沙特基础工业公司推出用于智能手机中框的ULTEM树脂

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation has newly launched ULTEM DU762 resin, a lightweight thermoplastic material that can replace metal in making smartphone frames, offering excellent manufacturing efficiency.

这款特种热塑性树脂可省去天线断缝设计，同时可通过先进物理气相沉积溅射工艺实现金属质感外观。

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), a global diversified chemical company, has introduced ULTEM DU762, a specialty thermoplastic resin that can replace metal in smartphone mid-frames, offering outstanding advantages in design, manufacturing, and cost.

This innovative polyetherimide (PEI) material is compatible with non-conductive physical vapor deposition (PVD) sputtering processes, enabling the creation of high-gloss, metallic-looking surfaces that enhance the premium appearance of smartphones. The resin also offers excellent chemical resistance for improved durability, a lightweight feel for a better user experience, and a balanced combination of toughness and strength to meet the requirements of structural components.

Sergi Monros, Vice President of the Specialties Division at Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, stated: “Consumers who purchase high-end smartphones expect premium materials to align with cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). Our new ULTEM DU762 resin boasts outstanding quality while avoiding the various shortcomings of traditional materials. It balances design freedom with streamlined production processes, creating tremendous value and meeting stringent appearance and performance standards. As smartphone design and product performance continue to evolve, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation remains committed to adapting to the ever-changing demands of the consumer electronics industry.”

Manufacturing and Performance Advantages

Titanium, stainless steel, and aluminum alloys require a significant amount of time for machining. In comparison, ULTEM DU762 resin can be produced using high-speed, mass injection molding processes, offering a cost advantage. At the same time, this material significantly reduces weight compared to various metal materials.

As a non-conductive polymer that can be metallized, this SABIC industrial resin does not require antenna cutouts on the mid-frame that would affect the appearance. A metal mid-frame requires plastic antenna cutouts to be made, which causes visual inconsistency and undermines the overall design aesthetics.

Another mainstream middle-frame material is glass fiber reinforced polycarbonate (PC) resin, which generally uses a non-conductive vacuum metallization (NCVM) process. This multilayer process forms a relatively thick coating, which tends to accumulate at edges and corners, making it difficult to achieve clean, sharp lines. In addition, the physical vapor deposition metallization process is simpler and results in a thinner coating. Moreover, glass fibers within polycarbonate resin are prone to migration, causing an uneven surface that affects gloss. The unreinforced modified ULTEM DU762 resin can achieve a smooth, high-gloss surface and, compared with the softer polycarbonate resin, offers better wear resistance and crack resistance.

该材料耐热性能优异，可耐受防晒霜以及其他各类化学品侵蚀。ULTEM DU762树脂面向全球市场供应。

推出碳纤维改性复合材料

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation has launched its first carbon fiber modified composite material containing post-consumer recycled (PCR) content, with a PCR content of 75%, suitable for consumer electronics casings and similar products.

LNP Elcrin DC0051RC1 composite material integrates two types of post-consumer recycled materials from different sources: polycarbonate recovered from water bottles and CDs, and carbon fiber reclaimed from discarded products such as golf club shafts, wind turbine blades, and fishing rods. The company states that qualified suppliers carry out the collection and processing of these waste materials, transforming them into raw materials for the production of new products. This batch of materials has ISCC+ certification, demonstrating its sustainable attributes.

Earlier, SABIC had already expanded its sustainable materials portfolio by launching the Noryl resin series, which contains at least 25% post-consumer recycled content. Noryl NH5120RC3 resin is produced at the Bergen op Zoom plant in the Netherlands and uses styrene feedstock obtained through mechanical recycling of post-consumer high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) waste.

The headquarters of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation is located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, producing chemical products, general plastics, high-performance plastics, and agricultural nutrients in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region.