BASF launches first carbon fiber-reinforced Ultradur grade

With the launch of its new specialty polybutylene terephthalate, BASF has added the first carbon fiber-reinforced Ultradur to its PBT portfolio. The specialty Ultradur B4300 C3 LS features low electrostatic charge along with good conductivity, a combination that makes it particularly suitable for sensitive components in measurement and control technology for machines, automotive and electronics. Because of the new material's anti-static properties, it attracts less dust and dirt, which means that components made with this PBT work reliably and permanently - even in unfavorable usage conditions - with no electrostatic discharge damage. In areas with explosion hazards, the use of this conductive Ultradur PBT grade also reduces the risk of electrostatic loading and possible sparking.

The Ultradur family is characterized by a combination of rigidity and strength, with good impact-resistance, thermostability, sliding friction properties and excellent dimensional stability. This new Ultradur grade is designed to meet the increasingly stringent requirements on material and parts, especially in automotive electronics, where miniaturization processes, precision, and safety places high demands on the materials used. Parts made of the carbon fiber-reinforced engineering PBT permanently retain their antistatic property, even after contact with media (e.g. fuels) and at high temperatures.

Effective immediately, Ultradur B4300 C3 LS bk15126 is available in commercial quantities. The material, which is reinforced with 15 percent carbon fiber, has a low volume and surface resistance. It absorbs hardly any water, is laser-markable, and its mechanical properties are similar to those of a standard PBT filled with 30 percent glass fiber. It can be easily welded or bonded, and is also suitable for complex, thin-walled components.

According to BASF, possible applications include parts in cars or machines through which gases or fluids flow, fast-moving components in textile machines or conveyor belt elements that are subject to static charge due to friction. Other usages include machines in paper processing, printers, and transportation packaging for sensitive electronic goods that require electrostatic discharge protection.