Packaging
New “Ticona Green Electronics” quality seal from Ticona
Tuesday 21. October 2008 - In recent years Greenpeace has made it their business toencourage manufacturers in the IT industry to stop using pollutants andmaterials harmful to health.
Those Greenpeace initiatives, new environmental protection guidelines such as RoHS and WEEE and an increasingenvironmental awareness among consumers are moving more and more manufacturersto search for ways to make their products more environmentally friendly.Ticona, one of the worlds leading manufacturers of engineering polymers,provides the appropriate plastics – a real business opportunity for IT suppliers.
The IT manufacturers are primarily concerned with the salability oftheir products through recyclability, the use of plastics that contain nounsafe materials and the voluntary elimination of the use of PVC. There havealready been pioneers in the industry: Even without statutory prohibitions,Nokia, Sony and Apple have stopped using PVC and flame retardant agents thatcontain halogens such as chlorides or bromides.
Safety must not suffer
One problem is that some of the “green” plastics previously used have adirect adverse effect on safety, offering little or no flame-retardingfunction. Fire statistics over the past three decades show that the increasinguse of flame-retardant products has accompanied a considerable reduction in thenumber of fire-related deaths. “To protect human life, property and theenvironment, polymer components must ensure the highest fire safety standards,”insists Dr. Jürgen Troitzsch, fire protection expert based in Wiesbaden, Germany.Ticona offers proof that manufacturers need not compromise in the production of”green” electronic devices. Under the “Ticona Green Electronics” quality seal,Ticona presents innovative plastics that are environmentally friendly andflame-retardant at the same time.
VectraLCP: A safe bet its eco-friendly
The liquid crystalline polymer Vectra LCP meets the basic requirementsfor “Green Electronics”. This polymer doesnt need any additional flameretardant agents such as halogens. It is inherently (without additives)flame-retardant and withstands continuous exposure to temperatures of up to240°C and short-term exposure to temperatures of up to 360°C. VectraLCP contains no heavy metals, chlorides or bromides, thereby making it possibleto produce electronic components in an environmentally friendly, safe andphysiologically safe manner. Moreover, this high-performance plastic iscompletely recyclable and its UL 94 V-0 approval means it is also completelysafe for use in the USA and Canada.According to Dr. Alexandra Jacobs-Hattwig, Technical Marketing at Ticona:
“I know of no other polymers in this price class that combines these uniqueadvantages like Vectra – green and safe.”
Liquid crystalline polymers:Versatility as recipe for success
In terms of production costs LCP is also extremely attractive for the E/Eindustry. Its combination of low melt viscosity and high impact resistancemakes it possible to create very thin-walled connectors. This, in turn, permitsmaterials savings and further miniaturizations. Shorter production times arepossible thanks to its very low heat of fusion. These many advantages combineto make E/E components not only safe and “green”, but also competitive: Idealconditions for manufacturing notebooks, cell phones and flat screens -especially for connectors, chip sockets and memory cards. For specialelectrical applications, e.g. lamp fixtures, Ticona also offers other plasticsolutions under the “Ticona Green Electronics” seal.
“Ticona Green Electronics” quality seal
The newly developed “Ticona Green Electronics” quality seal stands foreco-friendly and safe products that contain no halogens or heavy metals. The”environmental protection” and “safety” aspects are symbolized by the two-partleaf in the quality seal.
The liquid crystalline polymer Vectra LCP is superior to otherhigh-temperature polymers in terms of precision, strength and insulationproperties. The various grades offer a range of melting points, temperatureresistance, stiffness and flowability. As the basic polymers can be compoundedwith a vast array of fillers and reinforcing materials, they can be tailoredfor virtually any application area. And Vectra LCP also scores highmarks for cost-reduction with one of its unique product properties: It can beused to produce extremely thin-walled components. Low material consumption andthe faster production keep the cost per part competitive.style=’mso-ansi-language:EN-US’>
RoHS & WEEE: Regulations of theEuropean Union on the use of pollutants in electrical and electronic equipment(Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive, RoHS) and on the disposal of waste equipment (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive, WEEE).