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• Flame-retardant and hydrolysis stabilized;
• Electrical properties hardly dependent on temperature and moisture;
• High level of volume resistance, dielectric strength and tracking resistance;
• Enormous potential for use in electromobility.
Plastic connectors, for example, must remain electrically insulating under these conditions and must not allow tracking to occur. For these high-voltage connectors, LANXESS has tailored a new PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) compound that is halogen-free flame-retardant and hydrolysis-stabilized. “One strength of the structural material is that its outstanding electrical properties are hardly dependent on temperature and moisture in the typical operating conditions of high-voltage connectors. It can be used at temperatures of up to 150 °C,” explains Dr. Bernhard Helbich, Technical Marketing Manager Key Accounts at LANXESS’ High Performance Materials business unit.
Highest insulation class CTI A 600
The compound is a first representative of the new Pocan BFN HR product range and is characterized by a high level of volume resistance and dielectric strength. For example, the latter is well over 30 kilovolts per millimeter at temperatures of up to 140 °C (IEC 62431-1). In the CTI test (Comparative Tracking Index, IEC 60112), the material achieves CTI A 600, the highest class possible according to the standard. This makes it highly tracking-resistant, which reduces the risk of short circuits and defects caused by creepage currents and caters to the growing need for miniaturized connectors. “But it can also be used at voltages higher than 600 V. The connector design for direct current systems can be optimized for up to 1,500 V in accordance with the design guidelines of the standard IEC 60664 / VDE 0110-1,” says Helbich. The tracking resistance of the compound also hardly diminishes after long-term thermal aging at 120 °C or after climate testing.
Hydrolysis-resistant and flame-retardant
The material, which is reinforced with 25 percent by weight of glass fibers, is very stable to hydrolysis. In specimen tests based on the stringent SAE/USCAR-2 Rev. 6 long-term hydrolysis tests of the US Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), it achieved Class 3 a good rating. Its good flame-retardant properties are demonstrated by the fact that it passed the UL 94 flammability test of the US testing institute Underwriters Laboratories Inc. with the excellent classification V-0 with a test specimen thickness of 0.75 millimeters. With its mechanical properties, the structural material meets the common requirements that are set for high-voltage connectors.
Bright colors and permanently color-stable
The compound can also be colored in bright colors, such as orange. This color is increasingly being used in electric vehicles to identify live, plastic-encased components. “Our material and the colorants used remain permanently color-stable in high operating temperatures so that the identification is not lost,” explains Helbich. LANXESS wants to have the thermoplastic listed under “All Colors” on the Yellow Card by UL. “In doing so, we will save the processor from the time-consuming UL certification process if they were to color the plastic themselves,” explains Helbich. “They can simply use the compound that we have colored and thus reduce costs,” he adds.
Beyond high-voltage connectors, Helbich sees even more possible applications for the new Pocan BFN HR product range in electromobility and in the manufacturing of miniaturized electrical and electronic assemblies: “We are thinking, for example, of miniature connectors, miniature circuit breakers, terminal blocks, and other similar applications,” he says.
HiAnt service that pays off for the customer
LANXESS supports manufacturers of components for electromobility with comprehensive HiAnt services. These include, for example, customer-specific material optimization and joint concept development for component design. Experts from the specialty chemicals company use the latest computer-aided engineering (CAE) methods to calculate the mechanical and thermal properties of components. Tests on the finished part can be carried out in the company’s part testing center. LANXESS specialists are also on hand to provide advice and support during the start of series production.
About LANXESS
LANXESS (lanxess.com) is a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of EUR 6.8 billion in 2019. The company currently has about 14,400 employees in 33 countries. The core business of LANXESS is the development, manufacturing and marketing of chemical intermediates, additives, specialty chemicals and plastics. LANXESS is listed in the leading sustainability indices Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI World and Europe) and FTSE4Good.
Forward-Looking Statements
This company release contains certain forward-looking statements, including assumptions, opinions, expectations and views of the company or cited from third party sources. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause the actual results, financial position, development or performance of LANXESS AG to differ materially from the estimations expressed or implied herein. LANXESS AG does not guarantee that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors, nor does it accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the opinions expressed in this presentation or the actual occurrence of the forecast developments. No representation or warranty (expressed or implied) is made as to, and no reliance should be placed on, any information, estimates, targets and opinions contained herein, and no liability whatsoever is accepted as to any errors, omissions or misstatements contained herein, and accordingly, no representative of LANXESS AG or any of its affiliated companies or any of such person's officers, directors or employees accepts any liability whatsoever arising directly or indirectly from the use of this document.
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michael.fahrig[.]lanxess.com 
