In tests the new technology has cut cycle time by 20% for Ultradur PBT material

In tests the new technology has cut cycle time by 20% for Ultradur PBT material

BASF is using nanotechnology to achieve a dramatic improvement in the flow performance of its Ultradur PBT engineering polymer in what the company claims is a pioneering development.

The addition of nanoparticles in the 50nm to 300nm size range brings about a “fundamental change in the rheology of the base polymer”, Carsten Weiss of the PBT marketing team told a K show preview today. He said the result is a product that flows twice as far as comparable standard grades of Ultradur. The lower viscosity means that moulders can use lower injection and holding pressures, or the temperature can be reduced and holding time cut.

The new material, seen as one of the stars of the group’s K2004 display, have been tested by three major moulders in the automotive and electrical sectors. Weiss said the result was an improvement in cycle time of at least 20%, which would outweigh the price premium of 10% for the material.

Using the organic nanoparticles to change the rheology of the PBT is a first for the much discussed nanotechnology field, Weiss claimed. The approach may be extended to other BASF polymers in the future, he forecast.