SABIC Premiers State of the Art Higher Performance & Lighter Weight Materials at JEC 2012

At JEC Europe, Booth #U17, SABIC's Innovative Plastics business is spotlighting a variety of lightweight, high-performance composites and other advanced materials that are making important contributions to its customers' sustainability initiatives across major global industries. In particular, the outstanding weight-out and non-halogenated flame retardance provided by SABIC's high-performance Ultem™ polyetherimide (PEI) materials are increasing their appeal as environmentally responsible solutions. Customers are choosing Ultem materials for a broad range of applications - not just in aerospace, where they have achieved notable successes, but also in automotive, rail, oil & gas and building & construction.

Ultem carbon-fiber-filled resin, structural foam, and textile fiber can slash part weight by up to 50 percent to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions. These innovative materials also provide exceptional, inherent flame-smoke-toxicity (FST) performance for which Ultem PEI technology is famous. The company is also displaying Ultem powders that enhance FST performance of thermoset composite systems and polyphenylene ether(PPO™) resin additives that increase heat and toughness of epoxy systems. SABIC's global technology resources and deep industry expertise enable the company to deliver sustainable solutions for the evolving needs of their customers in a variety of market segments worldwide.

"SABIC's advanced materials and additives can resolve a dilemma facing a number of industries - how to achieve greater sustainability without sacrificing performance," said Ilknur Gur, general manager Europe, engineering resins, Innovative Plastics. "Our Ultem technologies - already widely used for demanding interior aircraft components - also provide an outstanding combination of light weight and high performance properties for many other critical applications as a replacement for metals and thermosets. The success of Ultem resin is just one example of how SABIC's engineering thermoplastics and composites are helping customers pursue successful environmental strategies and competitive differentiation."

Carbon-fiber-filled Ultem Resin

Offering high modulus and mechanical strength, this unique compound is based on Ultem resin and aerospace carbon fiber technology. When used to replace heavier airline-grade aluminum in interior components, carbon-fiber-filled Ultem resin can cut weight by up to 50 percent while improving strength by 40 percent vs. die-cast aluminum. The compound complies with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) 25.853 requirements for flammability, Ohio State University (OSU) 55/55 heat release standard and smoke density and key OEM specifications for FST. Potential injection molding applications include tray table arms, armrests, footrests and galley items. Components can be powder coated, painted or plated.

In rail applications, carbon-fiber-filled Ultem resin is an excellent choice for replacing aluminum in seating and other semi-structural components. Further, its high heat performance makes it a great alternative for under-hood automotive parts. Finally, it can be used for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) applications that demand high-temperature resistance and flame retardance.

Ultem Structural Foam

Ultem foam enables aircraft designers to leverage the best-in-class FST performance of PEI resin in a form that is 10 to 20 times lighter than traditional plastic components. It is an outstanding thermoformable core material choice for aircraft interior composite structures such as luggage bins, galleys and lower wall panels (dado panels). Ultem foam meets OSU heat release levels below 50/50, and offers low moisture absorption, excellent energy absorption and low dielectric loss. It is also transparent to radar making it a prime material for insulation of radomes. The Ultem foam product family comprises grades with three different densities.

Similarly, Ultem foam is an excellent candidate material for railcar side walls, ceiling panels and partitions. Its insulating properties make it a good choice for insulation of HVAC systems in high-end structures such as hospitals.

Ultem Fiber

Featuring the signature FST performance of Ultem resin, Ultem fiber provides light weight and excellent aesthetics for many applications in aerospace and rail - including carpets, kick panels, seating and wall coverings and safety and protective apparel. Woven fabrics incorporating Ultem fiber can be colored using conventional exhaust dyeing techniques, resulting in exceptional colorfastness and resistance to ultraviolet (UV) light.

Ultem Powders for Thermoset Composites

To extend the benefits of Ultem resin's exceptional FST performance, good metal adhesion and high heat resistance into thermoset composite systems, SABIC developed two powder technologies that efficiently disperse into thermosets and dissolve into solutions faster than coarse powders or pellets.

• Type I PEI powders, which are produced via processing chemistry, achieve particle sizes less than 45 microns. The powder is uniformly spherical to enable more-efficient dispersion and dissolution compared to mechanically ground powders. Applications include tougheners for epoxy resins and direct impregnation of fabrics or unidirectional tapes to create thermoplastic shape-able composites for use in industries like aerospace, automotive and oil & gas.
• Type II PEI powders, created by using patented process technology, have a particle structure that is fluffy and porous with a high surface area. Although particle size is greater than 100 microns, this structure enables the powder to disperse and dissolve very quickly into organic solutions and epoxies. Applications include solvent-based industrial coatings and adhesives, and thermoset resins for composites which can be used in aerospace, automotive, chemical process and oil & gas industries.

PPO Oligomer Resin Additives

PPO resin has a low dielectric constant and loss factor (Dk/Df) that enables better signal integrity at high frequencies when used in printed circuit board (PCB) laminates. SABIC has developed two oligomer additives that easily fit with common PCB fabrication methods. Noryl™ SA90 resin provides enhanced electrical properties, increased glass transition temperature (Tg) and toughness, and improvements in non-halogenated flame retardance for epoxy-based PCB applications. Noryl SA9000 resin provides many of these benefits for non-epoxy PCB applications. Applications include industrial and aerospace composites, adhesives and elastomers.