Engineering Design September 2010
A commitment to sustainable solutions
High performance polymers and elastomers from DuPont provide future-oriented solutions based on responsible innovation. Read more on page 2
Responsible innovation now By Björn Hedlund, Regional Director Europe, Middle-East and Africa (EMEA) at DuPont Performance Polymers
Björn Hedlund Welcome to the K 2010 issue of Engineering Design, an issue dedicated to some of the highlights to be presented by DuPont Performance Polymers during the largest and most prestigious event on the plastics and rubber industry’s calendar. We are taking an optimistic and future-oriented view of our business and the opportunities that are emerging from the challenge of the global megatrends and the reality of the new economy. Under our theme line of ‘Responsible Innovation Now’, we seek collaboration with our customers in providing new solutions, based on our high performance polymers and elastomers, enabling a more sustainable world. A sustainable approach By the term ‘Responsible’, we mean a focus on reducing our environmental footprint throughout the multiple value chains that we serve. One approach we have undertaken to achieve this goal is to develop the industry’s broadest range of renewably-sourced engineering polymers – providing performance and functionality equivalent to, or better than, today’s fully petroleum-based materials, whilst reducing their environmental impact. Likewise, driving down the weight of components and systems used in the automotive industry can help improve fuel economy and reduce carbon emissions. In order to invite even more opportunities to replace metal for cost and weight savings, we recently introduced a new family of nylon products – DuPont™ Zytel® PLUS nylon – which is able to meet the ever-increasing performance demands of the automotive industry with enhanced durability when exposed to hot oil, hot air, calcium chloride and other aggressive automotive chemicals in under-the-hood applications. For automotive interior applications, we have developed new low-emis-
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sion grades of DuPont™ Delrin® acetal, which are well within the formaldehyde emission requirements of the leading automotive manufacturers, creating new opportunities for their adoption. Tailored, creative solutions At DuPont Performance Polymers, “Innovation” is a key strategy for growth and an answer to the demanding challenges of global megatrends. As a global supplier in material science, we collaborate in harmony with our customers and all of the value chain in addressing their needs for product differentiation and work together in developing a creative solution. Such creativity is reflected in two recent announcements. Firstly, there has been the introduction of several new grades of DuPont polymers that meet regulatory requirements for use in health care products and equipment. These resins, specifically designed for the healthcare industry, provide a number of advantages over existing medical materials, including rapid production cycles and excellent performance in a number of sterilization environments. Such attributes make them ideal materials for a variety of single-use and multiple-use surgical and medical devices as well as drug delivery systems. Similarly, we have recently launched a range of food
grade products providing food agency compliance, both in terms of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Commission Regulation No. 2023/2006 on good manufacturing practice. Both these initiatives have been introduced with the intention of bringing the benefits of DuPont’s expertise in science, technology, quality and safety in manufacturing, and regulatory compliance, to the health care and food processing industries respectively. A second, core element of innovation is application development in close collaboration with our customers and our customers’ customers. As described in this issue of Engineering Design, colleagues in the UK have worked closely with a customer on the development of food hoppers made of a new, foodapproved and metal-detectable grade of Delrin® as a replacement for steel. As a result of the material innovation and technical support provided by DuPont, the customer, a manufacturer of thermoplastic coil bobbins, has been able to both extend business with an existing customer and enter a new market with the potential for significant growth. Moreover, its customer – a leader in the design, manufacture and installation of packaging line solutions – stands to profit from the benefits of polymer in
Engineering Design – September 2010
food processing applications, which can include significant improvements in performance and reduced operating costs. Leveraging the power of one DuPont Integration represents a further path to innovation, achieved in part by leveraging the power of one DuPont to develop complete system solutions. For instance, we have expanded capabilities for automotive applications at our Shanghai research and development center, which offers services for polymers as well as some of our other materials. The Chinese automotive market is of particular interest in light of the rising number of cars
sold in China’s domestic market, and the comparatively low engineering plastic content of the cars currently available there. Similarly, we opened the Meyrin Photovoltaic Application Laboratory at our European Technical Center in Geneva earlier this year. Our combined offering for the photovoltaic industry, of which engineering polymers are a core component, represents the broadest portfolio in the solar energy industry. The new laboratory will allow us to collaborate more closely with our customers in the photovoltaic industry, to provide local technical support and to
develop the next generation of products for what will be the fastest growing sector in the energy market for the next 20 years. Finally, the time for collaboration is ‘Now’, as it will enable us all to emerge from recent economic difficulties both faster and stronger. We therefore invite all of our industry partners to work with us in the quest for innovation in new responsible solutions to the current global challenges. We strongly believe that by doing so we will create sustainable business growth for us all. I wish you an enjoyable and informative visit to K 2010!
