Thermoplastic From DuPont Engineering Polymers Can Make Better Electrical Connectors, Control Boxes and More

DETROIT, April 11, 2005 –DuPont Engineering Polymers is unveiling a new
solution to warpage and flow problems in producing under-the-hood electrical
components at the Society of Automotive Engineers’s 2005 World Congress here
this week.
“New DuPont™ Zytel® HTNLW5035HS high performance polyamide has everything it
takes for rugged, reliable electrical control boxes, connectors and other
parts,�?? said Paul Kane, a senior development specialist for DuPont
Automotive. 
Ultra-low warpage.  This facilitates part assembly and enhances design
freedom as well.  In comparative testing, test samples made of new Zytel®
HTN resin warped two-thirds less than parts made of another candidate resin,
an alloy of nylon and polyphenylene ether (PPE) polymers.  Part warpage of
the new Zytel® HTN grade was also more than 50 percent less than that of two
low-warp grades of glass-reinforced PBT.  The tests were conducted using
edge-gated discs measuring 2 mm thick by 100 mm in diameter. 
Easy flow during molding.  This increases design freedom for thin-wall parts
and improves molding productivity, according to Kane.  In molding the test
discs described above, the low-warp Zytel® HTN grade filled the mold with 30
percent lower peak pressure than the nylon-PPE alloy.  Compared with the
three PBT resins evaluated, peak fill pressures ranged from 50 to 60 percent
lower.   
Another molding benefit is that the low-warp Zytel® HTN resin can be molded
in water-temperature-controlled tooling, an important advantage over
materials requiring oil for mold temperature control.
Excellent toughness and strength.  The new Zytel® HTN resin also excels in
mechanical properties.  Its elongation, highly desirable in snap-fit
designs, is 25 percent higher than that of the nylon-PPE grade, both
measured by ISO method 527-1/-2.  As for impact resistance, often crucial in
electrical boxes, the new Zytel® HTN resin exhibits a 50 percent higher
value than the nylon-PPE grade.  Both tests were conducted with dry
as-molded specimens. 
The combination of high flow, low warpage, good stiffness and impact
resistance of Zytel HTNLW5035HS provides the key characteristics needed for
under-hood automotive electrical boxes. 
Zytel® HTNLW5035HS also offers excellent strength and stiffness, which are
crucial for pull-out resistance in connectors.  In addition, it exhibits
outstanding retention of properties in the demanding heat and humidity
conditions of USCAR Class 3 and Class 4 testing. 
For more information about DuPont™ Zytel® HTN, please visit
plastics.dupont.com on the Web or call DuPont at 800-441-0575.
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