Cologne, September 21, 2021 – According to a study conducted bythe Nuremberg Society for Consumer Research (GfK), sales oftechnical consumer goods increased in 2020 despite the coronaviruspandemic. The demand for household appliances, too, remainsstrong because many consumers are increasingly investing in theirown four walls. The result is growing demand for flame-retardantplastics that meet the international fire resistance standard IEC/EN60335-1 for components of unsupervised household appliances likedishwashers. In response, LANXESS is expanding its range of flameretardantcompounds to include material variants that offer a highdegree of flame resistance in glow wire tests performed according tothis standard.

The latest addition to this range is the halogen-free, flame-retardantDurethan BKV30FN34, which is aimed primarily at users who – forsafety reasons – prefer glow wire testing on the end product inaccordance with the strict conditions and requirements of thestandard for domestic appliances (Glow Wire End Product Test, IEC60695-2-1). “This polyamide 6 compound offers tremendous safetyreserves thanks to its high degree of flame resistance. This opens upgreater freedom in the geometric design of components,” saysAlexander Radeck, an expert in flame-retardant plastics in the HighPerformance Materials (HPM) business unit.

High creepage current resistance and elongation at break

The glow wire resistance of this new polyamide 6 has already beencertified by VDE Pruef- und Zertifizierungsinstitut GmbH (GermanAssociation of Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Information Technology) with a GWIT value of 775 °C for wall thicknesses of between 0.4 and 3.0 millimeters (Glow Wire Ignition Temperature, IEC 60695-2-13). Another advantage of this material is its high tracking resistance of 600 V (CTI A, Comparative Tracking Index, IEC 60112), which reduces the risk of short circuits and defects caused by creepage currents. This allows designers to make electrical and electronic modules more compact, in turn reducing the size of the final product. The plastic, which is reinforced with 30% by weight of short glass fibers, also offers high elongation at break. “This means that snap fits, for example, that are somewhat thicker for visual reasons don’t deform and break before they are engaged,” says Radeck.

Another PBT compound with outstanding glow wire resistance

Another compound designed for glow wire testing on the end product is Pocan TFN4230. The PBT+PET (polybutylene/polyethylene terephthalate) blend is already used in a range of series applications and has been certified by the VDE with a GWIT value of 775 °C (0.4 to 3.0 millimeters). The material offers not only high tracking resistance, but also outstanding dimensional stability.

Application potential in vehicle battery charging systems

Radeck: “We want to see both these compounds used in housings, microswitches, and connectors for appliances such as washing machines, tumble dryers, and dishwashers. But we also see exciting potential in a range of electrical and electronic components for electric vehicles – especially in the battery charging systems.”

You can find more detailed information about flame-retardant compounds from LANXESS – as well as about material types specially optimized for glow wire testing – at flame-retardancy.lanxess.com.