DuPont at K 2010 at a glance: Visitors to the DuPont exhibit at K 2010 (Hall 6, Stand D33) will find samples and information on the use of its high performance thermoplastics and elastomers in the areas of: • Renewably-sourced engineering polymers • Highly durable Zytel® PLUS nylon • Alternative energy solutions • Automotive, incl. low-emission Delrin® and high temperature Vamac® Ultra HT • Specialty grades for food and health care applications
This issue in brief Page 4
Page 9 New materials for sustainable mobility
Renewably-sourced polymers
Based on DuPont™ SHIELD Technology, new, higher performance polymers help the automotive industry drive down weight and cost under the bonnet.
RS polymers from DuPont have equal or better performance than the petrochemically-based materials they replace.
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Page 10 Advanced solutions for health care components
New polymer food contact products introduced
New grades of DuPont engineering polymers are specially designed to meet demanding health care requirements.
The DuPont Food Grade initiative brings DuPont’s expertise in manufacturing and regulatory compliance to the manufacturers of food-contact products.
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Page 11 DuPont polymers for the ultimate stroller
New applications in food processing
Over 80 components molded from DuPont materials feature in the new, foldable BABYZEN™ stroller.
Food hoppers in the UK provide one of the first commercial applications of food-contact approved, metal-detectable DuPont™ Delrin® in Europe.
Engineering Design – September 2010
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New materials for sustainable mobility By Klaus Bender, Automotive Marketing Manager at DuPont Performance Polymers
Engine Cover TurboCharged Ducts
Zytel® PLUS nylon showed us very quickly how hungry the industry is for innovative materials that can withstand harsher conditions and reduce weight.
Air Induction Turbo Charger End Caps
Resonator Radiator End Tank Oil Pan Exhaust Muffler (not pictured)
As the global automotive industry continues its drive to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, DuPont Performance Polymers puts its strength and collective problem-solving approach to work. The goal? To provide innovative materials and expert application development aimed at enhancing the performance of the final product, improving sustainability and reducing total system cost. These efforts initially led to DuPont™ Zytel® PLUS nylon, launched earlier this year, which delivers remarkable resistance to aging despite exposure to high levels of heat and harsh chemicals. Such performance enhancements can help the automotive industry take out even more weight from under the bonnet for improved fuel economy. This October, DuPont Performance Polymers adds new products that invite plastics to be used in applications considered too hot, too harsh and too hostile for non-metals.
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Hotter temperatures, harsher chemicals, tighter underhood packaging constraints are the “normal” conditions of today as the industry downsizes engines to meet fuel economy and CO2 reductions while still delivering engines that perform. Moreover, metals do not represent the long-term, sustainable answer. Wildly fluctuating costs, significantly higher specific gravity and constraints on design flexibility severely limit the industry’s ability to innovate. The introduction of new, longterm aging resistant plastics such as
DuPont™ Zytel® PLUS nylon – launched in March, 2010 Whether exposed to calcium chloride or to 3,000 or more hours of hot air, hot oil, water, long-life coolant, members of the Zytel® PLUS nylon family outperform traditional nylon products on the market today. For the automotive industry, this can mean the opportunity to double the lifetime of certain components in the engine compartment compared to those made of standard, heatstabilized nylon. As a result, there are a multitude of opportunities to replace metal components in the engine compartment or to replace existing polymer applications with more lightweight constructions. It is for this reason that the initial four chemical-, heat- and oil-resistant grades of Zytel® PLUS have been optimized for targeted automotive applications. The new portfolio launched with: • Zytel® PLUS 95G35 nylon – Requisite, core product delivers exceptionally good long-term performance at very high temperatures (up to 210˚C or even 230°C for shorter periods) PLUS provides great surface appearance, resistance to calcium chloride solutions. • Zytel® PLUS 95G50 nylon – Exceptionally good long-term performance at very high temperatures (up to 210˚C or even 230°C for shorter periods) PLUS better stiffness, creep at high temperatures. • Zytel® PLUS 93G35 nylon – Good long-term performance despite exposure to heat PLUS improved weld lines, good performance in burst tests.
Engineering Design – September 2010
Potential applications for the newly-developed family of nylons include engine compartment components requiring high levels of chemical, thermal and mechanical resistance Zytel® PLUS 90G30 nylon – Exceptional resistance to hot engine coolant PLUS excellent properties in contact with water. Target automotive applications include: charge air coolers, exhaust mufflers, turbo air ducts, engine mounts, resonators, cylinder head covers, oil pans, EGR coolers, oil modules, thermostats, transmission components – such as front covers – and radiator end tanks where calcium chloride resistance is especially important due to road treatments.
