Excel thermoplastics

The bulk properties of the polymer can thus be adjusted from a flexible, semicrystalline thermoplastic to an excellent thermoplastic elastomer.756... 

Heat resistance Moderate-excellent — Thermoplastic Thermoplastic Thermoplastic Thermoplastic... 

In another study, Novozyme 435 was used to produce a novel PHB block copolymer based on PHB-PCL in microaqueous media. Such block copolymers were reported to have expanded biomedical applications due to their excellent thermoplastic properties. ... 

Triblock copolymers can be obtained in two steps from bifunctional initiators, as for the preparation of telechelic homopolymers. Such initiators are useful in the preparation of polystyrene-fetocA -polydiene-( tocfc-polystyrene, which turns out to be excellent thermoplastic elastomers. 

The cured polymers are hard, clear, and glassy thermoplastic resins with high tensile strengths. The polymers, because of their highly polar stmcture, exhibit excellent adhesion to a wide variety of substrate combinations. They tend to be somewhat britde and have only low to moderate impact and peel strengths. The addition of fillers such as poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) reduces the brittleness somewhat. Newer formulations are now available that contain dissolved elastomeric materials of various types. These mbber-modifted products have been found to offer adhesive bonds of considerably improved toughness (3,4). 

Polymers are used as inserts for pins and contacts. Important properties of the commonly used insert materials have been compiled (31). Polysulfones are high temperature thermoplastics that have high rigidity, low creep, excellent thermal stabiHty, flame resistance, low loss tangents, and low dielectric constants. The principal weakness of polysulfones is their low chemical resistance. 

Properties desired in cable insulation and flexible circuit substrate materials include mechanical flexibiUty, fatigue endurance, and resistance to chemicals, water absorption, and abrasion. Both thermoplasts and thermosets are used as cable-insulating materials. Thermoplastic materials possess excellent electrical characteristics and are available at relatively low cost. 

Recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), which offers excellent properties at potentially lower cost, is finding wider use as a raw material component and meeting increasing demands for environmentally compatible resins (see POLYESTERS,THERMOPLASTIC Recycling, PLASTICS). 

Aniline—formaldehyde resins were once quite important because of their excellent electrical properties, but their markets have been taken over by newer thermoplastic materials. Nevertheless, some aniline resins are stiU. used as modifiers for other resins. Acrylamide (qv) occupies a unique position in the amino resins field since it not only contains a formaldehyde reactive site, but also a polymerizable double bond. Thus it forms a bridge between the formaldehyde condensation polymers and the versatile vinyl polymers and copolymers. 

General-Purpose Polystyrene. Polystyrene is a high molecular weight M = 2 — 3 x 10 ), crystal-clear thermoplastic that is hard, rigid, and free of odor and taste. Its ease of heat fabrication, thermal stabiUty, low specific gravity, and low cost result in mol dings, extmsions, and films of very low unit cost. In addition, PS materials have excellent thermal and electrical properties that make them useful as low cost insulating materials (see Insulation, ELECTRIC Insulation, thermal). 

EthylceUulose [9004-57-3], a cellulose either (qv), as prepared commercially, ie, of high DS, is thermoplastic and has alow density (1.14 g/cm ). It forms films of good thermostabiUty and excellent flexibiUty and toughness. EthylceUulose is used in lacquers, inks, and adhesives and is combined with waxes and resins in the preparation of hot-melt plastics. It is also used as a pharmaceutical tablet binder. 

The particular type of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) shown in Figure 3 exhibits excellent tensile strength of 20 MPa (2900 psi) and elongation at break of 800—900%, but high compression set because of distortion of the polystyrene domains under stress. These TPEs are generally transparent because of the small size of the polystyrene domains, but can be colored or pigmented with various fillers. As expected, this type of thermoplastic elastomer is not suitable for use at elevated temperatures (>60° C) or in a solvent environment. Since the advent of these styrenic thermoplastic elastomers, there has been a rapid development of TPEs based on other molecular stmctures, with a view to extending their use to more severe temperature and solvent environments. 

These LCT materials have very high tensile and flexural strength, and excellent mechanical and chemical resistance properties. Some commercial LCT are Vectra (Hoechst-Celanese) and Xydar (Amoco). Du Pont, ICI, GE, and Dow Chemical are also suppHers. Their appHcation in electronic embedding is stiU. in its infancy because of the high temperature processing requirement. Nevertheless, this class of thermoplastic polymers will play an important role in electronic embedding. 

Udel is a slightly yellow but tianspaient engineering thermoplastic. It has low flammability and smoke emission and good electrical properties. It has excellent resistance to water, steam, and alkaline solutions. Specific uses for Udel iaclude microwave cookware, beverage dispensers, coffee brewers, cookware, hair dryers, com poppers, and steam table trays. Its steam resistance makes it particularly fit for a dishwasher environment. Properties of polysulfone resias ate given ia Table 11. 

The most chemical-resistant plastic commercially available today is tetrafluoroethylene or TFE (Teflon). This thermoplastic is practically unaffected by all alkahes and acids except fluorine and chlorine gas at elevated temperatures and molten metals. It retains its properties up to 260°C (500°F). Chlorotrifluoroethylene or CTFE (Kel-F, Plaskon) also possesses excellent corrosion resistance to almost all acids and alkalies up to 180°C (350°F). A Teflon derivative has been developed from the copolymerization of tetrafluoroethylene and hexafluoropropylene. This resin, FEP, has similar properties to TFE except that it is not recommended for continuous exposures at temperatures above 200°C (400°F). Also, FEP can be extruded on conventional extrusion equipment, while TFE parts must be made by comphcated powder-metallurgy techniques. Another version is poly-vinylidene fluoride, or PVF2 (Kynar), which has excellent resistance to alkahes and acids to 150°C (300°F). It can be extruded. A more recent development is a copolymer of CTFE and ethylene (Halar). This material has excellent resistance to strong inorganic acids, bases, and salts up to 150°C. It also can be extruded. 

Polyethylene is a wax-like thermoplastic softening at about 80-130°C with a density less than that of water. It is tough but has moderate tensile strength, is an excellent electrical insulator and has very good chemical resistance. In the mass it is translucent or opaque but thin films may be transparent. 

To enhance the resistance to heat softening his-phenol A is substituted by a stiffer molecule. Conventional bis-phenol A polycarbonates have lower heat distortion temperatures (deflection temperatures under load) than some of the somewhat newer aromatic thermoplastics described in the next chapter, such as the polysulphones. In 1979 a polycarbonate in which the bis-phenol A was replaced by tetramethylbis-phenol A was test marketed. This material had a Vicat softening point of 196 C, excellent resistance to hydrolysis, excellent resistance to tracking and a low density of about l.lg/cm-. Such improvements were obtained at the expense of impact strength and resistance to stress cracking. 

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