Covestro Press

Polycarbonate protects the heart of electric mobility

Wed, 12 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0200

The automotive industry is in a state of upheaval worldwide. Alternative drive technologies, new forms of connectivity and autonomous driving necessitate completely new vehicle concepts. One of Covestro's current focal points is the use of polycarbonate plastics in electric vehicles.

The heart of future electric cars and hybrid vehicles is a lithium-ion battery. In order to position a large number of battery cells precisely and in a small space, cell holders and frames as well as housing components must be very dimensionally stable and mechanically robust. Depending on the design principle of the battery pack, the material must also be flame-retardant and meet category V-0 of Underwriters Laboratories' UL94 flammability classification even at low wall thicknesses down to 0.75 millimeters.

High-performance plastic solutions for battery housings
Covestro has many years of experience in encapsulating lithium-ion batteries for laptops and other electronic devices. To achieve this, the company has developed various polycarbonate blends that meet these requirements and are also extremely impact-resistant over a wide temperature range – especially at sub-zero temperatures. At the Fakuma 2018 trade fair, the company will present various battery modules, cell holders, crash absorbers and other products at its stand number 4206 in Hall B4.

“When it comes to cell holders and the integration of battery cells into modules, flame protection is particularly important.” explains Dr. Julian Marschewski from Covestro. The electric mobility expert adds: “The properties of the materials used in the battery environment play a decisive role in passing the many functional and safety tests on the finished component and contribute to the battery's safe operation over its entire life cycle."

Tailor-made materials
A flame-retardant polycarbonate ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) blend of the Bayblend^® FR type is ideal for cell holders and battery modules. It is temperature-resistant and dimensionally stable, and the parts can be produced efficiently with injection molding. The plastic is also used in mobile GreenPack rechargeable batteries from the Berlin-based manufacturer of the same name.

The crash absorber exhibited at Fakuma 2018 is made of the PC-PBT (polybutylene-terephthalate) Makroblend^® KU-2 7912/4. The material has very high impact strength and particularly high ductility at low temperatures. The honeycomb structure contributes to the extreme impact resistance of the crash absorber.

Another special material is the highly filled polycarbonates of the Makrolon^® TC product family, which are already used for heat sinks in LED lamps, for example. These products are thermally conductive but also available as electrically insulating versions so they can contribute to the efficient thermal management of batteries.

Battery pack for tough conditions
Enduros have to be ready for all wind and weather conditions, but above all must withstand the toughest mechanical demands. In these off-road motorcycles, too, the trend is towards electric drive. Californian electric bike specialist Alta Motors is a leading manufacturer of such machines. The battery under the name Alta Pack is equipped with a jacket made of the extremely impact-resistant PC-PBT blend Makroblend^®.

Covestro continues to drive the safe integration of lithium-ion cells in the traction battery of electric vehicles forward. Next year, the company plans to actively participate in leading industry events such as the Battery Show from 5 to 7 May in Stuttgart and the Battery Experts Forum from 10 to 12 April in Frankfurt am Main.

About Covestro:
With 2017 sales of EUR 14.1 billion, Covestro is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, construction, wood processing and furniture, and electrical and electronics industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics, health and the chemical industry itself. Covestro has 30 production sites worldwide and employs approximately 16,200 people (calculated as full-time equivalents) at the end of 2017.

Find more information at www.covestro.com.
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Covestro

Forward-looking statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Covestro AG. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Covestro’s public reports which are available at www.covestro.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

Every biker would love to live out of this suitcase

Wed, 18 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0200

When the warm spring sun drives away the winter frost, it also arouses the wanderlust of motorcycle fans. Finally set off again, smell the asphalt and conquer the world! Take the machines out to get them ready to go and get started planning short trips or long distance tours. But no trip without luggage. What is the best way to store it? Which luggage systems can give the noble design of the bikes another kick, and which are light, robust, safe and easy to handle?

These are the questions the experts at Hepco&Becker GmbH, have in mind. The company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of high-quality luggage systems for motorcycles and is based in Pirmasens, Germany. The family business, which also specializes in tool cases, has put its accumulated know-how and many years of experience into a new side bag called the XCEED. The top loader was developed in cooperation with EGON Engineering Goes On, a technology consulting company from Memmingen, and its design is based on high-quality anodized aluminum and the impact-resistant Makroblend^® UT6007 plastic from Covestro.

Really tough
"With this combination of materials we make use of contemporary lines and shapes that lend the case elegance and value. At the same time, it is light and handy and can take a lot of punishment in everyday life without its appearance getting immediately damaged," explains Nils Arnold, specialist in design and development at Hepco&Becker.

