Polyamide High-Voltage Components With Migration-Resistant Laser Marking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing polyamide-based thermoplastics used in high-voltage components for electromobility face issues with colorant migration, especially Solvent Orange 60, leading to decreased color intensity, functional impairments, and potential electrical resistance, while conventional laser marking additives like antimony trioxide have market reputation concerns.
Innovation Solution
Employing a pigment system based on inorganic mixed oxides containing titanium dioxide, tin oxide, and zinc oxide as a laser marking additive for polyamide-based high-voltage components, ensuring improved lightfastness, thermal stability, and resistance to migration, with a specific color difference ΔE <30 to RAL orange shades.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If Solvent Orange 60 is used as a colorant for orange marking, then the color intensity is improved, but the colorant migrates under extreme temperatures leading to decreased color intensity and functional impairments
Solution Approach 1:
A migration inhibitor is introduced as an intermediary substance that prevents Solvent Orange 60 from migrating out of the plastic matrix. The migration inhibitor acts as a mediator between the colorant and the environment, blocking the migration pathway while allowing the colorant to maintain its coloring function. This resolves the contradiction by preserving color intensity without the harmful migration effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite system combining Solvent Orange 60 with a migration inhibitor in a polyamide matrix. This composite material approach allows the colorant to provide orange coloring while the migration inhibitor component prevents the adverse migration behavior. The synergistic combination resolves the contradiction between color intensity and color stability.
2Manufacturing precision
If antimony trioxide is used as a laser marking additive, then the laser marking capability is improved, but the market reputation deteriorates due to H351 hazard classification
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the problematic antimony trioxide with alternative laser absorbers that are safer and have better market acceptance. These alternative substances serve the same functional purpose of enabling laser marking but without the harmful H351 classification, thus resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and harmful factors through substitution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters by substituting antimony trioxide with other substances that have different safety profiles. This parameter change maintains the laser marking functionality while eliminating the harmful classification, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and market reputation.
3Ease of manufacture
If high processing temperatures exceeding 300°C are used in compounding and injection molding, then the processability is improved, but the colorant selection is limited due to thermal degradation
Solution Approach 1:
A heat stabilizer is introduced as an intermediary that protects the colorant from thermal degradation during high-temperature processing. The heat stabilizer mediates between the high processing temperatures and the colorant, allowing the colorant to withstand the thermal conditions without degrading, thus expanding colorant selection while maintaining processability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite system combining the desired orange colorant with heat stabilizers and migration inhibitors. This composite material approach allows the use of high processing temperatures for good processability while the stabilizer components protect the colorant from thermal degradation, thereby expanding colorant selection versatility.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The pigment system provides effective laser marking, maintains color integrity under thermal and UV stress, and prevents migration, enhancing the functionality and safety of high-voltage components.
Implementation Method 1
a laser, preferably a solid-state laser with an Nd:YAG crystal, in particular the DPL-Genesis-Marker (8W) laser marking device from ACI Laser GmbH
Implementation Method 2
at least one pigment system based on inorganic mixed oxides containing titanium dioxide, tin oxide and zinc oxide
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to high-voltage components, in particular for electromobility, comprising polymer compositions based on at least one polyamide and at least one pigment system based on mixed oxides comprising titanium dioxide, tin oxide and zinc oxide, as well as the use of such a pigment system for the production of polyamide-based high-voltage components or for marking polyamide-based products as high-voltage components by means of a laser.