Additives: Heat Stabilizer Blends for Nylon 66 and Nylon 6

Two newly developed antioxidant blends that are said to allow nylons 66 and nylon 6 to exceed current performance limitations and offer new opportunities for compounders have been launched by Germany’s Bruggemann (U.S. office Newton Park, Penn.). Bruggolen TP-H1607 and TP-H1805 are the company’s latest additions to its extensive additive portfolio for nylons.

Bruggolen TP-H1607 is a proprietary copper-based stabilizer package which is said to significantly extend long-term mechanical property retention of nylons to limits unmatched by existing classic copper salt based antioxidants. For example, tests demonstrate that TP-H1607 enables heat stabilization of unreinforced nylon 66 beyond 5000 hours at 150 C/303 F, significantly outperforming conventional copper salt based stabilizers which level off at 3000 hours at this temperature. The extraordinary efficiency of  TP-H1607 offers the opportunity to dramatically reduce copper and halogen content. In nylon 66 at 150°C/303 F the copper concentration in the compound was reduced by a factor of more than 5 and still matched the maximum performance level of existing copper salt based products. This capability allows cost savings and opens applications in the E&E sector, such as switch housings and sensors, where a comparative tracking index CTI of 600V is required. Significantly, trials revealed that TP-H1607 exhibits no greater influence on electro-corrosion than conventional phenolic/phosphite stabilisers used extensively in E&E.

With the new Bruggolen TP-H1805, Brüggemann has developed an easily processable high-heat stabilizer package which reportedly stretches the limit for continuous-use temperatures - up to 200 C/392 F in the case of glass-reinforced nylon 6 and beyond 200 C.392 F for nylon 66.  TP-H1805 does not require prior activation and is also effective at temperatures below 200 C/392 F. Thus, compounders are said to have the opportunity to produce cost-efficient aliphatic nylon-based materials for borde line applications previously reserved for higher priced PPAs or other high-performance polymers such as PPS. In addition, TP-H1805 may offer the opportunity to substitute in certain applications nylon 66 for the less expensive nylon 6.   Both stabilizers are supplied in pellet form and are easy to dose and disperse during compounding.

Said head of polymer additives Dr. Klaus Bergmann, “Our goal is to offer heat stabilizers for nylons across all temperature ranges and all application areas. With the introduction of these new products we are further extending our portfolio of high-performance stabilizers to provide even more value to our customers.”