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Adhesive still strong after heat aging
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Short fibre PP challenges long fibre performance A FAMILY of short glass fibre reinforced polypropylene (PP) compounds could be used to replace long glass fibre grades in highly stressed automotive parts says their developer, polyolefins supplier Borealis. The products are available under the Xmod '~ brand. Xmod GB30SHP has already been tested successfully in air intake manifold applications, Danish firm Borealis says. Other potential applications include fan supports and shrouds, drive belt covers, blower wheel covers, bases for air filters, battery supports, engine covers and parts for the cooling system. "This new high performance family of materials achieves mechanical properties close to the long glass fibre (LGF) but at lower system costs," says Gtinther Aumayr, market development leader, Borealis Engineering Applications Business Unit. "And,
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in some special cases where weldline, flowline and welding performance as well as fatigue behaviour is of importance, these compounds are superior to LGF products." The advantages of long glass fibre products are offset by higher investment and production costs resulting from the required modifications to extruder screw design, processing parameters and mould design. Short glass fibre compounds can be processed using standard injection moulding machines. Borealis says its short fibre compounds also offer lower emissions, lower fogging and lower odour values than long fibre grades. Improved weldability and fatigue behaviour, flowline and weldline properties can also be achieved. Borealis claims Xmod G30, a grade containing 30% glass fibres, shows much better tensile modulus than conventional 30% short fibre reinforced PP
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Front-end carriers moulded in Xmod short fibre PP could be a more economical solution than those using long glass fibre reinforced polymers.
16
REINFORCEDplastics April 2003
(PP-GF30) over a range of temperatures up to 140~C. Impact behaviour is also better. "For the newly developed high performance Xmod family it was possible to increase significantly both tensile strength to 11S120 MPa and total penetration energy up to 10 joules," claims Aumayr. The retained weldline strength in the short glass fibre grades, Xmod G30 and PPGF30, is over twice the value for long glass fibre reinforced grades, says Borealis. Xmod G30 has an achievable absolute burst pressure level more than double that of long fibre grades over a range of values for welding penetration, amplitude and welding pressure. It also offers better fatigue behaviour than standard PP-GF30 or PP-LGF-30 (long fibre), and it's only at substantially higher stress levels that glass reinforced polyamide (PA6GF30) performs better. These improved properties of short fibre grades make them very suitable for use in the automotive industry, suggests Borealis, with the potential to replace metal, long glass fibre PP and even glass reinforced polyamides. Front-end carriers moulded in short fibre grades could be an economically better solution than those using long fibre products, it says. Dashboard carriers require low emission and fogging values, which are achievable with the Xmod grades. In terms of weldline behaviour, Xmod grades perform better than long fibre PP in pedal carriers. Martin Christensen, Borealis Group; tel: +45-2322-0624; email: martin.christensen(a)borealis ~group.com; website: www.borealis y,roup.com.
Adhesive still strong after heat aging SOLAR COMPOUNDS Corp, Linden, New Jersey, USA, is introducing an epoxy structural adhesive which it claims maintains high peel and shear strengths even after prolonged exposure at 60°C, yet remains flexible at low temperatures. Solarite EA-0504 is reported to be able to bond a variety of materials, including glass reinforced plastic (GRP), plastics such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS/ and polycarbonate, and various metals. Designed with a high resistance to impact and abrasion, Solar Compounds says the product can be used in bonding components used in the automotive, aerospace and electrical industries. When bonding dissimilar surfaces, the company says adhesion is better than that obtained with other currently available materials. No special surface preparation is required before the adhesive is applied, and the cured epoxy is said to be tough but not brittle. It is suitable for use in electrical potting and encapsulating applications and can be formulated with thermal conductivity properties to suit the application. A flame retardant version is also available. The cure time, viscosity and colour of the adhesive can be customized, without affecting the product's performance, says the company. As well as adhesives, Solar Compounds also offers sealants, coatings and potting compounds. Solar Compounds Corp; tel: +1-201-337-0099; tax: +1-201337-4545; e-mail: sales(a~solarcompounds.corn; website: www. solarcompotmds.com.
