High-temperature Nylons for automotive under-hood offers flame retardance with low halogen

01-Mar-17

Two new glass fiber-reinforced polyamide compounds from Teknor Apex Company exhibit outstanding flame retardance and exceptional thermal stability for injection molded under-hood automotive components such as engine covers, the company announced.

Chemlon® 904-13 GVNH and 204-13 GVNH are glass-filled nylon compounds with low halogen content that meet the UL-94 V-0 standard by passing the vertical burn test at a thickness of only 0.8 mm (0.031 in.). Conventional halogenated compounds achieve this degree of flame retardancy only with high levels of flame retardant and synergistic filler that make processing difficult, yield poor surfaces, and increase product density. In contrast, the new Chemlon compounds yield a smooth surface, are 15% less dense than conventional counterparts, and are readily processed for parts with long flow paths or thin walls. Equally valuable for under-hood applications is the thermal stability of the new compounds, according to Jeff Schmidt, automotive industry manager for the Nylon Division of Teknor Apex. “Chemlon 904-13 GVNH is an especially high-temperature material, with a heat deflection temperature of 245 °C [473 °F] and a high degree of property retention at elevated temperatures,” noted Mr. Schmidt. “In fact, this compound provides a continuous use temperature that is much higher than specification.”