Raw Materials, Additives and Masterbatches

Pioneering Polymer Solutions and Successes Victrex, a world leading PAEK expert, is providing further proof points that the company is more than “just” a high- performance polymer (HPP) producer. A new broad food grade portfolio, a novel solution for e-motors and gears in automotive, impellers in electronic home appliances, investments in building a supply chain for the use of thermoplastic composite parts for aerospace as well as partnerships in Additive Manufacturing (AM), with new AM PAEK products in development, are all representative indicators that the global company is progressing solutions based on VICTREX™ PAEK polymers. In selected areas this also includes forms and parts, such as composite brackets for aerospace. The invention and development of PEEK 40 years ago and Victrex's dedication to focusing on PAEK/PEEK thermoplastics are the foundation of this impressive catalogue of success. “Innovator” and “solutions provider” may seem overused these days. However, they exactly describe Victrex's portfolio and services based on the high-performing Polyaryletherketone (PAEK) polymers on which the company has focused ever since it was established. Today, thermoplastics of this family, and in particular VICTREX™ PEEK, are used in countless applications, spanning aerospace, automotive, electronics, energy, manufacturing & engineering and medical. Food & Beverage: Advancing applications based on new VICTREX FG food grade portfolio To help OEMS to meet the stringent regulatory and quality demands affecting the food equipment industry, Victrex is introducing a dedicated PEEK food grade portfolio at the Fakuma show. Compared to metals, the new “VICTREX FG™” family of high-performing thermoplastics offers additional benefits in terms of cost-effectiveness, productivity and performance for OEMs – and the neutral taste expected by consumers. Applications range from cookware and beverage dispensers for commercial and domestic use to industrial applications involving food-contact components in conveyor systems, aseptic processing, sensors, gears and nozzles. A “Forum” presentation during Fakuma on “3 Things to Consider for Reliable, Regulatory-Compliant Food Applications” will provide further insights. Electronic appliances: lighter vacuum cleaner components with enhanced durability enabling lower noise and increased energy efficiency In home appliances, the high-performance polymer has allowed designers to explore new approaches to the design of smaller, yet powerful, vacuum cleaner components. The ability to injection mould VICTREX PEEK to produce high engineering tolerance parts that are able to cope with high speeds, in some cases faster than 100,000 rpm (noting that jet engines only rotate at 15,000 rpm), while noise can be reduced by up to 50%, is impressive. The material's high stiffness-to-weight ratio also allows the impeller to maintain its shape at these high speeds, potentially resulting in stronger suction compared to more ductile materials. In addition, when replacing machined metal parts it can enable reductions in the weight of parts, thus reducing the size of motors and the components needed, and is resistant to a wide range of household chemicals, and heat and moisture. Injection molding contributes to potential cost savings for manufacturers compared to the machining parts from metals, and it also enables the rapid scaling up of new designs, shortening time to product launch and allowing faster, less capitally intensive, scaling up of manufacture. Automotive E-motors: Will APTIV™ film end the quest for the ideal slot liner material? With the automotive industry transitioning to electric vehicles, the quest for more efficient high-density e- motors and lower cost is still on. Most motor manufacturers have opted to use the Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine (PMSM) since this type of motor has a higher efficiency and occupies less volume compared to other types of e-motors. As the PMSM is designed to cut off at temperatures that threaten to