new thermoplastics developed specially for use in airplane cabins. They fulfill rigid requirements as to fire resistance, smoke density and toxicity. Additionally, a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (type: Ultem) has been developed to replace aluminum. According to manufacturer's data, the material enables weight reductions of up to 50 % for interior...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-08-19, Polycarbonate – How a High-tech Material Conquered the World and Continues to Do So
... meter) and easy to handle. Their high light transmission guarantees optimum light conditions without shadows or excessive light-dark contrasts. They also take care of safety by complying with important international fire protection regulations (Title picture). LED Applications: For some time now, the favorable properties of PC have made it a material of choice for the production of lens optics (Fig. 5) and optical fibers for energy-saving LED technology. These components have to meet very high ...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-08-19, System Competence Is More in Demand than Ever
...'s press conference in advance of the K2010. The fact that his words followed action was proven by the evidence provided only minutes before. Like most machine makers, KraussMaffei has also gone through some hard times, forcing the company to fire some employees and put others on short-time for months. For the current fiscal year 2009/10 (end: 30 September), Straub anticipates gross sales of approx. 750 million EUR for the group, that is, the brands KraussMaffei (injection and reaction mold...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-09-24, A Motley Range of Innovations
...ilding materials Bayfomox. The product is the outcome of a collaboration with FluidSystems GmbH & Co. KG, Haan, Germany. It is readily sprayed from small machines on site, even onto complex surfaces. The substrate dries quickly and offers high fire resistance combined with improved thermal insulation performance and additional sound-absorbing properties. PVC synthetic leather will benefit from flame-retardant finishing with Disflamoll TP LXS 51 036, which also makes an ideal plasticizer. Lev...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-01-25, Appealing to (almost) all the Senses
...edly shown that critical customers and observant legislators are required in order to prevent undesirable developments. Neither the food supply chains (wheat and maize for energy production) nor the environment in the third world (fire hazards from palm oil plantations) should be disadvantaged. Whether in high performance seals between polymers and metal in internal combustion engines, offshore wind turbines, hoses, bags and closures in the medical sector or E&E, at K2010 it could be seen th...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-04-25, Chemical Cross-Linking During Fires
...ively affect the mechanical properties. In addition, alongside commercial considerations, there are a wide range of ecological and eco-toxicological problems during processing, use or recycling of the polymers. The same is particularly true during a fire [2]. For this reason every attempt is made to minimize the required quantity of FR for achieving a particular flame retardant standard. The Concept A newly developed reactive flame retardant system that is used together with selected conventiona...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-04-25, Flame Retardants: Restricted Boom
...obal consumption of flame retardants will increase to a value of 6.1 billion USD by 2014. This corresponds to an annual growth rate of 7 %. Why then is there such a boom in flame retardants? It is because our present high-tech world demands high fire safety standards for human protection. This applies above all to the electrical and electronics (E&E) sector, where fire safety requirements are specified for consumer and IT electronics (e.g. audio, video, laptops, printers, cell phones), house...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-05-12, Sound and Smoke Are No Problem
...ter of Berlin-Kreuzberg, Germany, where sonorous Bechstein grand pianos used to be built, the company, founded in 1919, now builds microphones, headphones, headsets, handsets and accessories for use in aircraft and rail vehicles, by the police and fire department. Holmberg is thus the only supplier of handsets, equipping all the trains of the German national railway. At the heart of these microphones are efficient acoustic transducers, which Holmberg produces itself and also supplies as componen...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-06-20, Economic Multilayers
... thermoplastic substrate materials. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The research results presented here were made possible by funding from the Hamburg Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment (Behörde für Wirtschaft und Arbeit) as part of the project “Fire-resistant, lightweight substrate materials for high-performance electronics in aviation” (project funding reference no.: HH110B) and from the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF) as part of the Central Innovation Program (ZIM) project...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-08-24, Fire Protection for Railway
The technical specification CEN/TS 45545 was published by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), and represents one of the most complex systems of regulations concerning fire protection in the world. It describes preventive action and requirements aimed at the protection of passengers and staff of trains, in case of fire in the coach (Title photo). In spite of many years of preparation, the specification has not yet been turned into a European standard (EN), which will replace all nat...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-10-17, Polyamides (PA)
