In today’s rapidly evolving landscape of electrical/electronics (E/E) components, the demand for plastic parts with superior tracking resistance has never been more crucial. Yet, a comprehensive portfolio of glass-fiber-reinforced PBT compounds have not been readily available in the market in the past. Now, Envalior offers a PBT series designed to ensure the reliability, performance, and safety your products require to meet the increasing demands modern electronics place on materials.
Meeting the demand for plastic parts with enhanced resistance to creepage currents has never been more crucial for electrical/electronics (E/E) parts manufacturers. This demand stems from the surge in electric vehicles, the push for miniaturized device components, and the need to minimize distances between metal contacts in connectors and terminals.
However, accessing compounds capable of meeting these increasingly stringent requirements has been challenging. Failure to meet these demands could result in losing market share to competitors, damaging company reputation for reliability and quality, or facing legal consequences for failure to meet safety standards.
Envalior's latest offering, Pocan E series, introduces groundbreaking short-glass-fiber-reinforced PBT compounds tailored for the e-mobility and E/E industries. With exceptional tracking resistance, insulation properties, and flame retardancy as needed, these compounds meet today’s increasing performance standards, ensuring longevity and reliability in electronic systems. Moreover, they boast high colourability – an important feature for safety-relevant components such as high-voltage connectors.
Creepage currents pose a significant risk, occurring when electrically conductive paths form on the surface of insulating materials like thermoplastics, leading to short circuits, potential device damage, and risk of fire. Our Pocan E series offers an exceptional Comparative Tracking Index – IEC 60112 (CTI A) test score of 600, signifying superior tracking resistance and meeting the stringent requirements of the highest insulation class as per IEC 60664-1 standards. These materials mitigate the risk of defects – even in high-voltage environments, providing longevity and reliability to electronic systems.
When comparing conventional PBT types with Pocan E PBT types optimized for E/E applications, Pocan B3215E, B3217E and B3235E achieve the highest rating of 600 in the CTI A test. This also applies to all Pocan E series compounds.
The CTI A test, an established method according to IEC 60112, allows plastics with a maximum rating of 600 to be used in applications with higher voltages up to 1500 volts DC. By following the design guidelines outlined in IEC 60664 / VDE 0110-1, the CTI test results can be translated to optimize component design for elevated voltage requirements, including those in electric vehicles.
The Pocan E series boasts outstanding electrical insulation properties that remain unaffected by temperature or humidity variations typical in high-voltage connectors and terminals. These materials exhibit remarkable dimensional stability, resistance to stress cracks, and exceptional chemical resistance, ensuring the long-term durability and reliability of the resulting components.
Reinforced with short glass fibers, Pocan E compounds offer enhanced flowability compared to standard materials, facilitating the production of delicate and thin-walled component geometries in the injection molding process. Additionally, materials like Pocan B3215E and B3217E demonstrate significantly improved impact resistance, enhancing overall production efficiency and component durability.
Hydrolysis stabilization and high tracking resistance are crucial for demanding applications. Materials like Pocan B3233HRE and B3216XHRE achieve impressive ratings in long-term hydrolysis tests, indicating exceptional durability and performance even under stringent conditions.
Through advanced technology and innovative design, Pocan E not only meets but exceeds e-mobility and E/E industry demands. By choosing Envalior as your partner in innovative materials like Pocan E, you can enhance safety, improve efficiency, and elevate overall product performance, empowering you to stay ahead in a rapidly changing market and meet the demanding requirements for materials in modern E/E applications.
Global Business Director PBT
Marc Marbach is global business director PBT for Envalior. In this global role, he focuses on effective management and optimization of the PBT business line to drive overall business success. Before taking over his current position, Marc has held various positions in technical and commercial areas in Hong Kong, from 2008-2012, and Germany, including technical marketing E&E, project management, global key account management and head of sales segment E&E.
16 February 2024
