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TEDUR® compounds are based on the high-performance plastic polyphenylene sulfide (PPS); their excellent material qualities, such as high chemical resistance and operating temperatures up to 465 °F (240 °C), mean that there are many application possibilities in automotive. A low thermal expansion coefficient that is comparable to aluminum as well as high rigidity mean that TEDUR® is highly suitable as a replacement for metal. Aluminum has already been replaced by TEDUR® in many applications, such as a mounting frame for driver assistance cameras. The camera lens bracket must have a high level of dimensional stability and rigidity, so that the lens is not affected by driving or due to warping. However, TEDUR® is useful as more than just a replacement for metal.
Its excellent hydrolysis and chemical resistance, even at high temperatures, are the basis for using TEDUR® in cooling systems, for example in pump components, pump valves or extruded pipes. Cooling circuits, in particular, are becoming ever more important due to e-mobility and the increasing demands placed on materials. Especially with regard to battery cooling, there are much higher requirements compared to a standard combustion engine. While the relatively robust power units previously needed to be cooled mainly when in driving mode, power storage units are more sensitive to increased temperatures and must be cooled both when in driving mode (unloading) and also during charging. Materials used in the cooling circuit are therefore exposed to loads for significantly longer periods, and must be replaced by more resistant materials. The long-lasting resistance of TEDUR® is therefore important so that extruded pipes, pumps and valves continue to function reliably even after many years of use.
In addition to this, the inherent flame resistance of PPS is a further advantage of TEDUR® when it comes to battery management. As well as the standard glass fiber or glass fiber/mineral-filled versions that generally achieve the highest ranking in the vertical flame test in accordance with UL94 (V0), a new development is also of particular interest. The newly developed TEDUR® HTR – High Tracking Resistant – combines both the already mentioned features as well as a very high tracking resistance with the highest classification CTI 600 (PLC 0). This makes a wide range of applications possible, especially in the area of power electronics for connectors and plugs. A further advantage of TEDUR® HTR, as well as the electrical properties, is its increased thermal conductivity. When used in housing components, for example, this increased heat dissipation can support thermal management.
TEDUR® is also used in headlights. Metallization of reflectors in PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) requires a perfect surface quality without any streaks or emissions. To ensure that this mirror-like surface remains unchanged despite high operating temperatures, special TEDUR® reflector types fulfill increased requirements regarding low emissions of volatile components.
TEDUR® does more than simply fulfill the technical requirements, it can also be coloured for identification in assembly purposes. If no suitable TEDUR® version is available for a special requirement, custom-made compounds can be developed either with glass, carbon fiber or mineral fillers, or unfilled for extrusion applications.
