Cast Polyamides Additives

AP-Nylon® Materials

Benefiting from strong R&D activities on the chemistry of anionic polymerization of lactams, Brüggemann is a world leading supplier and single sourcer of AP-Nylon® materials, such as NYRIM® (Nylon by Reaction Injection Molding), along with the catalysts, activators, and caprolactam required for its production.

AP-Nylon® is a casted nylon via the anionic polymerization of caprolactam to PA6 G. The result is an improved structural polyamide with outstanding impact resistance and outdoor endurance.

With its combination of improved properties such as hardness and stiffness leading to very good impact resistance and outdoor endurance, AP-Nylon® thermoplastics open the door to new applications.

Discover Brüggemann's range of AP-Nylon^® products:

Cast Polyamide Additives

NYRIM®

AP-Nylon® Caprolactam

Cast Polyamides Additives

As a globally leading supplier of raw materials for the production of Cast Polyamide and associated additives such as catalysts, activators and impact modifiers, Brüggemann relies on intense R&D in the field of Anionic Polymerization. AP-Nylon® additives from Brüggemann are key to obtaining structurally improved polyamides of high impact toughness and durability. As a result of these advantages, AP-Nylon® cast polyamides continue to open up ever new applications.

As a “rough and tough” material, cast polyamide is the perfect choice for a broad diversity of applications in polyamide parts are produced by anionic polymerization. This 'Rough and Tough' material is an ideal choice for applications in:

transport / shipping
industrial installations / heavy-duty equipment
building and road construction
safety technology
mining

Typical products range from large semi-finished stock (e.g., bars, tubes and sheets) with low inherent stresses to complex castings which cannot be obtained by injection molding or extrusion.

BRUGGOLEN® additives – efficient and sustainable

The BRUGGOLEN® C range of additives comprises catalysts and activators which have been purpose-developed for the production of high-grade cast polyamides by Anionic Polymerization. Of course we provide as well the suitable monomer AP-NYLON® Caprolactam as solid flakes or liquid in full truck loads. In our ongoing refinement and innovation of the Bruggolen® C-Series, effectiveness and efficiency are key considerations, along with our focus on sustainability. One example of this approach is BRUGGOLEN® TP-C1608, our new heat stabilizer. It expands the application range of cast polyamide parts to temperatures up to 150°C.

AP-Nylon® Materials
Product	Function	Characteristics
BRUGGOLEN® C additives for the production of cast polyamide
BRUGGOLEN® C10	Highly efficient catalyst	Highly efficient solid catalyst for anionic polymerization of caprolactam with quick reaction times at low temperatures.
BRUGGOLEN® C20P	Highly efficient activator	Highly efficient solid activator for anionic polymerization of caprolactam with quick reaction times at low temperatures.
BRUGGOLEN® C235	New, highly efficient liquid activator	Highly efficient liquid activator for anionic polymerization of caprolactam with quick reaction times at low temperatures. To our knowledge BRUGGOLEN® C235 is the only liquid activator without usage of N-Ethyl-Pyrrolidon (NEP). NEP is a substance of very high concern and limitations of its use are expected.
BRUGGOLEN® C25	Highly efficient retarding activator	BRUGGOLEN® C25 allows to retard the solidification of the reactive caprolactam melt. It is selected for applications that benefit from longer periods of time until solidification, e.g. for slower filling of complex large geometries or degassing of narrow rod diameter molds.
BRUGGOLEN® C540	Highly efficient impact modifier	BRUGGOLEN® C540 improves the impact strength of anionic polymerized casted or roto-molded caprolactam.
BRUGGOLEN® TP-C1312	Viscous elastomeric for the activator side	BRUGGOLEN® TP-C1312 improves the impact strength of anionic polymerized casted or roto-molded caprolactam. At higher dosage >20% soft polyamides can be produced.
BRUGGOLEN® TP-C1608	Heat stabilizer enables Cast Poylamide long term applications up to 150°C	BRUGGOLEN® TP-C1608 improves the tensile strength of anionic polymerized casted or roto-molded caprolactam after heat aging applications.

New Developments:

BRUGGOLEN® C25 is a new retarding activator system for the Anionic Polymerization of Caprolactam. It is mainly used for the casting of thin rods or bulky pieces in order to avoid pinhole issues, lunkers and voids.
BRUGGOLEN® TP-C1608 is a new heat stabilizer system for the Anionic Polymerization of Caprolactam. It is applied on the activator side and prolongs the mechanical strength at temperatures up to 150°C.

