Downloads
DÜSSELDORF, Germany, October 16, 2013 –Solvay Specialty Polymers has expanded its Kalix® high-performance polyamide (HPPA)product line with the introduction of a new series of halogen-free flame retardant (HFFR) materials offered for use in structural parts for smart mobile devicessuch as tablets, laptops, and other smart mobile electronics. The newly launched Kalix® HPPA 5000 series complements Solvay’s new portfolio of bio-based Kalix® HPPAs for mobile devices which was also introduced today at K 2013 (Hall 6 Stand C61), the 19th International Trade Fair for Plastics and Rubber Worldwide, which runs Oct. 16-23, in Düsseldorf, Germany.
The first grade in the 5000 series, Kalix® 5950 HFFR, extends Solvay’s HFFR polyamide portfolio which also includes Ixef® 1524 polyarylamide (PARA) and Kalix® 9945 HFFR. This new material is particularly suited for injection molding larger structural components used in laptops and tablets that require strength, rigidity, and exceptional dimensional stability, according to Sebastien Petillon, global market manager for mobile electronics for Solvay Specialty Polymers
Kalix® 5950 HFFRhas received an Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 94 flammability rating of V0 for electrical/electronics applications for thicknesses of 0.4 mm and above and 5VA at thicknesses of 1.5 mm and above (both ratings for all colors). The 50% glass fiber-reinforced grade, based on a variant of MXD6 polyamide, provides greater mechanical properties than competing HFFR polyamides and serves as an alternative to metals like aluminum and magnesium. Its exceptional mechanical properties include a tensile modulus of 20 GPa (2900 ksi) and tensile strength of 250 MPa (36 ksi).
Kalix® 5950 HFFRprovides lower moisture absorption, greater strength and stiffness, and lower warpage than Solvay’s current HFFR high-performance polyamides, according to Petillon. The material’s high flow makes it possible to mold large structural parts that can be simultaneously very thin, extremely rigid, strong, and dimensionally stable. In addition, it can be matched to a wide range of colors including the bright and light colors of the smart device industry. Molded components can also be painted using existing coating technologies commonly used for portable electronic devices.
Targeted applications also include injection molded covers, internal frames, and other structural components for smart mobile devices including laptops and tablets.
Kalix® 5950 HFFR is available globally like the rest of the Kalix® HPPA portfolio, according to Vincent Meunier, product manager of the Kalix® HPPAand Ixef® PARAproduct lines for Solvay Specialty Polymers. The company expects to manufacture in the region of sale with most production to be conducted at Solvay’s Changshu, China, facility, Meunier added.
Kalix® 5950 HFFR is being considered by OEMs for use in smart mobile devices. Solvay is already actively developing the next generation of HFFR Kalix® HPPA products.
About Solvay Specialty Polymers
Solvay Specialty Polymers manufactures over 1500 products across 35 brands of high-performance polymers – fluoropolymers, fluoroelastomers, fluorinated fluids, semi-aromatic polyamides, sulfone polymers, aromatic ultra polymers, high-barrier polymers and cross-linked high-performance compounds – for use in Aerospace, Alternative Energy, Automotive, Healthcare, Membranes, Oil and Gas, Packaging, Plumbing, Semiconductors, Wire and Cable, and other industries. Learn more at www.solvay.com.
As an international chemical group, SOLVAY assists industries in finding and implementing ever more responsible and value-creating solutions. The Group is firmly committed to sustainable development and focused on innovation and operational excellence. Solvay serves diversified markets, generating 90% of its turnover in activities where it is one of the top three worldwide. The group is headquartered in Brussels, employs about 29,000 people in 55 countries and generated 12.4 billion euros in net sales in 2012. Solvay SA SOLB.BE) is listed on NYSE Euronext in Brussels and Paris (Bloomberg: SOLB.BB- Reuters: SOLBt.BR).