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All grades have a high surface quality and high dimensional stability in common. For instance, the new universal grade Zytel® PLUS 95G35 exhibits a 30% higher degree of gloss and 20% less warpage than a corresponding standard PA grade. Science-driven performance DuPont™ Zytel® PLUS nylon gains its ability to withstand long term exposure to heat and chemicals from SHIELD Technology, only from DuPont. DuPont™ SHIELD Technology combines
Heat Aging at 180 °C Tensile Stress at Break, MPa
250 200 150 100 50
DuPont™ Zytel® PLS95G35DH1 PA66 GF35
0 0
1000
2000
3000
4000
Aging Time, hrs
Best in class air-oven aging – DuPont™ Zytel® PLUS nylon 95G35 core product shows no significant drop in its ability to withstand load – even in 4,000 hour testing – while traditional nylon’s ability to withstand load is cut in half
Engineering Design – September 2010
several innovations, including a new polymer backbone, polymer modifications and a special set of additives, to enhance many performance characteristics. The exact combination and composition of chemistries are optimized for each product based on the targeted application. www.zytelplus.dupont.com
K 2010 update: More new polymers based on DuPont™ SHIELD Technology New polymers based on SHIELD technology, including two grades of Zytel® HTN PPA, constitute one of the innovations to be presented by DuPont at K 2010. As with the first wave of nylon products based on the same technology and launched as DuPont™ Zytel® PLUS nylon in March this year, these new additions will deliver excellent performance levels which are maintained much longer than traditional nylons despite exposure to hot oil, hot air, calcium chloride and other aggressive automotive chemicals. Benefits for the automotive industry include polymer components with enhanced durability, while maintaining the design and processing ease familiar with nylon, for even greater opportunities to replace metal for cost and weight savings.
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Advanced solutions for health care components By John Gavenonis, Global Health Care Manager – DuPont Performance Polymers With the recent introduction of several new grades of DuPont engineering polymers that are specially designed to meet demanding health care requirements for use – and the scheduled launch of a further two during 2010 – the company is actively pursuing its objective to become the material supplier of choice to the health care segment. Utilizing the company’s expertise and long experience in polymer science, quality and application development, DuPont offers one of the broadest portfolios of specialty engineering plastics and thermoplastic elastomers for the global medical products market. Dedicated health care application development teams in North America and Europe provide customers with the material advice and technical support required to gain the highest performance from these materials. Examples of specialty products for the health care sector include DuPont™ Delrin® acetal resins. With key properties such as high strength, stiffness and toughness, Delrin® has the most metallike behavior of any unreinforced plastic, and enables the cost-effective production of components with the maximum reliability and safety. Alternatively, there is the flexibility of DuPont™ Hytrel® TPC-ET – a plasticizer-free, PVC-free and BPA-free thermoplastic polyester elastomer available in a range of durometers from Shore 30D to Shore 82D. Retaining its flexibility and mechanical properties over a wide
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The Bardo™ Airway – a combined biteblock and airway range of temperatures, potential uses of Hytrel® include soft-touch/grip surfaces, valves, seals, springs, shock absorbers, tubing and noise management parts. Further health care-related benefits of the semi-crystalline polymers available from DuPont include their high resistance to many of the chemicals used for analysis, cleaning and disinfection, their barrier properties to prevent water transmission or oxygen permeation, and their excellent performance in a number of sterilization processes – making them ideal materials for a variety of single-use and multiple use medical and surgical devices. In particular, the ability to use DuPont polymers to form geometrically complicated parts with fewer steps through rapid production cycles extend the availability of less expensive, single-use medical devices to new markets including the developing world. ‘Special’ and ‘Premium Control’ grades The DuPont Performance Polymers health care product offering provides food agency compliance (FDA and EFSA) as well as USP Class VI and ISO 10993-5 and -11 compliance. They are available in two versions, each reflecting different levels of manufacturing control and material testing. Fifteen of the products are available as ‘Special Control’ grades that meet very high standards of manufacturing consistency important for a wide range of nonimplantable medical products. Thirteen of the grades are available in ’Premium Con-
trol’ versions meeting requirements for even more demanding manufacturing controls, broader regulatory support, additional testing, DMF access and the highest level of inspection. Both ’Premium Control’ and ‘Special Control’ grades are produced according to good manufacturing practice (GMP) guidelines. A prime example of the use of DuPont plastic to address a pertinent health care challenge is provided by the recently launched Bardo™ Airway – a patent-pending, combined bite block and airway from a company of the same name based in California, US. With dental and oral injuries found to occur in approximately 18 percent of cases of surgery and anesthesia, the Bardo Airway, manufactured from a Special Control grade of Hytrel®, minimizes dental injury by shifting jaw clenching forces from the weaker incisors to the stronger molars while lifting the tongue from the posterior pharynx to provide an open airway. The product is molded using Hytrel® because of the material’s unique combination of the strength required to protect from bite forces and the flex modulus necessary to displace the tongue and open the airway. It is also compliant with the required regulations for the application and addresses environmental health concerns with its plasticizer-free/BPA-free formulation. http://healthcare.dupont.com The Bardo™ Airway is a trademark of InfoHealthNetwork, Inc.