...nder the hood, which used to be regarded as impossible some years ago. Also in sectors other than automotive construction, these materials have been successful, for instance in highlystressed safety components for firefighting (Fig. 10). Beside BASF, there are other suppliers looking into the CAE issue: Rhodia has introduced a CAE service named MMI*. Lanxess has also worked in this field for some time. Improved Flowability: Longer, Better, Faster Easy-flowing PA types have meanwhile improved too...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-10-17, Polyarylsulfones (PSU, PESU, PPSU)
...lsulfones feature good intrinsic FST (= flame smoke toxicity) values. Polyetherimides, particularly as blends and foam, also combine high flame resistance with low weight and are therefore used in the aero industry. The outstanding fire safety properties of both material classes therefore also qualify them for use in many other, similarly safety-critical means of transport, such as subway trains. Interesting opportunities in the aeronautical sector are opened up by lightweight carbon-fiber-reinf...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-10-17, Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS)
...very suitable for applications in solar panel technology. In addition flame retardant fibers can be manufactured by extrusion. They are suitable for instance for fabric in transport straps and protective clothing against chemicals, heat or fire. However, fabrics made from PPS are also used in smoke filters for aggressive exhaust fumes. PPS that is certified for potable water applications is used in hot water systems such as classic gas and oil boilers, but finds particular use in modern solar th...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-10-17, Polyurethanes (PU)
...lyether-polycarbonate polyols as a raw material source for flexible polyurethane foams. A further development direction of the European flexible foam market is the search for a compromise between the customers’emissions demands and fireproofing. Here there are markets such as in Great Britain where very high fire protection demands exist as a result of the Crib V standard, requiring at the same time a high use of emissions-intensive flame retardants. On the other hand there are markets such as i...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-10-17, Resins and Reactive Systems
... they are almost exclusively available in the form of impregnated semi-finished fiber stock. Numerous new resin systems have, however, now extended this spectrum. They offer specific advantages compared to epoxy resins such as better hot/wet and fire performance, higher electrical insulation and longer latency times during curing (Table 2). The focus of material development is to reduce the high viscosity of these thermosets, in the main through the use of two phase additives [12, 13]. Some of t...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-10-17, Rigid Polystyrene Foam (EPS, XPS)
...greenhouse potential arising during the manufacture of CO2-foamed rigid polystyrene foams is, compared to HFKW, markedly lower and can often be overcome during the first heating season. In order to conform to strict fire safety regulations, rigid polystyrene insulation foams are being treated with HBCD (hexabronocyclododecane), a flame retardant that is highly effective even in smallest amounts. Based on environmental considerations, however, the European law on chemicals, REACH, limits the use ...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-01-30, Targeted Improvement of Properties
...P) have established themselves in transportation applications and will continue to gain in significance in the future [1, 2]. In order for FRP components with structural functionality to be successful in vehicles stringent requirements in respect of fire resistance have to be met. The chemical structure of phenol formaldehyde resins means that they have excellent flame retardancy and meet many fire protection standards without the addition of flame retardants making them suitable matrix material...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-04-20, Color Diversity
...anufacturers ICI, BASF, Bayer and Hoechst. And you could even say that one double bond less in the pigments also turned these companies into pharmaceutical manufacturers. By today’s standards, mauve was a very pale dye, which would not fire anyone with enthusiasm these days. But since that time, the successful advance of synthetic pigments has been unstoppable. The brilliant colors we enjoy today are the result of intensive research and gladden every designer’s heart. A second important step tow...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-04-20, Lightweight and Flame-Retardant
...y in the intermeshing zone between the screws, can cause an enormous localized increase in melt temperatures. In addition, it was important to ensure very fine dispersion of the flame retardant. The flame retardant can only achieve the best possible fire protection if it has a sufficiently large surface area. Result The newly developed PP compound family Rialene P 100 SGF ST F.. V-0 all Colors reinforced with 20, 30, and 40 wt.-% glass fibers has a promising combination of properties. All produc...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-08-22, From Pastel to Dark
