Ultramid^® Structure LFX (PA) - high-performance polyamide with long glass-fiber reinforcement

Ultramid^® Structure LFX is a high-performance plastic which is reinforced with long glass fibers. At the point where even optimized plastics with short glass-fiber reinforcement reach their limits, Ultramid^® Structure offers new opportunities for applications in many different sectors. This product group opens new possibilities in metal substitution as it is part of the Ultramid^® portfolio with its specific property profile.

The high-performance plastic is particularly suitable for components which are subjected to high loading in various industries, such as automotive, mechanical engineering, construction, leisure and sports as well as household appliances.

Fiber network of long fibers

As with comparable short-glass fiber reinforced polyamides, the injection-molding of Ultramid^® Structure produces a three-layer structure of the individual fiber levels in the mold cavity. A border layer with higher orientation and a core layer oriented vertically with respect to it forms in the flow direction. But in contrast to short-glass fiber reinforced polyamides, with the Ultramid^® Structure grades a much more isotropic component is formed as a result of the long fibers and the resulting change in fiber orientation in the solid material.

Another important difference compared to short-glass fiber reinforced polyamides is that during the injection-molding process the long-glass fibers in Ultramid^® Structure form a three-dimensional fiber network in the part.

Surface quality

Thanks to their special glass fiber reinforcement, the Ultramid^® Structure grades have much better surfaces compared to corresponding short-glass fiber reinforced polyamides. The longer glass fibers mean that in these polyamides, in a direct comparison, there are fewer fiber ends on an area of the same size. This means that much more homogeneous surfaces can be achieved during the injection-molding. Measurement of the surface roughness proves this. For example, in the case of Ultramid^® Structure A3WG10 LFX the roughness depth Rz is around 10% lower than it is with a comparable PA66 GF50.