Short fibre PP challenges long fibre performance A FAMILY of short glass fibre reinforced polypropylene (PP) compounds could be used to replace long glass fibre grades in highly stressed automotive parts says their developer, polyolefins supplier Borealis. The products are available under the Xmod '~ brand. Xmod GB30SHP has already been tested successfully in air intake manifold applications, Danish firm Borealis says. Other potential applications include fan supports and shrouds, drive belt covers, blower wheel covers, bases for air filters, battery supports, engine covers and parts for the cooling system. "This new high performance family of materials achieves mechanical properties close to the long glass fibre (LGF) but at lower system costs," says Gtinther Aumayr, market development leader, Borealis Engineering Applications Business Unit. "And,
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in some special cases where weldline, flowline and welding performance as well as fatigue behaviour is of importance, these compounds are superior to LGF products." The advantages of long glass fibre products are offset by higher investment and production costs resulting from the required modifications to extruder screw design, processing parameters and mould design. Short glass fibre compounds can be processed using standard injection moulding machines. Borealis says its short fibre compounds also offer lower emissions, lower fogging and lower odour values than long fibre grades. Improved weldability and fatigue behaviour, flowline and weldline properties can also be achieved. Borealis claims Xmod G30, a grade containing 30% glass fibres, shows much better tensile modulus than conventional 30% short fibre reinforced PP
!! /
"
"~
)
e
Front-end carriers moulded in Xmod short fibre PP could be a more economical solution than those using long glass fibre reinforced polymers.
16
REINFORCEDplastics April 2003
(PP-GF30) over a range of temperatures up to 140~C. Impact behaviour is also better. "For the newly developed high performance Xmod family it was possible to increase significantly both tensile strength to 11S120 MPa and total penetration energy up to 10 joules," claims Aumayr. The retained weldline strength in the short glass fibre grades, Xmod G30 and PPGF30, is over twice the value for long glass fibre reinforced grades, says Borealis. Xmod G30 has an achievable absolute burst pressure level more than double that of long fibre grades over a range of values for welding penetration, amplitude and welding pressure. It also offers better fatigue behaviour than standard PP-GF30 or PP-LGF-30 (long fibre), and it's only at substantially higher stress levels that glass reinforced polyamide (PA6GF30) performs better. These improved properties of short fibre grades make them very suitable for use in the automotive industry, suggests Borealis, with the potential to replace metal, long glass fibre PP and even glass reinforced polyamides. Front-end carriers moulded in short fibre grades could be an economically better solution than those using long fibre products, it says. Dashboard carriers require low emission and fogging values, which are achievable with the Xmod grades. In terms of weldline behaviour, Xmod grades perform better than long fibre PP in pedal carriers. Martin Christensen, Borealis Group; tel: +45-2322-0624; email: martin.christensen(a)borealis ~group.com; website: www.borealis y,roup.com.
Adhesive still strong after heat aging SOLAR COMPOUNDS Corp, Linden, New Jersey, USA, is introducing an epoxy structural adhesive which it claims maintains high peel and shear strengths even after prolonged exposure at 60°C, yet remains flexible at low temperatures. Solarite EA-0504 is reported to be able to bond a variety of materials, including glass reinforced plastic (GRP), plastics such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS/ and polycarbonate, and various metals. Designed with a high resistance to impact and abrasion, Solar Compounds says the product can be used in bonding components used in the automotive, aerospace and electrical industries. When bonding dissimilar surfaces, the company says adhesion is better than that obtained with other currently available materials. No special surface preparation is required before the adhesive is applied, and the cured epoxy is said to be tough but not brittle. It is suitable for use in electrical potting and encapsulating applications and can be formulated with thermal conductivity properties to suit the application. A flame retardant version is also available. The cure time, viscosity and colour of the adhesive can be customized, without affecting the product's performance, says the company. As well as adhesives, Solar Compounds also offers sealants, coatings and potting compounds. Solar Compounds Corp; tel: +1-201-337-0099; tax: +1-201337-4545; e-mail: sales(a~solarcompounds.corn; website: www. solarcompotmds.com.