North America
Performance Polymers
North America
Performance Polymers
PPAssion for perfection
The Ultramid® Advanced portfolio:
We provide the PPA you need.
For lightweight and high-performance parts to be used in many different applications – from the automotive and the E&E industries to mechanical engineering and consumer goods: the new polyphthalamide (PPA) portfolio by BASF:
Four PPA polymers with about 50 compounds:
- Ultramid® Advanced N (PA9T)
- Ultramid® Advanced T1000 (PA6T/6I)
- Ultramid® Advanced T2000 (PA6T/66)
- Ultramid® T KR (PA6T/6)
The PPA portfolio is globally available and supplemented by BASF's exceptional simulation tool Ultrasim® and its profound experience in application development. This makes it possible for customers to choose the right material for the right part with a matching, tailor-made application profile.
The Ultramid® Advanced portfolio at the K Fair 2019 – from product development to the complete portfolio, from the fuel cell to extrusion
Ultramid® Advanced enables drive systems for future mobility. Together with Nuvera, several parts were developed for a fuel cell engine to be used in electric busses in China.
The company Gehr and BASF succeeded to take another innovative step by working out a new PPA grade for extrusion.
Abdullah Shaikh and Ivy Fang from the global PPA team give insights into the product development that led to BASF’s new PPA portfolio. It comprises more than 50 compounds based on four PPA polymers.
At the K Fair press conference in Dusseldorf, Abdullah Shaikh, Head of Global PPA Business Management, presents the new PPA portfolio Ultramid® Advanced.
The PPA portfolio by BASF – all advantages at one glance
- The portfolio includes grades for injection molding and extrusion for easy and stable processing.
- Grades with or without flame-retardants are available.
- They are supplied from uncolored to laser-markable black.
- There are grades with short-glass, long-glass and carbon fiber reinforcement.
- The products are equipped with different heat stabilizers.
- Due to their partially aromatic chemical structure all types offer good to excellent mechanics at elevated temperatures.
- Their hydrophobic nature allows them to withstand humidity and contact with challenging media and at the same time to maintain their strength.
- The low water uptake results in a high dimensional stability of the plastic parts in humid environments.
- They keep their strength also in lead-free soldering processes more and more often used in the electrical and electronics (E&E) industry.
The four PPAs – overview:
Ultramid® Advanced N – the superhero for engineers
The PA9T Ultramid® Advanced N shows constant mechanics up to 100°C (glass transition temperature: 125°C), outstanding chemical resistance and low water absorption as well as very good tribological properties. Ultramid® Advanced N can be employed for
- small connectors and function-integrating housings in white goods, consumer electronics and mobile devices
- automotive components and structural parts near the engine and the gearbox
- gear wheels and other wear parts
Ultramid® Advanced T1000 – one T for a 1000 tasks
Within the Ultramid® family, Ultramid® Advanced T1000 (PA6T/6I) is the product group with the highest strength and stiffness and with stable mechanical properties at temperatures of up to 125°C (dry) and 80°C (conditioned). It offers high resistance to humidity and to aggressive media – outperforming conventional polyamides and many other PPA materials on the market. Ultramid® Advanced T1000 can be used
- for thermostat housings and water pumps
- in fuel circuits and selective catalytic reduction systems
- for actuators and clutch parts in cars
- in coffee machines
- as furniture fittings
- in construction applications such as water distributors, heating systems and pumps
Ultramid® Advanced T2000 – the ideal connection of dielectric with mechanical properties
The compounds based on PA 6T/66 combine excellent mechanical strength with insulating, dielectric properties at high temperatures. Ultramid® Advanced T2000 is the ideal solution for parts that require high, constant stiffness and strength over a broad temperature range in combination with resistance to heat and humidity as well as optional flame-retardant (FR) properties. Thus, a lot of intricate parts can be manufactured:
- delicate flame-retardant connectors
- structural laptop parts
- switches and miniature circuit breakers
- water outlet valves and water pumps
- fuel system components
- actuators and sensors
- clutch parts
Ultramid® T KR – one of the first PPAs on the market
Ultramid® T KR was amongst the first PPAs on the market. The PA6T/6 has a high melting point of 295°C and can still easily be processed. It provides high stiffness and strength, especially in the presence of humidity, and is at the same time the PPA material with the highest toughness. It possesses excellent heat resistance: The relative tracking index (RTI) of 160°C at 0.4 mm of Ultramid® T KR4340 G6 is one of the highest RTIs in the whole polyamide market. Thus, Ultramid® T KR is ideally suited for E&E applications like
- quick connectors
- switchgears or relays
- electrical control units
- vehicle sensors
Precise part design with Ultrasim® for PPAs
BASF’s simulation tool Ultrasim® is used in the design of parts for all industries. With customized models, BASF has further developed the calculation tool in such a way that parts made of Ultramid® Advanced grades can also be simulated. Using Ultrasim®, the physical behavior of the part can be predicted on the basis of manufacturing parameters, fiber anisotropy and load direction or speed. The mathematical part optimization can furthermore provide the best possible design under the given conditions. Ultrasim® is therefore a unique tool for optimizing customer parts at a very early stage so that they can handle highest loads. With these precise predictions, costs and time associated with prototypes or extensive mold corrections can be avoided.
In-depth know-how in application development
With its long experience as well as its technical and material expertise of engineering plastics, BASF can contribute to realize challenging applications and provide the most efficient technical solutions for PPA applications across all industries. Emerging trends in the markets result in challenges that need intensive joint discussions and learnings. BASF has the experts to engage with the relevant experts at processors, manufacturers and OEMs and thus to provide extensive information on materials, consultation on new application development and technical service for processing.
