PPA for E-Mobility Applications

A new line of high-performance polyphthalamide (PPA) compounds designed for demanding e-mobility and metal replacement applications is now available from Solvay Specialty Polymers. The new Amodel PPA Supreme reportedly brings a higher level of performance to systems requiring exceptional thermal, mechanical and electrical properties. Applications range from high-temperature automotive components used in electric drive units including e-motors, power electronics, housings for high-temperature electrical connectors, electric and electronic devices and telecommunication equipment components that need excellent heat resistance. Moreover, these compounds are also touted for their stiffness and toughness to replace metal in more traditional and structural applications such as clutch cylinders, shift forks and body in white. The globally available initial launch includes six grades, divided into standard, structural and electrical products.

The company’s Amodel PPA has a 25-yr history of performance in a variety of under-hood applications that have been converted from metal to plastic. Solvay’s Amodel Supreme is said to feature the PPA industry’s highest glass transition temperature (Tg) of 165 C/329 F which enables higher mechanical performance vs. compounds based on traditional nylon 4T and nylon 6T at elevated temperatures. There is also a greater coefficient of linear thermal expansion (CLTE) match to metals that allows for ease in designing overmolded components.

In addition to exceptional thermo-mechanical performance, Amodel Supreme PPA features improved electrical properties, including volume resistivity and dielectric strength above 150 C/302 F. These materials also maintain critical electrical properties, like comparative tracking index (CTI), after exposure to high temperatures over time. Compounds were designed to ensure hydrolytic stability against new EV cooling fluids.

Said Brian Baleno, head of marketing-transportation at Solvay Specialty Polymers, “Solvay continues to achieve new performance milestones for our Amodel PPA family of technologies to meet our customers’ increasingly stringent requirements. Industries from automotive to electronics to telecommunications are raising the bar for properties such as heat resistance, strength, stiffness and electrical performance. Now, with the launch of Amodel Supreme,, we can meet or even surpass these high expectations and offer customers a new alternative to traditional metal and conventional polymers.”