| Polyamide (PA 6.6) absorbs moisture leading to increased toughness and elongation at break. There are also important diminished design properties, such as rigidity, strength and creep modulus. It is also clear that the water molecules diffused into the polymer require a certain space, so that the dimensional stability suffers, as well. Applications that up to now have been manufactured of die-cast metals, usually involve extremely high demands on synthetic materials, running contrary to the above mentioned disadvantages. Even high levels of reinforcement in standard polyamides on the basis of PA 6 or PA 6.6 with, for example, 50 % or 60 % glass fibers, still exhibit drastic changes in mechanical characteristics. By blending of PA 6.6 with a partially aromatic CoPA (PA 6I/6T), it is possible to significantly reduce the influence of moisture on the product characteristics. While the drop in rigidity and strength of PA 6.6 GF 50 in a standard climate is still at approx. 25%, a partially aromatic blend nevertheless exhibits a drop of less than 10%. Furthermore, it becomes apparent that the toughness remains virtually unaffected. As a result of these findings, the swelling behavior is improved, as well, which is favourable for dimensional stability. At the same time, this material mix also increases the glass transition temperature range. All in all, partly aromatic PA 6.6-Blends offer exactly the characteristics that are demanded by designers and users. Processing:
AKROLOY® PA is based on a semi-crystalline PA 6.6 and an amorphous CoPA. This essentially determines the processing conditions. Accordingly, the melting point of AKROLOY® PA is at approx. 255 °C and is not influenced by the CoPA. With increasing temperatures, the amorphous contents provide a disproportionately low viscosity. The result is a very good reproduction of mould surfaces and a mass temperature that is up to 30 °C lower than required by comparable products. This results, aside from high quality surface finishes, frequently in reductions of cycle times, as well. Owing to production conditions, this must be verified in each individual case. Overall, AKROLOY® PA represents a step towards energy savings, in particular, when energy costs are compared to those in metal production and processing. Due to increasing cost pressure in many industrial sectors, AKROLOY® PA will become a very interesting alternative material in the area of substitutes for metal diecasting. Aside from already mentioned advantages in the service life of the mould, the omission of post processing allows an average cost reduction of up to 50 % – and more. The following list comprises imaginable and suitable areas of application, grouped by segments. Applications: Automotive Industry:- Ignition key switch housing
- Door handle components
- door lock components
- Instrument panels (centre console)
- Arm rests
- Electric motor housings
- Wiper components
- Carriers for wood decor strips
- Seat sliding mechanisms, etc.
Sanitary Installation:- Single lever taps
- Water filter housings
- Housing for bath tap
- Chrome-plated shower heads, levels, etc.
Construction:- Window locks
- Door lock components
- Expanding nails for insulating plugs
- Corner connectors for lighting systems
- Shelving support elements, etc.
Household:- Handles
- Coffee maker components
- Juice extractor components
- Knives and handles
- Bottle openers
- Nutcrackers, etc.
Electronic Industry:- Mobile phone housings
- Plastic tongs
- Housings for measuring units
- Carrier plates, etc.
Machine Building:- Plastic screws
- Calipers
- Screw clamps, etc.
Information from Akro-Plastic |
