German plastics processing company Ensinger (Nufringen; www.ensingerplastics.com) has added three modified “Tecacomp PK” grades to its range. The compounds are based on aliphatic polyketone and are said to be very tough, have high chemical resistance and display good sliding and tribological behaviour towards both plastics and metals. Ensinger said that while the polymers are particularly suited to technical components in the automotive industry, they also offer the petrochemical industry a cost-effective alternative to high-temperature plastics such as PA 6.6, PEEK and PPS.

The Tecacomp PK CF20 grade is reinforced with carbon fibres, offering optimised mechanical properties along with high wear resistance. The other two variants – PVX and XS – are additionally modified with solid lubricants for improved sliding properties. Ensinger said that tests showed the XS grade demonstrated around 50% less wear and tear than PA 6.6 and had a longer useful life.

Other advantages of Tecacomp PK compounds are their ability to withstand exposure to moisture over a long period, their good barrier effects and hydrolysis resistance, and their tolerance to chemicals including weak acids, bases and lubricants, which polyamides do not normally resist. Ensinger said that such chemical resistance is only known in more expensive high-temperature plastics, for example, PEEK or PPS.