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].

Wacker A.G., the Munich-based chemical company, has unveiled heat-conducting silicone-based gap filler material for the electronics industry. Called Semicosil 961 TC, the silicone rubber is ideal as an interface material for thermally connecting electronic circuits, Wacker said, ensuring effective heat management.

Wacker said the product is characterized by good flow and processing properties, and wear of the mixing and metering equipment used in its application is low. The heat-conducting Semicosil 961 TC silicone filler is applied directly to the heat sink, the company said, and once the electrical circuit is pressed on, the gap filler cures to form a soft silicone layer that transfers heat to the heat sink.

Wacker said the product, a highly filled, two-part silicone rubber, cures at room temperature via a platinum-catalyzed addition reaction to form a soft silicone elastomer with a tacky surface. The cured rubber achieves a thermal conductivity of two watts per meter kelvin and, at the same time, is electrically insulating, according to the firm.

Semicosil 961 TC is a non-sag material, Wacker claimed, but its viscosity decreases with increased shearing, for example during mixing and metering. Its shear-thinning property is adjusted so the silicone rubber can be fed easily by machine and applied as a bead, Wacker said, allowing for high dosing accuracy.

Semicosil 961 TC ensures optimum heat transfer from the electrical circuit to a heat sink, Wacker said. During compression, a continuous film forms that conforms snugly to the surfaces of the two joining parts, according to the company, allowing for surface irregularities and tolerances to even out.

The film cures to form a silicone layer between the joining parts. Its soft consistency ensures a reliable, tight fit even with frequent temperature changes and vibrations, the company claimed. Its properties remain unchanged between -45 and +180 degrees Celsius, Wacker said.

Wacker said the product, a two-component system, has a comparatively minor abrasive effect on the mixing and metering equipment used to apply it despite its high filler loading. This means there is less abrasive damage to feed pumps, for example, than is usually the case with highly filled silicone rubber, Wacker claimed

For more information, click here.

Guill Tool & Engineering Co. Inc. has introduced the Bullet II, the second generation of the Bullet, an extrusion head introduced in 2015 with fixed center design, multi-port spiral flow design and gum space adjustment.

Guill said the Bullet II allows quick tooling changes, as the tips remove from the back and the die removes from the front of the unit. The absence of fastening hardware eliminates leaking, as does the taper body and deflector design, Guill claimed.

In addition, the Cam Lock deflector retaining system offers additional benefits to extruders and machine builders including

• It only takes one-half turn of the Cam Lock to remove and install the deflector and tip;

• No fastening hardware is required;

• It allows for fast tool changes, threaded retaining ring for the die and threaded tip retainer;

• Dies are removed from the front and tips from the rear;

• Tooling retainers also provide gum space adjustment;

• Hassle free air/vacuum connections; and simplified cleaning.

High- and low-volume applications are suitable for this head, Guill Tool said, and are accommodated with changing of just one component. A family of crosshead designs is available.

A vacuum chamber and kit for assembly and disassembly are included with the unit, Guill Tool said.

For a video demonstrating the new design, click here.

For more information, contact Bill Conley, sales manager, at 401-828-7600, or go to www.guill.com.

AGC Chemicals Americas Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Asahi Glass Company Ltd., has introduced Fluon ETFE C88AXMP-HT, an ultra heat-resistant grade that the company said maintains performance characteristics at temperatures up to 200°C. C88AXMP-HT is an ideal material for industrial and automotive wire and cable insulation, as well as under-floor heating cables, according to AGC Chemicals.

The C88AXMP-HT grade is 20 percent less dense than fluorinated ethylene propylene, which reduces the amount of product required for applications, according to the firm. In addition, the grade's high melt flow rate provides fast, highly efficient processing line speeds, AGC Chemicals said, and one product grade is suitable for all wire size cross sections (0.3 sq. mm – 10 sq. mm).

The company claimed that additional performance benefits of Fluon ETFE C88AXMP-HT include improved crack and abrasion resistance; enhanced mechanical strength; full range of compatible color masterbatches; tested to German automotive LV112 class F; and meets automotive FLUR specifications.

Visit www.agcchem.com for more information.