Engineered filler adds metallic effects

A Sabic Innovative Plastics product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Oct 12, 2006

Engineered metallic filler offers further functional effect option for the global plastics industry, while simultaneously providing greatly improved overall aesthetics and high performance.

To help meet customer demand to eliminate secondary painting operations and their associated costs and help alleviate environmental concerns while achieving highly differentiated special effects, GE Plastics has introduced Cycoloy Engineered Filler (EF) resin technology, a new engineered metallic filler.

This new resin technology compliments GE's Visualfx special effects resin product line, offering yet another functional effect option for the global plastics industry, while simultaneously providing greatly improved overall aesthetics and high performance.

With a patented engineered filler incorporated into the base resin, Cycoloy EF resin provides an eye-catching sparkle effect.

Typical metallic fillers can produce unsightly flow lines that detract from the appearance of the finished part.

To help solve this issue and deliver enhanced properties compared with standard metallic fillers, GE Plastics new Cycoloy EF resin provides state-of-the-art flow-line performance in a wide assortment of colours in this metallic effect.

Flow-line performance is dependent on part and mould design, and processing parameters.

The new GE Cycoloy EF resin may significantly reduce or even eliminate flow lines for improved part aesthetics compared with existing fillers.

Cycoloy EF resin is based on a proprietary flame-retardant Cycoloy resin matrix that imparts high-performance capabilities with a UL94V0 and 5VA rating, a heat deflection temperature of 85C, and excellent processability.

Furthermore, the new material is halogen-free and WEEE and RoHS compliant.

Replacing the secondary painting operation with a material such as Cycoloy EF resin can offer important benefits.

First, special effects such as metallic sparkles enhance design freedom and part differentiation.

Second, the elimination of a painting step, as well as reduced inventory, logistics and overhead, may lower per-part system costs.

Finally, paint-free production may help to reduce harmful emissions from solvents and spraying, and may save on capital costs for emission-control equipment.

"When GE set out to meet customer demand for a metallic effect to replace painting, we aimed to surpass the existing standard", said Paola Babka, Product Manager for Cycoloy, Visualfx, and Geloy PC resins, GE Plastics.

"Our patented Cycoloy EF resin has achieved a winning combination of outstanding appearance, flow line performance, high-performance properties, and potential cost advantages over traditional approaches".

The new eye-catching metallic effect provided by Cycoloy EF resin is an excellent option for use in electronic devices, personal care products, small appliances, telecommunications devices, and sports and leisure and packaging components.

The resin is an excellent potential candidate for knobs, trim, device enclosures, electronic housings, cosmetic packaging, bezels, and portable transmitters.

Further, depending on customer preference and mould surface selection, Cycoloy EF resin offers a range of surface finishes - from rough to silky and matt to glossy.

And, unlike paint that can wear off, the new GE resin can maintain its aesthetic value on high-contact items such as buttons and displays.

To help support application development and design with its new Cycoloy EF resin, GE Plastics offers colour matching and sampling services through its colorXpress services and customer innovation centres worldwide.

This new product is available globally with consistent resin colour.