...lors have for our entire existence. Color as the Expression of a Culture Thanks to samba dancers and resplendent vehicles, a cursory glance at the colorful activities surrounding Carnival in Brazil captures a variety of colors reminiscent of fireworks. When shimmering violet dances by with powerful gold in the rush of colors, spectators fall under the spell of Brazilian happiness. The unleashed activities reflect complete joy and, thanks to the dazzling impressions, lead to fairytale-like dreams...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-10-15, LED Lighting Technology in Vogue
...jection molding, there is no need to rework the heat sinks, unlike the case for their metal counterparts. A typical material here is Makrolon TC 8030, a flame retardant PC. It has a thermal conductivity of 22 W/m/K, and meets fire safety standard UL 94 V0 at a thickness of 2 mm. At the Strategies in Light Show in February, Bayer MaterialScience demonstrated a PAR30 LED replacement lamp with a classic socket, which was fitted with a PC heat sink. LED Light Management with Diffuser Sheets and Film...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-10-15, Service for Fire-Protection
...is background, the industry has adopted safety standards that regulate, for example, physiological conformities or technical product properties. Conducting parts, such as plugs and electrical connections (Title picture), naturally represent a higher fire risk. The standard UL 94 (Underwriters Laboratories Inc.), which was originally a national standard in the USA, has established itself globally for the classification of plastics products’ reaction to fire into flammability categories. An UL lis...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-11-26, Demands and Innovations
The fire protection demands made on plastics differ widely, depending on the field in which the plastics are to be used. If plastics are to be used in building (Fig. 1), electrical and electronic engineering (E&E) or transportation, innumerable very different regulations and tests for fire protection have to be observed. The majority of fire tests today are international, so that the “small state mentality” with national tests is steadily decreasing. In the European Union, classification...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-02-22, Are Halogens Really Necessary?
Preventing fire is a better way to protect life, limb and property than fighting it. Design engineers and manufacturers of electrical and electronic equipment, systems and components are tasked with ensuring that high safety standards are met. That is not easy given the plethora of polymers specified by designers and the seemingly unstoppable urge to miniaturize and integrate functions. Notebooks and smart-phones, electrical household appliances, electrical systems for industrial and residential...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-02-22, Electrically Conductive and Flame Retardant
As fundamentally polymers burn well, it is often necessary to protect them with flame retardant additives. The combustion cycle comprises heating of the polymer, ignition, full development of the fire and its subsequent extinction. Flame retardants can either work through physical or chemical mechanisms and generally take effect during the ignition phase. The physical mechanisms of flame retardancy include dilution, barrier effects or cooling. Chemically flame retardants can work in the gas phas...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-08-19, Ecologically Flame Retardant
...re then often added in order to regulate the temperature upwards. In many engineering applications, however, this typical property of plastics is not at all desirable. To the contrary, the parts have to be flame retardant. This is achieved by adding fire and/or flame retardants. Nitrogen-containing Alternatives Classic flame retardants contain a halogen and are based on bromide (e.g., polybrominated diphenyl ethers) or chlorine (paraffins). They may exhibit very good flame retardant properties i...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-01-23, Untrue Statements Funded by the Public Purse
...dent forum for environmental organizations, politicians and decision-makers from the world of business. This brief foray into paper carrier bags marks the end of the organization’s objective stance, however. After this, the plastic bag comes under fire as a symbol of our “throw-away culture”. The position adopted by the forum is quite clear: “We welcome the EU Commission’s initiative to reduce the consumption of environmentally harmful, disposable plastic bags throughout Europe.The EU member st...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-04-14, Aliphatic Polyketones: Tailored, Stable, Environmentally Friendly
...bon monoxide is used for polymerization, before it can escape into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. During combustion, decomposition products such as water and carbon dioxide are formed – a considerable contribution to fire protection. In automotive applications especially, PK can help cut environmental pollution thanks to their barrier effect against fuel emissions. Figure 11 compares fuel permeation through fuel lines. Another argument in favor of PK is that they allow the number of plastics ...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-06-17, Innovations in Lightweight Construction
