Ixef® PARA Earns UL 94 V0 Rating for Electrical/Electronics

50% Glass-Filled Polyarylamide Meets Industry Demand for Halogen-Free Solution for Mobile Electronics

ALPHARETTA, Ga., February 29, 2012 – Ixef® 1524 polyarylamide (PARA) resin from Solvay Specialty Polymers USA, LLC, has received an Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 94 V0 rating for electrical/electronics applications at 0.4 mm and above thicknesses for all colors. The halogen-free flame retardant (HFFR) material serves as a replacement for halogen-based flame-retardant products like glass-filled polycarbonate and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) as well as metals like aluminum and magnesium. Ixef 1524 broadens Solvay’s offering of high-performance nylons which includes Ixef 1622 and Kalix® 9950, two products that are UL 94 HB-rated down to 0.6 mm.

“The UL rating positions us to meet the supply needs of customers in the electrical/electronics industry who require a non-halogenated material solution,” according to Vincent Meunier, Ixef PARA product manager for Solvay Specialty Polymers. The 50% glass-filled material is targeted for injection molded covers, internal frames, and other structural components of mobile electronic devices including media tablets, notebooks, and ultrabooks.

Thanks to its unique set of properties, Ixef 1524 offers robust flame-resistant performance and achieves an outstanding surface finish, a standard feature of all Ixef PARA- based compounds. The high-flow resin also permits the molding of highly complex and detailed thin-wall parts that can be painted. Structural parts made from Ixef compounds can be simultaneously very thin, extremely rigid, strong, and dimensionally stable.

The tensile strength of Ixef compounds is similar to many cast metals and alloys at ambient temperature. Ixef 1524 has a tensile modulus up to 20 GPa (2900 kpsi) at 23°C (73°F). It has a Comparative Tracking Index (CTI) of 600 volts and a Glow Wire Flammability Index (GWFI) of 960°C (1760°F).

Ixef 1524 has been qualified and is now specified by OEMs and original design manufacturers for use in new electronic devices. Solvay is also actively working to expand its line of halogen-free high-performance polyamide products.