Engineering Design – September 2010
New photovoltaic application facility in Geneva Shortly after the start of 2010, DuPont opened the Meyrin Photovoltaic Application Laboratory at its European Technical Center near Geneva, Switzerland, to address the needs of the fast-growing photovoltaic market. The unique combination of material development and PV module characterization under one roof will enable the laboratory to advance state-of-the-art solar module design, accelerate time to market in photovoltaic innovation and deliver cost-effective, high-performance solutions for the photovoltaic industry. It will also enable technology collaborations at module level between DuPont and customers, industrial partners, institutes and academia. "The laboratory demonstrates
DuPont's growing commitment to the PV industry and will use our unique capabilities in integrated sciences to drive innovations faster to our customers," confirms Uma Chowdhry, senior vice president and chief science and technology officer at DuPont. DuPont materials and technology have been at the forefront of photovoltaic innovation for more than 25 years, with more than ten products critical to photovoltaic production. They are designed to work together to help increase the efficiency and lifetime of crystalline silicon and thin film photovoltaic solar modules, while reducing total systems cost and enabling the photovoltaic industry to reach grid parity faster.
Drawn from its performance polymer portfolio, DuPont™ Rynite® PET resins offer an excellent balance of properties which make this family of resins an ideal candidate for the costeffective manufacturing of photovoltaic module frames and components. Already a proven leader in precision-molded connectors, housings, coil winding forms and similar applications, glass-reinforced Rynite® offers an ideal combination of toughness, rigidity, creep resistance, UV stability and lowwarpage behavior when molding. Used for the mass production and assembly of rigid PV modules frames, junction boxes and interconnect components, Rynite® can help reduce system manufacturing costs and improve the speed and ease of module installation.
DuPont strengthens its support for automotive customers in China
“The investment in our automotive capabilities in China is the next stage of our vision to create a strong network of automotive development and support centers around the world, evaluation. Later this year, the center New facilities at the Shanghai R&D including those already established in will also strengthen its capability to Center in China will enhance DuPont’s Troy in the US, Meyrin in Europe and support application development promaterial property and part testing Nagoya in Japan, ” comments Patrick grams in the rapidly growing automocapability for automotive applications, Ferronato, Global Automotive Marketincluding fatigue property, NVH (Noise, tive market in China for safety, comfort ing Director at DuPont. “This network and fuel efficiency. According to the Vibration, Harshness) and impact simstrengthens our ability to leverage, so ulation testing under different environ- China Association of Automobile Manthat solutions to reduce CO2 emissions ufacturers, sales of all vehicles in ments. The center already provides China during 2009 rose 47 percent to customers with a one-stop service on and fuel consumption, or to promote 10.3 million. The expected increase new material development and selecalternative energies, can be put to this year is 10-20 percent. tion, part design, prototyping and part work more quickly and effectively.” New solutions from DuPont Performance Polymers for the automotive sector include materials for m lightweighting (cf. DuPont™ R&D Technical Center Zytel® PLUS), which transm m m R&D, Technical Center, lates to reduced fuel European m R&D R&D, Technical Center usage and carbon Technical Center Application Development Automotive Development reduction, new materim Center m m als to help bring safer, R&D Design Center, more energy-dense m Laboratory and cost-effective Laboratory HEV- and PHEV-driven m vehicles to market (cf. Technical Center & DuPont™ Zytel® HTN Laboratory m EF grades) and alternaTechnical Center tive-fuel resistant matem rials to help embrace new, Laboratory DuPont Performance Polymers offers its customers a truly global more bio-based fuels (cf. network of laboratories, R&D facilities and technical centers DuPont™ Viton® and Vamac®).
Engineering Design – Setpember 2010
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DuPont polymers for the ultimate stroller By Laurent Hanen, Development Consultant – DuPont Performance Polymers France
The BABYZEN™ stroller designed by the French company Advanced Baby Concepts (ABC) is a new and innovative foldable stroller with a focus on comfort, practicality and safety containing over 80 components molded from DuPont engineering polymers.
The BABYZEN™ has been designed with the purpose of providing parents and children (from birth to 20 kg) with luxury and functionality combined with the greatest operating comfort and safety. As a result the stroller has a patented, single-hand folding mechanism, allowing the stroller to be folded and unfolded again in a matter of seconds. Once collapsed, it is just 25 centimetres deep (including the seat and folded wheels), making it easier to fit into the boot of some of the smallest urban cars. The stroller weighs less than 10 kilograms and can be easily pulled along in its folded state, with two wheels on the handle bar acting as trolley wheels. Providing for the safety of parent and child is an internationally-patented safety warning light.