...ed on epoxy resins and polyurethanes, which help to shorten the cycle times during processing. In order to position thermosetting systems more favorably in sectors such as maritime, construction, and rail transport, the industry demands optimized fire resistance properties.Companies such as Sicomin Epoxy Systems in Châteauneuf-les-Martigues, France, Clariant AG in Muttenz, Switzerland, and Chomarat Textiles Industries in Le Cheylard, France, presented new flame-resistant resin systems that meet ...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-07-22, Brilliant Looks
... excellent opacity.Metallic effect pigments are generally manufactured from aluminum or copper-zinc alloys. Brass-based metallic effect pigments are usually called gold bronze pigments due to their golden look. By so-called fire coloring, the variety of copper and brass color shades can be expanded further.Pearlescent Pigments Create Lustrous ColorsPearlescent pigments give remarkable color effects that impress by means of light refraction and high reflective capability. That is why they are of...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-07-22, In Search of Inspiration
..., the feelings released by a color are based on personal memories; they are part of our socialization and have nature-related reasons, or the like. Thus, the usual association, e. g., with the color red is love, blood, something dynamic, fire, attraction, but in addition red means stop, witches and aggression. Green on the other hand stands, e. g., for nature, growth, harmony, life, but also for jealousy and poison [5]. In an experiment with 1888 participants, Eva Heller [6] showed that certain ...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-08-19, Eco-Friendly Fire Prevention
...udit 3141, Chemische Fabrik Budenheim KG, Budenheim, Germany). Alternative melamine derivatives that are claimed to offer technical and price advantages over MPP are now also available on the market as flame retardant components. Products in the Safire range (Floridienne Chimie SA, Ath, Belgium), which represent various melamine metal phosphates (Fig. 2), particularly Safire 400 (in combination with small amounts of zinc borate), act synergistically with DEPAL to give an improved flame retardant...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-08-19, New Ideas and Political Markets
...nough good reasons for suitable policy and legislation to support the transition to doing business on the basis of renewable raw materials in these important sectors. A strong wave of innovation would fire up the job market and global competitiveness, risks from the dependence on raw materials and climate change would be reduced and consumers and voters would be satisfied as well. Countries such as Taiwan or Thailand are overtaking the EU in this respect. Investors look first to Brazil, China, T...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-10-10, Polyamides (PA)
...nds, in addition to additives containing red phosphorus, organic phosphorus or nitrogen, or metal hydroxides. One of the major flame retardants for polyamide 66 is red phosphorus. Thanks to its high efficiency, the retardant shows good fire behavior as well as excellent mechanical properties, even at relatively low filling degrees (Fig. 5). BASF is enhancing their portfolio in this area. For example, a long-glass-fiber-reinforced A3X type has recently been made available, providing for high stre...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-10-10, Polycarbonate (PC)
... demands, e. g. for industrial, construction, and traffic applications. It is also suitable for lighting in industrial buildings with aggressive environments, such as high dust or moisture concentrations, in buildings with high fire risk, or for lighting streets and sports stadiums, etc. (Fig. 4).In lighting technology, thermoformable PC panels are particularly useful for producing components with large surfaces that are intended to guide, diffuse, or reflect light. Possible LED-based applicatio...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-10-10, Polyurethanes (PU)
...igid PU foam. The primary field of application for rigid PU foam is found in composite metal elements and insulating panels. Recently, rigid polyisocyanurate (PIR) foams have been finding increased use in place of PU, because requirements for fire protection are becoming increasingly stringent. PIR is inherently more flame-retardant and thus needs fewer flame-retardant additives. It is easier to achieve excellent results in fire prevention tests by using flame retardant PIR insulating panels. Us...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-10-10, Resins and Reactive Systems
...pplications, while aviation is the number one industry in terms of turnovers [3].Flame Protection and EcologyIncreased application of structural parts of unsaturated polyester resins in public transport has led to new developments to improve fire protection. The usual mineral additives such as aluminum trihydroxide or magnesium hydroxide increase the viscosities of polyester and vinyl ester resins so significantly that processing by resin transfer molding (RTM) or vacuum infusion, for example, i...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-12-18, Plastics in Architecture
...stions of our time, e. g. the energy turnaround. The HessenChemie campus is practically the chemical industry’s visiting card [1]. For the first time in Germany, panels made of mineral-filled plastic with improved fire protection properties and in combination with a rear-ventilated façade were installed. For the building, this is a unique feature, say architects Christoph Grabowski and Jan-Eric Spork. For their designs, the Wiesbaden architects seek challenges, and prefer to free themselves from...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-02-28, Bio-Based and Flame-Retardant?
