AP-Nylon® Additives
Cast polyamide, made by anionic polymerization of AP-Nylon® Caprolactam, combines outstanding material properties – e.g., high impact strength, abrasion resistance and vibration damping – with exceptionally low inherent stresses in the product. Polymerization occurs without applied pressure at temperatures around 120 to 150°C. Cast polyamide products, whether in the form of semi-finished stock or complex castings, can be made very cost-efficiently by all known casting processes, i.e., vertical casting, centrifugal casting or rotocasting.
Following mixing of the two components – molten pre-blends of caprolactam/activator and caprolactam/catalyst – and filling of the mold, the polymerization reaction takes only a few minutes to complete. The resulting low-stress castings of semi-crystalline PA6 are of high dimensional accuracy and exhibit no sink marks, even on parts with major thickness differences. Thus, tailor-made materials and process expertise from BrüggemannChemical create the prerequisites for delivering uniformly high standards of product quality.
| COMPARISON OF PA PRODUC TION PROCESSES (RIM: REAC TION INJEC TION MOLDING) | |||
| Parameter | Technology | ||
| Casting | RIM | Injection molding | |
| Investment, including tools | very low | low | high |
| Realization time | short | short | long |
| Durchsatz | low | high | very high |
| Nachbearbeitung | high | low | low |
AP-Nylon® Caprolactam is a preferred raw material for producing cast polyamide (PA6) by anionic polymerization with the aid of special activators and catalysts. In addition, this monomer is employed as an additive in many fields, e.g., in the manufacture of adhesives.
The AP-Nylon® Caprolactam supplied by BrüggemannChemical has a lower moisture content than standard caprolactam. For anionic polymerization, the starting materials must be as anhydrous as possible and any ingress of moisture needs to be prevented as it would interfere with the polymerization process. Moreover, caprolactam flakes get increasingly susceptible to agglomeration with rising moisture levels.
- AP-Nylon® Caprolactam has a moisture content of < 150 ppm
In order to prevent water absorption and agglomeration during shipping and storage, AP-Nylon® Caprolactam is stored and shipped in liquid form under dry nitrogen; the solid product is supplied in aluminium-lined bags.
