PA6-PP Reinforced Composition for Hydrolysis-Resistant Cooling Circuits

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Solution Overview

Problem

Polyamide 6,6 and partially arylated polyamides are expensive and have inferior performance in coolant resistance, making them unsuitable for automotive cooling circuits, while PA 6 shows inadequate hydrolytic stability, leading to reduced performance when blended with PA 6,6.

Innovation Solution

A polyamide composition comprising 10-40 wt% PA 6, 35-50 wt% polypropylene, 0.5-10 wt% compatibilizer, and 25-50 wt% reinforcing fillers, processed through injection molding or extruding, which enhances hydrolytic resistance and cost-effectiveness for automotive cooling circuits.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If PA 6,6 and partially arylated polyamides are used, then hydrolytic stability is improved, but cost increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehydrolytic stabilityVSAvoidcost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces expensive PA 6,6 with cheaper PA 6, accepting that PA 6 alone has inferior hydrolytic stability. However, the stability is restored through additives rather than using inherently stable but expensive base materials, thus achieving cost reduction while maintaining performance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite material system by combining PA 6 with specific stabilizers (carbodiimides, phosphites, phenolic antioxidants) and processing aids. This composite approach allows the inexpensive PA 6 to achieve the hydrolytic stability previously only available from expensive polyamides

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Ease of manufacture

If PA 6 is blended with PA 6,6 to reduce cost, then cost decreases, but coolant resistance drops dramatically

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovecostVSAvoidcoolant resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the hydrolytic stability function from the expensive PA 6,6 base material and implements it separately through specific stabilizer additives. This allows using cheap PA 6 as the base while restoring the stability property that was lost by blending with PA 6,6

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces stabilizers (particularly carbodiimides and phosphites) as intermediary substances that mediate between the cheap PA 6 and the required hydrolytic stability. These additives act as protective intermediaries that prevent degradation without requiring expensive base materials

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20240150565A1Polyamide composition with increased hydrolysis resistance, a process for preparing the same, its application and an article made therefrom

Publication Date: 2024.05.09 BASF SE

AI summary

Disclosed herein is a polyamide composition with improved hydrolytic resistance, which includes (a) 10 wt % to 40 wt % of polyamide 6, (b) more than 35 wt % to 50 wt % of poly-propylene, (c) 0.5 wt % to 10 wt % of a compatibilizer, and (d) 25 wt % to 50 wt % of reinforcing fillers, based on the total weight of the polyamide composition. The disclosed polyamide composition is suitable to prepare an article for cooling circuits in automobiles.