A weekly look at new products, innovations

Editor's Note: Each week, Rubber & Plastics News will take a look at some of the rubber industry's new products and innovations on www.rubbernews.com. Does your company have a new product or new innovation? To be considered for inclusion in this recurring feature, email [email protected].

Quantum Silicones L.L.C. has launched QM 132T, a mold-making silicone that can obtain with either thixotropic or flowable properties.

The durable, two-component QM 132T is RoHS compliant and well-suited for mold-making applications, Quantum Silicones said, including prototyping and replicating architectural structures, sculptures and figurines. Polyester, polyurethane and epoxy resins are compatible casting materials with this silicone.

QM 132T has a 10 to 1 mix ratio by weight and offers three catalyst options. By using QM Cat Purple, the mixed material will have a low viscosity, the company said. This enables an easy pour and thorough flow onto the master model, which contributes to creating detailed molds from complex models. Quantum said the product is ideal for vertical surface applications, and that QM Cat Clear Thixo 2 can be used to acquire a thixotropic, brushable material.

The third compatible catalyst is QM Cat Purple SR 2, Quantum Silicones said, which results in a low viscosity, flowable material. Additionally, this catalyst offers styrene resistance, resulting in increased productivity when casting styrene based resins.

QM 132T has a work life of approximately 35 minutes before the material doubles in viscosity. Its service temperature range of -50 degrees Celsius up to 150 degrees Celsius is good for casting urethanes due to the release of heat during the curing process of some urethanes. Its fast demold time ranges from 12 to 16 hours and will contribute to quick turnaround in manufacturing processes.

For more information, visit www.quantumsilicones.com.

APS Elastomers has released Huntsman Polyurethanes' Irogran polyether- based thermoplastic polyurethanes. These products are designed to meet a variety of challenging wiring and cabling applications, including household wiring for low amp appliances and heavy duty wiring and cabling for telecommunication cables; automotive ABS cables; power and energy cables; industrial cables for robotic and automated systems and geophysical cables.

APS said these TPUs are available in the shore hardness range of 80A-98A and have been UL 94 tested; several of the TPU products include proprietary flame retardant formulations. Easily colored, the Irogran TPUs can be processed to deliver a matte or glossy finish, and offer high wear and tear resistance; good hydrolysis resistance and excellent anti-kink properties, the company said. All grades of Irogran TPUs offer flexibility and elasticity over a wide temperature range, APS said.

Visit www.apstpe.com for more information.

Lanxess A.G. showcased a broad range of products at Expobor 2014 on April 23-25 and presented a new curing technology for EPDM rubber.

Lanxess Keltan Elastomers business unit said zeolite can be used as a new co-activator for resol curing, enabling both high cure speed and high curing efficiency. Resol curing opens up an alternative approach of EPDM rubber processing besides established sulphur vulcanization and peroxide curing that are the main crosslinking technologies for EPDM rubber.

Previously, resol curing could be designated as the workhorse for the dynamic vulcanization of EPDM/PP-based thermoplastic vulcanizates, Lanxess said. However, for thermoset vulcanization of EPDM, it is hardly used, because it is considered to be too slow and suffers from marching cure.

Depending on the particular resol curing system and rubber under investigation, the cure rate is increased. Lanxess said this creates reduction of scorch and vulcanization times as much as 75 percent. The final degree of crosslinking is clearly enhanced—almost up to the double value, the company claims.

Resol curing can be considered as a realistic alternative to sulphur and peroxide curing systems, making curing at lower temperatures possible and providing improved heat aging properties, Lanxess claims.

For more information, go to www.lanxess.com.