Ever more stringent requirements placed on the static and dynamic load-bearing capacity of plastic components – including those used to substitute metals – are increasingly demanding the use of high-strength carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastics, based for example on PPA, PPS, PEEK as well as PEI, PES and PPSU. With these materials it is possible to achieve strength levels similar to those of aluminium, with a tensile strength of up to 365 MPa and an elastic modulus of 30 GPa.
However, such components are now commonly having to fulfil additional functional demands as well. These include the dissipation of electrostatic charge on the surface as well as heat energy generated in thermal processes such as in casing interiors.
By using different, selectively composed additive combinations – including nanostructures – it is possible to produce plastics with a property profile of this kind. The LUVOCOM® business unit of Lehmann&Voss&Co. develops and produces these special high-performance compounds based on all technical and high-temperature resistant thermoplastics. A key focus in the work of this unit is always to change the properties of the base material as little as possible.