Many of the components used for the stroller’s patented folding mechanism are unobtrusively hidden within the stroller’s chassis
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Starting with an all-metal prototype in 2007, the design team invited DuPont to work with them from an early stage to look at which parts could be feasibly made using engineering polymers. “We wanted to create the market’s first premium branded stroller, and to therefore select from the best materials available,” recalls Julien Chaudeurge, CEO of Advanced Baby Concepts SAS. “We chose DuPont as our material supplier because of the truly technical nature of our design.” The launch model of the BABYZEN™ now includes over 80 components made of either DuPont™ Delrin® acetal resin, DuPont™ Zytel® nylon or DuPont™ Zytel® HTN PPA. This includes, for instance numerous cams, pinions and shafts used within the stroller’s patented folding mechanism – unobtrusively hidden within the chassis of the stroller – which are made of dimensionally-stable, fatigue- and creep-resistant Delrin®, whose low-noise behavior in components coming into contact with other parts was also key. Parts made with glass-reinforced Zytel® include the brake pedals, swivels arms of the wheels, the seat-base, footrest and handlebar, where the nylon’s renowned strength and stiffness come to the fore. Production of the BABYZEN™, and its subsequent assembly, is undertaken by a supplier in Hong Kong, where the company has built a dedicated plant. As with any new pushchair, the BABYZEN™ is legally required to comply with the European Standard EN 1888:2003. This includes, for example, passing the stroller over an irregular test surface 72,000
times at a speed of 5 km/h to test how it will stand up to a life of uneven pavements, potholes and kerbs. “DuPont helped us extensively in developing this innovative design,” concludes Julien Chaudeurge. “Their help included advice on the choice of the optimum resin for the parts, design guidance for rapid, trouble-free moulding, mould flow analysis and finite element analysis. We have been delighted with their support from the start of the project through to its completion.” BABYZEN™ is a trademark of Advanced Baby Concepts SAS
Contact Advanced Baby Concepts – SAS 9, rue de la Carraire 13770 Venelles, France julien.chaudeurge@babyzen.com www.babyzen.com
Engineering Design – September 2010
The industry’s broadest portfolio of renewably-sourced polymers By Marsha Craig, Global Business Manager – Renewable Sourced Materials at DuPont Performance Polymers In line with its motto of “Responsible Innovation Now”, DuPont has taken the performance of plastics to new frontiers, whilst seeking to reduce its own environmental footprint and those of its customers. True to its strategy of offering polymers that are at least 20 percent renewably sourced and have equal or better performance than the entirely petrochemically-based materials they replace, DuPont now has the industry’s broadest range of high-performance, renewablysourced polymers offering comparable performance to existing product lines. What this means for its customers is that they no longer have to choose between performance and environmental improvements. Not only can these products help reduce dependence on fossil fuel but, in many instances, they also reduce the net production of greenhouse gases and energy consumption in the manufacturing process when compared to incumbent petroleum-based products. With today's innovative technologies, all this can be achieved without compromising performance. Appli-
cations for renewably sourced products cross numerous industries and markets. Three families of polymers Currently there are three families of highperformance, renewably-sourced engineering polymers available from DuPont Performance Polymers. DuPont™ Sorona® EP thermoplastic polymers, which are available in glass-reinforced and unreinforced grades, contain on average 35 percent renewable content by weight. Sorona® EP performs and processes similarly to PBT in molded automotive parts, electrical components and industrial or consumer goods. DuPont™ Hytrel® RS thermoplastic elastomers contain 35% to 65% renewably sourced material and are made using renewably-sourced polyol derived from plant feedstocks. Properties include excellent flex fatigue and flexibility at low temperatures and high impact resistance. DuPont’s family of DuPont™ Zytel® RS long chain nylons, based on sebacic acid extracted from castor-oil plants , includes Zytel® RS polyamide 1010, which is 98 percent renewably sourced, and Zytel® RS polyamide 610, which is more than 58 percent by weight renewably sourced. Seven different grades now are commercial. Despite recent economic difficulties, customer demand for bio-based polymers continues to be strong, and
Engineering Design – September 2010
customers have already announced commercial adoptions in automotive, sporting goods and household applications. Most recently in Europe, an ‘organic’ version of the fischer UX Universal Plug UX, which is made of renewably-sourced DuPont™ Zytel® RS nylon, was presented by the fischer group of companies of Waldachtal, Germany. The grade of Zytel® RS used in the new wall plug has a renewablysourced content by weight of 58 percent. In continuous tests, the ‘organic’ plug has consistently shown the same retaining values as the conventional UX Universal Plug. Investigations involving the performance at high temperatures also show the same temperature resistance for both plugs. Sustainable solutions in packaging In addition to its portfolio of renewably sourced engineering resins, DuPont also offers renewably sourced products for the packaging market, including DuPont™ Biomax® PTT injection moldable resin. Biomax® PTT is a new high performance hybrid biomaterial that helps high-end packaging to reduce environmental footprint with no compromise on aesthetics and performance requirements. It is made in part from renewable feedstocks, contains up to 37% renewably sourced content by weight and provides performance similar to PBT in moulding applications.
