2008-03-08 Manufacturing News

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New Ultraform grades for extrusion blow molding

Hollow objects with demanding requirements like hairspray bottles, paint cans or oil tanks can now be made of polyoxymethylene by means of extrusion blow molding.

In comparison to containers made of polyethylene (PE), Ultraform* E3120 BM, now available in commercial quantities, displays considerable better barrier properties against gases and are resistant to many types of media such as alcohol or oil.

Be it hairspray bottles, paint cans or oil tanks – thanks to BASF’s new Ultraform E3120 BM, hollow objects with demanding requirements can now be made of polyoxymethylene (POM) by means of extrusion blow molding. In comparison to containers made of polyethylene (PE), they display considerable better barrier properties against gases such as oxygen, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Ultraform E3120 BM is resistant to many types of media such as alcohol, oil and hydrocarbons, and moreover, it can be sterilized with hot steam.

Hollow but strong, Ultraform (POM) can now be used in blow molding. View High resolution image. photo: BASF - The Chemical Company, 2008

Shown in photo at right
Strain-hardening - this is the astonishing property of BASF’s new POM grade: The plastic Ultraform E3120 BM can be used in blow molding and it is now commercially available as of March. It will allow the efficient and cost-effective production of chemical-resistant and translucent hollow objects. Suitable applications include oil tanks, containers for coolants or AdBlue, hairspray cans, bottles for cosmetics and many other containers that are today being made of glass, metal or expensive multilayered composites.

Easy to process, translucent and chemical-resistant
“The new Ultraform exhibits a very high melt stiffness which means that it is ideal for processing by means of extrusion blow molding. Consequently, it opens up completely new possibilities for the production of hollow objects and containers,” explains Dr. Rainer Anderlik, head of BASF’s Ultraform Marketing Europe. Due to the optimized crystallization behavior the material offers a wide processing window, so that the blow molding process can be cost-efficiently automated. The high stretchability of the plastic melt gives access to applications with thin-walled sections. Since this translucent material accurately replicates the mold surfaces and is easy to dye, bottles for nail polish removers and other cosmetics, cans for solvents and paints, tanks for coolants and brake fluids as well as pressurized containers such as spray cans now can be smartly designed. Another option would be to add barrier layers to co-extruded films. The hollow objects made of the new POM grade are cost-effective to manufacture and actually weigh less than containers made of metal or glass. Furthermore, BASF experts can support customers when it comes to the design and construction of blow molded parts.

The brand name Ultraform relates to BASF’s plastics belonging to the POM family (polyoxymethylene, also polyacetal). Due to their high strength and stiffness, chemical resistance and good resilience properties, these materials cover a wide range of applications. Ultraform can be used to manufacture technical parts such as gear wheels, ball bearings or clips, also fuel pumps, loudspeaker grills, parts for toys as well as the brewing units of many commercially available coffee machines.

Ultraform (POM) is resistant to water, aqueous solutions of salts and most common organic solvents, such as alcohols, esters, ketones, aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, and also to fuels - including M 15 and biological diesel - as well as to greases and oils, braking fluids and coolants at relatively high temperatures. Only a few solvents are known which dissolve Ultraform at elevated temperatures.

Ultraform advantages are:

• high rigidity and stiffness
• good resilience properties
• excellent resistance to chemicals
• dimensional stability
• low water absorption
• low tendency to creep
• excellent sliding friction properties

Ultraform is the brand name for BASF’s polyoxymethylene product range. It comprises versatile engineering plastics having a wide array of properties designed for use in sophisticated components that are capable of withstanding high stresses. It serves other process other than extrusion blow molding as well.

Thick-walled hollow and solid profiles are usually manufactured by the cooled-die extrusion method.

* Trademark of BASF.

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