2006-11-16

GE’s invention of totally new ultra-high-performance family of amorphous polymers answers the need for cost effective injection moldable resin with exceptional properties

GE Plastics today announced the launch of Extem™ thermoplastic polyimide (TPI) resins, a new family of amorphous polymers that provide exceptional performance, while eliminating the drawbacks of semi-crystalline materials, imidized thermosets, and competitive amorphous thermoplastics. GE’s Extem resins deliver a powerful combination of melt processability and ultra-high thermal, chemical, and mechanical properties. They meet growing industry demand for easy-to-produce parts that can withstand ever-higher temperatures and harsh chemical environments, and remain stiff and dimensionally stable in extreme temperatures. In addition, GE’s Extem resins are inherently flame-retardant without the use of halogenated additives that can pose an environmental risk.

“GE’s new Extem resin line represents a huge leap in cost-performance designed to help our customers grow their businesses,” said Brian Herington, general manager, High Performance Polymers, GE Plastics. “Until now, customers needing an ultra-high-performance plastic were forced to choose between expensive imidized thermosets with high processing costs or high-performance semi-crystalline resins. New Extem resins help solve these challenges through top-of-the-line extreme performance, cost-effective processing, and the elimination of such secondary operations as post-molding curing or crystallization. We’ve radically changed the game with a new, much needed polymer technology that we think will go a long way to help our customers compete, grow, and succeed.”

Herrington added that GE Plastics expects today’s introduction of GE’s new, world-class Extem resin to open up new application-development opportunities in such industries as semiconductor wafer handling, defense, oil & gas processing, aerospace, high-performance fibers, electronics, and automotive.

Extem resins provide the following properties:
• Continuous use temperatures up to 230 °C
• Glass transition temperatures up to 310 °C
• High stiffness and creep resistance under load, typical of high strength amorphous polymers
• Excellent resistance to a wide range of chemicals, including added resistance to chlorinated solvents over existing melt processable polyimides available today
• Inherent flame retardance without the use of halogens
• Melt processable on traditional extrusion and molding equipment
• Ultra high mechanical properties as molded, no post-curing or thermosetting needed

Compared with existing materials, GE’s Extem resins provide a comprehensive array of outstanding high-performance properties. Unlike high-end semi-crystalline polymers that exhibit poor creep resistance and dimensional stability under load at elevated temperatures, Extem resins deliver excellent creep resistance and stiffness under these conditions. Further, semi-crystalline materials are always opaque, whereas GE’s unfilled Extem resin grades are inherently transparent for greater design versatility.

While providing excellent performance, imidized materials such as polyamide-imide (PAI) and other TPIs are costly and must be machined from fully imidized stock shapes or melt processed. They must then be cured for up to two weeks to eliminate brittleness and to enhance physical properties. GE’s Extem resins offer true thermoplastic melt processability with ultra-high performance as molded to provide more cost effective, ultra-high-performance, and eliminate the need for post-curing, thereby offering processing productivity to customers.

Information about the company: Saudi Innovative Plastics Sweden AB