Putsch: New applications and new products

Successful mass-production applications of ELAN XP as well as two completely new products will be presented by Putsch Kunststoffe GmbH at this year´s Fakuma 2008 on the exhibition stand of its distribution partner, Ashland (Stand 3217 in Hall A3). The development of new compounds with properties obtained with the aid of nanoadditives is the objective of a joint project presented by Putsch together with the plastics technology promotion organization Polykum e.V. on Stand 7214 in Hall A7.

ELAN XP, a compound of polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) and a nanoadditive, displays a particularly high degree of scratch resistance – tests performed in accordance with VW Standard PV 3952 show that the lightening of colour caused by scratching is around ten times less than in the case of a talc-filled PP. This excellent scratch-resistant property was the decisive point in favour of using ELAN XP 515 for the glove-compartment flap for the MAN TGX truck; added to this were the pleasant tactile properties, the uniform, mat surface of the flap and the good processing properties of the ready-pigmented compound. The same reasons, plus resistance to stress whitening, decided the choice of ELAN XP 515 for the boot lid hinge cover trim of the Audi A4.

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Flowline-free Metallic Silver – passenger compartment components permanently antistatic
Approaching the problem from a completely different angle, Putsch has succeeded in halving the additional costs of making plastics permanently antistatic for use in passenger compartments. Available with immediate effect for ready-to-process compounds based on ABS, PC/ABS and PC/ASA is the new M Series, the "M" standing for antistatic. Such antistatic plastics offer the end user the advantage of being able to clean surfaces more easily and more thoroughly. Surfaces that are not antistatic gradually become covered with a layer of oily and greasy dirt that is smeared rather than removed when the surfaces are cleaned.

Other new products to be presented by Putsch at Fakuma are ready-to-process ELAN XP and PBT/ASA compounds in metallic silver. What is special about these compounds is that there are virtually no visible flowlines where two melt flow fronts meet, e.g. behind cores or when multipoint gating. Visible flowlines have been difficult to avoid hitherto, as the pigment particles tend to "rear up" when the melt flow fronts collide, resulting in a dark flowline that spoils the uniform surface finish of the moulded part.

A project organized by Polykum, Schkopau/Germany, enables research scientists – from the Fraunhofer Society, for example – and the compounding specialist Putsch to collaborate with processors and users. The aim of the project is to develop, with the aid of nanoadditives, compounds featuring completely new combinations of properties for new and/or extended fields of application. Examples of such developments are low-cost and easily processable conductive compounds for applications in the electrical and electronics industries and the cable manufacturing industry.

FAKUMA 2008, Friedrichshafen, 14.-18. October 2008, Hall A3, Stand 3217 + Hall A7, Stand 7214

Putsch Kunststoffe GmbH, Nuremberg-Boxdorf, Germany

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