Mar 27 2008
ExxonMobil Chemical will present its broad portfolio of specialty elastomers for wire and cable applications at Chinaplas 2008 Hall W2 W2B31. Vistalon™ EPDM* rubber, Exact™ plastomers and Santoprene™ thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) can improve flexibility in polyolefin-based compositions.
In addition, these specialty elastomers are cost competitive and all are available in pellet form for easier processing. They are all compliant with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directives, and a wide range of the grades are Underwriters Laboratories (UL) approved.
“With demand for wire and cable growing enormously in China, Chinaplas is an ideal showcase for these specialty elastomers,” said Max Tsai, plastomers development manager, specialty elastomers, ExxonMobil Chemical. “The country’s infrastructure is expanding rapidly, and it’s becoming a major manufacturing center for appliances, electronics and other electrical goods.”
Metallocene-based Vistalon EPDM rubber provides added flexibility and improved processability in medium- and low-voltage compounds with the inherent metallocene property of cleanliness. ExxonMobil Chemical recently introduced Vistalon™ EPM* rubber 722 which can improve processing costs and cable flexibility in medium- and low-voltage wire and cable applications. Compared to conventional EPDM, this metallocene-based product can provide processing improvements while exhibiting similar performance. It offers improved flexibility at low temperatures compared with cross-linked polyethylene (PE). Cables with Vistalon 722 EPM rubber have passed long-term electrical tests (AEIC).
With many consumer electronics manufacturers now specifying the use of PVC-free and halogen-free cables, ExxonMobil Chemical’s Exact plastomers are proving successful as they are a good blend partner for ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) in thermoplastic halogen-free flame retardant (HFFR) formulations. When used in combination with other polymers, Exact plastomers cost effectively increase flexibility while exhibiting low density, good mechanical properties, high toughness and excellent environmental stress crack resistance. They accept high filler loadings, which is important for HFFR formulations, and process well on thermoplastic extrusion lines. As a result, Exact plastomers are being used in a range of electrical applications including insulation, jacketing, bedding compounds and semi-conductive compounds.
Santoprene TPVs are flexible, ready-to-use compounds ideal for electrical insulation and jacketing applications. They exhibit excellent environmental resistance to ozone, chemicals and UV light; resistance to extreme temperatures (minus 60 C to 105 C); better low temperature flexibility than thermoplastic polyolefins (TPOs) and PVC; good oil resistance; outstanding electrical performance through high dielectric strength; and, excellent wet electrical properties.
“Based on our comprehensive understanding of the market, we have developed a broad portfolio of brands that span the range of olefinic properties to deliver a world-class set of attributes to the wire and cable industry. Combine this with global manufacturing facilities and a network of product development, testing and application development laboratories, and we are ideally positioned to support manufacturers of wire and cable wherever they are located,” said Tsai.
Posted March 27th,2008