The new Tepex FR grades demonstrated exceptionally high flame retardance in tests to fire safety standard UL 94 of the U.S. testing organization Underwriter Laboratories and achieved the top V0 classification on UL’s Yellow Card at specimen thicknesses between 0.4 and 2 mm, according to Jochen Bauder, MD of Bond Laminates.
High stiffness
Tepex FR is supplied primarily in thicknesses of between 0.5 and 1.2 mm. Variations are available with glass, carbon or glass/carbon fiber reinforcement. The fiber volume content lies between 45 and 55%.
The flexural modulus of the carbon-reinforced grades lies between 40 and 54 GPa depending on the fiber content, and the modules of the glass-fiber-reinforced grades between 20 and 24 GPa (DIN EN ISO 178). Their mechanical properties, low weight and ease of processing make these new composites suitable for the production of large, thin-walled and extremely stiff housing parts such as those used for notebooks, tablets and TV sets. ‘They are simpler to produce and require less process engineering than aluminum and magnesium,’ said Bauder. ‘And compared to injection-molded component designs, Tepex can be used to produce thinner walls so that housings need less installation space.’