Fire protection for bio-based polymers and wood-plastic composites can ensure that renewable alternatives meet high-end industry requirements. But do proven solutions exist to maintain the improved environmental features with effective, more environmentally-friendly flame retardants? Without flame retardantWith 5 % Exolit AP 422With 10 % Exolit AP 422With 15 % Exolit AP 4221st ignition>150 s*>150 s*1 s1 s2nd ignition––2 s1 sClassificationn.c.n.c.V-0V-0* average burning time of single specimen...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-02-28, Less Is More
...nd cable conduits as well as electrical parts in IT devices and household appliances (Title figure). All polymers used for this purpose have flame retardants added so that any electrical malfunction will not cause the component to ignite and cause a fire.Their ability to perform this task is tested in accordance with standards and guidelines issued by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), European Standardization Organizations (EN standards) and the...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-09-18, Prevention of Contact Corrosion
...iority during the development of electrotechnical articles (Title figure), in addition to long service life. Moreover, this safety must be ensured during the article’s entire life span.Electric faults that generate excessive heat can result in a fire. Apart from generally known potential hazards such as overload or short circuit, there are also other hazards that arise "silently and unobtrusively". For example, the contact resistance of electrical connections can gradually increase up to the poi...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-09-18, Regulations, Markets, Trends
The fire protection requirements for flame retardant products are rigorous and will continue to increase in the future. Demand will also continue to rise in the next several years. Especially in trend are polymeric flame retardants and synergistic systems. Demand for type of material [mio. t]199020132018 (estimated)Growth p.a.2103–2018 (est.)[%]LDPE, LLDPE18.843.653.33.9HDPE11.938.645.83.5PP12.956.566.73.4PVC17.738.9473.9PS7.211.813.72.0EPS1.767.85.3ABS, ASA, SAN2.87.69.34.1PA (without fibers)1...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-10-12, Sustainably Produced Foam Mattresses
...s as carbon capture and usage (CCU) and carbon capture and reuse (CCR). There is essentially nothing new about the use of carbon dioxide. CO2 has long been employed as an industrial gas. It provides the fizz in soda water, finds application in fire extinguishers or serves as a coolant. In addition, there is its traditional use as a synthesis component in chemical reactions, for example to produce fertilizers and pharmaceuticals.Incorporation in Plastics A truly innovative approach, however, is t...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-04-08, Good Fire Protection with Simple Flame Retardants
Bioplastics are comparable to conventional materials, not only in terms of their mechanical properties. By adding simple mineral additives the fire protection of these materials is improved substantially. Different flame retardants were tested for a sandwich board from bio-based polyurethane with linen cover layers, and their performance has been proven. Natural fiber-reinforced polyurethanes (PU) are currently mostly used in the automotive sector. The key applications are compression molded par...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-05-18, Turning Trees into Foam
...od electrical insulation properties, high hydrolysis and mineral oil resistance and extensive colorability [1]. Using injection molding processes, these polymers are usually processed into everyday objects such as frames for glasses or door handles. Fire Behavior of Thermoplastic FoamsThe factors that can influence the fire behavior of a foam are shown in Figure 1. A wide range of flame retardants can be used to attain flame-resistant properties in bulk polymers. Especially in the last few years...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-07-20, Ultra-Strong and Media-Tight
...ompoundsWhen formulating recipes for their plastics, manufacturers have to take into account many characteristics of the subsequent product stipulated by the customer – mechanical, electrical, thermal and chemical properties, the plastic’s fire rating and its general properties such as density and moisture absorption. Each plastic matrix is modified through the addition of additives, fillers and reinforcing materials. It is these components of the recipe that turn a base plastic into an applicat...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-10-17, Fluoropolymers
