Lanxess has developed three new halogen-free, flame-retardant materials in its range of Tepex continuous-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites.
According to the company, the new materials are suitable for applications such as housings for control cabinets or components of high-voltage batteries for electric vehicles where a V-0 classification in the UL 94 flammability test from the US testing institute Underwriters Laboratories Inc is often mandatory.
‘These structural materials are the material of choice when a V-0 classification is required and the components need to have a very high degree of strength, rigidity and energy absorption at the same time,’ said Sabrina Anders, project manager the Lanxess subsidiary Bond-Laminates.
The new grades are:
Tepex dynalite 102fr-RG600(x)/47% reinforced with roving glass fibers that can also be arranged multiaxially and thus precisely matched to the load transfer points and load paths in the component. The composite is suitable for high-voltage components of electric vehicle batteries, such as separator plates, cover plates and control unit housings.
Tepex dynalite 102fr-FG290, which is targeted at applications in the electrical and electronics sector. With its reinforcement of fine glass fiber, it produces surfaces that are easy to paint. It is suitable, for example, for small housings that are required to comply with the DIN EN 45545-2 standard, ‘Railway applications – Fire protection on railway vehicles’.
Tepex dynalite 202fr is reinforced with carbon fibers and is intended for components subjected to extreme mechanical stress, such as high-strength electronic housings. According to Anders, ‘It is an alternative to composites made of flame-retardant polycarbonate if their strength and rigidity are not sufficient, for example.’
Lanxess says that all three structural materials are available in quantities for large-scale applications and in variants that are electromagnetically shielded by a carbon textile insert in the composite or a metallic surface coating.
This story uses material from Lanxess, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