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New polymer food contact products introduced By Bill Hassink, Global Segment Leader Food Grades – DuPont Performance Polymers
DuPont Performance Polymers recently launched a new family of products, designated “FG” (Food Grade), that meet demanding requirements for use in food contact applications. The introduction of these new materials makes the DuPont offering one of the broadest portfolios of engineering plastics and thermoplastic elastomers for food contact applications and is based on the company’s expertise and long experience in polymer science, quality, safety and regulatory compliance. The DuPont FG portfolio consists of numerous products including DuPont™ Hytrel® TPC-ET, DuPont™ Delrin® POM, DuPont™ Zytel® HTN PPA, DuPont™ Crastin® PBT, DuPont™Zytel® 6, 6/6 and 6/12 nylon, DuPont™ Rynite® PET and DuPont™ Sorona® EP PTT. All FG products provide compliance with several regional regulations including FDA (Food and Drug Administration), European Food Contact n° 2002/72/EC and GMP (EC) n° 2023/2006, and are available globally. Additional specialty food grade products are being devel-
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oped from the company’s broad portfolio of performance polymers including its renewably sourced offerings as additional customer needs become evident. The FG, Food Grade, initiative brings to manufacturers the benefits of DuPont’s expertise in science, technology, quality and safety in manufacturing, and regulatory compliance. The company has a broad product portfolio that can meet a wide range of application needs, global manufacturing and supply strength, and long experience in
delivering expert assistance to molders. Typical market applications for food-contact approved, high performance polymers from DuPont include food and beverage processing equipment, material handling technology such as conveyor chains and belts, food packaging, household appliances and components for fluid handling. Common criteria for the selection of DuPont engineering polymers in such applications include the replacement of metal for part consolidation, reduced maintenance, selflubrication and a reduction in weight and noise. For instance, in a recent application from Spain, a food-approved grade of DuPont™ Zytel ® HTN PPA is used to produce three components (the pitcher lid, pitcher support and insulating ring) found in the Mycook food processor from the Taurus Group. The particular grade selected by Taurus, Zytel ® HTN FG52G35HSL, retains its mechanical properties such as strength, stiffness and toughness when exposed to heat and moisture in this application over a multitude of cycles and – as its name implies – is approved for use in food applications. The associated benefits for the consumer include the facilitated handling of the pitcher – due to its reduced weight – as well as the reduced risk of breakage or scalding of the user, thanks to the material’s heat insulation performance. Moreover, the attractive polymer components are also easyto-clean. More information about the use of DuPont Performance Polymers in food contact applications can be found at http://food.plastics.dupont.com or by contacting DuPont.
Engineering Design – September 2010
New applications in food processing By Glen Barber, Sales Manager at DuPont Performance Polymers UK
One of the first commercial applications of foodcontact-approved, metaldetectable DuPont™ Delrin® in Europe reflects the enhanced potential for metal replacement in food processing applications. The use of high performance thermoplastics to replace metal in the food processing industry applications bring with it the potential to produce lighter, lower cost and corrosion resistant components often with superior performance. Their adoption to date, however, has been limited for fear of broken or loose plastic parts contaminating the food and not being detected by existing metal detection systems.
It is against this background that DuPont Performance Polymers recently introduced new DuPont™ Delrin® FG400MTD acetal resin with the aim of opening up more applications in food processing. Made with a proprietary metal filler, it can be detected by most metal-sensing equipment in the unlikely event of a part’s entry into the process stream. The new, food-contact-approved resin shares the established attributes of Delrin® that have led to a wide range of applications such as conveyors, including low wear and friction and a combination of mechanical properties highly suitable for conveyor components. One of the first customers to benefit from this new grade is Miles Platts of Leicester (England), a leading manufacturer of thermoplastic coil bobbins with a long history of partnership with DuPont. It had approached Ishida Europe, a provider of food and non-food weighing and packaging solutions – to identify opportunities for metal to plastic replacement projects using engineering polymers. The outcome was the substitution of stainless steel food hoppers, used for the accurate dispensing of ‘sticky’ foodstuffs, with Delrin® FG400MTD in an innovative design that combined the low friction capability of the material with a low surface contact area, thereby significantly improving the feeding of high-adhesion foodstuffs. Because the food hoppers undergo a series of cleaning operations, including aqueous washes in acids and alkaline mixtures, the chemical resistance of the new material was seen as a critical factor. Miles Platts molded test trays in metal-detectable Delrin® which were exposed to the end-userscleaning regime over periods of 20 to 80 hours. DuPont subsequently carried out a series of extensive analysis tests using scanning electron microscopy to demonstrate the retention of the material’s properties.
Engineering Design – September 2010
DuPont in the UK also carried out extensive moldflow analysis of the design and made a number of recommendations in terms of gate design to optimize processing and part performance. Upon approval of the design by Ishida, Miles Platts commissioned production tools to be manufactured in China. Engineers from DuPont's technical center in China attended several trials at the tool maker together with Miles Platts staff. Commercial production of the hoppers started in the UK in 2009, with Miles Platts becoming the first customer in the UK – and only the second in Europe – to use Delrin® FG400MTD.