...se this resource in addition to the fluoropolymer industry. These include in particular the manufacturers of refrigerants for air-conditioning units in vehicles and buildings, the foaming agent for the manufacture of insulating plastic foam or the fire extinguishing agents which, especially in aviation applications, cannot do without the highly effective fluorine compounds.Following the value added chain, the well-known monomers such as tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), hexafluoropropylene (HFP) or vin...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-10-17, Polycarbonate (PC)
...s, or as transparent noise protection walls on streets (Fig. 1). The interior design of rail vehicles is a particularly demanding segment. Flame-protected, deformed PC blend sheets that are highly flame-retardant in case of fire and produce very little smoke gas, are resistant to vandalism, and offer great design freedom in regards to the color and surface are an example.Thermoplastic Composites and 3D Printing with PC FilamentsThe current trend towards lightweight construction using thermoplas...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-10-17, Polyurethane (PU)
...hout affecting the insulation value. Currently, both propellants are considerably more expensive than pentane, but this will probably change when the products are available on an industrial scale.Changes in Regulations and Fire Protection StandardsThermal insulation of district heating pipes continues to be an attractive application area for PU hard foam. Apart from excellent insulation values and efficient processing, the foam’s high aging resistance is a decisive issue. The reason is that dis...

Kunststoffe international, 2017-05-22, Sustainability Depending on the Details
...ensity with the same mechanical properties.ConclusionThis research project showed the possibility of using by-products of timber and nutrition industry for thermoset GFRPC. In further investigations, the moisture absorption and the fire behavior of the used fillers are thoroughly investigated and adapted. Furthermore, the processability of the bio-based SMC semi-finished product with an institute’s own SMC line and an 800 t component press in industrial scale will be conducted. WThe Authorsis re...

Kunststoffe international, 2017-07-19, Disquiet before the Storm
...ents. Johannes Strasser from Festo AG & Co. KG, Esslingen, Germany, even sees plastics as the key to battery production. Although the requirement for the drive train will decrease, the demand for battery modules will grow. Because of the risk of fire, battery producers will, for example, want to avoid the use of copper. Brass replacement materials are therefore needed. Strasser illustrated this presenting a pre-controlled sliding valve, in which a cartridge system, including a slider made of bra...

Kunststoffe international, 2017-09-20, New Plastic Housing Material for e-Power Units under the Hood
...ontrols the countermeasures in conjunction with the vehicle’s energy management system. For example, it prevents the battery from overcharging or undercharging – both can damage the battery and shorten its life. Compact, Flat, Integrated, and Fire-Resistant-CertifiedThe monitoring units developed by Hella are very flat and compact to save space. In addition, numerous functions such as six connectors with close contact spacing are integrated. The plastic housings of the devices have large flat s...

Kunststoffe international, 2017-10-13, Polyurethanes (PU)
...tructures, such as exhibition and sports halls, warehouses and industrial and refrigerated buildings (Fig. 3). In recent years, insulation boards and MSPs have increasingly been made from rigid polyisocyanurate (PIR) foam, which is a more fire-resistant variant of PU foam.The development work being done by PU raw material producers is mainly focused on boosting the foams’ insulation performance and flame retardancy. For example, 3M offers in FA 188 an additive for boards and MSPs which reduces t...

Kunststoffe international, 2017-10-13, Reactive Systems and FRP
...ion has also led to modifications in the field of unsaturated polyesters, which are now available with cobalt-free accelerators, reduced styrene emissions or entirely without monomeric styrene. Similarly, various material concepts can now meet fire safety requirements, e.g. for rail vehicle construction [7].Bio-based raw materials are extremely promising, however their breakthrough is impeded by the low oil price. Temperature-resistant and flame-retardant thermosets based on polyfurfuryl alcohol...