BASF (Ludwigshafen / Germany; www.basf.com) is introducing two flexible grades of “Ultramid” S Balance polyamide 6.10 that are suitable for extrusion of pipe and tubing. The company says the "Ultramid S4Z5 Balance" and "Ultramid S4Z4 XS Balance" grades are suitable for the automotive and machinery sectors as well as for oil and gas lines. They will be available in sample quantities from November 2013.

Ultramid S4Z5 Balance is a semi-flexible grade for liquid-conveying lines with demanding temperature requirements. Ultramid S4Z4 XS Balance is a flexible product for vacuum and vent lines and has greater resistance against stress cracking. Both grades are formulated using a high-viscous polyamide 6.10 that is further modified to achieve good low-temperature impact strength.

Matthias Scheibitz, a member of BASF’s automotive product development team, explains that PA 6.10 provides advantages over PA 12 in extrusion applications that have demanding thermal stability and fuel permeation requirements. “Thanks to the high melting point of 222°C, Ultramid S Balance satisfies continuous-use and peak temperature demands at which PA 12, with its melting point of 178°C, reaches its limits,” he says.

While the stress cracking resistance of the PA 6.10 material falls between that of PA 66 and PA 12, which is nearly insensitive to stress cracking, Ultramid S Balance can be used in parts that come into contact with solutions containing calcium and zinc chloride, Scheibitz adds. Calcium chloride is used as road salt in cold climates, while zinc chloride can be encountered on zinc coated parts.