Lanxess Offers New Polyamides and Polyesters for Welded Components
Lanxess has developed four polyamide and two polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) compounds for welding plastic parts. The new materials have been optimized for applications under the hood and for high-volume production.
“They meet all the latest requirements, such as high engine compartment temperatures, higher internal pressures in hollow components and the trend towards smaller installation spaces. One advantage of all the products is their wide processing window, which supports a stable, cost-efficient welding process,” explains Frank Krause, joining technologies expert at Lanxess.
Durethan BKV 30 XWP, BKV 30 XWP HV and BKV 30 XWP XT were developed specifically for the heated tool, infrared (IR) and vibration welding processes, and Durethan BKV 30 XWP LT for laser transmission welding. All four polyamide 6 grades are reinforced with 30 percent glass fibers. The abbreviation “XWP” stands for “Xtreme Welding Performance”.
Durethan BKV 30 XWP reportedly fulfills higher demands with respect to process reliability, weld strength and weld resistance in IR, vibration and heated tool welding. Its flexural strength is slightly higher than that of the standard polyamide 6, Durethan BKV 30 H2.0. Potential applications include air intake manifolds and modules.
The advantage of Durethan BKV 30 XWP HV ( High Viscosity) over BKV 30 XWP is its higher melt viscosity, which is a major plus in vibration and heated tool welding, because it widens the processing window of both methods. “The compound results in very mechanically strong welds. For example, the bursting strength of air intake manifolds for two four-cylinder engines improves compared with equivalents made of a standard polyamide 6 (30 percent glass fibers) by more than 16 percent for the one module and nearly 40 percent for the other,” says Krause.
Heat-stabilized BKV 30 XWP XT ( Xtreme Temperature) can be used for continuous service temperatures of up to 200°C. “As far as we know, this premium polyamide is unique on the market thanks to its high post-aging weld strength – both at room temperature and at the high temperatures typical of engine compartments,” explains Krause. The melt viscosity is comparable to that of Durethan BKV 30 XWP HV, meaning it also offers advantages in terms of processing. Conceivable applications include … .
