BASF, new high-temperature nylon product launch!

For durable components requiring special thermal management,BASFFurther expanded its Ultramid® Advanced T1000 series products.The product series is developed based on polyamide 6T/6I resins, with the latest additions being optimized products that have high hydrolysis resistance (HR) and high purity (EQ, or electronic grade).

The newly developed HR and EQ grades exhibit excellent high strength and stiffness at elevated temperatures, along with outstanding creep resistance and superior compatibility with coolants. Their overall performance significantly surpasses that of standard-grade polyamides and many other PPA products on the market.

The new hydrolysis-resistant Ultramid® Advanced T1300HG7 HR product demonstrates excellent chemical and dimensional stability even when in contact with media such as ethylene glycol, heat transfer oil, and water at temperatures of 130°C and above.

This feature can significantly extend the service life of components in the car cooling system, such as the thermostat housing, oil inlet and outlet, water pump, etc., significantly extending their service life.

Ultramid® Advanced T1300EG7 EQ is virtually free of any electrically active components, but it still exhibits excellent thermal aging resistance when in contact with water, hydrogen, or high-purity cooling media such as Glysantin® FC G20. This property makes this PPA particularly suitable for applications in electric vehicles and fuel cells, such as end plates, medium distribution components, humidifiers, etc. Throughout the entire lifecycle of an electric vehicle (with a minimum requirement of 25,000 hours), this PPA can maintain stable mechanical properties at various temperatures, helping to extend the service life of these components.

Marc Keller from BASF's PPA Global Marketing Department stated: "Since the launch of Ultramid® Advanced T1000 in 2018, customers have trusted its outstanding performance: it maintains mechanical strength under any temperature or climatic conditions and boasts excellent moisture and chemical resistance. With the introduction of the new HR and EQ grades, we are raising the bar once again: we are well aware that the challenges of thermal management for PPA under harsh conditions are increasing; we are able to help our customers meet these challenges while maintaining the performance and safety of their applications." In addition to the newly launched high-performance HR and EQ grades, components that require laser welding can also utilize the Ultramid® Advanced T1000 LT product series, which not only has hydrolysis resistance but also possesses laser transparency.

BASF's PPA product line is based on six polymers, namely Ultramid® Advanced N (PA9T), Ultramid® Advanced T1000 (PA6T/6I), Ultramid® Advanced T2000 (PA6T/66), Ultramid® T KR (PA6T/6), Ultramid® T6000 (PA66/6T), and Ultramid® T7000 (PA/PPA). This product line can provide next-generation lightweight, high-performance plastic components for industries such as automotive, electronics and electrical equipment, mechanical engineering, and consumer goods. The series includes over 50 modified specifications for injection molding and extrusion, as well as both flame-retardant and non-flame-retardant products. The products come in various colors, ranging from transparent to laser-markable black, and are available with short glass fiber, long glass fiber, or mineral fiber reinforcement, as well as various heat stabilizers.

In the Ultramid® series, Ultramid Advanced T1000 (PA6T / 6I) offers the highest strength and stiffness, with mechanical properties remaining stable at temperatures of 125°C (dry) and 80°C (conditioned). It has extremely high moisture resistance and corrosion resistance, surpassing traditional polyamides and many other PPA materials available in the market. It is used in the automotive industry, particularly for components that must maintain strength and rigidity while being exposed to harsh environments. Additionally, it is found in various other industries where moisture resistance or chemical resistance is required, such as thermostat housings and water pumps, fuel circuits, selective catalytic reduction systems, automotive actuators and clutch components, coffee machines, furniture joints, as well as building applications like water separators, heating systems, and water pumps. BASF offers about 10 specifications to the market, ranging from standard grades with varying stiffness, strength, and toughness values that are glass fiber reinforced, to special grades with improved hydrolysis resistance, and to long-fiber reinforced composites with high thermal stability.

Polyphthalamide (PPA), also known as high-temperature nylon (HTPA), is a semi-aromatic polyamide made by the condensation reaction of phthalic acid and hexamethylenediamine. The molecular chain of HTPA contains rigid benzene rings and flexible long chains of diamines, which endows the polymer with both flexibility and strength, as well as moderate mobility. Therefore, it has a high crystallization rate and degree of crystallinity.

PPA resin offers superior strength and stiffness compared to ordinary nylon resin at high temperatures, along with enhanced chemical resistance. It also performs better than regular nylon in humid environments. With a continuous use temperature range from 120°C to 185°C, it can replace metal in high-temperature automotive components.

PPA resin is more robust and rigid than aliphatic polyamides such as nylon 66; it is less sensitive to moisture; it has better thermal properties; and its creep, fatigue, and chemical resistance properties are much better as well. For example: PPA resin containing 45% glass short fibers has a tensile strength of about 276 MPa and a flexural modulus exceeding 13,786 MPa, with a Heat Deflection Temperature (HDT) of 549°F. Even mineral-filled grades of PPA can achieve a tensile strength of 117 MPa. The ductility of PPA resin is not as good as that of nylon 6,6, but non-reinforced impact-modified grades of PPA resin have been developed, with a notched Charpy impact strength as high as 20 ft-lb/in.

Due to the outstanding physical, thermal, and electrical properties of PPA resin, especially its moderate cost, it has a wide range of applications. These properties, along with excellent chemical resistance, make PPA a candidate for many uses in the automotive industry.