Engineered to replace thermosets, ceramics and metals a family of high flow polymers is mould thin-walled, intricate components and highly-filled compounds without sacrificing ease of processing.

Victrex USA has introduced the VICTREX 90 family of high flow Victrex PEEK products designed for injection molding thin-walled, intricate components and highly-filled compounds without sacrificing ease of processing. These new products are engineered to replace thermosets, ceramics and metals in electronic consumer, surface-mount technology and micro-fluid handling applications. VICTREX 90-based products have a lower molecular weight than other Victrex PEEK polymers and offer equivalent mechanical, thermal, chemical, and electrical properties.

They are available unfilled (powder or pellets) or reinforced with glass or carbon fibers.

Fiber loadings up to 60 wt% are possible without sacrificing ease of processing, surface finish or cycle time.

The higher filler loadings produce substantial improvements in modulus, toughness, and coefficient of thermal expansion.

VICTREX 90-based products enable engineers to design components previously only possible with lower performing, lower viscosity polymers like LCP, PPS, and epoxy thermosets.

The spiral flow at 2mm (0.08in) depth is more than double that of standard flow VICTREX 450-based products.

VICTREX 90-based products enable the reliable molding of sections thinner than 0.2mm (0.008in).

According to Andrew Ragan, Product Manager, Victrex USA, 'We have had very positive response from connector manufacturers having difficulties with highly filled, high flow PPS and LCP products.' A promising new area for VICTREX 90-based products is the lead-free soldering processes (260 deg C (500 deg F)) used in the electronics industry.

Explains Ragan, 'Traditional polymeric materials such as PBT, Nylon and PPS fail because they distort or melt under lead-free solder conditions'.

' In contrast, high temperature resistant Victrex PEEK readily meets the demands of the most rigorous lead-free solder processes'.

' Moreover, the polymer's high flow characteristics are ideally suited for the complex shapes required by the electronics industry to make devices smaller and more lightweight.' Victrex USA, a division of Victrex, is the sole manufacturer and supplier of PEEK?