Contact Miles Platts Limited Unit Z, Blaby Industrial Estate, Winchester Avenue, Leicester LE8 4GZ, United Kingdom www.milesplatts.co.uk
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Egypt Du Pont Products S.A. 48, El-Nasr St. New Maadi 10th Floor ET-Cairo Tel. +202 75 465 80 Fax +202 75 465 83 España Du Pont Ibérica S.L. Edificio L’Illa Avda. Diagonal 561 E-08029 Barcelona Tel. +34 93 227 60 00 Fax +34 93 227 62 00 France Du Pont de Nemours (France) S.A.S. Défense Plaza 23/25, rue Delarivière-Lefoullon La Défense 9 F-92800 Puteaux Tel. +33 1 41 97 44 00 Fax +33 1 47 53 09 67 Hellas Biesterfeld Hellas Intralink S.A. Trading Establishment 149, AG. Triados Menidi Acharnes GR-13671 Athens Tel. +30 210 24 02 900 Fax +30 210 24 02 141 Israël Gadot Chemical Terminals (1985) Ltd. 16 Habonim Street Netanya - South Ind. Zone IL-42504 Netanya Tel. +972 9 892 95 52 Fax +972 9 865 33 81 Italia DuPont de Nemours Italiana S.r.L. Centro Direzionale “Villa Fiorita” Via Piero Gobetti, 2/C I-20063 Cernusco s/N (MI) Tel. +39 02 92629.1 (switchboard) Fax +39 02 92107755 Magyarország DuPont Magyarország Kft. Neuman Janos u.1 HU-2040 Budaörs Tel. +36 23 509 400 Fax +36 23 509 432 Maroc Serviced by Biesterfeld Iberica S.L. see under Portugal
Russia DuPont Science and Technologies LLC. Krylatskaya str., 17, kor.3 121614 Moscow Tel. +7 495 797 22 00 Fax +7 495 797 22 01 Schweiz / Suisse / Svizzera Biesterfeld Plastic Suisse GmbH Dufourstrasse 21, Postfach 14695 CH-4010 Basel Tel. +41 61 201 31 50 Fax +41 61 201 31 69 Slovenija Serviced by Biesterfeld Interowa GmbH & Co. KG. See under Österreich. Suomi / Finland Du Pont Suomi Oy PO Box 54 (Keilaranta 12) FIN-02150 Espoo Tel. +358 207 890 500 Fax +358 207 890 501 Sverige Serviced by Du Pont Danmark ApS. See under Danmark.
Requests for further information from countries not listed above should be sent to: Du Pont de Nemours International S.A. 2, chemin du Pavillon CH-1218 Le Grand-Saconnex/Geneva Tel. +41 22 717 51 11 Fax +41 22 717 52 00 NORTH AMERICA USA DuPont Performance Polymers Chestnut Run Plaza, Bldg. 713, P O Box 800713 Wilmington, Delaware 19880-0713 Tel: 302-999-4592 DuPont Automotive 950 Stephenson Highway P.O. Box 7013 Troy, Michigan 48007-7013 Tel. +1 248 583 8000 Canada E.I. du Pont Canada Company Box 2200 Streetsville Mississauga, Ontario L5M 2H3 Tel. +1 905-821-5193 +1-800-387-2122 Fax +1 905 821 5057 Information@can.dupont.com Mexico DuPont S.A. de C.V. Homero 206 Col. Chapultepec Morales 11570 Mexico D.F. Tel. +525 722 1208 Fax +525 722 1454 SOUTH AMERICA Argentina Du Pont Argentina S.A. Avda. Mitre y Calle 5 (B1880EED) Berazategui-Bs.As. Tel. +54 11 4239 3865 Fax +54 11 4239 3817 Brasil DuPont do Brasil S.A. Al. Itapecuru, 506 Alphaville 06454-080 Barueri-Sao Paulo Tel. +55 11 4166 8299 Fax +55 11 4166 8513 ASIA-PACIFIC Australia DuPont (Australia) Ltd. Level 16, 168 Walker Street North Sydney NSW 2060 Australia Tel. +61 2 9923 6111 Fax +61 2 9923 6011
Türkiye Du Pont Products S.A. Buyukdere Caddesi No. 122 Ozsezen Ismerkezi,A block, Kat: 3 Esentepe, 34394 Istanbul, Turkey Tel. +90 212 340 0400 Fax +90 212 340 0430
China Beijing Du Pont China Holding Co., Ltd. 18/F, Tower A, Gemdale Plaza No. 91 Jianguo Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100022, China Tel. +86-10-8557-1000 Fax. +86-10-8557-1888, 8557-1999
Ukraine DuPont Ukraine LLC Representative Office Business center "Podil Plaza" 30a, Spaska Street, Kyiv 04070 Tel. +380 44 4952670 Fax +380 44 4952671
China Shanghai DuPont (China) Research & Development and Management Co., Ltd. No. 600, Cailun Road, Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Pudong New District, Shanghai 201210, P.R. China Tel. +86-21-2892-1000 Fax. +86-21-2892-1234
United Kingdom Du Pont (U.K.) Limited Wedgwood Way Stevenage Herts, SG1 4QN Tel. +44 14 38 73 40 00 Fax +44 14 38 73 41 09 South Africa DuPont de Nemours Société Anonyme South African Branch Office 4th floor Outspan House 1006 Lenchen Avenue North Centurion, Pretoria 0046 Tel. +27 12 683 5600 Fax +27 12 683 5661
http://plastics.dupont.com