The plastic is used for the base of the case, which weighs only 4.5 kilograms, the housings of the lid and case lock as well as the edges of the lid and the case body. In addition, the handles of the lid, which can be opened and removed from both sides, as well as accessories such as canister and drinking bottle holders are made of the polycarbonate and polybutylene terephthalate (PC+PBT) blend.

Matte, finely grained surface
"Our material has proven itself in many ways. For example, it is extremely low-temperature impact resistant so it hardly breaks and splinters even at low temperatures, which benefits safety," explains Thomas Vaillant, a plastics expert at Covestro. It is also particularly resistant to typical motorcycle fluids such as oils, greases and fuels as well as cleaning and maintenance products. In addition, matte, finely grained surfaces can be injection molded without any defects and they complement the aluminum look very well.

Good flowability and dimensional stability are another advantage of the elastomer-modified thermoplastic. They ensure that the partly filigree geometries are precisely reproduced, for example in the area of the locks, and that the complete case – it has a capacity of 38 liters – fits precisely into its support and the installation environment.

The different variants of the Makroblend^® UT series are also in demand in other motorcycle applications. For example, they are used to produce weatherproof and impact-resistant battery housings for electric motorcycles.

XCEED will appear on the market in mid-2018 and was already presented at the EICMA, Europe's largest motorcycle fair, in Milan November 2017. Detailed information about the side bag can be found at https://www.hepco-shop.de/?___store=english&___from_store=german.

About Covestro:
With 2017 sales of EUR 14.1 billion, Covestro is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, construction, wood processing and furniture, and electrical and electronics industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics, health and the chemical industry itself. Covestro has 30 production sites worldwide and employs approximately 16,200 people (calculated as full-time equivalents) at the end of 2017.

For more information please see www.covestro.com.
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/covestro

Forward-looking statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Covestro AG. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Covestro’s public reports which are available at www.covestro.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

Material partner of the medical equipment industry

Thu, 08 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0100

Chemical resistance and flame retardancy are key factors in material selection for medical equipment housings. Covestro offers a range of medical-grade materials that help today’s medical device manufacturers meet physical, chemical and environmental requirements.

Makroblend^® M4000 FR PC+PBT blend offers flame retardancy of V-0 at a thickness of 2 millimeters in the UL94 safety of flammability standard of Underwriters Laboratories, and 5VA at a thickness of 3 millimeters, and has superior chemical resistance.

Special requirements
The material is appropriate for skin contact applications and is biocompatible according to ISO 10993-5 (Cytotoxicity) and ISO10993-10 (Irritation and Sensitization). Other advantages include high toughness, reduced susceptibility to stress cracking, good flowability and high tensile modulus.

Due to these outstanding properties, Merz Pharma (http://www.merz.com), a global aesthetics and neurotoxin company headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, selected Makroblend^® M4000 FR PC+PBT blend from Covestro for the housing of the motor module of its Cellfina^® System. It is the only FDA-cleared, minimally invasive procedure shown to improve the appearance of cellulite for up to three years.

“We worked closely with Merz to select high-quality, proven materials for the system by providing chemical data, test plaques and custom color matching,” explains Richard Aldrich, business development manager – Southwest region, Polycarbonates, Covestro LLC. “The motor module is disinfected between uses with aggressive disinfectant wipes and needed the superior chemical resistance provided by the polycarbonate blend. This combined with the flame retardance of the material made it a superior choice for the product.”

Polycarbonate with good processing properties
The Cellfina^® System also features Makrolon^® 2458 polycarbonate in the sterilized disposable parts used with the system. This polycarbonate is ideal for medical devices as it is biocompatible according to many ISO 10993-1 test requirements. The lightweight material has easy-release properties and low viscosity for ease of processing.

Both Makroblend^® M4000 FR PC+PBT blend and Makrolon^® 2458 polycarbonate are durable enough to protect the device’s electronic components, yet are still aesthetically pleasing.

“Our role showcases commitment from Covestro to provide innovative solutions and technical support that meet the rigorous needs of the medical device industry,” says Lauren Zetts, North America market manager, Medical and Consumer Products – Polycarbonates, Covestro LLC.

Attendees at MD&M West Conference and Exposition (http://mdmwest.mddionline.com), Feb. 6-8, in Anaheim, California, can visit the company’s booth (#2221) for more details about medical applications and materials from Covestro.

About Covestro:
With 2016 sales of EUR 11.9 billion, Covestro is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, construction, wood processing and furniture, and electrical and electronics industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics, health and the chemical industry itself. Covestro has 30 production sites worldwide and employs approximately 15,600 people (calculated as full-time equivalents) at the end of 2016.

Find more information at www.covestro.com.
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CovestroGroup

Forward-looking statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Covestro AG. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Covestro’s public reports which are available at www.covestro.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.