In addition, Brüggemann supplies a portfolio of further additives such as crystallization accelerators and processing auxiliaries to assists users in realizing a host of products – application advice included.

Nyrim

NYRIM® is a thermoplastic material noted for its exceptionally high shape stability over a temperature range from -40 to 140° C. Moreover, this material distinguishes itself by its excellent impact strength and very high abrasion resistance. – These and other valuable properties are a result of its chemical structure:

NYRIM® is an elastomer-modified AP-Nylon®, or P6 block copolymer

The characteristics of this copolymer can be selectively controlled, depending on its intended use, by varying the elastomer content. Typically, the elastomer component will account for between 10 (NYRIM® 1000) and 40% by volume (NYRIM® 4000). NYRIM® products – both semi-finished stock and complex parts – are obtained by reaction injection molding (RIM), roto-casting or vacuum infusion.

Comparison of material data (dry) of NYRIM® and Cast Polyamide
Parameter	Cast PA	NYRIM® 1000	NYRIM® 2000	NYRIM® 4000
E-Modulus [MPa]	3500	2500	1700	500
Tensile strength [MPa]	80	58	47	26
Elongation at fracture [%]	6	40	270	420
Izod at 23°C [kJ/m²]	4	10	30	No fracture
Izod at -40°C [kJ/m²]	2	7	9	No fracture
Hardness (Shore D)	85	79	74	59

In the RIM process, high-viscosity and low-viscosity fluids can be processed together. Once the components are thoroughly mixed (with the aid of a dynamic mixhead), the mould cavity is filled using low pressure only.

NYRIM® parts can be made cost-efficiently in a vast range of designs:

suitable for finished parts of large volume / large surface area
major variations in wall thickness (> 3:1) are no problem
small-to-medium runs (from 100 to 40,000 parts) can be cost-efficiently produced
low mold-filling pressure results in low tooling costs (aluminium molds)
supports addition of reinforcing materials and/or fillers
inserts or glass-fiber matting can be integrated (i.e., imbedded in the polymer)
hollow parts can be made by special hollow-core techniques (lost core method)
multi-cavity molds with different molding geometries can be used.

NYRIM® APPLICATIONS FOR THE MOST EXACTING DEMANDS

A feature common to all NYRIM® applications is that they benefit from the material’s exceptional properties in conjunction with the flexibility of RIM process technology. Materials and support from Brüggemann have enabled a host of solutions in industries as diverse as transport (e.g., rollers, containers, elevator buckets), heavy-duty equipment (tanks, crushers, track pads, etc.), construction (special anchors, utility service covers), alpine (e.g., wheel guidings and wheels for snow groomers) and general applications (dentist’s chairs, roadside emergency call boxes, etc.).

AP-Nylon Caprolactam

Cast polyamide, made by anionic polymerization of AP-Nylon® Caprolactam, combines outstanding material properties – e.g., high impact strength, abrasion resistance and vibration damping – with exceptionally low inherent stresses in the product. Polymerization occurs without applied pressure at temperatures around 120 to 150° C. Cast polyamide products, whether in the form of semi-finished stock or complex castings, can be made very cost-efficiently by all known casting processes, i.e., vertical casting, centrifugal casting or rotational-casting.

Following mixing of the two components – molten pre-blends of Caprolactam/Activator and Caprolactam/Catalyst – and filling of the mold, the polymerization reaction takes only a few minutes to complete. The resulting low-stress castings of semi-crystalline PA6 are of high dimensional accuracy and exhibit no sink marks, even on parts with major thickness differences. Thus, tailor-made materials and process expertise from Brüggemann create the prerequisites for delivering uniformly high standards of product quality.

Process technology for Nylon Casting:

AP-Nylon® Caprolactam is a preferred raw material for producing cast polyamide (PA6) by Anionic Polymerization with the aid of special Activators and Catalysts (BRUGGOLEN® C additives)

The AP-Nylon® Caprolactam supplied by Brüggemann has lower moisture content than standard Caprolactam. For Anionic Polymerization, the starting materials must be as anhydrous as possible and any ingress of moisture needs to be prevented as it would interfere with the polymerization process. Moreover, Caprolactam flakes get increasingly susceptible to agglomeration with rising moisture levels.

AP-Nylon® Caprolactam has a moisture content of <150 ppm

In order to prevent water absorption and agglomeration during shipping and storage, AP-Nylon® Caprolactam is stored and shipped in liquid form under dry nitrogen; the solid product is supplied in aluminum-lined bags.

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