DuPont China Holding Co. Ltd., Shanghai Branch 399 Keyuan Road, Bldg. 11 Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park Pudong New District, Shanghai 201203, P.R. China Tel. +86-21-3862-2888 Fax. +86-21-3862-2889 China Shenzhen Du Pont China Holding Co., Ltd. Chegongmiao Industrial Area, District No. 5 Shenzhen, Guangdong 518040, P.R. China Tel. +86-755-8330-7848 Fax. +86-755-8330-0760
Japan DuPont Kabushiki Kaisha Sanno Park Tower, 11-1 Nagata-cho 2-chome Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-6111, Japan Tel. +81-3 5521 8500 Fax +81-3 5521 2595 Hong Kong Du Pont China Ltd. 26th Floor, The Gateway, Tower 6 9 Canton Road, Tsimshatsui Kowloon, Hong Kong Tel. +852 2734 5345 Fax +852-2724 4458 India E I DuPont India Private Limited Elnet Software City, TS140, Block 2 & 9 3rd Floor, Module 31 Rajiv Gandhi Road Taramani, Chennai 600 113 Tel. +91-44 22542701 Fax +91-44 22542710 Indonesia DuPont Far East Inc. Menara Mulia, Suite 501 Jl. Jend. Gatot Subroto Kav 9 - 11 Jakarta 12930, Indonesia Tel. +62-21 522 2555 Fax +62-21 522 2565 Korea DuPont (Korea) Inc. 3-5th Floor, Asia Tower #726, Yeoksam-dong, Kangnam-Ku Seoul 135-082, Korea Tel. +82-2-2222 5200 Fax. +82-2-2222 5470
Crastin® pbt
Sorona®ep
thermoplastic polyester resin
thermoplastic polymers
Delrin®
Vamac®
acetal resin
ethylene acrylic elastomer (aem)
DuPont™ etpv engineering thermoplastic vulcanisate
Hytrel®
Vespel® parts and shapes
Viton®
thermoplastic polyester elastomer
fluoroelastomer
Kalrez®
Viton® FreeFlow™
perfluorelastomer parts
processing aid
Minlon®
Zytel®
mineral reinforced nylon resin
nylon resin
Neoprene
Zytel® htn
polychloroprene
high performance polyamide
Rynite® pet thermoplastic polyester resin
Zytel® PLUS nylon resin
The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont™, The miracles of science™ and all products denoted with ® or ™ are registered trademarks or trademarks of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company or its affiliates.
New Zealand DuPont (New Zealand) Ltd. 98 Kerrs Road, Manukau City Auckland, New Zealand Tel. +64-9 268 5500 Fax +64-9 268 5490 Malaysia DuPont Far East Inc. 6th Floor, Wisma Samudra, No. 1, Jln. Kontraktor U1/14, Hicom-Glenmarie Ind. Park, 40150 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia Tel. +60-3-5569-3006 Fax. +60-3-5569-3001 Pakistan DuPont Pakistan Operations (Pvt) Ltd. Bahria Complex I, 2nd Floor MT Khan Road Karachi 74000, Pakistan Tel. +92-21 561 1110 Fax +92-21 561 1430 Philippines DuPont Far East Inc. 8/F., Solid Bank Building 777 Paseo de Roxas 1226 Makati City, Philippines Tel. +63-2 818 9911 Fax +63-2 818 9659 Singapore DuPont Company (S) Pte Ltd 1 HarbourFront Place #11-01 HarbourFront Tower One Singapore 098633 Tel. +65 6586 3688 Fax +65 6272 7494 Taiwan DuPont Taiwan Ltd. 13/F., No. 167, Tun Hua North Road Taipei 10590, Taiwan Tel. +886-2 2719 1999 Fax +886-2 2719 0852 Thailand DuPont (Thailand) Limited 6-7th Floor, M. Thai Tower All Seasons Place, 87 Wireless Road Lumpini, Phatumwan Bangkok 10330, Thailand Tel. +66-2 659 4000 Fax +66-2 659 4001 Vietnam DuPont Far East Inc. 12th Floor, Central Plaza Building, 17 Le Duan Blvd., District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Tel. +84-8 824 3192 Fax +84-8 824 3191
The electronic version of Engineering Design Magazine can be found on our website. Click on "Knowledge Center"
Publisher:
DuPont Engineering Polymers 2, ch. du Pavillon CH-1218 Le Grand-Saconnex Geneva Switzerland Tel.: +41 22 717 51 11 Fax: +41 22 580 22 35
Contact:
Rémi Daneyrole remi.daneyrole@dupont.com
Editor:
Andrew Wilkins PR andrew.wilkins@btconnect.com
Layout:
Konsens PR GmbH & Co. KG mail@konsens.de
Engineering Design is published in English, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish by Du Pont de Nemours International S.A. P.O.Box 50, CH-1218 Le Grand-Saconnex Geneva, Switzerland. The information set forth herein is furnished free of charge and is based on technical data that DuPont believes to be reliable. It is intended for use by persons having technical skill at their own discretion and risk. DuPont makes no warranties, express or implied, and assumes no liability in connection with any use of this information. © 2010 E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company L-14510