PPS SHEETS
Three-way project on commercial forming / Magee, Ensinger and Ticona in partnership
A process for pressure-forming and vacuum-forming sheets of polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) has been commercially developed in a transatlantic collaboration. Participants in the project were US aeronautics and transport industry supplier Magee Plastics (Warrendale, Pennsylvania / USA; www.mageeplastics.com), Ensinger/PennFibre (D-71154 Nufringen; www.ensinger-online.com) and Ticona (D-65451 Kelsterbach; www.ticona.com), the technical polymers business of Celanese.
The work was based on Ensinger/PennFibre´s 3.18 mm thick PPS sheets, produced from Ticona´s thermoformable “Fortron” PPS resins. The sheet used involved nine unfilled, glass-filled and impact-modified thermoformable grades. All of these have a high strength-to weight ratio and are capable of operating at continuous service temperatures above 232 °C (450 0F). The first commercial use for the thermoformed PPS is in a defence-related application.
Magee Plastics is looking at a variety of potential uses for the technology, especially for large surface area components that need high chemical and heat and flame resistance. Potential applications include interior panels in aeroplanes and trains and chemical tank liners. Magee Plastics says that thermoformed PPS linings offer the same or better chemical resistance as fluoropolymers and 50% greater heat resistance at an equivalent cost.
“We spent over a year learning to balance heat, time and pressure in forming PennFibre´s products,” said Sheridan Kelly, national sales manager at Magee Plastics. “We were helped in this because of our prior experience in compression moulding PPS and because we can control our oven temperatures to 316 °C or more.”
The work was based on Ensinger/PennFibre´s 3.18 mm thick PPS sheets, produced from Ticona´s thermoformable “Fortron” PPS resins. The sheet used involved nine unfilled, glass-filled and impact-modified thermoformable grades. All of these have a high strength-to weight ratio and are capable of operating at continuous service temperatures above 232 °C (450 0F). The first commercial use for the thermoformed PPS is in a defence-related application.
Magee Plastics is looking at a variety of potential uses for the technology, especially for large surface area components that need high chemical and heat and flame resistance. Potential applications include interior panels in aeroplanes and trains and chemical tank liners. Magee Plastics says that thermoformed PPS linings offer the same or better chemical resistance as fluoropolymers and 50% greater heat resistance at an equivalent cost.
“We spent over a year learning to balance heat, time and pressure in forming PennFibre´s products,” said Sheridan Kelly, national sales manager at Magee Plastics. “We were helped in this because of our prior experience in compression moulding PPS and because we can control our oven temperatures to 316 °C or more.”
30.09.2004 Plasteurope.com [201037]
Published on 30.09.2004